Bellows Falls coach Bob Lockerby is not a fan of 7-on-7 touch football.
“I'm not one of those guys who's going to pretend that I like this,” he said. “My guys want to block, and tackle, and hit people. That's BF football. But this is what we have, and at least there's something for the kids to do this fall.”
For decades, Bellows Falls football has been about running the ball first, and passing the ball only when necessary. Power running behind big, aggressive linemen is what you expect to see when the Terriers take the field.
However, the COVID-tized version of football in Vermont this season has been nothing but heartache for Bellows Falls. As you would expect when 85 percent of your playbook is taken away, the Terriers haven't won a game.
Last week, the Terriers played Brattleboro twice. The Colonels have also chafed under the restrictions playing football without running, blocking, and tackling, but Brattleboro swept the two games - winning 28-21 at home on Oct. 14 and 24-20 at Hadley Field on Oct. 17.
The games weren't as close as the final score, as the Colonels had big leads in both contests until the final quarter. The Terriers played their best at the end, but couldn't overcome the early deficits.
Watching the Oct. 14 contest at Natowich Field, it was hard to remember that these two teams played for the Division II state championship last year. The one-dimensional nature of 7-on-7 touch football - the two teams combined for 98 passes for 593 yards - means a lot adjustment for players and fans alike.
Trinley Warren was the star on offense for the Colonels with 104 yards and two touchdown catches in the second quarter. On defense, Henry Thurber, Alex Kendall, and Cobe Mager each intercepted a pass.
Thurber and Devin Speno shared the quarterbacking duties for the Colonels and each threw a pair of touchdowns. Warren got his two from Thurber, while Speno connected with Josh Curtis and Kendall.
Trailing 28-7 in the final quarter, BF tried to rally as quarterback Grady Lockerby threw a 10-yard TD pass to Jeb Monier. After a Jack Burke interception, the Terriers scored again as Lockerby threw a 25-yard strike to Logan Lisai as time ran down.
Three days later at Hadley Field, the two teams followed a similar script. Brattleboro had an 18-7 lead at the half. Speno threw a 50-yard TD pass to Kendall on the Colonels' first series. BF responded with a score as quarterback Jonathan Terry tossed a 16-yard pass to Gavin Joy. Monier kicked the first of his two extra points as BF led 7-6 as the first quarter ended.
Aaron Petrie put the Colonels back in front with 9 minutes left in the second quarter when he intercepted a Lockerby pass and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown. A two-point conversion failed, but Brattleboro had a 12-7 lead. Petrie later caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Thurber with 19.4 seconds left in the first half.
After an interception by lineman Degan Gundry early in the third quarter, Curtis caught a 3-yard TD pass from Speno for the Colonels' final touchdown. However, for the fourth time of the day, the Colonels failed to score a point-after.
Once again, the Terriers trailed heading into the final quarter - this time, by a 24-7 score. And once again, BF tried to come back. Petrie got his third interception of the day against Lockerby to start the fourth, but Terry responded by intercepting Thurber on the next play.
Lockerby then hooked up with Monier for a 25-yard touchdown, and threw another TD to Max Hooke to cut Brattleboro's lead to 24-20 with 3:58 to play. BF never got the ball back as the Colonels survived another fourth quarter letdown.
Football postseason plans announced
• Playoffs for football? Yes, there will be, according to the Vermont Principals' Association. It won't be a statewide tournament. Instead, the teams will play regional tournaments, with the teams within each of the four regions that were set up this season for 7-on-7 football playing each other.
The top two teams in the Hartford Division, No. 1 Brattleboro and No. 2 Hartford, got an automatic ticket to the semifinals. They will host the winners of the quarterfinal round on either Oct. 30 or 31.
The four remaining teams were seeded in a random draw. No. 4 Bellows Falls will host No. 5 Woodstock in a quarterfinal on Oct. 27 at 4:30 p.m., while No. 6 Springfield and No. 3 Windsor will play in the other quarterfinal game.
The winners of the semifinal will play a championship game on Nov. 3 or 4.
Girls' soccer
• Brattleboro had a rough week with a 4-1 loss at Hartford on Oct. 14 and a 5-0 home loss to Burr & Burton on Oct. 15.
