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Bowkett back for CHaD game

Souhegan football coach Robin Bowkett gives some directions duirng last Thursday’s practice for the 2022 CHaD Game West squad at Manchester West High School.

Robin Bowkett is his usual energetic self these days.

You always expect that from the Souhegan High School football coach, but he was especially excited because for the second year in a row, he’s coaching the West squad in the annual CHaD East-West All-Star Football Game.

It not that rare for a coach to be a head man in the CHaD Game twice, but it’s not always the case to do it two years in a row. But both he and East coach Kevin Hebert of Spaulding are at it again for a second straight year.

“Honestly, my wife said, ‘You can’t be one and done,'” said Bowkett. “Honestly, if it weren’t for my wife, I wouldn’t be doing it again.”

Bowkett was actually chosen for the 2020 game but it was canceled due to the pandemic.

“Then I coached last year and I said, ‘Hey, let’s give it one more go’,” he said.

Bowkett coached the West to a 29-6 win in last year’s game, which was played about a month later than it is this year. The game is set for Saturday at 1 p.m. at Saint Anselm’s Grappone Stadium.

“Team speed and athleticism kind of stands out right away,” Bowkett said. “Certainly especially on defense. We’ve got a lot of guys who can run to the ball and tackle. A lot of big skills guys we’re excited about.

“And I think last year we were pretty top heavy. The talent this year, top to bottom, we have more depth in terms of the skill.”

Bowkett, who had been an assistant on the West staff in the past, said this will be it for now.

“I’ll pass it off to someone else after this year in terms of (being) the head coach,” he said. “But it’s been an honor and so much fun to be a part of it.”

QB THANKS

Merrimack QB Kyle Crampton, one of two on the West roster along with Bedford’s Joe Mikol, is headed to Salve Regina in Newport, R.I., in the fall to continue his football career.

And he says one of the people he has to thank for that is rival Nashua South quarterback Mike Rutstein, who is going there as well.

“I didn’t start talking to (Salve) til late,” Crampton said. “My friend (Rutstein) had gone there a couple of times and he liked it. Now he’s going there, and we’re going together. He’s playing there, too. I thank him for that. It’s pretty cool.”

Bowkett at this early stage understandably won’t commit to a starter at the

position.

“Who knows who starts between Kyle and Joe, they’re both going to play a ton, regardless of who starts,” Bowkett said. “They’ve both played in shotgun type systems, they’re both smart quarterbacks, they’re both going to play at the next level. Both of them were pretty easy picks. Being close to where we live, we got to see them a lot, read about them a lot, they were both no-brainer picks.”

MORE COLLEGE PLANS

Crampton’s favorite target, Shea Goodwin, is on the team and in the fall will head to St. Lawrence University – and hopes to play football. That wasn’t the original plan back at the beginning of his senior season with the ‘Hawks.

“I think it was how I played,” he said when asked what made him decide he wanted to continue. …

Nashua South’s Josh Compoh will also play in college, as he settled on Bentley University. The only drawback is he won’t be playing vs. his brother, Jason, who is at Division I Merrimack College while Bentley is Division II.

Was there any thought of attending Merrimack? “Yes,” Compoh said. “But they wanted me to play defense.”

Tickets for the game can be orderd on the game’s website, www.CHaDAllStarFootball.org.