Teams and Games of the Week for Week 7

Here are my thoughts on the top teams and games from Week 7 of the Vermont High School football season.

Teams of the week

• Division I: I'm somewhat tempted to name Rice again, but with all due respect to the Green Knights' latest upset, Hartford has to get the nod here. With first place on the line, the Hurricanes shook off an early two-touchdown deficit and pulled away for a 35-20 win over St. Johnsbury. It was the latest example of HHS' depth and balance, and it leaves the 'Canes in position to clinch the top seed with a win over Rutland on Friday.
• Division II: The Bellows Falls front line sure made a statement in its 44-8 victory over Burlington on Saturday. The Terriers (7-0) piled up more than 400 yards on the ground and shut down Kevin Garrison and the rest of a BHS team that entered with a 5-1 record. It was exactly the kind of physical performance BFU will need if it wants to knock off Burr and Burton in their Week 8 showdown. (See below)
• Division III: It's been an up and down season for U-32 but the Raiders will definitely enter the playoffs heading upward. A dominant first half turned into a 53-20 victory over Mill River on Saturday in a key matchup of teams in the middle of the playoff race. The Raiders don't have a game in Week 8, but at 4-3 they have a strong chance to earn home-field advantage in the quarterfinals.   

Game of the week

• North Country 37, Mt. Mansfield 34: In a game that went back and forth all day, Justin Wade hit a 25-yard field goal on the last play of regulation to give the Falcons a thrilling win. Quarterbacks Evan Sarault and Asa Carlson combined for seven TD passes, with the last of Sarault's four tying the game for the Falcons (3-4) with less than five minutes to play. The wildest stretch of this one came in the first half, however, as NCU scored two touchdowns and MMU had one in the two minutes before the intermission.

Week 8 Games to Watch

• Burr and Burton at Bellows Falls (7 pm Friday): This one might be the most anticipated matchup of the season in any division. The Division II powerhouses both enter the title-game rematch with 7-0 records, having pretty much steamrolled all their opponents to date. Defending champion BBA has quarterback Griffin Stalcup to lead a potent air attack so Bellows Falls will need another big game on the ground to control the clock if it is going to avenge its only two losses from 2015.
• Windsor at Woodstock (7 pm Friday): With two matchups of undefeated teams this late in the season, I had to make my Game of Watch section into a Games to Watch section this time. Again both teams are 7-0, and they've both outscored their opponents by nearly 40 points per game. The winner gets the top seed for the Division III playoffs so there should be plenty of motivation on both sides.