The Brattleboro Colonels were eliminated from the Division I football playoffs last Friday night with a 30-14 loss to the Colchester Lakers.
The 2-5 Lakers were also battling to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, so both teams were playing with a sense of urgency. Colchester had a 23-7 lead on the Colonels, but quarterback Kyle Patno threw for his second touchdown pass of the night, to make it 23-14 at the half.
Colchester had a decided advantage in both possession and yards from scrimmage in the first half, but two turnovers and a blocked punt by Brattleboro's Kyle Shippee left the door open for the Colonels.
Unfortunately for Brattleboro, they could not take advantage in the second half, and Colchester ended up getting its insurance touchdown midway through the third quarter. Lakers quarterback JP Olson threw for two touchdowns, while Will Ward rushed for 129 yards on 15 carries. Dakota Navari added 107 yards rushing in 12 carries. Ward and Navari each ran for a touchdown, and Grant Cummings added another score.
Patno was 6-for-19 for 66 yards. Michael Rooney caught a 17-yard touchdown pass and was the Colonels' leading rusher with 20 yards on 10 carries. Max Bostwick had a four-yard touchdown catch, while Colby McGinn forced a fumble that was recovered by Kevin Tao.
The 1-6 Colonels will host arch rival Mount Anthony at Natowich Field on Friday night at 7.
Football
• As Brattleboro sifts the ashes of yet another losing season, the Bellows Falls Terriers are preparing for another playoff run.
In a score that looks like a misprint, the Terriers crushed the Fair Haven Slaters, 74-26, at Hadley Field on Saturday. How did the Terriers pile up 74 points against a reasonably talented Division II rival? By having a breakthrough performance in the passing game.
BF quarterback Ethan Illingworth and wideout David Dunbar connected for three touchdown passes of 20, 26, and 47 yards. Dunbar was also a perfect 7-for-7 on point-after kicks, and converted on a 30-yard field goal attempt.
The running game was just as hot, as Carson Fullam added 98 yards rushing and two touchdowns, including an 85-yard kickoff return for a TD. Jakob Mead only touched the ball twice, but he scored both times on runs of 45 and 57 yards, respectively. Austin Stack also had a 25-yard touchdown run.
BF trailed 8-7 early on when the Terriers broke the game open on a 50-yard touchdown run by Kyle O'Rourke. That was the start of a BF explosion, as they scored 52 unanswered points.
The BF defense also had a strong game. The first team held Slaters quarterback Ryan Alexander to 110 yards and intercepted three of his passes as Fair Haven fell to 4-3 overall. Kendrick Mills, Brian McAnuff, and DJ Snide reeled in the interceptions, with Snide returning his for a touchdown.
Now 5-2 overall, BF is tied for third in Division II with Rice. They travel to Springfield on Friday night to play their annual grudge match for “The Trophy” and a year's worth of bragging rights.
Field hockey
• Junior forward Sarah Wells scored five goals as Bellows Falls crushed Brattleboro, 7-0, at Tenney Field on Oct. 8. Wells scored three in the first half and two in the second. Sophia Cardini and Mariah Barrett each scored in the second half.
The Terriers hosted Fair Haven last Friday, and Wells got the only goal (assisted by Kya Coursen and Bennett) with 10 minutes left in the game in a 1-0 victory. BF put 26 shots on Fair Haven goalie Jenna Alexander.
With 19 goals, Wells is the leading scorer for the Terriers, but scoring alone isn't why BF is undefeated: Their defense completely shut down the Colonels and Slaters. Shea Wilkinson has been rock-solid in goal, and has stopped all but one shot that she has faced in 12 games. The Terriers ended the week at 11-0-1.
• While the Terriers are rolling, the Colonels continue to struggle. They lost to Springfield, 3-1, on Senior Night last Thursday at Tenney Field. Kayla Savage scored on a breakaway with seven minutes left in the game, while goalie Jen Dyer made seven saves, including a stop on a penalty stroke, for the 1-10-1 Colonels.
