East roster isn’t what it was

By rbrown
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Updated: June 25, 2017

When East head coach Criag Kozens studies his roster for Friday night’s sixth annual CHaD New Hampshire East-West All-Star Game he knows it looks nothing like the roster he selected last winter.

Quarterback Kyle Ball (Exeter), middle linebacker/fullback Victor Pizzotti (Windham) and running back Nico Buccieri (Pinkerton Academy) are among the players originally selected to the East team who will not play in the game. Ball, who has accepted a baseball scholarship from Stetson, will miss the game because of baseball-related activities; Pizzotti is injured (hip flexor); and Buccieri recently informed Kozens that he would be skipping the game to prepare for his freshman season with the University of New England football program.

“We have 35 players and we started with 40,” said Kozens, who guided the East to victories in each of the last two years. “We’ll play more guys two ways than we have in the past. I am who I am. I’ll do what I do.”

Jake Stevens (Londonderry) and Christian Peete (Portsmouth) will replace Ball at quarterback. Peete, who can play any of the offensive skill positions, had to play some quarterback for Portsmouth last season after starting quarterback Cody Graham was injured.

“I guess I’d compare Ball to (former Londonderry quarterback) Eric Fairweather,” Kozens said. “Fairweather was elusive. We also put him (at running back) in the I (in the 2015 CHaD game). We were going to try to get Ball on the edge. Stevens is more of a pocket passer, and Peete is very athletic.

“Pizzotti is 100 percent out and Nico would have been our go-to back.”

Friday night’s game will be played at St. Anselm College (7 p.m.). The West has a 3-2 edge in the series, but the East has won each of the last two meetings.

The East will practice at Manchester Memorial High School today from 4:30 to 8 p.m. The West team, which has been working out at Bedford High School, will practice at St. Anselm College at the same time.

CHaD New Hampshire East-West All-Star Game results

2012: West 44, East 12
2013: West 13, East 7
2014: West 24, East 7
2015: East 29, West 15
2016: East 28, West 14