New Hampshire stymies Vermont in final minute for shutout win in Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl

CASTLETON – An exhausted defense, up against a driving opponent and soaring temperatures, New Hampshire needed to dial up a play.

The Granite State limited Vermont’s attack, but with under a minute left in regulation New Hampshire’s back was up against its own end zone.

Enter Lebanon’s Justin Decarlo.

Facing 90-degree temperatures and Vermont’s Slade Postemski, Decarlo raced to the left side to cover the Green Mountain State’s player of the year on a crossing route. With 26 seconds remaining in regulation and on the 13-yard line, the 5-foot-10 linebacker fought through a punishing stiff arm from Postemski, wrapped up and punched the ball loose.

The game-saving tackle came after three consecutive plays inside the 15-yard line and lifted New Hampshire to a 7-0 final in the 69th edition of the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl at Castleton University’s Dave Wolf Stadium on Saturday.

Vermont denied. Sugar Bowl honors remain east.

“They are just a bunch of gamers and they find a way to get it done,” New Hampshire and Lebanon High School coach Chris Childs said of the defense. “It doesn't surprise me that he (Decarlo) comes up with that big play.”

Postemski found success late in the contest against the New Hampshire defense, but was unable to break free for the would-be score.

“I stayed home and did my responsibility,” Decarlo said. “He (Postemski) came across the field and I guess he had gotten loose and I just came over and tried to pop it out and make a play.”

The defensive clash was the second straight shutout win for New Hampshire and the 50th victory overall in the senior all-star match. The Granite State now leads the all-time series 50-16-2.

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New Hampshire’s lone touchdown came with 4:20 left in the first half when Aidan Washington found Kevin Kolodziej on a 26-yard strike. Kolodziej beat the top of the Green Mountain defense with a seam route. The first half score followed a Vermont turnover on downs and capped a nearly seven-minute, 80-yard drive.

“I think both defenses were great defenses,” Vermont coach Craig Sleeman said of the lone score. “They just got the best of us on offense.”

The Vermont offense, stymied by four fumbles and a handful of penalties, totaled just 179 yards. A 69-yard rush by Windsor’s Ben Gilbert positioned the Green Mountain State in the red zone with 4:31 left in the third quarter. But an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, the second of the game for Vermont, pushed the offense back to the 33-yard line and led to a turnover on downs.

“The offense didn't give up,” Sleeman said. “You saw it all the way up to the end.”

Vermont quarterback Ben Serrantonio on the final drive: “We finally started to get some momentum going and we kind of just ran out of time. Honestly, we had some plays that we were going to run and we just couldn't get them off.”

The New Hampshire defense solved Vermont’s Wishbone attack early and often and the costly mistakes diminished the Green Mountain State’s chances.

“We had some plays here and there,” Sleeman said. “But we fumbled. We saw the plays (available), it's just the execution.”

Washington led New Hampshire with 40 passing yards on two completions. The Granite State backfield amassed 185 yards with Kolodziej and Nico Zaino leading the way with 58 and 53 yards, respectively.

Gilbert paced Vermont’s run game with 94 yards on six carries. Serrantonio and Bellows Falls’ Jonathan Terry combined 3-of-8 for 14 yards through the air.

“When you get tired you don't think very well,” Childs said. “And those kids (New Hampshire’s defense) mentally they stayed in it and lined up, made sure we were in the right spots and that's what happened at the end.”

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Contact Jacob Rousseau at JRousseau@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter: @ByJacobRousseau.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: New Hampshire stymies Vermont, captures shutout win in Shrine Bowl