Vermont high school football: Games to watch and 2023 schedule
The new Vermont high school football regular season format provides intriguing games from August until October.
The Free Press did a deep dive on the changes earlier this year, but as a refresher the new schedule splits teams into leagues that drive regular-season play. There will be more cross-division and out-of-state games as a result.
To combat the changes, the Quality Point Rating (QPR) that decides playoff standings needed an adjustment. Straight from the Vermont Interscholastic Football League guide, the new QPR is as follows:
"A school shall receive 10 points for defeating any Division I team, seven points for defeating any D-II team and five points for defeating any D-III team. For teams playing a higher division, they will be awarded the differential of a divisional victory if they lose the game. For example: D-II playing a D-I team will earn three points for a loss and D-III playing a D-II team will earn two points for a loss."
Related: How 2023 realignment changes football landscape
Teams receive two points for each win earned by an opponent. The total QPR is then determined by a team's own value plus an opponents’ value then divided by the number of VIFL games a team has played.
Without further ado, here are the Vermont high school football games we have our eyes on this year and the 2023 schedule!
Champlain Valley at Burr and Burton
Week 1 - Saturday, Sept. 2 at 1 p.m.
Start your season with this barn-burner in Manchester. These two met last year in an undefeated showdown during Week 6. CVU took the win as the two powerhouses combined for nearly 800 yards and 73 points.
More: VPA football committee announces rotating championship venue
Mount Anthony at Fair Haven
Week 2 - Friday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m.
The Patriots and Slaters are one of many cross-division matchups this seasons that provide intriguing play. This is a rematch of the Division II semifinals (MAU won 49-8 en route to a title win).
Rutland at Middlebury
Week 3 - Thursday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.
Thursday nights are for football as two of the most tradition-rich programs square off in Middlebury. The Tigers trumped Rutland 28-7 last year before winning five of the next six to reach the D-I title game.
Windsor at Mount Mansfield
Week 4 - Saturday, Sept. 23 at 3 p.m.
The two-time reigning D-III champion Yellow Jackets travel north to face Cougar Nation.
Essex at Champlain Valley
Week 5 - Saturday, Sept. 30 at 2 p.m.
The 2021 championship and last year's semifinals might be the main course, making this mid-season meeting between rivals dessert. This one is circled for us and should be for you too.
Brattleboro at Bellows Falls
Week 6 - Friday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m.
The second 2022 D-II semifinal rematch comes in early October. With Brattleboro's move to D-I, this will also be another cross-division play this season.
Mount Anthony at Hartford
Week 7 - Friday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m.
Playoff implications anyone? This inter-league contest will bring the fireworks.
Bellows Falls at North Country
Week 8 - Saturday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.
This Saturday night game of potential D-II powers has us excited in the final week of the regular season.
2023 Vermont high school football schedule
Week 1
Thursday, Aug. 31
Hartford at St. Johnsbury, 6 p.m.
Missisquoi at Milton, 6:30 p.m.
Colchester at U-32, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 1
Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
Mount Mansfield at BFA-St. Albans
Middlebury at Brattleboro
Essex at Rutland
Mount Anthony at Hoosic Falls (NY)
North Country at Burlington/South Burlington
Springfield at Bellows Falls
Otter Valley at Woodstock
Saturday, Sept. 3
Games at 1 p.m. unless noted
Champlain Valley at Burr and Burton
Fair Haven at Poultney
Lyndon at Mill River
Spaulding at Mount Abraham
Rice at BFA-Fairfax/Lamoille
Oxbow at Windsor
Week 2
Thursday, Sept. 7
Essex at Burlington/South Burlington, 7 p.m.
Bellows Falls at Hartford, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 8
Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
BFA-Fairfax/Lamoille at Milton, 6:30 p.m.
Mount Mansfield at Brattleboro
Burr and Burton at Middlebury
Champlain Valley at BFA-St. Albans
Concord (NH) at Rutland
St. Johnsbury at Colchester
Mount Anthony at Fair Haven
U-32 at Spaulding
Saturday, Sept. 9
Games at 1 p.m. unless noted
North Country at Lyndon
Otter Valley at Mount Abraham
Missisquoi at Rice
Woodstock at Mill River
Springfield at Oxbow
Poultney at Windsor
Week 3
Thursday, Sept. 14
Rutland at Middlebury, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 15
Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
Windsor at Milton, 6:30 p.m.
