A look at some of the top performers in New Hampshire football in 2021

Here are my choices for Player of the Year and Coach of the Year from all four football divisions for 2021.

Division I

Player of the Year: Joe Mikol, Bedford.

Mikol’s senior season might best be summed up by Exeter coach Bill Ball after the teams met in the D1 quarterfinals this year. With Bedford trailing late, Ball called for a fake punt near midfield, explaining after “I didn’t want to give the ball back to him.” The quarterback then led the Bulldogs down the field and sent the game to overtime.

A three-year starter, Mikol helped Bedford win the North Conference by throwing for 1,690 yards and 20 touchdowns and rushing for 304 yards and three scores while completing 61 percent of his passes. For his career, Mikol threw for 4,037 yards and 40 touchdowns. He was also the Bulldogs kicker and had the game-winning kick in the final seconds against Exeter in the regular season.

Darian Lopez-Sullivan (Dover), Matt Santosuosso (Bishop Guertin), Tucker McCann (Winnacunnet) and Aidan McDonald (Salem) were other players under consideration.

Coach of the Year: Jimmy Lauzon, Londonderry.

With all the success the Lancers have had under Lauzon, this season might have been his best. After graduating two large senior classes the last two years – including one that helped win a title in 2019 – Londonderry was short on returning experience this season. Despite that, Londonderry started the year strong, survived injuries, including two to its starting quarterback, and came back in the second half the D1 championship game to win its second title in three years.

Ryan Francoeur (Winnacunnet), John Trisciani (Bishop Guertin), Steve Abraham (Salem) and Zach Matthews (Bedford) were other coaches under consideration.

Division II

Player of the Year: Dominic Pallaria, Timberlane.

Pallaria was part of a pair of stud running backs for the Owls, but in the postseason, the senior was at his best, rushing for over 400 yards and nine touchdowns in Timberlane’s three playoff games. For the year, Pallaria had over 1,100 yards on the ground and 17 scores, as the Owls won their first title since 2001.

Seamus Murphy (Hanover), Ryan Lover (Bow), Icean Taylor (Manchester West) and Dan Post (Timberlane) were other players under consideration.

Coach of the Year: Keith Jones, Milford.

The Spartans had just eight seniors on their roster this year and were coming off a 2020 season in which they played only four games. Despite that inexperience, Jones got Milford to the championship game for the first time since 2004, going 8-3 with the program’s first win over Plymouth in the quarterfinals and an upset win of Lebanon in the semifinals.

Kevin Fitzgerald (Timberlane), Robin Bowkett (Souhegan), Ed McDonough (St. Thomas) and Tom Bozoian (Manchester West) were other coaches under consideration.

Division III

Players of the Year: Jake Travis and Kevin Bodenrader, Pelham.

On a team as loaded as Pelham was, Bodenrader and Travis stood out for their all-around play and consistency. Each player accounted for 13 touchdowns this season, with Bodenrader also one of the team’s top rushers. Travis scored his TDs in a multitude of ways – seven rushing, three passing, two on interception returns and one on a punt return.

Alex Carroll (Pelham) and James Thibault (Trinity) were other players under consideration.

Coach of the Year: Cody Anderson, Kearsarge.

After not playing in 2020 and winning just one game over the two seasons before that, Anderson led the Cougars to a 6-3 record that included wins over Stevens, Laconia and previously-unbeaten Trinity. Kearsarge averaged 28 points per game during the regular season and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

Tom Babaian (Pelham) and Rob Cathcart (Trinity) were other coaches under consideration.

Division IV

Player of the Year: Calvin Lambert, Somersworth.

As a junior, Lambert helped lead the Hilltoppers to a place they hadn’t been in a long time, as Somersworth ended the year with nine straight victories to win the program’s first championship since going back-to-back in 1996-97. Lambert rushed for over a 1,000 yards on the season, including 100 in the title game to go with five touchdowns.

Luke Gay (Fall Mountain), Colby Bost (Epping-Newmarket) and Kyle Ashley (Newport) were other players under consideration.

Coach of the Year: Orion Binney, Fall Mountain.

In 2019, the Wildcats opened the year with two straight losses before going on a long winning streak to reach the D4 championship game. This year, Fall Mountain was 1-2 and 2-3 before winning four in a row, including an upset of top-seeded Newport in the semifinals. The Wildcats now have two playoff wins in program history, and Binney has been the head coach for both.

John Proper (Newport) and Jeremy Lambert (Somersworth) were other coaches under consideration.