Claw to the Top | A University of Vermont Catamounts Dynasty

[kyhadley]

 

[kyhadley]

 

[kyhadley]

 

[kyhadley]

Week 6 vs Toledo

FS Andrew Poulin makes the interception off Lenehan in the first quarter

LE Taylor Robinson makes the sack late in the first quarter

TE/WR David Reed makes the wide-open grab as Toledo brought eight, and runs 55 yards for the TD

True freshman CB Frank Avery makes his first interception in the third quarter

QB Jack Kramer scrambles for a first down on 4th & 10 late in the fourth quarter

​

 

[kyhadley]

 

[kyhadley]

"Fuck!", Jack Kramer exclaimed as he walked over to his bench after fumbling the ball in Toledo's red zone at the end of the
game.

He sat down on the bench and slammed his helmet on the ground. He looked up to get a quick glance of Coach Motherway
looking over at him before he turned away.

Dan Haluska walked over and sat down on the bench next to him, and attempted to console him.

"That fumble didn't even matter man, the game was already over anyway."

"Jesus Christ, I don't really give a shit, a fumble is a fucking fumble."

"Whatever man." Failing in his attempt, Dan got up and walked away from Jack. No one else tried to talk to him.

The game ended shortly later, with Vermont losing, and Jack, along with the rest of his team made their way into the locker
room. Ever since the Syracuse game, they made sure to at least act disappointed, so there wasn't much talking.
Everyone did their normal thing, and coach gave his post-game speech.

Jack still hadn't said anything since his telling off of Dan. He didn't seem too upset, but he obviously wasn't the happiest
camper either.

After Coach Motherway finished his talk, the team was free to go.

Jack walked out the sports complex doors and headed for his car in the parking lot. There were only a few cars left in the lot,
belonging to the other team members who drove. He got into his 2001 Honda Accord and turned it on. The music was
glaring out his pre-game playlist consisting of Daft Punk and Explosions in the Sky. He turned the music down as
quickly as possible, wondering how he was enjoying that five hours earlier.

As he drove out of the lot, he passed Senior teammate, Taylor Robinson. Taylor motioned for him to slow down, and he
walked up to Jack's window, which Jack obligatorily rolled down.

"Hey man," Taylor started in a very serious tone, leaning into his car, "don't...don't you get any ideas tonight..." Jack
wondered what he was talking about. "We're still gonna need you for the rest of the season, don't go poppin' any pills or
slittin' your wrists or nothing." Taylor managed to get the last word out before he couldn't contain his laughter anymore.

Jack didn't respond, just started rolling up his window and driving away, with Taylor quickly pulling himself out, still chuckling
to himself as he walked to his car.

Jack got on to Main Street and started making his way through the night back to his apartment. But instead of making a left
on Pearl Street as he normally would, he continued past, and took a left on North Street. He started making his way West
toward the lake. Eventually, he hit North Avenue and turned up it. Finally, he arrived at his destination.

Jack Kramer was conceived by Sarah Kramer and David Smith. Sarah and David had lived in Brattleboro since they were
both 18 years old. They moved away from home, Burlington, at that age, leaving their parents behind. They were a very
adventurous pair, and they each wanted a change of scenery from Burlington.

Sarah and David met each other one day, when Sarah was the server at a restaurant that David frequented. After a few
weeks of David coming to the restaurant often, to see Sarah, they decided to fall in love. They then decided that they
would leave Brattleboro together, and travel on the part-time money they had both earned. How far they planned on going
and where is unknown, as on their way through New York, David Smith left Sarah Kramer for another woman he had found
in Saratoga.

Sarah Kramer, heartbroken, made her way by bus back home to Brattleboro, Vermont, where she returned to her life, getting
back her waitressing job. Four weeks later, she found out that she was pregnant with David Smith's child.

A little less than eight months later, still waitressing with the large bump that would be Jack, Sarah went into labor. She
frantically called one of her friends from the pay phone where she worked to come get her and bring her to the hospital.

Five hours later, and a little baby boy was born, healthy as can be. Sarah held him in her arms, and named him Jack. But
there were complications on Sarah's end of the pregnancy and she was required to go into surgery. But during the surgery,
Sarah lost too much blood, and she passed away on the table.