The Burr & Burton game was particularly painful as the Colonels had few scoring chances and struggled to stop the Bulldogs attack. Charlotte Connolly scored twice in the first half, with Isabelle Connolly assisting the second goal.
In the second half, Julia Brand scored with an assist from Connolly and Willa Bryant scored with an assist from Alair Powers. The final goal came off a header by Daisy O'Keefe off a corner kick by Alexa Witkin. Brattleboro ended the week at 3-5.
• Green Mountain rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat visiting Leland & Gray, 3-2. Ainsley Henderson and Mary McDonald scored to give the Rebels their 2-0 lead. Riley Paul started the Chieftains' comeback with a goal in the 36th minute, and Kim Cummings completed the job by first setting up the tying goal by Grace Tyrell, and then scoring the game-winner in the 67th minute.
The Rebels dropped a 1-0 decision at Windsor on Oct. 14, then got another crack at Green Mountain in Townshend on Oct. 17. The Chieftains ended up sweeping the season series with a 2-1 win. Paul scored one goal and assisted on another score for GM. The Rebels finished the week at 3-4.
• Bellows Falls got its first win of the season on Oct. 14 with a 2-0 shut out of visiting West River Valley. Jenna Dolloph and Emma Graham were the goalscorers for the Terriers. Corina Mitchell had a shutout in goal for the Terriers. A 5-0 loss to Windsor left the Terriers with a 1-6 record.
• West Rutland's Kiana Grabowski scored the game's only goal as the Golden Horde blanked the visiting Twin Valley Wildcats, 1-0, on Oct. 12. Twin Valley remains winless at 0-7.
Boys' soccer
• Braeden Carleton converted a penalty kick in the third minute of overtime to give the Rutland Raiders a 2-1 win over Brattleboro at Natowich Field on Oct. 14.
Carleton scored just three minutes into the game. Brattleboro's Alex Lier tied it in the 65th minute, and goalkeeper Paul McGillon made some key saves down the stretch to force overtime.
The Colonels then ended Green Mountain's eight-game winning streak with a 2-1 win in Chester on Oct. 17. A penalty kick late in the game was the difference as Brattleboro knocked off the defending Division III state champs.
• Hunter Fillion made five saves in goal as Leland & Gray beat Bellows Falls, 3-0, in Townshend on Oct. 14. Trevor Plimpton scored the Rebels' first goal in the 11th minute, and later set up a goal by Riley Barton. Dylan Landers got an insurance goal midway through the second half for the Rebels.
• Bellows Falls got blanked by Green Mountain, 5-0, in Chester on Oct. 14. GM got two goals each from Everett Mosher and Adam Kubisek. Ben Manukka added a goal.
• Izaak Park moved from sweeper back to the front line, and scored three goals to lead Twin Valley to an 8-0 win over Springfield on Oct. 14 at Hayford Field. Aiden Joyce, Noah Dornburgh, Luke Rizio, Aaron Soskin, and Finn Fisher also scored for the 5-1 Wildcats. Fisher had three assists and Soskin had two assists.
Cross-country
• Another meet, another win for Abby Broadley. The fleet-footed Bellows Falls junior scorched her home course in 19 minutes, 6 seconds on Oct. 14 to finish first. It was her fourth win in four meets this season.
The rest of the Terrier Harriers turned in good performances as Steph Ager (third in 20:14), Victoria Bassette (fourth in 20:20), and Abby Dearborn (15th in 24:57) finished in the top 15. Lilly Ware (16th in 25:10), Molly Hodsden (18th in 25:33), and Shelby Stoodley (28th in 30:09) rounded out the BF finishers.
Hazel Wagner (ninth in 23:53) and Caitlyn Robinson (10th in 24:00) led Brattleboro. Cearra O'Hern was 20th, Priya Kitzmiller finished 25th, Addison DeVault took 30th, and Tess Bogart was 31st. Running for Leland & Gray were Emma O'Brien (17th), Emma Stover (26th), and Abbie Hazelton (29th).
The boys' race saw Brattleboro's Tenzin Mathes (third in 18:36) and Nolan Holmes (fourth in 19:02) finish in the top. Teammates Ben Luna (eighth), Sam Freitas-Eagan (11th) and Ben Berkson-Harvey (12th) completed the Colonels' top five. Logan Comstock (32nd) and Jared Atkins (37th) were the Terriers' lone male runners.
