The defense of the Brattleboro Colonels football team is still a work in progress, as they gave four unanswered touchdowns in a 28-7 loss to the Champlain Valley Red Hawks in the home opener at Natowich Field last Friday night.
The Colonels took a 7-0 lead when quarterback/safety Tyler Higley intercepted a pass on defense, connected on a 22-yard pass to Elliot Gragen, then burrowed into the end zone on a quarterback sneak. Higley finished with 14 completions for 111 yards, and picked up another interception on defense in the second half.
Unfortunately, after that first Colonel touchdown, it was all CVU or, more specifically, all Steele DuBrul. The Redhawks' quarterback ran for 304 yards and three touchdowns, and threw for 96 yards and another touchdown.
The defense had its moments, most notably a goal line stand in the first quarter that kept DuBrul from scoring. But eventually, the Colonels could not contain Dubrul.
The road gets even tougher for the 0-2 Colonels as they travel to Rutland this Friday night.
• Rice's Charlie Boardman spoiled the home opener for the Bellows Falls Terriers at Hadley Field last Friday night. He threw a 68-yard touchdown pass and ran in a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter for an 8-0 win for the Green Wave.
Now 1-1, the Terriers travel to Manchester to play Burr & Burton this Friday night.
Field hockey
• Brattleboro drew a tough opening night opponent in Hartford, and the Hurricanes dominated play in a 3-1 win over the Colonels at Tenney Field last Wednesday night.
The first half was almost totally played in the Colonels' end, as Brattleboro did well to keep it a 1-0 game after 30 minutes. Brattleboro had a few more scoring chances in the second half, and finally broke through late in the game with a goal by Kayla Savage.
On Saturday, the Colonels were shut out by Woodstock in a 5-0 road loss.
Girls soccer
• Brattleboro's Halie Lange has been a standout in nordic skiing and distance running for some time now. Last Tuesday night, she reminded Colonels fans that she's a pretty good soccer player too. She scored three straight goals in the Colonels' 4-0 rout of Stevens in the season opener at Tenney Field.
Maddie Rollins got the other goal, as Kara Piergentili, Linnea Jahn, and Biak Chia Tial all were credited with assists. Goalkeeper Marissa Smith had an easy night with five saves.
That game was the warm-up for the John James Tournament in Bennington, but Hoosick Falls, N.Y., the Colonels' first round opponent, clobbered Brattleboro, 6-0, on Thursday night. The Colonels then faced Mount Anthony in the consolation game on Monday night, and lost 2-1.
• Leland & Gray and Twin Valley battled to a 1-1 tie in Wilmington last Tuesday. Jordan Niles scored to give the Wildcats the initial lead, but Leland & Gray's Chelby Nystrom got the equalizer early in the second half.
• Twin Valley needed overtime to beat Mill River, 3-2, on the road last Friday. Savannah Nesbitt scored 2:40 into overtime off a through ball from Abbi Molner. Molner and Sammy Cunningham both scored in regulation time for a 2-0 lead, but Mill River scored two unanswered goals to force OT.
• Bellows Falls got its season started with a 7-1 win over Long Trail School in Dorset last Thursday. Anna Barry and Chelsea Wilder each scored twice for the Terriers, while Corina Stack, Ashley Palmisano, and Brit Moyna each added a goal.
Boys' soccer
• Leland & Gray's Jake Sherman scored three goals as the Rebels cruised to a 6-1 win over Stratton Mountain School last Tuesday. Corey Nystrom added two more goals, and Tyler Scott also scored. Goalkeeper Tanner Karg made three saves for the win.
The victory built upon the Rebels success in their opener on Sept. 1 against BFA-Fairfax. Aidan Coleman scored the game-winner in a taut 1-0 win. Karg made 10 saves.
• Twin Valley beat the defending state champs last Tuesday with a 3-1 win over the Proctor Phantoms. Colin Lozito scored one goal and assisted on another goal by Eli Park. Dal Nesbitt picked up his second assist in the game when he set up a Nick Nilsen goal late in the game. Kyle Murdock made eight saves in goal.
• Bellows Falls lost at home to Long Trail, 2-1, last Friday. Liam Shaw got the Terriers' goal.
Cross country
• Bellows Falls had a good showing in a meet they hosted on Tuesday to open the season. Anna Clark and Willie Moore each finished fourth to lead the Terriers.
Both Bellows Falls and Brattleboro did not have enough female runners to place in the team scoring, as Woodstock (25), Stratton Mountain School (39), and Fall Mountain (118) dominated.
Collin Johnson finished fifth to give the BF boys a third place finish behind Fall Mountain and Woodstock. Brattleboro was fourth.
Arturo Gutierrez and Austin Lester placing 12th and 13th overall to lead the Colonel boys. Spencer Olson was 22nd, Josh Parro finished in 32nd, and Ryan Gilligan crossed the line in 34th. Cati Yost (25th), Olivia Ham (31st), and Dana Alexa (42nd) ran for the Colonel girls.
Dana competes at Paralympics
• She didn't make the medal stand, but Putney's Alicia Brelsford Dana put on a gutsy performance at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.
Dana, 42, had an impressive fifth place finish in 34 minutes, 14.18 seconds last Wednesday in the 16-kilometer individual H 1-2 Time Trial finals at the Brands Hatch motor racetrack. That time was good enough to get her into last Friday's final.
In a Facebook post, Dana expressed concern about the final 48-kilometer race. “[It's a] very challenging, hilly course, a lot of sharp turns at a fast pace (yikes!!) AND, they're lumping my category in with the next fastest up, so more competition, and tougher,” she wrote. “I'm just going to try and hang in there with the Big Girls as long as I can.”
Dana was seventh in the 15-racer field after the first of six laps, just 24 seconds behind the eventual gold medalist, U.S. teammate Marianne Davis. Dana held her spot in the field after the second lap, but she was out of the race by the end of the third lap.
Considering this was her first Paralympics, and considering she had only resumed serious competition within the past year, just getting on the national team to go to London was a huge accomplishment. Well done, Alicia!
Kickin' it for Youth Services
• If the last time you played kickball was during recess in grade school, it's time to lace up the sneakers again for a good cause. Youth Services will host its first “Kickin' It Home” kickball tournament on Saturday, Sept. 22 at Living Memorial Park in Brattleboro, starting at 10 a.m.
The entry fee is $200 per team. Each team can have 10 or more players and can be mixed gender or single sex. A trophy will go to the winning team, and there will be prizes for other categories, such as best dressed team. The tournament will take place rain or shine, and food and snacks will be available for sale throughout the day.
All proceeds go to Youth Services, which provides short-term emergency housing and follow-up counseling for youth who threaten to run away, have run, or are pushed out of the home. Last year alone, Youth Services helped 72 youth with independent living skills support and counseling to teach them the skills necessary to live on their own.
Register online by Sept. 14 at www.youthservicesinc.org/kickball or by calling 802-257-0361.
West River Park opens for fall sports
• The official grand opening won't be until next spring but, this week, the Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department is celebrating an important milestone for its new West River Park - it is now open for youth field hockey and soccer programs.
Youth soccer and field hockey programs will hold practices daily between the hours of 4-6 p.m. Games will be played on Saturday mornings between 9 a.m. and noon. Any group looking to use the field outside of the above mentioned hours will need to contact the Recreation & Parks Office at 802-254-5808 to rent the field and reserve a time slot.
With the increased activity on Route 30 at the entrance of West River Park, all pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists are urged to take extra caution while traveling in that area.