Font ResizeBRATTLEBORO -- The officials are getting most of the attention at the NFL level, but on the Green Mountain gridiron it’s Rice’s defense that’s most deserving.
The Green Knights, who haven’t given up an offensive touchdown yet this season, will go head-to-head with Division 1 Burlington on Friday night at 7 p.m. Three other teams in Division 1 and 2 will also try to remain undefeated through Week 5, as Lyndon (4-0) will host North Country, Essex (4-0) will travel to Rutland and Hartford (4-0) will welcome MAU.
Brattleboro, on the other hand, is looking for its first win. And the Colonels could get it when St. Johnsbury (1-3) comes to town for a Friday nighter at 7.
The Hilltoppers are coming off of a 22-7 loss to CVU. Dylan Shattuck paced St. J with 23 carries for 116 yards in that one, with Eli Wendell chipping in with an 80-yard kick return to the house.
BUHS quarterback Tyler Higley has been putting up pretty good numbers against the top four teams in the D-1 standings. He just went 13-of-24 for 157 yards versus mighty Hartford, including a bomb to speed demon Noah Simeon and a successful screen pass to the Tom Rathman-like Elliot Gragen.
On Saturday at 1 p.m., Bellows Falls (3-1) will welcome a cellar dwelling U-32 team.
The 1-3 Raiders were blasted by Lyndon 53-16 a week ago. But the game before that, Colby Brochu had 194 of his team’s 462 rushing yards in a 40-30 victory over
Zach Rawling carried the Terriers past Division 3 Windsor in Week 4, with touchdown runs of eight, 40 and 62 yards. Ethan Illingworth contributed with a QB sneak for six and a TD strike to Mike LaBeau.
In the Division 1 headliner, unbeaten Essex will travel to Rutland (3-1) for a Friday night game. Joey Picard, a Heisman frontrunner, threw for 326 yards and seven touchdowns in a 61-23 rout of Mount Mansfield last week. And James Olsen hauled in four of those scoring tosses.
See the Vermont Football standings, scores and schedule on page 12.
Shane Covey can be reached at scovey@reformer.com or by calling 802-254-2311, ext. 163.
