The recent quality of play by the Brattleboro Colonels football team has their fans asking a question they haven't asked for a few years - can they make the Division I playoffs?
After knocking off the Colchester Lakers, 35-14, in the Homecoming Weekend game last Friday night at Natowich Field, the answer for Colonels fans is that they are playing well enough have a good chance of making the postseason.
It was the first home win for the 3-2 Colonels, as defense was the key to their success. They intercepted five passes as Taylor King had two pick-offs, and Griffin Lynde, Seth Rhodes, and Tyler McKinney also had one each.
On offense, the Colonels started strong with two touchdowns and, after a Colchester rally in the first half, finished strong with 21 unanswered points.
Colonels running back Chieck Dikete opened the scoring with a 75-yard touchdown run. Quarterback Tony Martinez then scored on a two-yard sneak as Brattleboro led 14-0.
The Lakers then tied the game on a 50-yard touchdown run by Kyle Walker and a 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Travis Boutin to Justin Evans.
With the score tied 14-all, the Colonels shut down the Lakers on defense while the offense picked up three more touchdowns.
Dikete ran the ball eight times on the Colonels' drive that broke the tie, scoring on a 1-yard run in the second quarter. Dikete, who has run for 13 touchdowns so far this season, finished the game with 159 yards on 17 carries.
Martinez (6-for-8, 83 yards) then threw a pair of touchdown passes in the third quarter. The first came on an acrobatic catch by King in the end zone for a 25-yard score. The second was a 21-yard catch-and-run score by Evan Perkins. King also was a perfect 5-for-5 on his extra point kicks.
The Colonels host Rutland this Friday at 7 p.m.
Beside being the Homecoming game, the Colonels also honored the 1965 team on the 50th anniversary of their undefeated state championship season.
Coached by Andy Natowich, the 1965 Colonels are considered one of the greatest teams in Vermont history. They averaged 55.6 points and 419 yards of total offense per game. Defensively, they gave up just 32 points for the entire season and seven of the starting 11 played both offense and defense.
The three senior co-captains from that team - Phil Natowich, Don Robinson, and Jerry Morrison - were on the field for the opening coin toss last Friday. They, and teammates Ron Stark, Jim Trombley, and Dana Zelenakas, all earned All-State honors in 1965.
Terriers hold off Milton
• The Bellows Falls Terriers stayed undefeated in Division II football, but they had to work for it against Milton. Facing their best opponent of the season, the Terriers rallied for a 28-16 win last Saturday afternoon at Hadley Field.
After crushing their first four opponents, Milton held a 16-15 lead at halftime. BF coach Bob Lockerby said he told his team “not to panic. We hadn't had to play four quarters yet this season, but we expected to against this team.”
Milton quarterback Nick Laware found receiver Ian Kandzior for a 29-yard touchdown, then connected with Logan Bean for a two-point conversion.
BF's Chris Doucet kicked a 25-yard field goal, and quarterback Zac Streeter threw a 35-yard touchdown to Liam Hackett. Fullback Jake Lober ran in the conversion to give BF a 15-8 lead.
Milton's Bradley Bombard then scored on both a five-yard run and on the conversion for a 16-15 lead at the half.
The Terriers' defense then took control of the game. Milton did not pick up a first down in the second half and had 26 yards of total offense during that time. Sloppiness by Milton's offense didn't help matters, as they took themselves out of several drives with multiple penalties.
On offense, BF played its trademark ground-and-pound game in the second half. Running back Jahyde Bullard, who was contained by the Milton defense for most of the game, finally broke through for a seven-yard touchdown midway through the final quarter. Casey Cota then provided the clincher with 35-yard touchdown run with 1:59 left in the game.
“I thought we showed heart and character,” Lockerby said. “This probably won't be the last time we face Milton this year.”
These two teams will likely meet again in the playoffs. In the meantime, BF will go for its sixth-straight win against Lyndon this Saturday at 2 p.m. at Hadley Field.
Field hockey
• Brattleboro snapped a four-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over Fair Haven last Saturday at Tenney Field. But it was the effort in the game on that field two days earlier, against Division III power Bellows Falls, that may have helped the Colonels beat Fair Haven.
Given the slump that the Colonels' field hockey program has been in, and the strength over the past few years of the Terriers' program, everyone excpected a blowout by Bellows Falls. Instead, the Colonels played inspired defense as BF escaped with a 1-0 win.
The only goal of the game was scored by BF's Dani Marchica at the 15 minute mark of the first half. The Terriers held the ball for most of the game, but couldn't add to their lead. They only managed five shots on goal.
“We played well,” said Colonels co-coach Sherryl Libardoni after the BF game. “BF has a quality team and I think my kids learned a few things.”
Co-coach Kelly Markol thought the 2-6-1 Colonels moved to the ball better and played more cohesively than in previous games. Libardoni agreed, saying that practices of late emphasized clearing out the ball and being more aggressive on offense.”
