The 2021-22 Vermont winter high school sports season gets going on Friday, Dec. 10, and the local teams will be busy for the next couple of weeks before the holiday break.
As was the case last season, COVID-19 protocols will be in effect. According to guidance from the Vermont Agency of Education (AOE), all coaches and athletes playing indoor sports such as basketball and hockey should wear face masks, regardless of vaccination status. Participants in outdoor sports, such as alpine and nordic skiing, won't need to be masked.
As for spectators, as of now, they will be allowed to attend games, but AOE recommends they remain masked. In Brattleboro, it will be a requirement, due to the local mask policy enacted on Nov. 23.
So, it won't be a fully “normal” season, but it will be a lot closer to normal than the 2020-21 winter season. Barring any worsening of the COVID-19 situation, this season (fingers crossed) will start on time and will be played in full.
• In girls' basketball, Brattleboro opens the season on Dec. 10 in the Leland & Gray tournament in Townshend. The Colonels will face Burr & Burton that night at 5:30 p.m., while Leland & Gray hosts Arlington at 7 p.m. The winners will play for the tourney championship the following day.
Bellows Falls opens their season at Springfield on Dec. 13 and Windsor on Dec. 17 before the Terrier girls play their first home game on Dec. 20 against Twin Valley.
• Brattleboro opens their boys' basketball season on the road on Dec. 14 with a 6:30 p.m. game against St. Johnsbury. They'll host South Burlington at the BUHS gym on Dec. 18 in a Saturday matinee at 2:30 p.m. Leland & Gray gets started on Dec. 11, when they host Long Trail School at 1 p.m.
Bellows Falls and Twin Valley open their seasons on Dec. 14 at the Green Mountain Holiday Tournament in Chester. As part of a quadruple-header that day at Nason Gymnasium, Mount St. Joseph plays the Twin Valley girls at 3 p.m., MSJ takes on the Twin Valley boys at 4:30 p.m., Green Mountain plays the Long Trail girls at 6 p.m., and Green Mountain faces the Bellows Falls boys at 7:30 p.m. The tourney's championship and consolation games are set for Dec. 16.
• Ice hockey starts on Feb. 11 as the Brattleboro girls host the Harwood/Northfield co-op team at 4:45 p.m. at Withington Rink, while the Brattleboro boys begin their defense of their Division II championship in a game against the Rutland Ravens at Castleton University's Spartan Arena.
The two Colonels teams will then play a doubleheader at Withington Rink on Dec. 15, with the girls playing Burr & Burton at 4:45 p.m., and the boys taking on Rutland at 7:15 p.m.
• The Brattleboro bowling team opens its season on Dec. 11 with the Kickoff Classic at Rutland Bowlerama, starting at 9 a.m. The Colonel Keglers will face bowlers from Hartford, Windsor, White River Valley, South Burlington, Fair Haven, Essex, Ensoburg Falls, and Burlington. Brattleboro's first home match is Dec. 18 at Brattleboro Bowl against Hartford and Windsor.
• Weather-permitting, the Brattleboro nordic ski team will start its season on Dec. 14, at 3 p.m., with a meet against Mount Anthony and Burr & Burton at Prospect Mountain in Woodford. These three teams are scheduled to meet up again on Dec. 22, at 3 p.m., at the Brattleboro Outing Club's trails at Brattleboro Country Club.
Terriers dominate Division II All-State football team
• Six Bellows Falls players, and the coach that led them to a state championship this year, topped the selections for the Vermont Division II All-State football team.
Bob Lockerby, who guided the Terriers to an undefeated 11-0 season, was named the Division II Coach of the Year, while running back/linebacker Jed Lober, running back/kick returner/kicker Jeb Monier, linebacker/running back Harrison Gleim, defensive back/quarterback Jonathan Terry, offensive lineman Patrick Barbour, and fullback Caden Haskell all earned First Team honors.
