Image courtesy of St. Paul’s

The NEPSAC season kicks off in two weeks but with training camps underway throughout New England, here is our preseason primer to get you ready for the upcoming season in one of the best high school football leagues in New England and the country.

1 Tabor Academy returns one of the most talented team in New England led by quarterback and Michigan commit Peter Bourque, wide receiver Kaden Drinkwater, do everything athlete Trey Grant and lineman Botond Varga. Tabor will once again be the preseason favorite in a loaded ISL Large. On defense, UCLA commits Marcus Almada and Carter Gooden lead a ferocious front seven that attacks and gets after the quarterback.

2 Another team to keep an eye is Jon Wholley’s Avon Old Farms squad which returns several talented players including Wake Forest commit tight end Luke Hutchinson, EDGE Mason Leak who is committed to Boston College. AOF has a talented skill group on offense and a defense that will get after people. Expect them to be among the favorites in the Founders League.

3  Keegan Croucher to Jovon Williams is the most lethal combination in New England High School football. The Cheshire Academy duo can change the complexion of a game on one play. Croucher has several big time offers as does Williams. Cheshire will be a handful this season.

4 Brunswick has had some talented players go through their hallways and they have more coming. Wayne McGillicuddy‘s Bruins will be leaning on a good offensive line led by Harvard commit Rowan Aherns. Darien transfer quarterback Ben Rolapp is a dual threat playmaker who will elevate the offense and make Brunswick tough to stop.

5 Choate Rosemary Hall returns another talented team that features Rutgers commit Tanner Raymond at tight end and Elon commit Will Teller along the offensive line. L.J Spinnato‘s Boars are always one of the top NEPSAC teams in the region and this year should be no different.

6 BB&N coach Mike Willey has another talented team returning and they will be a prime contender in the ISL Large. The Knights return a talented senior class led by athletes Vince Snoonian, and Owen DeSalvo, linebacker Sam Kelley and offensive lineman Tim Church. Replacing Bo MacCormack is virtually impossible but BB&N has enough back to contend.

7 Jim O’Leary taking over at Nobles & Greenough is a great move for the program. Given what O’Leary did at Governors Academy in making that program competitive, you can expect the same at Nobles. It will take some time, but O’Leary will find a way to make the Bulldogs more competitive right out of the gate.

8 Williston Northhampton has a balanced roster that features a solid line on both sides of the ball and a good skill group led by quarterback Crew Colon. Boston College commit Dean Ruksnaitis, Princeton commit Chris Oswitt and Chase Bedrossian lead the lines and make Williston a tough team to play against on a week to week basis.

9 Panos Voulgaris has quietly built one of the best programs in the NEPSAC at Phillips-Exeter. It is starting to show not only on the field in terms of wins and losses but also in recruiting. He has some talented young men in the program.

10 St. Paul’s is also in the same boat in that regard. Head Coach Craig Vandersea has built a program that is competitive on a year to year basis and can win NEPSAC Bowl games. 2027!Quarterback Webber Marx leads a talented team looking to go undefeated again and win a bowl game.

11 For years, Portsmouth-Abbey was a program that struggled to find its footing but the school’s administration has found the right coach in Stanley Dunbar. Dunbar has public and private school coaching experience and he knows how to recruit players thanks to his vast numbers of connections in the football training world. He will build a good program.

12  Ken Goodwin is building something special at St. Mark’s. The program has not had consistent success through the years but Goodwin is starting to put together a roster that allows the program to compete at a higher level. The Lions finished 5-3 last season and could be better this season.

13 Middlesex returns a talented senior class from last season’s 7-2 team. Tulane commit Orion Saunders and Union commit Frankie Forrest are back and should make an even bigger impact this season.

14 Luke Boria takes over at Governors Academy. Boria has a lot of work to do but he has coached at the school before and knows the lay of the land pretty well.

15 Milton Academy returns Buffalo commit quarterback Qur’an McNeill and 2027 athlete Zahir Mitchell to a talented roster. Kash Kelly is also back for the Stangs at receiver. James Madison commit Jesse Giddings leads a good group upfront. The Mustangs are a legit contender in the ISL Large.

16 St. Thomas More once again has a lot of talent back. Perhaps the most talented player on the roster is 2027 EDGE Marvin Nguetsop. He is 6’7 and a man among boys. He will be a force for Coach Ernest Anderson’s Chancellors.

17 Kaden Silton, a UNH commit leads a talented Worcester Academy team looking to improve on last season’s 5-4 record. EDGE Tyler Brewington will lead the defense.

18 St. Sebastians should once again be in the mix in the ISL Large. With Michigan commit Marky Walbridge leading the way, the offense should be good. Especially with Duke Ciongoli back at quarterback. The defense should be good as well. Linebacker Dominic Scioli and 2028 rising star Ben Walker are players to watch.

19 Keep an eye on Suffield as another program on the rise that could contend for a bowl game. Illinois commit Kayden Bennett spearheads the defense while Holy Cross commit Finn Bjork is a player to watch on offense.

20 Lawrence Academy and Loomis Chaffee are both programs that are on their way back. Both programs have talented players like UMass commit Matthew Tybor (LA) and defensive back and Rutgers commit Latrell Noel (LC). Expect both programs to be in bowl contention.