CHaD Game: Scouting Report

By rbrown
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Updated: June 27, 2025

NEW HAMPSHIRE EAST/WEST ALL-STAR GAME
GAME PREVIEW

When and Where: Friday (6 p.m.) at Saint Anselm College’s Grappone Stadium. Tickets can be purchased in advance by visiting the CHaD web site.

The Format: The game will have 15-minute quarters. Each team can use five offensive formations and must declare its defensive front. Players not on the line of scrimmage must be no more than 3 yards from the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped. The offense will have two choices if there is a blitzing violation: Replay the down with a 5-yard penalty, or take the result of the play plus a 5-yard penalty.

Head Coaches: Salem’s Steve Abraham is the East’s head coach. Merrimack’s Kip Jackson is coaching the West.

Assistant Coaches: (East) Nick Alsup, Mike Bicciri, Jack Byrne, Matt Case, Jay Castricone, Justin Hufft, Jon Rich and Ken Sharkey. (West) JT Anderson, Robin Bowkett, Joe Battista, Jared Chandler, Trevor Knight, Griffin LaFountain, Branden Lilley, Nick Hammond, Max Morelli, Kevin Nyhan, Pat O’Neil an Andrew Provencher.

The Teams: The East team can draw players from Alvirne, Campbell, Dover, Epping-Newmarket, Exeter, Farmington-Nute, Gilford, Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough, Kennett, Kingswood, Laconia, Londonderry, Pelham, Pembroke, Portsmouth, Pinkerton Academy, Raymond, Salem, Sanborn, Somersworth, Spaulding, St. Thomas, Timberlane, Winnacunnet, Windham, and Winnisquam.

The West team draws players from Bishop Brady, Bishop Guertin, Bedford, Bow, Concord, Con-Val, Goffstown, Fall Mountain, Franklin, Hanover, Hillsboro-Deering, Hollis-Brookline, John Stark, Kearsarge, Keene, Lebanon, Manchester Central, Manchester Memorial, Manchester West, Mascoma, Milford, Merrimack, Merrimack Valley, Monadnock, Nashua North, Nashua South, Newfound Regional, Newport, Plymouth, Souhegan, Stevens, and Trinity.

NOTEWORTHY: The path to victory for the East starts with an improved offensive effort. The West has won the last four games, and the East scored 16 points in the four losses. Two of those losses were shutouts. “Last year we probably had more penalty yards that we did rushing yards, so we have to get rid of those,” said East coach Steve Abraham, who was an assistant on the East staff for last year’s game. “No turnovers, and special teams is a huge part.” … The three finalists for the 2024 Yukica Player of the Year Award are running backs for the East: Campbell’s Scott Hershberger, Exeter’s Daniel Batstone and Salem’s Kevin Todisco. Hershberger won the Yukica Award after rushing for 2,076 yards as a senior, when he became the state’s all-time leading rusher. He finished his high school career with 6,212 yards on 593 rushing attempts. “Stopping the run is definitely going to be a focal point, especially based on the size of their line, their coaching staff and, as coach Abraham mentioned, they have great running backs,” West coach Kip Jackson said. “So that’s what I would do if I were them. It’s going to be a challenge for us just because of their personnel and the style of offense they’re going to run, but hoping we can have some kids step up on the defensive line and at linebacker.” … Jeremy Mlocek (Timberlane) and Charlie Crawford (Alvirne) are the East quarterbacks. Jack Maye (Bedford) and Colby Nyhan (Concord) will play quarterback for the West. … “I think they’re very athletic on the outside,” Abraham said. “They can do multiple things, so it gives us a lot to defend.” … Jackson said like many all-star games, the outcome of Friday night’s contest will likely be determined by mistakes. “I think it will be whoever plays the cleanest game,” he said. “Kicking game and sudden change. Those are the two things that concern me the most. If we happen to get a turnover how do the kids react to that type of adversity?”

The Series: The West leads the series 9-3.

Prediction: West 20, East 13.