The Rivalry

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Created on Monday, 24 October 2016 17:57

Written by Dylan Clark

Saint Johnsbury - A rivalry that extends back farther than the last time the Cubs won the world series, the 112th edition known as "The Game" pitted the 5-2 Saint Johnsbury Hilltoppers against the 0-7 Lyndon Institute Vikings.

 The conditions weren't exactly ideal, but were exactly what you would expect for a late October game, cold and rainy.

For a few players on both sides, this would be the last edition of "The Game" they would ever be a part of.

"We talk about seniors being leaders, and for most, the impact they have on the team isn't seen until years after they're gone."  Said Lyndon Head Coach,  Chad Simpson.

Lyndon wasn't the only side feeling emotional about their seniors leaving the program.  For the Hilltoppers, this game also signified Senior Day, as Head Coach Rich Alercio said goodbye to his senior class.

"I'm going to miss a lot of them, we had the parents come up, and unfortunately I got a little watery eyes with a couple of the kids. I love these kids, these are the kids I've had for four years, so it's going to be emotional when these kids go."  Stated Alercio.

As for the game itself, the emotions might have been equal, however the score was a bit lopsided.
Lyndon was able to score early, however Saint Johnsbury was able to score more.  The final score had the Hilltoppers walking away with a 69 to 6 score of the Vikings, increasing their wins record against Lyndon.

Both head coaches, Alercio and Simpson had specific game plans coming into the contest that in hopes would shut down the opposition.

"Defensively the game plan was try and contain the quarterback, I mean Reeves is a very effective runner, he's a threat in pass and scramble every time and he ran the ball extremely well on called runs when they were able to establish stuff it was all him creating so really the game plan defensively was shut him down."  Said Alercio.

This game plan seemed to be effective for the Hilltoppers, while on the other hand the plan didn't exactly benefit the Vikings.

"Defensively I know we had a couple breakdowns in coverage, you know the plan was to eliminate the deep ball, a few times guys got caught watching underneath routes, sat on them and instead of staying over the top of stuff, we had some balls floated on us and they converted I think four scores off those balls."  Stated Simpson.

For Saint Johnsbury on this day, perhaps there was more motivation than to simply win the game.  This year, "The Game" also signified the 50th anniversary of the 1966 State Championship Hilltopper team.

The 1966 Hilltopper team was 7-0 heading into their game against Lyndon Institute, at the time one of only two undefeated teams in the state.

"I don't know if you know, but we were undefeated that part of the week, Rice was 7-0 and we were the only two undefeated teams remaining in the state."  Said Bob Chase who played quarterback for the 1966 Hilltopper team.

"The fact that we lost that game you know it's character building."  Said Chase.

Despite the records heading into the game, anything can happen, and their is always a bigger take away than just the final score.

For both communities, the meaning of this game runs deeper than just the final score.  A game that has been around for over 110 years, generations of family members have played for both teams, with some houses even being divided both ways.

Lyndon Institute graduate and former Viking standout Davis Guyer says this game this year, is unlike any other he played in during his football years.

"The rivalry meant everything to me as a player and while growing up.  This game is one of the biggest games in the country and it was an honor to be a part of it."  Said Guyer.

"I remember growing up and always being at the game to cheer on my cousins, not really realizing how special the game was.  Then it became my turn to play, and I understood what the feeling was. It was a surreal feeling that nothing could ever overcome."  Stated Guyer.

No matter what the final score is, and how important that outcome may seem at the time, a game such as this has a long lasting impact not only physically, but as a learning point for both coaches and all players.

Both teams will be playing their final games this upcoming week, as Lyndon Institute will head to Jericho to take on Mount Mansfield, as for Saint Johnsbury, they will host Rutland in their final home contest of the year.