The Vermont Principals' Association released its playoff pairings for soccer and field hockey on Monday, and three of the local teams will have a chance at some home games.
In field hockey, Bellows Falls got the No. 2 seed in Division III and will host No. 7 North Country (3-8-3) in a quarterfinal game on Saturday, Oct. 27, at 11 a.m. Brattleboro did not qualify in Division I.
In girls' soccer, all the local teams will have playdowns scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 24, at 3 p.m.
Brattleboro was seeded 15th in Division I, and will travel to Hinesburg to take on second-seeded Champlain Valley (12-1-1). In Division III, two familiar foes will face off in Bellows Falls as the No. 8 Terriers hosts No. 9 Leland & Gray, while Twin Valley got the 11th seed and is on the road to face sixth-seeded Stowe (3-10-1).
The boys' soccer playoffs began at press time, with playdown games scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 23, at 3 p.m.
Brattleboro, the No. 10 seed in Division I, is on the road to face No. 7 Mount Mansfield (7-7-0).
Leland & Gray landed the No. 2 seed in Division III, and hosts No. 15 Winooski (4-10).
Twin Valley got the No. 2 seed in Division IV, and will play No. 15 Twinfield (2-10-2) in Brattleboro.
Football
• Last Friday's heavy rain left Natowich Field a soggy mess, but the Colonels didn't seem to mind as they rolled to a 36-12 win over Mount Anthony in the annual Elwell Trophy game.
Senior running back Elliot Gragen ran the ball 21 times for 104 yards, and quarterback Tyler Higley completed six of his 12 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown. He also ran it six times for 103 yards.
This was the type of game that offensive linemen love, and the Brattleboro line of Kevin Tao, Lukas Wallace, Colby McGinn, Brian Keopraseuth, and Clay West were opening big holes for Gragen and Higley to run through.
The Colonels scored on their first four possessions, starting with a long drive on the opening series capped off by a 1-yard run by Gragen. Higley threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Phil Perkins for the second score, followed by two touchdown runs by Gragen. Kyle Patno and Gragen each scored on a two-point conversion as Brattleboro went up 28-0 at the half.
Noah Simeon got Brattleboro's final touchdown in the third quarter on a 25-yard run, and Higley found Perkins for the conversion to make it 36-0.
MAU freshman Pat Powers broke up the shutout with a pair of late touchdown runs. He finished with 103 yards on six carries.
The Colonels finished the regular season at 3-5, and did not qualify for the playoffs. They will play a consolation game on Saturday at Mount Mansfield at 1 p.m..
• Bellows Falls wrapped up the No. 2 seed in the Division II playoffs with a 52-21 rout of Otter Valley in Brandon on Saturday.
The 1-2 rushing punch of Zach Rawling and Carson Fullam put on a show. Rawling ran for 231 yards and two touchdowns, while Fullam gained 203 yards and scored three touchdowns. Ed Rodriguez also chipped in with two touchdown runs.
The 7-1 Terriers will get a week off before the playoffs begin, since the traditional “Trophy” game with Springfield won't be played. Instead, BF will get a forfeit victory from Springfield, and finish with an 8-1 record. BF trails only undefeated Rice in the Division II standings.
Cross country
• Catey Yost and Spencer Olsen were the Brattleboro Colonels' top runners at the Marble Valley League Cross Country Championship in Bennington last Tuesday.
Yost finished fifth in 23:01 to lead the BUHS girls, who did not have enough runners to register a team score.
Olson came in 10th in 19:21 to lead the Colonel boys to a fourth-place finish. Mount Anthony won both races, while Brattleboro was fourth in the boys' race.
On Friday, the Colonels played host to Stratton Mountain School and Springfield and hoped to get a good tune-up run for the upcoming state meet on Oct. 27 at Thetford Academy.
In a way, they did. Heavy rain transformed the BUHS course on East Orchard Street into a muddy quagmire, with conditions similar to what is often seen in Thetford on race day.
Stratton won both the boys' and the girls' meets. Brattleboro placed second in the boys' meet, but didn't have enough runners to place on the girls' side.
Again, Olson led the Colonel boys by taking fifth overall in 20:28. Sophomore Ryan Gilligan ran his best race of the season and took seventh in 21:21. Arturo Gutierrez, Jon Burdo, and Graham Glennon also scored for the Colonels.
Yost (24:20) led the Colonel girls with a fourth place finish in 24:20. Luci Hauty, Aliza Racine, and Dana Alexa also ran for the Colonels.
Considering how often it rains for the Thetford race, and how much Yost and Olson like running on muddy trails, the Colonels could have a good day in Thetford on Saturday.
