It was a great weekend for football in St Johnsbury, VT. The Hilltoppers advanced to the state semifinals, and our youth team captured a state championship for the second year in a row. The weekend was made even better when the head of our youth program shared the following letter she received:
My son plays QB & LB for BYSA. I just wanted to reach out to express my gratitude and ask if you could please pass along a message to the families of players 59 and 50. At a few different points during the game, both of these boys came up to my son, gave him a hug and told him he was a great athlete and to keep fighting. Their kindness and sportsmanship truly meant so much to him and to me as well. Please let them know how much we both appreciated their encouragement. Congratulations on your win and thank you again for raising such remarkable young men.
Football may at times be a violent sport, filled with hard hits and fierce competition, but being a good sport is still essential. Players must learn to compete intensely while keeping control and showing integrity. Good sportsmanship turns a rough game into a test of character as much as skill.
I am proud of all of our youth coaches, many of whom played for us, and all of the players, but especially these two young men who I watched grow up over the past dozen years as they are the sons of two of our coaches. We look forward to welcoming them and their teammates into our Hilltopper football family in 2026.
Coach Rich Alercio is available to discuss coaching philosophy, X’s & O’s, or teach his O-Line “techniques in the trenches.” Contact Coach at richalercio@gmail.com and share http://www.olineskills.com with your colleagues and friends. Thanks for supporting this blog and joining our conversations, and as always, thanks for your time!
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