The upcoming Vermont-New Hampshire Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl features players who have already graduated from high school and have very little at stake in terms of impressing college coaches, and athletes only have a week to digest a new playbook and bond with teammates.
However, this particular game, which will take place on Dartmouth's Memorial Field this Saturday seems to be the exception to the rule. Players seem to cherish the opportunity to take part in this annual tradition, which is now in its 55th year.
Previous players seem to have a strong sense of connection to the event, as alumni of the game come back each year to help out with the game and the charity golf tournament held the week before.
At Exeter High School in Exeter, N.H., an invitation to play in the game is the ultimate honor. The weight room features a wall with a list of former players that have gone on to play in the Shrine Game.
Only 72 players - 36 from each state " are selected to play in the game.
"It's a real honor," Mike Lefavor of Nashua High School South told the Nashua Telegraph. "You look at it, and only two seniors out of however many kids that were on our team make it. You have to be pretty good to get on there. We were the only two from Nashua that came here, so it feels pretty good going."
Londonderry's Alex Theodhosi, who will play for Brown in the fall, echoed Lefavor's sentiment to the Nashua Telegraph.
"It means a lot to me to be here," he said. "There's a lot of great athletes on this team, and I love being a part of it with them, rather than playing against them during the season. It's nice to have them on my team, and hopefully help us to victory."
Another aspect of the Shrine game that appeals to players is the charitable component. Each player who will participate in the game traveled to the Shriners Hospital in Springfield, Mass.
One New Hampshire player told The Citizen of Laconia that the visit reaffirmed the players' desires to play in the game because it demonstrated to them the importance of being selected to the squad.
"It's meant so much to actually see the kids. It was an unbelievable experience and helped us to understand what we're really playing for," he said.
Shriners Hospitals are run by Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, which is an appendant body of freemasonery in the United States. There are 22 such pediatric hospitals throughout the country.
Proceeds from the games also go to three Shriners Hospitals " in Montreal, Springfield, Mass. and Boston. The game has raised over 4.5 million dollars in its history.
As for the game itself, both teams have been practicing at Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, N.H. since Wednesday, July 23.
Mike Law of East Montpelier's U-32 High School will lead the Vermont squad, while Craig Kozens of Laconia will lead the Granite State.
The series record is lopsided with the Granite State holding a 39-13-2 lead overall. New Hampshire has been particularly successful in recent years, as they have won the last seven contests. However, last year's game was extremely competitive and New Hampshire needed a last-second field goal by Bryan Pinkerton of Ferris Academy to escape with a 23-20 win.
The Shrine Game kicks off on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The game will be preceded by the traditional parade in downtown Hanover at noon, which will feature the Shrine All-Star Band, a group composed of high school students from Vermont and New Hampshire.