Boys' soccer
• Twin Valley got a 7-1 win over Stratton Mountain School last Monday. After spotting the Bears a goal, the Wildcats blitzed Stratton with seven unanswered goals. Colin Lozito, Dal Nesbitt, and Morrow Barnard each scored two goals. Eli Park added another goal.
• Brattleboro finished its regular season with a pair of losses to undefeated Burr & Burton, the top team in Division II. The Colonels lost 3-1, last Monday in Manchester. Rowan Payne-Meyer got the Colonels' only goal. At Tenney Field last Thursday night, the Colonels were shut out, 2-0. Brattleboro finished at 7-7.
• Bellows Falls got shut out by Proctor, 5-0, in their regular season finale last Monday. They finished with 1-12-1 record and opted not to go to the playoffs.
Girls' soccer
• Twin Valley shut out Green Mountain, 3-0, last Monday. Jordan Niles had two goals and Abbi Molner added a goal and an assist. The Wildcats then ended their regular season with a 7-0 loss to Black River last Thursday. The Wildcats finished with a 5-7-2 record.
• Proctor shut out Leland & Gray, 5-0, last Monday, but the Rebels bounced back in the last regular season game with a 3-0 win over Green Mountain last Thursday. Chelby Nystrom, Addie Mahdavi, and Brittany Bills were the goal scorers and goalkeeper Elizabeth Gallup made six saves. The Rebels finished with a 6-6-2 record.
• Bellows Falls scored four goals in the first half, including two from Corina Stack, to give the Terriers a 7-0 win over Long Trail last Tuesday. Stack finished with three goals, Brit Moyna scored twice, and Ashley Palmisano and Addy Dailey each scored one. In the regular season finale last Thursday, the Terriers lost 1-0 at Windsor. The Terriers finished at 7-6-1.
• Brattleboro ended a seven-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over Hartford in the Colonels' last regular season game last Thursday. Biak Chia Tial gave the Colonels a 1-0 halftime lead, and Halie Lange scored twice in the second half. After winning four of their first six games, the Colonels staggered to a 5-9 finish.
Field hockey
• Brattleboro came close to earning a tie against Otter Valley at Tenney Field last Tuesday, until Emily Lowell of the Otters scored in overtime to hand the Colonels a 2-1 loss. Kayla Savage tapped in a crossing pass from Katie Damian for Brattleboro's only goal.
In the season finale in Bennington on Saturday, the Colonels lost to Mount Anthony, 2-0. Brattleboro ended the season at 2-12.
• Bellows Falls beat Fair Haven, 3-1, in a road game last Tuesday. In the first half, Mariah Barnett scored from Kya Coursen, then Coursen set up a goal by Cassidy Santorelli for a 2-1 lead at the break. Coursen got her second assist seven minutes into the second half to give Santorelli her second goal.
The Terriers then lost the regular season finale at Windsor, 1-0, last Thursday. Windsor is unbeaten in Division II and is the only team to have beaten the Terriers this season.
Happy birthday, BOC!
• The Brattleboro Outing Club is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year with a gala at the Putney Inn on Saturday, Nov. 3, at 6:30 pm. All present and past Outing Club participants and the public are invited to this event with advance ticket purchase and an RSVP to the BOC.
One of the oldest civic outdoor sports associations in the country, the BOC was founded in 1922 by local sports enthusiast Fred Harris. Its mission to “encourage, develop, and promote family outdoor life and good fellowship” has remained unchanged to this day.
With tennis, paddling and sculling programs in the warmer months and nordic and alpine skiing and snowshoeing in the winter, the club offers year 'round outdoor recreational activities to all ages. BOC keeps fees affordable by relying on an active volunteer base.
The gala anniversary celebration of dinner and dancing featuring the music of Electric Fence is open to the public. This special occasion will include the presentation of the First Annual Phil and Mary Dunham Scholarship Award to a local athlete, in memory of Phil Dunham, and in honor of Mary Dunham, both longtime members. There will be raffles and prizes as well. The cost is $40 per person. Visit www.brattleborooutingclub.com for more information.
Ping Pong tournament to benefit West River Park
• The Brattleboro Sunrise Rotary Club will host the “Battle of the Paddle,” a double-elimination Ping Pong tournament on Saturday, Nov. 3, at Brattleboro Union High School. Registration is from 8 to 8:30 a.m. Play begins at 9 a.m.
There will be three age divisions of 11 and under; 12-15 and 16 and over. There is a $15 per player fee with advance registrations and $20 day of the event. Prizes will be awarded to the top two competitors in each age division. The net proceeds from this tournament will benefit the West River Park recreational facility.
For more information, contact Sandy Shriver at 802-257-7244, ext. 114, or email [email protected]. Players can also download a registration form at www.brattleborosunriserotary.org.