Jack the newborn was left without a mother or a father to care for him. The hospital called up Jack's one remaining relative,
at the age of 58, his grandmother Susan Reynolds Kramer, the mother of Sarah Kramer. She made her way down to
Brattleboro as quickly as possible, and once she arrived at the hospital, she signed the papers to become his legal
guardian.

Once all the matters were settled, Grandma Susie (as she would become known to Jack) brought him back up to Burlington
with her where she would raise him like he was her own. The two had an incredibly close relationship, and it only grew
stronger as the years would pass, and Jack himself would grow. They were each all the other really had in their life. When
Jack developed an interest in football in the seventh grade, Grandma Susie nurtured it, and helped him along his path. She
continued working to pay for Jack's equipment, and she went to every single one of his games, from seventh grade on, when
Jack decided to walk-on to the Vermont football team, she was ecstatic.

On a November night in 2008, when Jack was 19, Grandma Susie passed away in her sleep at the age of 77. This crushed
Jack, but he didn't talk to many people about it, only a precious few. Her passing was just a few days before Jack's football
team, of which he had obtained the starting QB spot as a Freshman, was to play UMass Amherst. Coach Motherway, one of
the precious few, talked to Jack about whether or not he wanted to play. Jack told him that he did.

On that night though, Jack had one of the worst performances of his career, and whenever he looked up in the stands to
receive a consoling glance from his grandmother, she wasn't there.

After that game, he walked the three miles from the sports complex to Lakeview Cemetery, where his Grandmother had
been buried two days before, the dirt over in front of her grave still fresh. He just stood there for a few hours reading her
tombstone, over and over again.

And here he was now, walking to that same tombstone, two years later, after a bad game. He arrived and sat down where
the dirt had been, but grass now was. It had worn in that time, but the words were still there, plenty legible, and he read
them, over and over again, wishing she could console him. He cried.

This was not the Jack Kramer that most people knew, not the charismatic, funny, loud-mouthed leader. But it was the one
that Coach Motherway had known since that start way back when and still now as he stood leaning against a tree, watching
his quarterback in peace.

 

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[kyhadley]

"And the kick is up...its long enough...but its not straight enough! And it sails wide left in the wind and rain on this
cold october night! The Catamounts will have a chance to win this game, down 20 to 14 with 48 seconds left at
their own 35!

..................​

First & ten, the Catamounts line up in the shotgun, Millard and Monaghan split out wide, Jacques in the slot...
Kramer drops back...looks for Millard...throws it, complete! But there is a flag on the play--its pass interference on
cornerback Nick Galvin, Vermont choses to take the yardage.

..................​

Vermont still in the shotgun, Millard wide right, Jacques in the slot next to his left, Rostad and Bohlin aside Kramer
in the backfield. Here's the snap, Kramer drops back, feels the pressure, scrambles right, and he heaves one up
to Millard downfield near the sideline...he makes the grab up in the air! Oh, but he's had his legs taken out from
under him. Its a 30 yard gain for the Catamounts though!

Oh!, but it looks like Millard was hurt on the play! He's clutching his elbow! But he's getting off the field grimacing
in pain! He's saving his team a timeout!

..................​

The Catamounts quickly form the shotgun, with Monaghan lining up in Millard's place. Here's the snap...Kramer
surveys the field...he throws it! He finds a man open downfield in Reed! Reed is tackled after a 28 yard gain to
the Broncos' six, with 20 seconds left! Vermont is close to tying this game! The Catamounts call a timeout.

Oh, we're just getting word that Millard suffered a sprained elbow, and will not return to this game!

..................​

Vermont comes out still in the shotgun...here's the snap...Kramer drops back...waits...waits....throws it...complete to
David Reed in the endzone on the in-route! Vermont has tied the game! In 48 seconds, Vermont has come back
to tie the game! They are a point after from taking the lead with no time left on the clock!

