The latest former Section VII high school standout to take his talents to the NCAA Division I College Football gridiron is from Moriah, New York. Cooper Allen, who graduated from Moriah High School’s class of 2025, is taking his talents to Merrimack College. Merrimack competes in Division I’s Football Championship Subdivision. “I mean, it’s a blessing,” Allen said. “It’s all hard work. The sacrifice my family has made for me to be able to do what I’ve been doing … taking a shot on me to try to get a scholarship by a Division I football school. It’s a big leap, but I want to be able to do it out there.”Allen becomes the second player from Moriah to join the Division I ranks on the gridiron. Nick Gilbo, who graduated from Moriah High School in 2011, played for the University of Buffalo as a linebacker from 2012 to 2015. Allen said he and Gilbo are close off the field, saying he was a key mentor in his path to play college football. “He’s super close to me and my family,” Allen said. “He’s always there. He’s definitely been a really big mentor throughout the whole process, just listening to him and having him in my corner is super great to have.”Allen shined on the high school gridiron with the Vikings. He was a Class D football all-state first team selection his senior year as an all-purpose player and recognized for his natural position at tight end as a Champlain Valley Athletic Conference first team selection. He was also a three-time sectional champion with the Moriah from his sophomore to senior seasons. He credits his coaching staff at Moriah, led by Pete Gilbo at the junior varsity level and one season with Don Tesar and two seasons with Casey Nephew at the varsity, as another set of strong hometown mentors for his development. “Pete Gilbo, he always told me I was a football player, and I always called him crazy,” Allen said. “He was always in my corner and in my ear about football, about getting me to play.””Casey (Nephew), taking over the varsity position in my junior and senior year, did a great job,” he added. “I give it up to them guys to keep me on my path and keeping me focused and stuff like that.”Allen decided to play one year of football post-graduation from Moriah at The Peddie School, a college preparatory program in Hightstown, New Jersey. He learned more about the game under Mark Fabbish, who also had prior experience as a tight ends coach at Columbia University. “I can’t thank him enough for everything he’s done for me,” Allen said. “He really put me in front of a pro-style playbook. He knows a lot when it comes to tight ends.”When it came time to look at schools, Allen had many colleges reaching out, including other FCS Division I programs like Stonehill College and the University of New Haven. Allen ultimately chose Merrimack due to its community on campus and for how similar, schematically, Merrimack’s offensive system surrounding tight ends is to Peddie. “I found a lot of the same schemes from Peddie that are incorporated at Merrimack, a lot that showed off my film as well, where I ran a lot of their similar plays and stuff like that,” Allen said. Merrimack is searching for its first winning season in college football since 2022. Allen believes he can be a factor if he dedicates himself to a lot of hard work to improve day by day as a player. “I just got to put my head down and keep working,” Allen said. “Get my head into the playbook and just get out everything I can on the field, and hopefully I can make an impact for my team and the whole program.”That same mentality is something Allen hopes will help inspire other kids from the North Country to follow in his steps one day. He wants to prove that any athlete from a small town like Moriah can achieve their dreams if they put in the work. “That’s the one thing I kind of carry with me as well coming from such a small place,” Allen said. “Coming from a small place and having kids that love their sports individually and really want to take it somewhere, just take that shot. Keep your head down and keep working. If you work your butt off, it’s going to pay off in the end.” Allen will wrap up his spring training camp with Merrimack before getting ready for offseason training with the Warriors, before their season starts at the end of August.
MORIAH, N.Y. —
The latest former Section VII high school standout to take his talents to the NCAA Division I College Football gridiron is from Moriah, New York.
Cooper Allen, who graduated from Moriah High School’s class of 2025, is taking his talents to Merrimack College. Merrimack competes in Division I’s Football Championship Subdivision.
“I mean, it’s a blessing,” Allen said. “It’s all hard work. The sacrifice my family has made for me to be able to do what I’ve been doing … taking a shot on me to try to get a scholarship by a Division I football school. It’s a big leap, but I want to be able to do it out there.”
Allen becomes the second player from Moriah to join the Division I ranks on the gridiron. Nick Gilbo, who graduated from Moriah High School in 2011, played for the University of Buffalo as a linebacker from 2012 to 2015.
Allen said he and Gilbo are close off the field, saying he was a key mentor in his path to play college football.
“He’s super close to me and my family,” Allen said. “He’s always there. He’s definitely been a really big mentor throughout the whole process, just listening to him and having him in my corner is super great to have.”
Allen shined on the high school gridiron with the Vikings. He was a Class D football all-state first team selection his senior year as an all-purpose player and recognized for his natural position at tight end as a Champlain Valley Athletic Conference first team selection. He was also a three-time sectional champion with the Moriah from his sophomore to senior seasons.
He credits his coaching staff at Moriah, led by Pete Gilbo at the junior varsity level and one season with Don Tesar and two seasons with Casey Nephew at the varsity, as another set of strong hometown mentors for his development.
“Pete Gilbo, he always told me I was a football player, and I always called him crazy,” Allen said. “He was always in my corner and in my ear about football, about getting me to play.”
“Casey (Nephew), taking over the varsity position in my junior and senior year, did a great job,” he added. “I give it up to them guys to keep me on my path and keeping me focused and stuff like that.”
Allen decided to play one year of football post-graduation from Moriah at The Peddie School, a college preparatory program in Hightstown, New Jersey. He learned more about the game under Mark Fabbish, who also had prior experience as a tight ends coach at Columbia University.
“I can’t thank him enough for everything he’s done for me,” Allen said. “He really put me in front of a pro-style playbook. He knows a lot when it comes to tight ends.”
When it came time to look at schools, Allen had many colleges reaching out, including other FCS Division I programs like Stonehill College and the University of New Haven. Allen ultimately chose Merrimack due to its community on campus and for how similar, schematically, Merrimack’s offensive system surrounding tight ends is to Peddie.
“I found a lot of the same schemes from Peddie that are incorporated at Merrimack, a lot that showed off my film as well, where I ran a lot of their similar plays and stuff like that,” Allen said.
Merrimack is searching for its first winning season in college football since 2022. Allen believes he can be a factor if he dedicates himself to a lot of hard work to improve day by day as a player.
“I just got to put my head down and keep working,” Allen said. “Get my head into the playbook and just get out everything I can on the field, and hopefully I can make an impact for my team and the whole program.”
That same mentality is something Allen hopes will help inspire other kids from the North Country to follow in his steps one day. He wants to prove that any athlete from a small town like Moriah can achieve their dreams if they put in the work.
“That’s the one thing I kind of carry with me as well coming from such a small place,” Allen said. “Coming from a small place and having kids that love their sports individually and really want to take it somewhere, just take that shot. Keep your head down and keep working. If you work your butt off, it’s going to pay off in the end.”
Allen will wrap up his spring training camp with Merrimack before getting ready for offseason training with the Warriors, before their season starts at the end of August.