Winooski High School is shopping for a varsity football coach.
Dick Hebert, who became the program’s head coach last season, was recently told by the Winooski School Board that he would be replaced before the 2009 season. Mike Antoniak, the only paid assistant coach on the Winooski staff last season, will also be replaced.
“The board felt it was time to look around and see if we could entice some new blood,” Winooski School Board chairman James Ticehurst told the Burlington Free Press. “We were not totally unhappy with Dick Hebert. We just want to see if there are viable candidates.”
Winooski, which hasn’t qualified for the playoffs since 2001, finished with a 1-7 record last season.
“I think the disappointment that I have was I did not feel the board wanted to spend the time on where we took the program – in the number of kids participating, and keeping them eligible and with those that felt everything was OK,” Hebert told the Free Press. “We still don’t know where we went wrong. We have never officially received anything.”
Before he was promoted to head coach, Hebert spent 10 years as an assistant coach on the Winooski staff. He was elevated when former head coach Paul Frenette retired.
Hebert, 63, was an all-state high school football player at BFA-St. Albans and then went on to play at the University of Vermont. He had a tryout with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but never played in a regular-season NFL game. He played for the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes.
Hebert has also coached high school football, either as a head coach or an assistant, at three other Vermont schools: Rice Memorial, BFA-St. Albans and Milton.
Hockey: Twin State rosters released
The Vermont rosters have been announced for this year’s Twin State Make-A-Wish All-Star Hockey Classic, which will be played June 27 at the University of Vermont’s Gutterson Fieldhouse.
The New Hampshire boys have a 9-6-1 edge in their series against the Vermont all-stars. The girls series is tied, 4-4-1.
The annual games raise money that help fulfill wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Girls roster: goaltender Nicole Bonneau (Champlain Valley), goaltender Claire Francis (Loomis School), defense Elise Bishop-Rimmer (Burlington), defense Brittany Branon (BFA-St. Albans), defense Maggie DiMasi (Northwood Prep), defense Ally Kane (Taft Prep), defense Whitney Marmer (Burr and Burton), defense Cassi Miller (Essex), forward Ashley Boucher (Rutland), forward Lauren Cabanaw (Essex), forward Adrienne Flemming (Missisquoi Valley), forward Dunja Jovicic (Burr and Burton), forward Madison Hayes (Hartford), forward Hanna Martini (Harwood), forward Trisha McGrath (Burlington), forward Montanna Heinlein (BFA-St. Albans), forward Jessica Paquette (BFA-St. Albans), forward Sydney Stevens (South Burlington), forward Ashley Sweet (Harwood) and forward Kelley Whitcomb (U-32).
Boys roster: goaltender Nate Potter (Hartford), goaltender Daniel Trombley (St. Johnsbury), defenseman Chris Howard (Champlain Valley), defenseman Austin Mandigo (Stowe), defenseman Chris Murray (Burr and Burton), defenseman Owen Smith (Champlain Valley), defenseman Ben Soll (Champlain Valley), defenseman Tyler Vock (South Burlington), forward Brady Dehayes (Champlain Valley), forward Jordan Dufrense (BFA-St. Albans), forward A.J. Hamel (Hartford), forward Luke Hayes (Colchester), forward Cole Hunter (St. Johnsbury), forward Trey Kiendl (Harwood), forward Adam Krol (Burlington), forward Trevor Pollock (Burr and Burton), forward Tim Reichert (Champlain Valley), and forward F.J. St. John (Spaulding).
