Shrine network returns for 2010
Toolbox
BY Tom Haley STAFF WRITER - Published: December 29, 2009
The Shrine Radio Network will return for the 2010 Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl, the all-star high school football game between Vermont and New Hampshire to be played Aug. 7 in Windsor.
There was no network for the 2009 game, although the game was broadcast by Lakes Region Radio in Poultney and carried on Rutland's WSYB as well.
Handling the play-by-play duty this season will be Rutland's Jack Healey of the Northeast Sports Network and Bob Lipman, program director of WTPL in Concord, N.H.
Healey does play-by-play of numerous Castleton State College athletic events and Vermont high school games.
Lipman's main play-by-play fare is Dartmouth College football and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the AA minor league affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays.
There was no network last season because Windsor's MacLeay-Royce Field lacked a suitable location for broadcasting.
"They agreed to put us in the stands last year, but you can't really do it from there because it is too noisy," Lipman said.
"When it was decided to return the game to Windsor this year, they agreed to give us a spot on the roof (of the press box)," Lipman said.
"I told Dave Orr (the Shrine's media relations person) that if he could get us power, we would get the game on the air."
Many years the Shrine Radio Network has had some holes in populous areas, mainly the Burlington area in Vermont ad the seacoast region of New Hampshire.
This year the Burlington area would seem an easier sell with all of the seniors expected to be on the team from undefeated state champion Essex. Essex coach Charlie Burnett is also the Vermont head Shrine coach.
"The seacoast area has always been a puzzle to me because they have a locally owned station that does high school football," Lipman said.
Lipman said his own station will definitely be carrying the game.
The first Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl in 1954 did not have a radio broadcast but every game since then has been on the radio with retired WCAX-TV sports director Tony Adams calling many of them.
The video of the bizarre finish of the Mount Mansfield-Otter Valley football game netted Mount Mansfield a check for $17,500 in a national contest and with the Cougars preparing a brand new football field for the 2010 season, there is no shortage of ideas of what the money could be used for.
Head coach Marty Richards will be sitting down with athletic director Brian Cain to try to come up with ideas of how to spend the money.
"Some of the things we are thinking of are a press box and chains," Richards said.
There are numerous auxiliary items needed as this will be the first season the Cougars have had a football field. They have been playing all games on the road. They have played some "home games" at places like Essex, South Burlington and CVU and even played two games on makeshift field at Mount Mansfield.
"I am really looking forward to playing home games instead of playing all the games on the road," Richards said. "The field is going to be gorgeous."
Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive tackle Anthony Munoz came to Jericho to present the check at a school assembly.
"It was a lot of fun meeting him. He was a really nice guy, very genuine," Richards said.
tom.haley@rutlandherald.com
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