When high school teams find themselves with a large number of freshmen and sophomores on the roster, the usual progression is a rocky first year, an improved second year, and a successful third year.
That was about the trajectory that the Bellows Falls girls' soccer team followed: a horrible 1-12-1 in 2010, a surprise playoff run to the Division III semifinals in 2011, and another trip to the playoffs in 2012.
Now the core of that team of the previous three seasons has graduated, and coach John Broadley is faced with yet another rebuilding year in 2013.
The Bellows Falls boys' soccer team went through their horrible season last year, with a 1-12-1 record. Nearly all the members of that team are back, but they're a year older and more experienced. Coach Robert Brooks thinks the Terrier boys are improving and on their way to the next step: a playoff run of its own this year.
Both teams were in action on Saturday in Westminster, and one could clearly see the paths they were on. The BF girls faced the Arlington Eagles and were beaten, 6-0. The BF boys took on the Fair Haven Slaters and battled them to a 0-0 tie after two overtimes.
Having gone through a 9-0 loss to Twin Valley earlier in the week, Broadley had hope that the Terrier girls would do better against the Eagles. And there was still a chance at halftime, when BF trailed, 2-0.
“We talked about it at halftime,” Broadley said. “We knew who was going to get the ball (Arlington forwards Molly Elwell and Brooke Hawley), but we were giving them too much space in our end, and then chasing after them and fouling once they got the ball.”
Elwell finished with three goals, Hawley scored two, and Julia LaCoste added another score for Arlington. BF had a fair share of scoring chances from forward Chelsea Wilder and midfielder Emily Perry, but neither broke through.
“Twin Valley wasn't nine goals better than us, and Arlington wasn't six goals better than us,” said Broadley, whose team fell to 1-3. “We have a young team and we still have a lot to learn.”
As for the BF boys, they played with confidence and came close to stealing a win in their first game this season against a Division II team. Goalkeeper Avery Bradley, new in goal for the Terriers this season, made a couple of big saves for his third straight shutout in goal. Attackers Liam Shaw and Chris Doucet had some good chances in overtime, and the BF defense was patient and unperturbed.
“Watching these guys, you'd never know these were the same guys that were 1-12-1 last year,” said Brooks. “But they are the same guys; they just made the commitment after last season to get better.
Earlier in the week, the Terrier boys defeated West Rutland, 2-0. Shaw scored in the 30th minute when he knocked in the rebound of a penalty shot he took. BF's insurance goal came in the second half with Timmy Guyon heading in a crossing pass from Doucet.
The BF boys finished last week at 2-1-1, but have a tough stretch ahead this week, with four games in six days.
Football
• Bellows Falls thought it had a chance against Rice when the Green Knights lost starting quarterback Tommy Fitzgerald to a season-ending injury last week. But Rice's defense stepped up and shut down the Terriers in a 20-0 loss on Saturday in Burlington.
Sophomore quarterback Joey Hester took over for Fitzgerald, but his job was made easier as the Rice defense yielded only 32 yards in total offense in the first half and 136 in the game.
Anthony Phillip scored Rice's first touchdown near the end of the opening quarter. Two BF fumbles in the first half didn't help matters for the Terriers. But the game stayed close until Rice scored twice in the final quarter. Chris Jansen had a 25-yard touchdown run, then threw a 37-yard option pass to a wide-open James Key for a 20-0 lead.
Jansen gained 110 yards on 18 carries with Phillip adding 65 on nine carries for the 2-1 Green Knights, who had 227 yards in total offense. O'Rourke ran for 49 yards on 13 carries, while Carson Fullam ran for 44 yards on 14 carries for the 1-2 Terriers.
• After a close win over BF and a close loss to Burlington to open the season, Brattleboro ended up with an absolute, no-doubt-about-it, 42-6 loss to undefeated South Burlington on Saturday night at Natowich Field.
The Rebels forced five turnovers, four of them in the first half, as South Burlington raced to a 35-0 lead. Colonels quarterback Kyle Patno threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Max Bostwick just before halftime for Brattleboro's only visit to the end zone.
Rebels tailback Tanner Contois finished with 210 yards of total offense and scored four touchdowns, while quarterback Hunter Riehle was 13 of 24 for 172 yards and three touchdown passes.
Patno was 4 for 11 for 98 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Split end Tanner Freeman caught two of Patno's four passes for 51 yards. The Colonels' running game was stopped cold, averaging less than two yards per carry with four fumbles.
Now 1-2 overall, 1-1 in Division I, the Colonels travel to Hartford this Friday night at 7.
Girls' soccer
• Brattleboro started the week with a 1-0 loss to Mount Anthony at Tenney Field on Sept. 10. Kate Goodell scored the winning goal with 5:26 remaining in the game.
• Leland & Gray bounced back from a painful home loss to Black River on Sept. 4 with a tidy 2-0 win at Arlington on Sept. 9. Emily Thibault scored an unassisted goal, and Ashley Bates scored off a pass from Rachel Borgeson for the Rebels' two goals. Elizabeth Gallup made 10 saves in goal to earn the shutout.
The Rebels followed that up with a 4-2 win over Green Mountain on Sept. 11 Giannina Gaspero-Beckstrom scored two goals and Bates and Brittney Bills got the other two scores.
Boys' soccer
• Brattleboro lost to Burr & Burton on penalty kicks, 5-4, then defeated Arlington, 2-0, in the annual John James Tournament in Bennington over the weekend.
