With the conclusion of the fall high school season comes the beginning of awards season.
The Marble Valley League selected its All-League teams and coaches of the year last week, and there were not a lot of surprises.
After a second-straight undefeated season and a second-straight state title, Twin Valley's Buddy Hayford was the consensus choice for C Division boys' soccer Coach of the Year.
Likewise for Bellows Falls field hockey coach Bethany Coursen, who led the Terriers to an undefeated season and a MVL title, and earned Coach of the Year honors in the B Division.
Brattleboro didn't win an MVL title in girls' soccer, but Edwin DeBruijn was named A Division Coach of the Year for leading his team to victories over Hartford, Leland & Gray, and Rutland, and twice against Springfield.
Twenty-seven area athletes were MVL first-team selections. A complete list of the area athletes named to the MVL 1st or 2nd team follows:
• Boys' soccer: Division A first team - Brattleboro: Robyn Avery.
Division B first team - Leland & Gray: Corey Nystrom, Owen McDonald, Billy Culver; Division B second team - Leland & Gray: Nick Morrow.
Division C first team - Twin Valley: Justin Hicks, Troy Felisko, Nick Nilsen, Tobi Will; Division C second team - Twin Valley: Sam Molner, Skyler Boyd.
Division D first team - Bellows Falls: Lucas Clark.
• Girls' soccer Division A first team - Brattleboro: Natasha Clark, Abbie Lesure.
Division C first team - Leland & Gray: Emily Stockwell, Emily Thibault, Giannina Gaspero-Beckstrom; Twin Valley: Jessica Fox. Division C second team - Leland & Gray: Haley Buffum, Ashley Bates; Bellows Falls: Chelsea Wilder, Emily Perry.
• Field hockey: Division B first team - Brattleboro: Meg Powell, Daija Germain. Bellows Falls: Sarah Wells, Cassidy Santorelli, Anna Clark, Emily Stoddard.
• Cross-country: Division A first team - Brattleboro: Tyler Clement, Ryan Gilligan, Becca Freeman, Catey Yost.
Division B first team - Bellows Falls: Willie Moore, Cody Tallent.
As for individual honors for BUHS athletes, Taylor Bird, Natasha Clark, Maddy Derosia, Abbie Lesure, and Tori Svec were all chosen for the Vermont Soccer Coaches Association Senior Classic, while Tylynn Kuralt received the Wayne Colburn Award.
In football, Ian Cebek won the Charlie Sparks Award, Andy Gadowski won the Lou Turner Award, and Tanner Freeman won the Gary Goddard Award.
Rotary golf tourney raises $18,000 for BMH
• The Brattleboro Rotary Club recently presented a check for more than $18,000 from the proceeds of its annual golf tournament to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital for its new emergency department.
According to Cathy Coonan, the chair of the club's golf committee, the Brattleboro Rotary Club has pledged to raise at least $75,000 over five years for the hospital's new emergency room. After two years, Coonan says the club has raised about $41,000.
The next Brattleboro Rotary Club golf tournament takes place on Thursday, June 4, 2015 at the Brattleboro Country Club.
Living Memorial Park Snow Sports needs your help
• Skiers and snowboarders can look forward to another season on Living Memorial Park's ski hill. For $5 for an all-day ticket it's the best deal in Vermont.
No official opening date has been set, but when the snow arrives - either from the skies or the snowmaking guns - the hill will be open from 3 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays.
And it takes lots of volunteers to keep the hill open every season. Living Memorial Park Snow Sports, the nonprofit organization that operates the T-bar lift and maintains the hill, is looking for help. If you can help, contact Jake Dixon at [email protected] or 802-254-9541.
To donate to keep this community resource available to everyone, send your tax-deductible contribution to Living Memorial Snow Sports Inc., P.O. Box 1945, Brattleboro, VT 05302-1945.
Get ready for the Turkey Trot
• The Red Clover Rover's annual Thanksgiving Turkey Trot takes place on Thursday, Nov. 27, on Upper Dummerston Road in Brattleboro, near the Country Club.
The course follows the same route as the Summer Fun Runs, with the 1-mile kids race at 9 a.m. and the 3-mile race at 9:15 a.m.
According to Chuck Adams, one of the race organizers, there will be a clock at the finish line to see your time, but this year there will be no registration or official results. As usual, all runners are asked to bring a food prize for the prize table.
Keep up with the Red Clover Rovers on Facebook.