Longtime Souhegan linemen Sean Reardon, left, and Micah Dibble will be playing their last football game Friday night for Team West in the annual CHaD East-West All-Star Game at Saint Anselm's Grappone Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

MANCHESTER — There’s not a lot of glory in being a lineman.

But a pair of former Souhegan High School football players have been more than happy to do it, even in Friday night’s annual CHaD East-West All-Star Football Game at Saint Anselm’s Grappone Stadium.

Former Sabers Sean Reardon (5-10, 195 pounds) and Micah Dibble (6-1 220) are willing, able and ready to go.

For the final time.

Reardon won’t, as of now, be playing football after Friday night as he’s going to the University of New Hampshire, but not to play football. He’ll be studying exercise science to someday be in the sports field as a trainer or physical therapist.

“This will be my last football game,” Reardon said. “It’s bittersweet for sure. It’s an honor to play in this game, but it sucks that it’s my last game.”

Same for Dibble, who is also going to UNH. He’ll be studying civil engineering, but he’s also doing Air Force ROTC as well, as he’d love to be pilot. “My goal is to be a pilot,” he said.

The other thing is if they were to play again, it wouldn’t be the same as playing at Souhegan, where head coach – and CHaD Team West assistant – Robin Bowkett creates a fun, competitive atmosphere.

“It was awesome,” Reardon said. “The culture’s great between the guys, it’s awesome, a great experience playing there.”

“It was a pleasure playing for Robin,” Dibble said. “It’s such a system, a well-oiled machine playing for him.”

And that’s why the numbers are always high at Souhegan, kids want to be part of the program.

“Definitely,” Dibble said. “It’s a self-fullfilling program. Everyone just want to join the team. Kids are coming up every year. Everyone wants to be part of Saber football.”

Reardon enjoyed playing on defense more, “getting nitty-gritty in the trenches, tackling dudes. It was fun.”

But it could get difficult physically, because he was on the offensive line as well.

“It’s definitely taxing to play both ways,” he said. “Waiting for the guy on offense. It’s weird to say, but you’re playing defense on offense as a lineman (waiting for the defense to attack) and you’re playing offense on defense (doing the attacking) as a ‘D’ lineman.”

“He was an animal, an absolute animal,” Bowkett said of Reardon.

The Sabers are always looked at as a prolific offensive team, but defensively they have always gotten the job done.

“I think our defense has shut teams down,” Reardon said. “Our offense has seen a lot, we put a lot on the scoreboard, but the defense shut teams down for sure.”

Dibble, meanwhile, loved playing on the offensive line a little more. “I loved playing with all the guys,” he said. “I feel like we’re a unit on the ‘O’ line, I’d have more of an assignment. Defensively, I could just fly around and do whatever. But it was a blast, I loved playing both ways.”

“He was also an animal (on defense),” Bowkett said. “He was physical, mean and aggressive, played through the whistle, everything you’d want in a three-year starter at left tackle.”

Reardon and Dibble will be missed in Amherst.

“They were three-year starters for us,” Bowkett said. “Just dynamic players and even better dudes. For them to kind of cap off a high school athletic career by being part o the CHaD Game and to coach them one more time is pretty special.”

That’s not the only thing Dibble loved about Souhegan football. While the games “awesome”, his favorite was – if you’re hungry, close your eyes – the pasta parties.

“I just loved grubbing with the guys before the game,” Dibble said. “The championship last year (2024) was awesome, I loved winning it, which is really rewarding. But all the time we spent together outside of football was really rewarding.”

The emotions of playing in a last game are also mixed with the importance of the event outside of football.

“I think it means more than just them when it comes down to the CHaD kids and their families,” Bowkett said. “I think they feel that their not only playing for each other but for a bigger cause. I think it just feels same but different.

“But for them, knowing that it is their last, they can just give it all they have for four quarters and just enjoy it after.”

Both players love being part of the charitable part of the event. But at practice last week, Dibble pointed out the best part.

“I love that I get a week-and-a-half more of football,” he said. “I spent my whole life playing football, and it’s just awesome I get to play one more game.”

OTHER LOCALS

Souhegan is well represented in this year’s CHaD Game. Besides Reardon and Dibble, there are other former Sabers on Team West: quarterback/safety Michael Fiengo, running back/linebacker Ryland Raudelunas, and wide receiver/cornerback Brody Smith.