Against Burr & Burton, Leon Ogden and Robyn Avery each scored for the Colonels in that opener, with Avery's goal tying the match at 2-2 in the 75th minute. The teams would play two scoreless 10-minute overtimes before going to penalty kicks, where Burr and Burton prevailed.
In the consolation game against Arlington, John Curtis and Jack Maples each scored. Burr & Burton beat the hosts, Mount Anthony, 3-2, in the championship game.
• Twin Valley blanked Otter Valley, 6-0, on Sept. 10 at Baker Field. Morrow Bernard and Dal Nesbitt each scored two goals. Nick Nilsen and Troy Felisko also scored, and Cade Nesbitt tallied three assists. Sam Molner and Kyle Murdock combined for four saves in goal for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats then picked up their third straight shutout with a 9-0 rout of Windsor on Sept. 11. Eli Park, Skylar Boyd, and Felisko all scored two goals each. Cade Nesbitt got his first varsity goal, and Dal Nesbitt had five assists. Molner and Murdock again shared the goalkeeping duties.
Field hockey
• Bellows Falls is off to a 4-0 start to the season. On Thursday in St. Johnsbury, the Terriers shut out the Hilltoppers, 3-0.
On Saturday morning in Westminster, BF crushed Woodstock, 6-0. The Terriers took a 3-0 lead at the half on goals by Cassidy Santorelli, Sarah Wells, and Mariah Barnett. Wells, Barnett and Anna Clark all found the back of the net in the second half.
BF goalie Shea Wilkinson, who faced many tough shots in the St. Johnsbury game, needed just one save to earn the shutout against Woodstock.
Cross-country
• The Bellows Falls boys took third at a multi-team meet on their home course on Sept. 10. Woodstock won the meet and Springfield was second. Trailing BF were Thetford, Hartford, and Green Mountain.
Willie Moore finished first in 17 minutes and 5 seconds to lead the Terriers. Other Terrier finishers include Tim Jones (18:28), Cameron Joy (21:24), Jackson Purdy (21:36), Dan Kane (21:58), Matt Chapin (22:00), Jacob Metcalfe (23:55), Mike Houle (24:38), and William Scarlett (25:20).
Woodstock also won the girls' event. Bellows Falls' Lucy Lawlor finished with a time of 25:31; Tess Kinney ran a 28:01.
• The Brattleboro girls were second behind Mount Anthony in a multi-team meet in Bennington on Sept. 10. Becca Freeman placed seventh in 25:06 to lead the Colonels. Eve Pomazi was 16th in 27:49, Catey Yost was 18th in 29:41, and Taylor Maynard (29:42) came in 19th.
MAU won the boys' event, with Brattleboro finishing third behind Burr & Burton. Ryan Gilligan led the Colonels with an eighth-place finish in 20:56. Oliver Pomazi (22:42) was 15th followed by Tyler Clement (16th in 23:06), Dan Burdo (17th in 23:38), Jon Burdo (18th in 23:44), and Eduardo Rodriguez (19th in 24:04).
Martial arts tourney in BF
• The 23rd Vermont State National Karate Tournament, hosted by Rouleau-Holley's Martial Arts of Brattleboro, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 21, at Bellows Falls Union High School.
Martial arts practitioners from all over the New England will compete in weapons, forms, and sparring. The demo team competition opens the event at 8:30 a.m., giving way to a tribute to Kyle Charles Gilbert, a former student of the Rouleau-Holley school, who received his black belt at age 11. He enlisted in the Army in 2001 and was killed in action in Iraq in August 2003.
This tournament is open to all styles of martial arts. Admission is $8. For more information, contact Rouleau-Holley at drouleau1@comcast.net or 802-257-0720.
Fit & Fun race in Newfane
• The fifth annual 5K Fit & Fun Race, sponsored by the NewBrook Elementary PTO, is Saturday, Sept. 28, at 10 a.m., in Newfane.
This officially timed, family-friendly 5K event, for every level and caliber of runners and walkers, is the PTO's major fundraiser for important school enrichment programs at NewBrook Elementary.
Children will get a free water bottle and a medal; adults will get ceramic mugs, complimentary post-race massages, and healthy refreshments. There will be free ice cream at the finish, and prizes will be awarded to the top finisher in each adult category (17-39, 40-55, and 56-and-over), as well as the top finisher in each child category (under 7, 8-12, and 13-16). Registered runners will be included in a raffle for additional prizes.
Take advantage of a discount for pre-registration by visiting www.newbrookschool.org and clicking on the race registration link.
The fee for children 16 and under is $5; 17 and older is $15; family registration is $20. Racers also can register on race day between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. and pay $5, $20, and $25, respectively).
Kickball tourney benefits Youth Services
• Youth Services will hold its second annual Kickin' It Home Kickball tournament on Saturday, Sept. 28, at West River Park on Route 30.
Kickball is played by teams of 10 or more around a baseball diamond, and is not to be confused with dodge ball.
All proceeds will help fund Youth Services' programs for runaway and homeless teens.
Each team can be composed of 10 or more players, and can be coed or not. Groups of friends or work colleagues are encouraged to organize a team and sign up by email, in person, or by phone.
Registration is a minimum donation of $200 per team, and early registration is appreciated.
Prizes are given to top fundraisers, the tournament champs, and winners in many other categories (such as best team uniform). Tickets for a 50/50 raffle will also be sold.
To register, write kickinithome@gmail.com or call 802-380-5598. The event is rain or shine, and food and snacks will be available for sale all day.