High School Camp Tour: North Country Falcons

NEWPORT, VT – One year removed from its first championship since 1997, the North Country Falcons football team looks different. The team graduated 17 players and has a new head coach.

“A lot of those seniors have been playing together since fifth grade, so they knew each other, they trusted each other, they believed in each other and they kept pushing. And when plays needed to be made, nobody was afraid of that moment,” said John Guebara, the Falcons’ new head coach. “I don’t want to say it’s about starting over. It’s just that people like to say, ‘Oh, you’re a rebuilding team?’ We’re not rebuilding. We’re just renovating. You know, we just have to figure out different things.”

Guebara continued: “We don’t have the guys we had last year, but we have guys that can do other things. And it’s my job and the staff’s job to make sure those guys are in the positions they need to be in to make plays,” Guebara said. “Hayden Boivin (is going to be) there at quarterback. (He’s) a dynamic player, he’s been on the scene for two years. I expect a better year for him this year, because he’s going to get the ball a lot more than maybe he has in the last few years.”

“We’re a young team, but we’re still as good as we were last year,” said veteran North Country quarterback Hayden Boivin. “We have competition amongst ourselves, you know, we want to compete and do what we did last year.”

“I think this year’s team has a lot more athletes than last year,” Guebara said. “Last year we had a lot of football players, these guys are very athletic and can get the ball into space and do some really amazing things.”

“Offensively, I think we just need to hone in on our running game, because that’s what’s always driven us everywhere, being able to run the ball exceptionally well,” wide receiver/cornerback Jason Pelletier said.

“We will try to go out there and understand that we will all give our best. And, as you know, you have to face it. You can face it and fight for it or you can just let the pressure get the better of you,” Guebara said. “I hope we stand up and be competitive and see what the result is at the end of the game.”

North Country will host the first game of the season on Thursday, August 29 against U32.

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