Derek McAdoo helped lead Castleton to a Sap Bucket victory. Photo courtesy Castleton Athletic Communications

Three members of the West Point Parachute Troop touched down down at the midfield stripe at Middlebury College's Youngman Field. It was just part of the pageantry for the 1991 Norwich-Middlebury game.

It was always a festive atmosphere. Large crowds, many bedecked in bright colors after coming out of the woods from a deer hunting excursion for this annual rivalry added to the aura. It was a rite of fall with the teams first meeting in 1893.

But that 1991 contest was also tinged with sadness. That was the final Norwich-Middlebury game. The NESCAC had mandated that beginning in 1992 Middlebury and the other league members would only play within the league.

Vermont was without a state rivalry game. Or any great rivalry game. The "Little Army-Navy Game" between Norwich and Coast Guard also was terminated.

After nearly two decades without such a game, a new state rivalry game was born when Castleton added football in 2009. Castleton and Norwich would be in the same league, the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference.

Castleton President Dave Wolk asked alumni to to submit sap buckets for the trophy.

"We got 17 or 18 of them and we lined them up in the conference room. We chose two and combined the best of them," Wolk said of the trophy the Spartans and Cadets battle for each year.

They cut down a maple tree on campus and part of it served as the base.

Castleton retained the Maple Sap Bucket on Saturday by winning 31-13.

The series does not have the history and tradition of many of New England's revered rivalries. Amherst and Williams met for the 130th time, Division III's most played game. And up in Maine, Bowdoin and Colby clashed for the 127th time making it the third most played game in Division III.

But what the Bucket Game lacks in history it makes up for in passion, familiarity and importance. It is played by teams of a very small state where the connections are numerous and the feelings run deep.

Trace TanCreti, for example, played for Norwich and then watched his son Cody have a great career at Castleton. Trace's younger son began his career at Norwich and then transferred to Castleton where he is a junior quarterback.

Adam Chicoine played and coached at Castleton and is now on the staff at Norwich.

Saturday, there were Castleton defensive back Derek McAdoo and Norwich wide receiver Matt Mulcahy, former high school teammates, going head-to-head.

"My best friend is Matt Mulcahy," McAdoo said.

The in-state players come to the program with a knowledge and appreciation for the Bucket Game. The out-of-state players quickly develop one.

"There is nothing like it," Castleton senior linebacker Jay Morgan said. "I have played in a state championship game in high school but it doesn't top this."

"The Sap Bucket is everything to us," McAdoo said. "We work for that all season."

"These are two teams that come to play every single time," said Castleton 315-pound offensive lineman Eric Decker. "It was a heck of a game. It was one of those games where when you wake up, you know that you were in a football game."

"It's a great in-state rivalry," Norwich President Richard Schneider said at halftime while tailgating with Wolk.

Following the game, Wolk and Schneider carried the trophy to midfield together to make the presentation.

The Cadets leave the ECFC to begin play in the NEWMAC in 2017 but Wolk said that he and Schneider have already agreed the game will continue as a non-league contest.

"I do expect it to continue. This is extremely important to everyone involved and I know that a lot of people are working to make it happen," Norwich coach Mark Murnyack said.

The Spartans had the Bucket but the Cadets had the ECFC title and the NCAA berth. They had clinched that by beating Husson the previous week. Norwich finished 6-4 and 6-1 in the ECFC and the Spartans 7-3 and 5-2.

Murnyack wondered after the game how much the upset win over Husson had extracted from his team.

"It takes a lot to win a conference. It takes a lot out of you," he said.

Castleton coach Tony Volpone was emotional as he addressed his players gathered in the end zone.

"I am proud of all of you," he said.

"It was wild. It's a great atmosphere. It's more like a Division I atmosphere," McAdoo said.

Gunslingers

Framingham State's Matt Silva threw four touchdown passes in a 55-14 win over Worcester State.

The season numbers that Silva will take into the NCAA playoffs are mind-boggling. He has 39 touchdown passes to six interceptions for the 9-1 Rams.

Fitchburg State's Garrett Dellechiaie also threw four touchdown passes in the 30-7 win over Plymouth and now has 25 this season.

But nobody had a day throwing the ball quite like Will Arndt. He threw a school record seven touchdown passes in Western Connecticut's 63-42 win over Westfield State. Arndt broke his own record. He had twice thrown six TD passes in a game for the Colonials. Arndt was 30-of-41 for 397 yards.

Connor Falaguera was on the end of five of those TD throws.

More points than cranberries

Bridgewater State outgunned Mass. Maritime 64-42 to win the annual Cranberry Bowl.

Danny Higgins accounted for five of the Bears' touchdowns, throwing for three and running for two. Alex McLaughlin rushed for 168 yards and two touchdowns and McLaughlin's high school teammate Travis Bassett caught two touchdown passes.

Just perfect

Amherst and Western New England put the exclamation point on perfect seasons.

Amherst defeated Williams 17-7 in the Biggest Little Game in America. Keying the defensive effort for the 8-0 Lord Jeffs were Jaymie Spears and Tom Kleyn. They combined for 11 tackles and each had an interception.

Western New England completed the regular season at 10-0 by turning back 7-2 Sale Regina 28-21. WNE's Tyler Ward ran for two touchdowns and threw for another. He was also the team's leading rusher with 92 yards.

Dean Soucie added eight tackles and an interception for the Golden Bears.

Quick kicks

Castleton freshman Moe Harris rushed for 135 yards and went over 1,000 for the season. ... McAdoo had two interceptions for Castleton and Tyler Higley one. Higley has seven interceptions for the season, a Spartan record. ... Max Chipouras ran for two touchdowns to help Trinity to a 17-13 win over Wesleyan as the Bantams finished 7-1. ... Norwich's Wes Medeiros made both of his field goals and they were from 40 and 39 yards. ... Diogo Dietrich also made good on both of his field goal attempts for SUNY-Maritime and one was a 52-yarder. The Privateers beat Gallaudet 34-0. ... Husson's John Smith ran for 198 yards and two scores in a 20-7 win over Mount Ida. Ellis Throckmorton had 13 tackles for Husson. ... Tufts continued its remarkable turn-around by finishing 6-2 for the first time since 2001. It was only two years ago that the Jumbos were stuck in the nation's longest losing streak at 31 games.. They beat Middlebury 31-28 with Alex Snyder throwing three touchdown passes and Chance Brady rushing for 138 yards. Matt McCormack keyed the defense with 14 tackles. ... Bowdoin won that 127th meeting with Colby as Tim Drakeley threw three TD passes, two to Nick Vailas. ... Bates had already won the CBB Trophy but the Bobcats ended with a loss, 14-0 to Hamilton. Alex Mitkko had eight tackles for Hamilton including three for a loss, ... Jacob Homes ran for 165 yards and three scores to lead Becker's 41-7 win over rival Anna Maria. It capped the Hawks' best season at 7-3. ... James Ferrar ran for 128 yards and two scores to lead Mass. Maritime to a 17-8 win over Nichols. ... Jacob Simons caught two touchdown passes and Kyle Regan was good on both of his field goal attempts to help Endicott to a 33-5 win over Coast Guard. ... Alex Corvese had two TD strikes and Steve Grogan rang up 13 tackles to help Curry edge MIT 26-24.