-There is little joy in completing a winless football season. The pain is worse when the final game is against a rival that you long to defeat in front of your home fans.
The Brattleboro Bears and Mount Anthony Patriots have played for the Elwell Trophy for decades. It's usually the last regular game and a victory in the game means bragging rights for the next 12 months.
That's why the Bears' 41-21 loss to the Patriots at Natowich Field on Oct. 17 hurt so much, especially for the seniors. The emotions of playing their last-ever high school game were compounded by watching their rivals hoist the trophy in triumph.
This game was a microcosm of the Bears' 2024 season - flashes of brilliance amid penalties, turnovers, and miscues that put victory out of reach.
MAU took control from the start, scoring on its first two drives to take a 13-0 lead at the end of the first quarter on a 29-yard run by Asa Reis and a 3-yard run by Ellis LaPorte. In the second quarter, quarterback Jonathan Crossman then scored on a 5-yard run to push the lead to 20-0 with 6:23 left in the quarter.
Brattleboro got its first touchdown on a 66-yard pass play from quarterback Sean Cozza to wide receiver Jack Cady. Silas Golding's extra point kick cut the lead to 20-7 with 4:13 remaining. The Patriots came right back to score on a 1-yard run by Tatum Stratton that was set up by a 50-yard run by Reis for a 27-7 lead with 2:22 left in the half. Brattleboro was driving for a score at the end of the half, but that was stopped with an interception by MAU defensive back Carter Tiff. It was the second turnover of the half by the Bears.
The third quarter began the way the second quarter ended, with the Bears driving downfield and seeing their drive end with an interception, this time by Stratton at the goal line. The Brattleboro defense held firm but, once again, MAU picked off a Cozza pass. Colin Brady's interception set up another touchdown run by Crossman for a 34-7 lead with 4:39 left in the third. Brattleboro got its second touchdown with 2:11 to play in the third on a 25-yard catch by Alex Papadimitriou. Golding's extra point made it 34-14, but the Bears would get no closer. The Patriots got a 43-yard touchdown when they faked a punt and Stratton threw to Brady for the score on the opening play of the fourth quarter for a 41-14 lead.
Bears running back Zach Corbeil scored on a 5-yard run with 7:28 to play that was set up by a long pass reception by Papadimitriou. These seniors - along with Cady, Dillon Jenks, Zach DiZoglio, Evan Velez, Seth Corbeil, Justin Packard, and Kaden Colberg - could do nothing more to stop their rivals from taking back the Elwell Trophy.
Brattleboro head coach Chad Pacheco had praise for the hard work that his players put in this season, but also said that the two weeks of preseason practice is not enough for players who are looking to excel. "The off-season is important," he said. "If you don't put in the time and the energy then, it shows when the season starts."
For the returning players, the pain of an 0-8 season in 2024 will be motivation for 2025. The Bears did have some talented underclassmen on this year's roster. The challenge for them is to try to improve their skills and discipline so they keep up with all the other teams in Division I who are not standing still.
Terriers earn No. 2 seed in D-II football playoffs
• With the No. 2 in the Division II playoffs already clinched, the Bellows Falls Terriers had only two things to accomplish in their non-league regular season finale against Sanborn, New Hampshire - give the reserves lots of playing time and make sure none of the starters get hurt. BF accomplished both goals in a 60-28 rout at Hadley Field on Oct. 18.
The Terriers had a 35-8 lead by halftime. Josh Streeter opened the scoring with a 12-yard touchdown run on BF's first possession with 8:03 left in the first quarter, but Sanborn took an 8-7 lead about a minute later after quarterback Brandon Sarette threw a 47-yard TD pass to Breyden Sanchez, who also caught the two-point conversion pass.
It was all BF after that. Carson Clark finished an eight-play scoring drive with a 6-yard touchdown run on the Terriers next possession to take back the lead. Quarterback Josh Allbee ran for 22 yards for for another Terrier TD to start the second quarter. Clark followed with another touchdown run, this time for 10 yards, and Streeter capped off the first half scoring with a short pass from Allbee that he turned into a 43-yard rumble into the end zone. Kicker Tristan Boylan was 5-for-5 on his extra points in the first half.