Girls' soccer
• Anwyn Darrow, Devin Millerick and Abbie Lesure all scored goals as Brattleboro beat Hartford, 3-1, in a big road win on Oct. 9. Colonel goalkeeper Aimee Johnston had seven saves for the victors. Katelyn Donovan, Hannah Lynde, and Alex Derosia assisted on the goals.
• Savannah Nesbitt scored the winning goal just 80 seconds into the first overtime to give Twin Valley a 4-3 victory over Leland & Gray in Wilmington on Oct. 8.
The Rebels took an early upper hand as Stevie Roberts scored back-to-back goals in the first half. Twin Valley's Katelyn Hunt and Nesbitt then each got a goal to tie the game, only to have Giannina Gespero-Beckstrom score a minute later, putting the Rebels back in front.
Leland & Gray looked like they would hang on for the win, but Twin Valley's Henriette Aas scored the equalizer late in the second half.
The Wildcats traveled to Bellows Falls last Friday, where they cruised to a 5-1 win. Nesbitt, Hannah Swanson, and Jordan Niles staked Twin Valley to a 3-1 lead at the half. BF's Lydia Petigo scored off a penalty kick for the Terriers' only goal. Hunt and Nesbitt then squelched the BF rally with two more goals.
Twin Valley finished up a busy week with a 3-1 loss to Stratton Mountain School last Saturday. Nesbitt scored the only goal for the Wildcats as Stratton scored three times in the second half to win it. The Wildcats finished the week at 7-5.
Boys' soccer
• The Twin Valley train kept a-rolling last week. Freshman Troy Felisko scored three goals to lead the Wildcats to a 5-0 victory over Green Mountain on Oct. 9. Dal Nesbitt and Colin Lozito also tallied for the winners. Lozito also had two assists, while Dal and Cade Nesbitt each had one.
That was the 10th straight win for the Wildcats. Last Saturday they tied the school record of 11 wins in a row, set in 1994, with a 7-1 win over Stratton Mountain School.
• Marcus LaFlam scored three goals Oct. 8 to lead Mount Anthony to a 6-0 win over Brattleboro at Tenney Field. The win gave the Patriots a sweep of the season series with their arch rivals.
The next day, the Colonels dropped a 3-2 decision to Hartford at Tenney Field. Jack Maples and Miles Goldenbird gave the Colonels a 2-1 lead that they held going into the final two minutes, when the Hurricanes scored twice to steal a win. The Colonels ended the week at 3-7-1.
• Proctor's Daniel Smith scored the only goal of the game in the 39th minute as the Phantoms downed Leland & Gray, 1-0, in a defensive battle on Oct. 8 in Townshend.
The Rebels dropped another 1-0 decision at home two days later, this time against Woodstock. After a scoreless first half, Doug Avellino got the game-winner off an assist from Mason Thompson in the 55th minute. The two losses left Leland & Gray with a 4-6-1 record at week's end.
Cross-country
• Brattleboro's Nevada Powers improved on her personal best by more than a minute and a half, finishing 12th in 21:23 at Friday's Connecticut Valley Conference championships at Fall Mountain High School in Langdon, N.H.
Catey Yost (22:25), Gwen Harris (23:35), Eve Pomazi (24:35), Katie Reynolds (26:07), and Molly Schoales (27:30) all ran personal bests for the Colonel girls, while Becca Freeman (23:48) ran strong after returning from a knee injury.
Ryan Gilligan took 27th in 18:39 to lead the Brattleboro boys. Running personal bests were Dan Burdo (19:13), Tyler Clement (19:27), Jon Burdo (19:48), Josh Meachem (20:19), and Garrett Winchester (24:31).
Women's League teams to meet
• There will be a Brattleboro Area Women's Basketball League organizational meeting on Monday, Oct. 21, at 6:30 p.m., in the Gibson-Aiken Center, 207 Main St. A representative from each team must attend the meeting.
Pick-up games will also begin on Monday, Oct. 21, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and will continue on Monday nights until games begin. Pick-up games are for Women's League players only. Direct questions to Jessy Cudworth at the Recreation and Parks Department office at 802-254-5808.