News Detail
Powder Keg Preview: A New England Prep School Tradition
New Hampton School athletes, students, alumni, and fans will be bleeding green on Saturday as the Huskies try to secure the Powder Keg after losing the coveted prize last year to neighboring Tilton School. The Huskies won the contest in 2009 and 2010, but could not pull out a victory last year in the competition which gives the winners of each game a point or two depending on the sport and level.
The New Hampton/Tilton rivalry dates back to 1895 when the two schools first played football against each other, and the 12-mile trip down the back road, aptly dubbed “Devil’s Den Road,” was a half-day affair.
The NHS/Tilton rivalry is the third oldest prep school rivalry behind Andover/Exeter (1878) and Groton/St. Mark’s (1886), and was called the "Harvard/Yale of the New Hampshire preppies" by the Boston Globe in 1969. It dissolved in the latter part of the 20th Century, but was revived in 2007 when it expanded to include all fall sports.
Though the rivalry between the two schools was well recognized, the Powder Keg was not created until the 1950s. According to Lou Gnerre – former headmaster, coach, and teacher at NHS – it was established in memory of Pop Bottomly, a former NHS employee who was a night firewatcher and an extremely well-liked person in the community.
The rivalry has endured numerous gaps in competition, with the 2007 Powder Keg Competition serving as the beginning of a new chapter in the storied matchup after a lull in the series. The rivalry was so heated in the 1950s that the competition was called off for a three-year period. Here is a preview of this year's matchup:
Cross Country
There will be no races at New Hampton on Saturday. Given that the NEPSAC Championships are on the same day, the men's and women's competition played out during the Lakes Region Championship on November 3. Despite a first-place finish by Aleah MacKay '14, the women's team lost to Tilton in the head-to-head matchup. On the men's side, the Huskies and Rams tied at 18-18, but the Huskies earned the victory on the tie-breaker.
Field Hockey
One year after Tilton handed the Huskies a 1-0 defeat in the Powder Keg and went out to reach the NEPSAC Class C finals, New Hampton appears to be the favorite. The Huskies (5-4-3) knocked off the Rams (3-11-1) in a 2-1 game at Tilton earlier this season. The Huskies are coming off a 3-2 overtime victory over Brewster this past weekend behind a goal from Dori Craig '14.
Men's Soccer
The Huskies (3-6-2) knocked off the Rams 2-1 earlier this season, but will be playing their third game of the week on Saturday. New Hampton, which has struggled with injuries throughout the season, lost to Holderness 3-2 on Monday and faces Andover on Wednesday. The Huskies and Rams (6-6-1) played to a 0-0 tie a year ago in a riveting match that closed the day.
Women's Soccer
The Huskies (4-9-2) will need to pull off an upset against a Tilton squad that remains a dominant force Lakes Region play. Tilton (11-1-4) beat the Huskies 3-0 earlier this season, but the Huskies have played some quality games in recent weeks, including a solid performance in a 2-1 loss to Holderness. on Monday evening.
Football
After a 41-6 loss to Proctor on Saturday, the Huskies are hoping to rebound with a win over Tilton. New Hampton, which has beat the Rams in each of the last three seasons, will have to secure the win without starting quarterback Milan Murray '16, who left the Proctor game with an injury. The Huskies (5-2) are led by running back Todd Collier '13 and a defense that looked extremely strong in the first half against Proctor. Tilton comes into the game with a 1-6 record and its only victory over Vermont Academy.
JV Soccer
The Huskies will attempt to avenge 2-0 loss a year ago in the Powder Keg. The Huskies are the favorite after knocking off Tilton 6-0 on Saturday in the teams' first meeting of the year.
Back
The New Hampton/Tilton rivalry dates back to 1895 when the two schools first played football against each other, and the 12-mile trip down the back road, aptly dubbed “Devil’s Den Road,” was a half-day affair.
The NHS/Tilton rivalry is the third oldest prep school rivalry behind Andover/Exeter (1878) and Groton/St. Mark’s (1886), and was called the "Harvard/Yale of the New Hampshire preppies" by the Boston Globe in 1969. It dissolved in the latter part of the 20th Century, but was revived in 2007 when it expanded to include all fall sports.
Though the rivalry between the two schools was well recognized, the Powder Keg was not created until the 1950s. According to Lou Gnerre – former headmaster, coach, and teacher at NHS – it was established in memory of Pop Bottomly, a former NHS employee who was a night firewatcher and an extremely well-liked person in the community.
The rivalry has endured numerous gaps in competition, with the 2007 Powder Keg Competition serving as the beginning of a new chapter in the storied matchup after a lull in the series. The rivalry was so heated in the 1950s that the competition was called off for a three-year period. Here is a preview of this year's matchup:
Cross Country
There will be no races at New Hampton on Saturday. Given that the NEPSAC Championships are on the same day, the men's and women's competition played out during the Lakes Region Championship on November 3. Despite a first-place finish by Aleah MacKay '14, the women's team lost to Tilton in the head-to-head matchup. On the men's side, the Huskies and Rams tied at 18-18, but the Huskies earned the victory on the tie-breaker.
Field Hockey
One year after Tilton handed the Huskies a 1-0 defeat in the Powder Keg and went out to reach the NEPSAC Class C finals, New Hampton appears to be the favorite. The Huskies (5-4-3) knocked off the Rams (3-11-1) in a 2-1 game at Tilton earlier this season. The Huskies are coming off a 3-2 overtime victory over Brewster this past weekend behind a goal from Dori Craig '14.
Men's Soccer
The Huskies (3-6-2) knocked off the Rams 2-1 earlier this season, but will be playing their third game of the week on Saturday. New Hampton, which has struggled with injuries throughout the season, lost to Holderness 3-2 on Monday and faces Andover on Wednesday. The Huskies and Rams (6-6-1) played to a 0-0 tie a year ago in a riveting match that closed the day.
Women's Soccer
The Huskies (4-9-2) will need to pull off an upset against a Tilton squad that remains a dominant force Lakes Region play. Tilton (11-1-4) beat the Huskies 3-0 earlier this season, but the Huskies have played some quality games in recent weeks, including a solid performance in a 2-1 loss to Holderness. on Monday evening.
Football
After a 41-6 loss to Proctor on Saturday, the Huskies are hoping to rebound with a win over Tilton. New Hampton, which has beat the Rams in each of the last three seasons, will have to secure the win without starting quarterback Milan Murray '16, who left the Proctor game with an injury. The Huskies (5-2) are led by running back Todd Collier '13 and a defense that looked extremely strong in the first half against Proctor. Tilton comes into the game with a 1-6 record and its only victory over Vermont Academy.
JV Soccer
The Huskies will attempt to avenge 2-0 loss a year ago in the Powder Keg. The Huskies are the favorite after knocking off Tilton 6-0 on Saturday in the teams' first meeting of the year.
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