The Leland & Gray boys' basketball team is still trying to get it together, but after a rough start the Rebels are showing signs of life.
The Rebels went into the holiday break with their first win of the season, a 62-37 home victory over Arlington on Dec. 22. Jeremy Bovat and Corey Nystrom each scored 11 points for the Rebels, while Josh Donna added 10 and Ryan Borgeson chipped in with 9.
The Rebels made it two wins in a row with a 56-37 win over Hillsboro, N.H., on Dec. 26 in the opening game of the Zero Gravity Boys Holiday Basketball Tournament at Keene State College. Nystrom led the way with a game-high 19 points.
Leland & Gray did not fare as well in the second game as Wilton, N.H. - which later won the tourney's small-school division - rolled to a 69-48 win on Dec. 27.
The Rebels wrapped up the tourney the next day with a 47-46 win over the Keene junior varsity. Again, Nystrom was with top scorer, with 17.
Playing in the Keene tournament seemed to have a good effect on the Rebels, for they turned in a great effort in beating Green Mountain, 48-41, in Townshend on Jan. 3.
The game was close throughout until the Rebels pulled away by outscoring the Chieftains, 16-7, in the final quarter.
Borgenson scored six of his game-high 12 points in the fourth quarter. Nystrom kept the Rebels in the game with a pair of 3-pointers as he finished with 11 points. Donna and Bryce Karg added 7 and 6 points, respectively, as the Rebels improved to 3-4.
Nearly all of GM's scoring came from three players - Cooper McCoy (14), Kyle Kemp (13), and Ryan McSally (9) - with only Kemp being a factor in the final quarter as the Chieftains fell to 1-5.
Boys' basketball
• Twin Valley won its second invitational tourney this season with a 46-38 victory over Twinfield in the finals of the Green Mountain Holiday Tournament in Chester on Dec. 22.
DJ Lazelle had 12 points and nine rebounds, and Sam Molner had 9 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Wildcats. Brett Swanson added 8 points off the bench in the second quarter.
The 7-0 Wildcats kept its unbeaten streak rolling with a 33-23 win over West Rutland on Dec. 30 in Whitingham.
• Brattleboro won its second game of the season with a 65-42 road victory over Mill River. Ryan Gilligan and Tanner Freeman led the Colonels with 16 and 14 points, respectively, in a game where Brattleboro wasn't challenged seriously until late in the game.
The Colonels led by as many as 15 points in the first quarter, but the Minutemen whittled the lead down to three in the second half before a last Brattleboro flurry put the game away.
Brattleboro then started the new year with a 45-39 win over Fair Haven on Jan. 3 at the BUHS gym. The Colonels defense shut down the Slaters for three quarters, but Fair Haven rallied in the second half and came close to erasing a 19-point lead in the final quarter.
Dylan DeJordy had a team-high 17 points for the Colonels. Freeman added with 10 points and Josh Hanson scored nine.
• After starting the season on the road, Bellows Falls had a couple of home games after Christmas. On Dec. 27, they fell 53-39 to Springfield. Three days later, the Terriers got their first win of the season with a 34-25 victory over Poultney.
BF started the new year with their rivalry game with Fall Mountain in Langdon, N.H., on Jan. 2, and ended up with their most lopsided loss of the season. Fall Mountain rolled to a 73-40 win, their first of the season.
It was the most points that Fall Mountain has scored this season, while it was a season low in scoring for 1-6 BF.
Girls' basketball
• Accurate 3-point shooting kept Brattleboro competitive against Rice, but Rice hung on for a 49-46 win on Dec. 27.
After only making five 3-pointers in their first three games of the season, the Colonels drained eight 3-pointers against Rice. Maddy Derosia, Morgan Derosia, and Abbie Lesure each had two threes.
Rice led 26-23 at the half, and 36-34 after three quarters as the Colonels did not go down easily. Maddy Derosia had 18 points and six rebounds to lead the Colonels. Morgan Derosia, Taylor Bird, and Lesure combined for 13 rebounds.
Three days later, the Colonels lost 45-34 to Mill River, but rebounded for a 50-35 win over Hartford on Jan. 3. Lesure, who hit two of her team's four 3-pointers in the second quarter, finished with 7 points and seven steals. Maddy Derosia was high scorer with 12 points, Devin Millerick added 7 points, and Emily Rounds pulled down six rebounds for the 4-4 Colonels.
• In the girls' division of the GM Tourney in Chester, Twin Valley lost to Mount St. Joseph, 47-40, in the championship game on Dec. 22. Taylor Courchesne and Colton Butler led the Wildcats with 14 and 10 points, respectively, and Christina Moore had 8 points and nine rebounds.
The Wildcats finished December with two more losses: a 45-26 defeat to Mount St. Joseph in Whitingham on the 27th, and a 43-40 loss at West Rutland on the 30th.
Twin Valley then got January started with a 47-33 win at Woodstock on Jan. 3 to improve their record to 3-4.
Butler scored 27 points to end the Wildcats's three-game losing streak, while Kirra Courchesne had 10 points, including 7 in the final eight minutes. Moore also contributed with 4 points and six rebounds.
