Let’s take a little quiz. What is the best football team in Vermont this decade? Interesting question, isn’t it? At the youth level, it might be the South Burlington Dolphins — man those kids are good. At the high school level, Middlebury and Rutland have to be strongly considered and perhaps South Burlington as well.
What about the team with the following resume?
· Eight seasons played with a 92-25 overall record (79% winning percentage).
· Eight straight winning seasons.
· Eight straight playoff appearances.
· Five League Finals Appearances
· Two League Championships
· Two National Championships
It might sound hard to believe that a team that good is playing football in Vermont, but they are. The team I’m talking about is the Vermont Ice Storm semiprofessional football team.
Over the past eight years, the Ice Storm has been one of the dominant teams in the New England region, finishing in the regional top ten rankings for the last four years and in the national top ten for the past two seasons. The team won back-to-back national championships in 2007 and 2008; that’s right, national championships.
Head coach Doug Perez and the leadership of the Icestorm have built a dynasty in Vermont; one we should all be proud of. The Icestorm is a major player on the national stage and proves that a team from a rural state can play the game, and win, against big city teams. Coach Perez had that vision from day one, and made it a reality.
With Coach Perez’s retirement, the Icestorm enter a new era. With such impressive groundwork already laid, expectations are very high. The new head coach inherits very large shoes to fill and a lot of tradition to live up to, but he also inherits a great football tradition and a host of experienced players.
What will happen in 2009 and beyond? I wish I knew, but I can say one thing for sure: as the new head coach of the Icestorm, I’m ready for the challenge.
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