• Bellows Falls, which beat Woodstock at home, 1-0, last Friday, hasn't been scoring many goals. They remain unbeaten, however, at 6-0-1.
“We've a younger team this year, and we're not as fast, but our defense is rock solid,” said BF coach Bethany Coursen after the Brattleboro game.
Boys soccer
-- It didn't take long for Twin Valley to start a new winning streak after its 39-game unbeaten string was snapped by Leland & Gray. They got back to business with a 2-1 win over host team Arlington in the first round of the John Werner Tournament on Sept. 21.
The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute. Brett Swanson's feed from the corner found Nick Nilsen, who then set up Baylee Crawford, who got the goal.
Arlington tied the game midway through the second half with a goal from Colin Lawler, but Twin Valley got the game-winner in the 72nd minute from Skyler Boyd.
In the championship game last Friday against Otter Valley, Nilsen scored three goals and Chris Robinson picked up three assists as the Wildcats beat the Otters, 7-1, for their third consecutive Werner title. Nilsen was named the tournament MVP.
Justin Hicks, Chad Bernard, Crawford, and Boyd all scored a goal for the 7-1 Wildcats, as they outshot the Otters, 21-6. Assists were also credited to Brett Swanson and Bernard. Goalkeeper Kyle Murdock made four saves. A penalty kick by Max Williams was the only shot that got by him.
• Rutland rallied to beat Brattleboro, 5-2, on Sept. 21 at Tenney Field. Matt Dulmaine and Ian Fulton-Black scored for the Colonels, who had a 2-1 lead before the Raiders finished the match with four unanswered goals.
After losing at Woodstock, 4-0, on Sept. 24, the Colonels rallied for a 3-0 win over Leland & Gray last Saturday to finish the week at 3-4.
Girls' soccer
• Mckenzie Traska and Erin McClallen each scored as Mount St. Joseph edged Twin Valley, 2-0, in the first round of the John Werner Tournament on Tuesday.
The winners held a 17-8 advantage in shots on goal, and Wildcats goalkeeper Brianna Rafus needed to make some big saves in the second half to keep the game close. The game was level at 0-0 until Traska scored with 13 minutes remaining.
In the consolation game on Sept. 24, Twin Valley beat Long Trail, 2-1, to finish the week with a 3-5 record. Caitlin Hunt buried a corner feed from Karlee Walkowiak with 31 seconds left in regulation to win the match.
Alicia Navarette gave Long Trail a 1-0 lead and then Jordyn Bolognani pulled the Wildcats even, with an assist from Hunt, in the 34th minute. Rafus finished with four saves.
• Megyn Ayotte made eight saves, including a crucial one-on-one stop midway through the second half, to help the Brattleboro Union High School varsity girls soccer team to a 2-0 victory over Hartford in Saturday's Homecoming Game.
“I think the two teams are pretty evenly matched. We had a little more enthusiasm and a few more looks at goal,” stated BUHS coach Edwin de Bruijn, whose team had a 14-8 advantage in shots.
Thirty-six minutes in, Devin Millerick scored on a direct kick to give the Colonels a 1-0 lead. And four minutes into the second half, a beautiful cross from Morgan Derosia was put away by Kira McCloskey to make it 2-0. The Colonels improved to 4-3 on the season.
• Black River broke open a 2-2 tie with four unanswered goals to give the Presidents a 6-2 win over Bellows Falls in Westminster last Friday. Arianna Morton and Keri Ticino did the scoring for the 0-8 Terriers.
• Leland & Gray is struggling too. After a 2-2 tie at Stratton Mountain School on Sept. 23, the Rebels lost 3-0 at home to Green Mountain last Saturday. The Rebels have a 2-6-1 record.
Cross-country
• Once again this year, Brattleboro ran in the Manchester (N.H.) Invitational last Saturday, one of the biggest high school cross-country meets in New England. Colonels coach John Dimick has traditionally used this meet as a test kitchen for the late season meets.
The BUHS varsity boys' team wound up 20th in a field of 43 small school teams. Isaac Freitas-Eagan came in 37th in 17 minutes, 38 seconds on the 3.1-mile course as Jonah Koch (18:09), Josh Meachen (18:10), Tyler Clement (19:14), and Dan Burdo (20:06) completed Brattleboro's top five.
Catey Yost (22:34), Annie Takacs (27:07) and Emily Gale (32:46) were the only three members of the varsity girls to run.
Brattleboro's freshmen girls' team placed fifth overall. Competing in that 2.1-mile race were Sarah Gallagher (ninth in 14:06), followed by Liz Morse (18th in 14:33), Emilia Dick-Fiora (21st in 14:45), Molly Patenaude (102nd in 17:19), and Kata Blakeson (112th in 17:47).
In the freshmen boys' race, Trevor Kipp placed 91st for the Colonels in 20:16.