• Hannah Kelly had 15 points and 14 rebounds to lead Bellows Falls to a 55-45 win over West Rutland on Dec. 23 at Holland Gymnasium. BF's Chelsea Wilder led all scorers with 19 points. The Terriers would go on to lose to Mount St. Josepth, 52-34, in Rutland on Dec. 30.
• Leland & Gray started the new year with a 38-26 win over Otter Valley on Jan. 2.
Strong defense and a 14-for-19 night at the free-throw line were the keys to the victory. Haley Buffum led the 2-7 Rebels with 15 points, 16 rebounds, seven steals, and six blocks.
Ice hockey
• This season, we've seen the Brattleboro boys score goals in bunches. Against Burlington on Dec. 27, the Colonels managed to play some defense too in a 10-2 rout of Burlington at Withington Rink.
Declan Lonergan scored three goals and Jon Curtis had two goals and two assists for the Colonels, who took a 2-0 lead in the first period and were ahead 6-1 after the second.
Michael Considine, Mason Powers, Brennan Zolnoski, John Peloso, and Evan Perkins each added a goal as the Colonels put 38 shots on the Burlington net. Brattleboro goalies Nick Perusse and Aleks Harrison combined for 10 saves.
We've also seen the Colonels rally back from big deficits in this young season, and they had another come-from-behind win on Dec. 30 against Taconic at Withington Rink. After falling behind 2-0, the Colonels roared back to win, 6-3.
Curtis scored twice and assisted on another goal, while Peloso had a goal and two assists to lead the Colonels. Conor Hiner, Braxton Lynn, and Perkins also scored, and Dan McMahon had two assists. Perusse went the distance in goal and had 17 saves.
The Colonels then dropped a 5-3 decision to undefeated Missisquoi at Withington Rink on Jan 3. Jake Hubbard led the Thunderbirds with two goals and a pair of assists. Peloso scored twice and Lonergan also scored for the 4-4 Colonels. Peloso also had his team's lone assist. Perusse made 17 saves in the loss.
• After four straight losses to start the season, the Brattleboro girls won a pair of games.
On Dec. 27, the Colonels rolled to a 10-2 win over Woodstock at Withington Rink. Two nights later, the Colonels defeated Harwood, 3-1.
Nordic skiing
• The Brattleboro boys placed third and the Brattleboro girls finished fifth in a rain-soaked meet at Prospect Mountain in Woodford on Dec. 23. While there was plenty of snow on the course, a steady rain made for sloppy conditions.
Declan King wound up fifth overall to lead the Colonel boys, followed by Jonah Koch (10th), Isaac Freitas-Eagan (15th), Spencer Loggia (16th), and Phelan Muller (22nd).
Freshman Isabella Thurber came in 12th to lead the Colonel girls, followed by Catey Yost (21st), Evy Williams (28th), and Alicia Loyola (30th).
Fitness classes at the Rec
• If one of your 2015 New Year's resolutions is to exercise more, the Brattleboro Recreation and Parks Department is willing to help with fitness classes three days a week for eight weeks at the Gibson-Aiken Center, 207 Main St. These classes will begin on Jan. 9 and run from 12:10 to 1:10 p.m.
Yoga classes are offered on Mondays. This is a class based on traditional yoga posture and breath-work designed in a flowing sequence with emphasis on a balanced approach.
Pilates will be held on Tuesdays. This class is based on the traditional Pilates exercises to strengthen and stabilize the core muscles - abdominals and the hip, back, and shoulder joints.
A combination yoga/pilates class will be held on Fridays. Anyone over 18 is welcome, and the instructor can accommodate special needs. You may sign up at any point and attend any or all classes. The classes can be modified to fit all levels of ability.
For something a little more vigorous, kickbox conditioning classes will be offered two days a week: Saturdays from 9 to 10 a.m. and/or Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sign up for one class or both. These classes, for anyone 18 and older, run on a monthly basis.
For more information, call the Recreation & Parks office at 802-254-5808 Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to noon or 1 to 5 p.m.
Speed skating classes
• The Brattleboro Recreation and Parks Department offers another session of its speed skating program, which will be held Sundays at the Nelson Withington Skating Facility. Skaters 7 and up are encouraged to sign up for this program, which runs Jan. 11 through Feb. 15, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Edwin DeBruijn instructs.
The cost of each session is $30 for adult Brattleboro residents and $55 for adult non-residents. Children pay $15 if they are Brattleboro residents and $30 if they're non-residents. For more information, call Edwin at 802-254-6965 or the Recreation and Parks Department at 802-254-5808.
Mush!
• Grafton Ponds Outdoor Center and Husky Works Mushing Company (HWMC) of West Wardsboro have teamed up to offer dog sled tours throughout the winter at Grafton Ponds, weather permitting.
At Grafton Ponds, dog sled tours run at 4, 5, and 6 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Riders will enjoy a ride in cozy, handmade, two-seated sled, with a musher as a guide and the opportunity to see working sled dogs in action.
These late-afternoon/early evening tours will be led with high-powered headlamps or by moonlight, and will travel along the Grafton Ponds trail network.
The sleds are designed for two adults, or two children (age 5 and older) with one adult. The combined weight cannot exceed 330 pounds.
Rides last approximately an hour, and cost $175. For reservations (required) call Grafton Ponds at 802-843-2400.