BF started the third quarter with Patrick Connors and Streeter taking turns running the ball. Connors scored on a 5-yard run for a 42-8 lead. Sanchez then had a 11-yard TD run against the Terriers' second-string defense, but Connors scored on an 11-yard run to make it 48-15. Sanchez then returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown to trim BF's lead to 48-22 with 1:55 to play in the third, but the Terriers still brought in the second-string offense to finish out the game. Stephen James and Bryer Bennett each scored a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter, while Sanborn got its last score on a 47-yard run by Aiden Chapman.
Bellows Falls now hosts seventh-seeded North Country in a Division II quarterfinal at Hadley Field on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m.
Girls' soccer
• Brattleboro ended the regular season with wins against Hartford (3-2 on Oct. 15), Woodstock (3-0 on Oct. 17), and Rutland (2-0 on Oct. 19) to earn the No. 4 seed in the Division I playoffs.
The Bears got a bye into the second round of the playoffs, and will host the winner of the Oct. 23 first round game between No. 5 Mt. Mansfield and No. 12 BFA-St. Albans this Saturday at 2 p.m. at Natowich Field.
• Leland & Gray finished the regular season with a split in the final two games - a 2-0 win over Bellows Falls on Oct. 15 and a 2-1 loss to Windsor on Oct. 17 to end up with a 8-4-2 record and the No. 4 seed in the Division IV playoffs. The Rebels will host No. 13 Sharon Academy in a first-round game on Oct. 23 at 3 p.m. in Townshend.
• After getting kicked around for the past few seasons, the Twin Valley Wildcats have turned into the surprise team in Division IV. With a 2-1 win at Poultney on Oct. 14 and a 2-0 win over Mill River at Hayford Field on Oct. 16, Twin Valley finished with a 6-7-1 record and the No. 9 seed in the tournament. They will head north to face No. 8 Winooski in a first-round game on Oct. 23. Credit for the turnaround goes to coach Taryn Lawrence and the five seniors who stuck with the program through the lean times - goalkeeper Alanna Bevilacqua and teammates Bianca Place, Ella Martinez, Leann Crafts, and Taylor Smart. This is Twin Valley's most competitive team in years, as four of their seven losses were by a single goal, and the only game they lost by more than two goals was a 3-0 defeat against Arlington.
• With shutout losses last week to Leland & Gray and Green Mountain, Bellows Falls finished the regular season with a 3-11 record and the No. 16 seed in Division III. They were scheduled to host 17th-seeded Randolph in a play-in game on Oct. 21. The winner faces top-seeded BFA-Fairfax in a first-round game on Oct. 23.
Boys' soccer
• Twin Valley finished the regular season at 11-3 and are seeded second in the Division IV tournament. The Wildcats split their last two games with a win against Springfield (2-1 on Oct. 15) and a loss to Randolph (3-2 on Oct. 18). The Wildcats got a bye into the second round, and will host the winner of the Oct. 22 first-round game between No. 7 Long Trail and No. 10 Grace Christian on Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. at Hayford Field in Wilmington.
• With wins against Rutland (3-1 on Oct. 16) and Mount Anthony (6-1 on Oct. 18), Brattleboro finished the regular season at 8-6 and picked up the No. 7 seed in Division I. The Bears will host No. 10 Colchester in a first-round game on Oct. 22 at Natowich Field.
• Leland & Gray split their last two games with a win over Bellows Falls (4-0 on Oct. 16) and a loss to West River Valley (3-0 on Oct. 18). They are the No. 12 seed in Division IV and head way up north on Oct. 22 to take on No. 5 Richford in a first-round game.
• Bellows Falls finished the regular season with a 0-14 record after losses to Leland & Gray and Green Mountain (9-3 on Oct. 18). The Terriers are the No. 17 seed in Division III and were scheduled to head north to face No. 16 BFA-Fairfax in a first-round game on Oct. 21.
Field hockey
• Bellows Falls ended an unbeaten regular season with a 5-0 win over Brattleboro on Oct. 15 and a 3-1 over Windsor on Oct. 19. The 13-0-1 Terriers earned the No. 2 seed in the Division I tournament and a first-round bye. They will host No. 7 Mount Mansfield in a second-round game on Oct. 26 in Westminster.
