09/05/2026
WESTMINSTER, Vt. -- With several intriguing matchups on the week one slate in the Green Mountain State, it would be easy to understand anyone who overlooked tonight's contest at Hadley Field.
Coming off of a winless season which included a 50-6 loss against Bellows Falls, North Country appeared to be a clear underdog against the defending Division III State Champions.
Despite the seemingly uneven matchup, North Country managed to go back and-forth with Bellows Falls for more than two-and-a-half hours.
While North Country managed to keep the contest close the entire way, it had nothing to do with their defense as the Terriers reached the endzone on each of their first five possessions.
Bellows Falls amassed a whopping 336 yards of offense in the first half yet managed to hold just a 36-28 edge at the break after North Country's Gemari Thompson had two long kickoff returns for touchdowns and the Falcons completed two scoring drives of their own.
The Terriers and the Falcons continued to put up points in the second half with both teams reaching the endzone on each of their first two possessions before North Country forced Bellows Falls to punt for the first time early in the fourth quarter.
North Country capitalized with an 8-play 94-yard drive to claim a 49-48 advantage with 3:58 remaining.
The Terriers weren't about to be stopped again, however, and they quickly traveled 80 yards on the ground in 7 plays. Jaden Bazin punctuated the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run where he powered through multiple defenders on his way to the endzone. Bazin added the 2-point conversion to give BF a 56-49 lead with 2:14 left to play.
North Country had one final chance to tie the game or take the lead, but Saul James intercepted his second pass of the game to seal the victory for the purple-and-white.
Jaden Bazin (253 yards), Bryer Barnett (175 yards), and Saul James (100 yards) all reached triple digits on the ground for the Terriers who posted 608 yards of total offense.
Bellows Falls (1-0) heads to Fair Haven (1-0) next on Friday, September 11 at 7 p.m. The Slaters opened the season with a 48-6 victory against U-32.
Bellows Falls Leaders
Passing: Saul James (60 yards, 1 TD)
Rushing: Jaden Bazin (24-253, 3 TD), Bryer Barnett (17-175), Saul James (10-100, 4 TD), Cooper Lovell (2-11), Carter Harper (3-6), Jackson Fletcher (1-2)
Receiving: Jacob Kissell (1-43, TD), Carter Harper (1-17)
Takeaways: Saul James (2 interceptions)
Total Offense: 64 plays - 608 yards