BFA-St. Albans at Hartford
Brattleboro at Mount Anthony
Colchester at Essex
Lyndon at U-32
Otter Valley at Spaulding
Woodstock at Springfield
Saturday, Sept. 16
Games at 1 p.m. unless noted
St. Johnsbury at Burr and Burton
Burlington/South Burlington at Champlain Valley
Bellows Falls at Mount Mansfield
Fair Haven at North Country, 7 p.m.
Mount Abraham at BFA-Fairfax/Lamoille
Mill River at Poultney
Oxbow at Missisquoi
Otter Valley at Spaulding
Week 4
Friday, Sept. 22
Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
Brattleboro at Keene (NH), 6:30 p.m.
BFA-St. Albans at North Country
Burr and Burton at Hartford
Middlebury at Essex
Mount Anthony at Rutland
Burlington/South Burlington at Colchester
U-32 at Bellows Falls
Mount Abraham at Woodstock
Mill River at Springfield
Saturday, Sept. 23
Games at 1 p.m. unless noted
St. Johnsbury at Champlain Valley
Fair Haven at Lyndon
Milton at Rice
Spaulding at Missisquoi
BFA-Fairfax/Lamoille at Otter Valley
Poultney at Oxbow
Mill River at Springfield
Windsor at Mount Mansfield, 3 p.m.
Week 5
Friday, Sept. 29
Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
Colchester at BFA-St. Albans
Hartford at Brattleboro
Mount Anthony at Middlebury
Burlington/South Burlington at St. Johnsbury
Mount Mansfield at U-32
Woodstock at North Country
Oxbow at Spaulding
Saturday, Sept. 30
Games at 1 p.m. unless noted
Essex at Champlain Valley, 2 p.m.
Rutland at Burr and Burton
Fair Haven at Bellows Falls
Rice at Lyndon
Milton at Otter Valley
BFA-Fairfax/Lamoille at Mill River
Missisquoi at Poultney
Mount Abraham at Springfield, 6 p.m.
Week 6
Thursday, Oct. 5
Burr and Burton at Mount Anthony, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 6
Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
BFA-St. Albans at Burlington/South Burlington
Brattleboro at Bellows Falls
St. Johnsbury at Essex
Hartford at Middlebury
Milton at Colchester
North Country at U-32
Poultney at Woodstock
Saturday, Oct. 7
Games at 1 p.m. unless noted
Rutland at Champlain Valley
Lyndon at Mount Mansfield
Missisquoi at Mount Abraham
Otter Valley at Rice
Spaulding at BFA-Fairfax/Lamoille
Oxbow at Mill River
Springfield at Windsor
Peru (NY) at Fair Haven, 6 p.m.
Week 7
Thursday, Oct. 12
Champlain Valley at Colchester, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 13
Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
Spaulding at Milton, 6:30 p.m.
BFA-St. Albans at St. Johnsbury
Burr and Burton at Essex
Mount Anthony at Hartford
Middlebury at Burlington/South Burlington
Rutland at Brattleboro
U-32 at Fair Haven
Saturday, Oct. 14
Games at 1 p.m. unless noted
Bellows Falls at Lyndon
Rice at Mount Abraham
North Country at Mount Mansfield
Springfield at BFA-Fairfax/Lamoille
Mill River at Windsor
Missisquoi at Otter Valley
Woodstock at Oxbow
Week 8
Thursday, Oct. 19
Essex at BFA-St. Albans, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 20
Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
Mount Abraham at Milton, 6:30 p.m.
Brattleboro at Burr and Burton
Champlain Valley at Middlebury
Hartford at Rutland
Colchester at Mount Anthony
Mount Mansfield at Fair Haven
Saturday, Oct. 21
Games at 1 p.m. unless noted
Lyndon at St. Johnsbury
U-32 at Oxbow
BFA-Fairfax at Missisquoi
Mill River at Otter Valley
Burlington/South Burlington at John Stark (NH), 2 p.m.
Poultney at Springfield, 6 p.m.
Windsor at Woodstock, 7 p.m.
Rice at Spaulding, 7 p.m.
Bellows Falls at North Country, 7 p.m.
(All games subject to change).
Become a member of the Vermont Varsity Insider Facebook group at https://bit.ly/2MGSfvX.
Contact Jacob Rousseau at JRousseau@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter: @ByJacobRousseau.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont H.S. football: 2023 regular season schedule and games to watch