Field hockey
• Bellows Falls remained undefeated with a pair of road wins. On Oct. 13, they beat Rutland, 5-2. Maya Waryas scored three goals for the Terriers, and Sadie Scott and Ashlin Maxfield also scored.
The Terriers traveled to Keene, N.H., on Oct. 15 and beat the Blackbirds, 3-1. Keene got the first goal of the game, and BF followed with three scores in the fourth quarter to clinch their eighth win. Waryas got two goals and Maxfield also scored. Grace Wilkinson, Scott, and Jules McDermid were credited with assists.
Bellows Falls finished the regular season at 8-0 and clinched the top seed in the Division I playoffs. They have outscored its opposition, 37-7, in those eight wins.
• Brattleboro continues to struggle, with three losses last week. On Oct. 12, the Colonels were shut out by Woodstock, 2-0. Lilia McCullough and Lily Gubbins were the goal scorers as Brattleboro goalie Brittney Wright kept her team in the game with six saves.
Against visiting Windsor on Oct. 14, the Colonels were again shut out, this time by a 4-0 score. Brittney Wright made 13 saves for the hosts. The Colonels finished the week with a 2-0 loss to Keene on Oct. 17 for a 2-6 record.
Rec. Dept. reopens Gibson-Aiken Center for programs
• Beginning on Oct. 26, the Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department's Gibson-Aiken Center, 207 Main St., will be open for after school and evening programs.
Upon entering the building, all patrons will be asked a series of COVID-related health questions along with having their temperature checked. Several Rec programs will get started next week in the Gibson-Aiken Center Gym. They include:
• Adult volleyball on Thursdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m., beginning Oct. 29. Folks of all abilities ages 18 and up are welcome for pick-up games. This is a freelance program with no instructors or officials.
• Co-ed adult pickleball on Tuesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m., beginning Oct. 27. Participants of all abilities ages 18 and up are welcome. This is a freelance program with no instructor or officials. They will have some indoor balls and paddles available.
• Co-ed adult badminton on Thursdays from 5:30 to 7 p.m., beginning Oct. 29. This program is designed for ages 18 and older of all abilities. It is a freelance program with no instructor. Pick-up games will be played. All levels and abilities are welcome. Participants should and bring their own racquet if possible. Several racquets are available for use if needed.
• Table tennis hosted by Brattleboro Area Table Tennis Club (BATTC) on Tuesdays, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., on the third floor of the Gibson-Aiken Center beginning Oct. 27.
The BATTC is open for ping pong players of all skill levels and ages, with the first hour of the evening for warmups and practice and the second hour for competitive games between players of equal skill levels. They also hold an intraclub tournament at the end of the year. If you have questions, contact Sandy Shriver at 802-257-7244, ext. 114, or [email protected].
The cost per night for all these programs is $3 for Brattleboro residents and $5 for non-residents, or pick up a 10-session punch card available for residents at $30 and non-residents at $50. Registration will take place the first night, but others are welcome to join at any time if space is available, and make sure you bring appropriate footwear.
If there are special needs required for these programs, let the Rec. Dept. know at least five days in advance. For information on all programs and events, visit their website at www.brattleboro.org or call 802-254-5808.
Senior bowling roundup
• Team 4 (27.5-7.5) went 5-0 to remain in first place after Week 7 of the Brattleboro Senior Bowling League at Brattleboro Bowl. Team 6 (23-12) is still in second place, followed by Team 1 (17-18), Team 3 (15.5-19.5), Team 5 (13-22), and Team 2 (10-25).
Debbie Kolpa had the women's high handicap game (243) and series (660), Wayne Randall had the men's high handicap game (262) and series (675), and Team 6 had the high team handicap game (900) and series (2,493).
In scratch scoring, Robert Rigby had games of 216 and 206, as part of his 610 series to once again lead the men. Warren Corriveau Sr. had a 204 game as part of his 538 series. Randall had a 217 game as part of his 528 series. Duane Schillemat had a 192 game and Cross rolled a 191.
Josie Rigby had the high scratch series of 481 to lead the women. Kolpa had the high scratch game with a 171.