• With the loss to Bellows Falls and a 2-0 loss to Woodstock on Oct. 19, Brattleboro finished the regular season at 3-10-1. The Bears are the No. 9 seed in the Division II tournament, and head north to take on No. 8 Mt. Abraham in a first-round game on Oct. 22.
Cross-country
• Desi Broadley of Bellows Falls and Nico Conathan-Leach of Brattleboro were the girls' and boys' individual winners at the Southern Vermont League Championship meet on Oct. 18 on the Bellows Falls Union High School course in Westminster. Burr & Burton swept the SVL team titles. The Brattleboro and Bellows Falls runners will next compete at the state championship meet on Oct. 26 at Thetford Academy.
Winston Prouty hosts Foliage 5K Trail Run
• The Winston Prouty Center for Child and Family Development invites the community to its first annual Foliage 5K Trail Run and Little Leaf Dash on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will be held on the Winston Prouty Campus on Austine Drive in Brattleboro. Festivities include a hilltop bonfire, s'mores, and fall-themed children's activities. Before and after the race, Smokin' Bowls' food truck will offer breakfast treats and lunch for sale.
Individual registration for the 5K trail run is $25 and registration for the half-mile Little Leaf Dash is $25 for the whole family. Prizes will be awarded for best costume, youngest runner, oldest runner, top two overall, and top one in the following age categories: under 20, 21-40, 41-60 and 60 plus. Proceeds from the event will help advance the Prouty Center's mission to provide inclusive education and family support to promote the success of children and families in Southeastern Vermont. For more information and to register, visit winstonprouty.org/foliage5k.
Ski, skate, snowboard, and hockey equipment sale set for Nov. 2
• The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department and the Brattleboro Outing Club (BOC) will host the annual Phil & Mary Dunham Ski, Skate, Snowboard & Hockey Equipment Sale on Saturday, Nov. 2, from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Gibson-Aiken Center, 207 Main Street.
The event is for anyone interested in selling or buying snowboards, skis, ski boots, poles, bindings (both downhill and Nordic), skates, miscellaneous winter items, winter clothing, and hockey equipment. Only 20 items per person will be accepted. All sales are final and people buy at their own risk.
Those who wish to enter items in the sale must bring them to the Gibson-Aiken Center on Friday, Nov. 1, between noon and 7 p.m. The actual sale will take place on Nov. 2, from 8 to 11 a.m. Money and items can be picked up on Monday, Nov. 4, from noon to 6 p.m. The Rec. Dept. and the BOC retain 40 percent of the sale proceeds for special programming. For more information, call the Rec. Dept. at 802-254-5808.
Senior bowling roundup
• Week 7 of the fall/winter season of the Brattleboro Senior Bowling League at Brattleboro Bowl on Oct. 17 saw Number 3, Candi Men, Spare Change and Slo Movers in a four-way tie for first place at 24-11, followed by Lucky Strikes (18-17), Jerry's Team (15-20), Pin Heads (13-22), Rick's Picks and Wunderkind (both 11.5-23.5), and Aging Teens (10-25).
Mary Paluski had the women's high handicap game (246) and series (666), while Gary Montgomery had the men's high handicap game (249) and Peter Deyo had the high handicap series (668). Number 3 had the high team handicap game (907) and Pinheads had the high handicap series (2,544).
Deyo had the men's high scratch series (605) with games of 247, 189, and 189, while Warren Corriveau Sr. had a 596 series with games of 213, 192, and 191, and Chuck Adams had a 586 series with a 246 game. Montgomery had a 563 series with games of 216 and 188, Robert Rigby had a 560 series with games of 199 and 191, and John Walker had a 541 series with games of 192 and 191. Jon Laamanen had a 180 game.
Nancy Dalzell had the women's high scratch series (510), with games of 179, 168, and 163, while Carol Gloski had the high scratch game (183). Candida Wall rolled a 170.
Randolph T. Holhut, deputy editor of this newspaper, has written this column since 2010 and has covered sports in Windham County since the 1980s. Readers can send him sports information at [email protected].
This Sports column by Randolph T. Holhut was written for The Commons.