Top 15 most dominant Vermont high school football programs since 2006

Video: Matchup - Hartford vs. Bellows Free Academy 2016
See two of the state's best programs do battle last season.

What separates the most dominant team in Vermont from the second-most dominant team? Winning the big game.

Hartford earned the title of most dominant thanks to a sterling 6-0 record in state title games since MaxPreps became America's source from high school sports. Middlebury came in second due to a 2-4 mark in title games.

The largest schools in the state hold the top spots. Still, the system of rewarding state champions gives smaller schools the chance to be represented. No. 10 Windsor's run in Division 3 between 2007-11, which featured five straight title game trips, earned the Yellowjackets a spot.

Here is how the points break down:

1. 20 for a state title

2. 10 for a state championship game appearance

3. Other points are based on where a team finished in the final MaxPreps Vermont Football Computer Rankings presented by the Army National Guard. For example, if a team finished No. 1 overall, it would receive 25 points. If it finished 25th overall, the team would get one point. No points are awarded if the team did not finish in the Top 25.

1. Hartford (White River Junction) — 355 points
State titles: 6
Runner-ups: 0
Top 25 state rankings: 2006 (8), 2007 (1), 2008 (1), 2009 (10), 2010 (2), 2011 (1), 2012 (1), 2013 (4), 2014 (14), 2015 (5), 2016 (4)

2. Middlebury — 312 points
State titles: 2
Runner-ups: 4
Top 25 state rankings: 2006 (2), 2007 (2), 2008 (16), 2009 (6), 2010 (3), 2011 (4), 2012 (5), 2013 (1), 2014 (1), 2015 (3), 2016 (11)

3. Rutland — 268 points
State titles: 2
Runner-ups: 2
Top 25 state rankings: 2006 (1), 2007 (5), 2008 (2), 2009 (4), 2010 (10), 2011 (13), 2012 (10), 2013 (12), 2014 (7), 2015 (1), 2016 (13)

4. Rice Memorial (South Burlington) — 234 points
State titles: 4
Runner-ups: 0
Top 25 state rankings: 2006 (12), 2007 (18), 2008 (22), 2009 (20), 2010 (1), 2011 (10), 2012 (4), 2013 (5), 2014 (3), 2015 (20), 2016 (17)

5. Essex (Essex Junction) — 206 points
State titles: 1
Runner-ups: 0
Top 25 state rankings: 2006 (13), 2007 (6), 2008 (5), 2009 (1), 2010 (16), 2011 (18), 2012 (3), 2013 (8), 2014 (5), 2015 (13), 2016 (12)

6. Colchester — 203 points
State titles: 1
Runner-ups: 1
Top 25 state rankings: 2006 (10), 2007 (13), 2008 (15), 2009 (2), 2010 (6), 2011 (9), 2012 (9), 2013 (17), 2014 (4), 2015 (12), 2016 (16)

7. Bellows Free Academy (St. Albans) — 198 points
State titles: 0
Runner-ups: 2
Top 25 state rankings: 2006 (11), 2007 (11), 2008 (7), 2009 (7), 2010 (5), 2011 (2), 2012 (2), 2013 (11), 2014 (13), 2015 (17), 2016 (22)

8. Bellows Falls — 196 points
State titles: 2
Runner-ups: 2
Top 25 state rankings: 2006 (22), 2009 (15), 2010 (11), 2011 (12), 2012 (8), 2013 (15), 2014 (8), 2015 (6), 2016 (1)

9. South Burlington — 190 points
State titles: 0
Runner-ups: 3
Top 25 state rankings: 2006 (4), 2007 (4), 2008 (6), 2009 (16), 2010 (9), 2011 (6), 2012 (11), 2013 (2), 2014 (18), 2015 (25), 2016 (25)

10. Windsor — 182 points
State titles: 2
Runner-ups: 4
Top 25 state rankings: 2006 (21), 2007 (13), 2008 (12), 2009 (8), 2010 (17), 2011 (20), 2014 (17), 2015 (21), 2016 (3)

10. Woodstock — 182 points
State titles: 4
Runner-ups: 0
Top 25 state rankings: 2006 (6), 2007 (24), 2011 (15), 2012 (6), 2013 (3), 2014 (25), 2015 (18), 2016 (9)

12. Burr & Burton (Manchester) — 173 points
State titles: 1
Runner-ups: 2
Top 25 state rankings: 2008 (15), 2009 (23), 2010 (12), 2011 (8), 2012 (15), 2013 (18), 2014 (6), 2015 (2), 2016 (2)

13. Champlain Valley Union (Hinesburg) — 157 points
State titles: 0
Runner-ups: 1
Top 25 state rankings: 2009 (3), 2010 (4), 2011 (11), 2012 (7), 2013 (7), 2014 (12), 2015 (7), 2016 (10)

14. Fair Haven — 154 points
State titles: 1
Runner-ups: 1
Top 25 state rankings: 2006 (24), 2007 (14), 2008 (23), 2009 (24), 2010 (7), 2011 (3), 2012 (19), 2013 (16), 2014 (10), 2015 (16), 2016 (6)

14. Mt. Mansfield (Jericho) — 154 points
State titles: 0
Runner-ups: 3
Top 25 state rankings: 2006 (14), 2007 (8), 2008 (9), 2009 (5), 2010 (13), 2011 (24), 2012 (13), 2013 (14), 2014 (20), 2015 (23), 2016 (19)