Brattleboro wide receiver/defensive back Aaron Petrie and offensive/defensive lineman Tyler McNary were also selected to the First Team.
Bellows Falls players receiving honorable mention included offensive/defensive linemen Dillan Perry and Jake Moore, and offensive lineman Peter Kamel.
Also receiving honorable mention on the Brattleboro squad were defensive lineman Patrick Barbour, linebackers Josh Curtis and Charlie Clark, tight end/defensive lineman Willem Thurber, running back Cam Frost, wide receiver/defensive back Tristan Evans, and quarterback Devin Speno.
Rec. Dept. offers ice skating lessons, holiday vacation activities
• The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department will host a learn-to-skate program for those between 5- and 16-years-old at the Nelson Withington Skating Facility at Living Memorial Park.
The five-week program will begin on Saturday, Jan. 15, and run until Saturday, Feb. 12. Beginner lessons will be offered 2 to 2:30 p.m. and intermediate lessons will be offered from 2:45 to 3:15 p.m. The fee for this program is $35 for Brattleboro residents and $50 for non-Brattleboro residents.
Brattleboro Union High School student Ava Whitney will be the instructor for this program. Face masks are required to be worn by all participants, and they will only accept four kids per class. Skates will be provided for free if you do not have your own.
• The Recreation & Parks Department has several different activities planned for families for the upcoming holiday school vacation.
• A basketball clinic will be offered on Monday, Dec. 27, at the Gibson-Aiken Center for children in grades K-6. Masks and pre-registration are required.
The cost for this one-day clinic is $5 per participant. The clinic is coed, and all abilities are welcome. Children in grades K -2 will meet from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m., and children in grades 3-6 will meet from noon to 1:30 p.m.
This is an opportunity to improve your basketball skills and have fun. Chris Worden and the Brattleboro varsity girls' basketball team will lead the clinic. A minimum of 8 participants is required to run each age group, with a maximum per age group of 24 kids. A free Open Gym and Game Room follows the clinics from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
• Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing will be available (weather permitting) at the Brattleboro Outing Club's trails at the Brattleboro Country Club from Dec. 27-29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is a suggested donation of $10 for singles and $20 for households.
The rental shop will be closed, so bring your own skis or snowshoes. If you don't have snowshoes, you can borrow a pair from Brooks Memorial Library. To learn more about the 33-kilometer BOC trail system, visit brattleborooutingclub.org/cross-country-skiing.
• A family bowling day will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Brattleboro Bowl on Putney Road. Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult. The cost per person is $9, and includes shoe rental, two games of bowling, and a hot dog and drink. Call Brattleboro Bowl at 802-257-1177 for more information.
• For all Rec. Dept. programs, events, and facility information, visit www.brattleboro.org or call 802-254-5808.
Senior bowling roundup
• Week 14 of the fall/winter season of the Brattleboro Senior Bowling League at Brattleboro Bowl on Dec. 2 saw a new team take over first place as Alley Katz (45-25) had a 4-1 week while Stayin' Alive (43-27) went 2-3. Pin Falls (39.5-30.5) went 4-1 to move into third place, followed by Pin Setters (37-33), Team Four (34-36), Rolling Stones (28.5-41.5), Trash-O-Matic (28-42), and Old Farts (25-45).
Pat Bentrup had the women's high handicap game (253) and series (682), while Doug Switzer had the men's high handicap game (264) and series (703). Pin Falls had the high team handicap game (860), while Trash-o-Matic had the high team handicap series (2,405).
In scratch scoring, Robert Rigby again led the men with a 658 series, with games of 254, 204, and 200. Chuck Adams had a 608 series that featured games of 215, 212, and 181. Marty Adams had a 575 series with games of 204, 198, and 183, while Warren Corriveau Sr. had a 544 series with games of 193 and 184. Switzer had a 199 game, while Fred Bump rolled a 188.
Bentrup had the high scratch game (181) and series (466) to lead the women. Bentrup also had a 160 game, while Debbie Kolpa rolled a 168.