By Jake Klein
Again in 2022, New England’s prep landscape will be home to some of the top talent in the region.
Note: Only NEPSAC Bowl-Eligible teams are listed.
Preseason Top 25
Note: Only NEPSAC Bowl-Eligible teams are listed.
1. Avon Old Farms: The Winged Beavers hovered near the top of New England last season, but the addition of quarterback Ryan Puglisi makes them the title favorites. Jon Wholley steps into the role of head coach this season and he’s added depth to his returning by tapping into the local scene for post-graduates like Maxwell Warren (St. Joseph) and Christian Alliegro (Darien). If AOF can develop a strong line presence, they’ll be tough to beat.
2 . Choate Rosemary Hall: After splitting the Founders League title with Avon and Loomis Chaffee last year, Choate will once again be in the mix atop New England. The strength of the Wild Boars is up the middle, where they have signature size and speed up front. Duke tight end commit Vincent Drolet and new quarterback Nick Rubino will lead a Choate offense that’ll be as talented as any LJ Spinnato has had in his 14 years in Wallingford.
3. Loomis Chaffee: The defending NEPSAC champions have a new head coach in former Amherst College passing game coordinator Adam Banks, and they return more talent—including South Carolina quarterback commit Dante Reno and Alabama offensive line commit Olaus Alinen—than perhaps any other team in New England. The Loomis offense may be improved with the addition of Miami tight end commit Jackson Carver, but the biggest question marks for the Pelicans come on a defensive unit that allowed under 14 points per game last season, but graduated some key contributors.
4 . Brunswick: Wayne McGillicuddy, who was handed the reins of the Bruins program in February, instantly takes control of one of the region’s top prep programs. Brunswick loses significant offensive talent and production from a year ago, but will have one the top defenses in New England, led by Ohio State commit Miles Walker and Jesse Schutzman.
5 . Deerfield: Perhaps no team on the prep circuit experienced more changeover this offseason than the Big Green, but Brian Barbato’s team will be a bowl contender again in 2022. Cole Geer—a sophomore with offers from Virginia Tech and Boston College, among others—takes over the role of starting quarterback. Stanford wideout Elic Ayomanor is gone, but he’s replaced in earnest by Duke offeree Triston Ward. Will Sutman and CJ Williams anchor an offensive line that also has a new look.
6 . Buckingham Browne & Nichols: There was a point last season where BB&N looked like the ISL’s best team, but a late-season loss the Milton did them in. This season, they return more talent, led by Clemson wideout commit Ronan Hanafin. Coupled with 3-star tight end Brett Elliott and running back Bo MacCormack, Mike Willey’s Knights will have a high-powered offense and a good shot at running the table in 2022.
7 . Milton Academy: The Mustangs, who fell to Loomis in the NEPSAC championship game after an undefeated regular season in 2021, also return their best player, Michigan tight end commit Andrew Rappleyea. Georgetown commit Jake Holtschlag is back at quarterback, Harvard defensive end commit Jack Crowley returns, and Keith Nally steps into the role of lead tailback. Still, with a slightly depleted offensive line and tailback Luke Thorbahn gone, the strength of Milton’s 2021 team is no longer in place.
8 . Cheshire Academy
9 . Taft
10 .,Suffield Academy
11 . Exeter
12 . Williston
13 . Andover
14 . Dexter Southfield
15 . Pingree
16 x Trinity-Pawling
17 .,Salisbury
18 . Lawrence Academy
19 . Thayer
20 . Proctor Academy
21 . Canterbury
22 . Noble and Greenough
23 . Governors
24 . St. George’s
25 . Belmont Hill
Extra Points:
Founders Dominance: Three of the four bowl matchups in 2021 featured a Founders League team against an ISL opponent, and the Founders team won each convincingly; Loomis beat Milton 21-3, Avon topped BB&N 56-13 and Choate trounced Lawrence 35-7. 2022 is an important chance for the ISL to reassert itself as a top prep league.
New Leaders: Four teams in the top 10, including three of the top four, are led into 2022 by a first-year head coach. While Avon’s Jon Wholley and Brunswick’s Wayne McGillicuddy were promoted from within, others, like Loomis’ Adam Banks, were brought in from elsewhere. In all cases, new leadership means minor changes, but expect the same high level of football from those programs.