..................​

Vermont just needs this kick to win this game...here's the snap...oh no! LeStrange botches the snap sending it
over McKillop's head! McKillop runs back to pick up the ball! He tries to scramble...chucks it up into the
endzone before getting tackled, and....it falls incomplete! This game is going into overtime! What a doozie!

..................​

Eastern Michigan has won the toss and elected to defend first, hoping to hold Vermont to a field goal, then win
with a touchdown of their own.

..................​

Vermont comes out of their huddle at the 25 yard line, lines up in the shotgun, three-wide. Gibson hikes the
ball...Kramer receives...looks left...here comes the blitzing linebackers!...Kramer ditches the pocket with defenders
chasing him from behind! He's at the 20 with room to run!...15!...20!....5!...one man left, he grabs on...but Kramer
falls forward into the end-zone! Touchdown Catamounts! They've scored first in this overtime!

..................​

Here's the point after...this time the snap is good, Kennedy kicks it...and it sails through the uprights. Vermont 27,
Western Michigan 20.

..................​

The two teams have made their way down to the opposite end of the field. The Broncos need a touchdown to tie the
game, they cannot settle for a field goal.

..................​

The Broncos come out in a single-back, three-wide set. Here's the snap...Arnheim drops back...looks to the
flats...throws it there!...complete to tight end Anthony Williams for seven yards.

..................​

Second & three, they're in the shotgun, four-wide. The center tosses it back...its an option play!...Arnheim runs
right...pitches it to Crawford...to the 10...5...and he's brought down at the three yard-line, first & goal!

..................​

The Broncos bring one back again, with two tight ends on the left side of the line. Tight end #43 motions right,
behind the QB... settles into his stance...here's the snap, Arnheim drops back...looks, looks, looks,
fires! ...incomplete through the back of the end-zone.

..................​

Second & goal, this time the Broncos come out in shotgun, three-wide. Clean snap...Arnheim scans, throws!
Complete at the goal! But Haluska keeps him out of the end-zone! No touchdown! Haluska stopped him at the
line!

..................​

Third & goal, Western Michigan comes out in the "I", two receivers split left. Here's the snap from under
center...its a stretch run right! But Crawford has no where to go, getting stuffed in the backfield by linebacker Ed
Perez!

..................​

Its all on this play folks, fourth & goal at the six, the Broncos needing a touchdown to extend this game. They
come out in shotgun, three-wide. Here's the snap, QB drops back, waits, waits, all kinds of time...pulls the
trigger...INCOMPLETE! INCOMPLETE! He was looking for Murray but Haluska knocked it out of his hands to win
the game! Catamounts win! Catamounts win! They've come back in the fourth quarter, brought the game to over
time and won it there! Catamounts win! Catamounts win!"

 

[kyhadley]

 

[kyhadley]

Week 7 vs Western Michigan

MLB Eric Kamback drags down the back in the backfield in the second quarter

HB Erik Rostad gets a key block and breaks loose for a 77 yard TD run in the third

WR James Millard makes the spectacular 30 yard catch, then gets upended in the fourth quarter

TE/WR David Reed makes the catch and runs to their seven, setting up...

...his seven yard touchdown reception to tie the game and send it to overtime

​

 

[kyhadley]

 

[kyhadley]

*through six games*​

 

[kyhadley]

 

[kyhadley]

 

[kyhadley]

 

[kyhadley]

Week 8 vs Boston College

Fr. CB Frank Avery picks off the over-thrown ball in the first quarter

LB Chris Dola brings in the floating pass for the interception, then returns it 87 yards for a TD

QB Jack Kramer runs 43 yards for a first down and more in the second

WR Matt Rayner turns up-field off his out route, making the defender miss, in the third

WR James Millard jukes out a second defender on a reception in the fourth for the first down

​

 

[kyhadley]

 

[kyhadley]

 

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[kyhadley]

Week 9 at Eastern Michigan

HB Erik Rostad punches it in late in the first quarter

MLB Eric Kamback halts HB Priest in the backfield for a loss

SS Jesse Sucher picks off the errant pass near the end of the first half

CB Jordan Crawford strips the returnman of the ball on the punt in the third quarter

WR Tim Mongahan sees the ball in on his 33 yard touchdown reception in the third

​