Both of Leland & Gray's soccer teams are hoping for a deep run in their respective Division III playoffs, and both teams appear capable of doing so.
The Rebel boys kept rolling with a 5-0 win over Springfield on Oct. 8. The winless Cosmos tried to slow down the Rebels by clogging the middle of the field with defenders, but Leland & Gray then scored four goals in the final 20 minutes of the first half.
Ryan Borgeson, Sergi Brower, Owen White, and Corso Donati got the four Rebel goals. Bryce Karg added another goal in the second half.
Last Friday, the Rebels beat up on Mill River, 6-2, in Townshend. Karg, McDonald, Corey Nystrom, Evan Reilly, and Jermey Bovat were the goalscorers as Leland & Gray ended the week at 11-2 and in control of the top spot in the Division III boys' rankings.
The Rebel girls are not far from the top, as they are currently tied for fourth in the Division III rankings at 9-3.
Leland & Gray did suffer a bit of a setback when Caitlin Hunt scored the game's only goal in the 55th minute as Twin Valley upset the Rebels, 1-0, in Townshend on Oct. 8.
Twin Valley goalkeeper Brianna Rafus made 17 saves to earn the victory over the Rebels. The win lifted the Wildcats' record to 3-7-1.
Football
• Bellows Falls solidified its playoff hopes with a 58-32 win at Fair Haven last Friday night.
The Terriers put up some impressive numbers in this game. Carson Fullam ran for 207 yards and four touchdowns. He combined with quarterback Ethan Illingworth and running backs Jahyde Bullard, Austin Stack, Chris McKeen, and Jake Lober to gash the Slaters defense for 401 yards on the ground.
Illingworth was also impressive with the passing game. He completed all six of his passes for 136 yards and four touchdowns - 49 yards to Brian McAnuff, two TDs for 17 and 12 yards to Fullam, and 14 yards to McKeen.
In all, the Terriers piled up 25 first downs, 537 yards from scrimmage, and scored on eight of their 11 possessions - and that figure includes two late-in-the-game possessions when BF was just trying to run out the clock.
Those numbers were courtesy of the extremely talented and physical offensive line of Brendan Kelly, Devin Hogan, Kyle Record, Brady Illingworth and D.J. Snide. Their work has helped the BF running game flourish, and they are getting better with every week.
Now 5-2, the Terriers have locked down the fourth and final playoff spot in Division II. They'll host Springfield this Saturday at 7 p.m. for the annual game for “The Trophy.”
• Colchester scored early and often in a 47-14 rout of Brattleboro last Friday night at Natowich Field.
Claude Mpongui rushed for 76 yards and two touchdowns as Colchester took a 40-0 lead at the half. Travis Boutin and Dakota Navari each scored a pair of touchdowns, and Jack Young had two interceptions.
Brattleboro's Tony Martinez and Tanner Freeman each scored on 1-yard runs in the second half. The 1-6 Colonels travel to Bennington this Friday for a 7 p.m. game against Mount Anthony.
Boys' soccer
• Twin Valley was held scoreless by Windsor for the first 34 minutes of their game on Oct. 7, but then exploded for five goals after that in a 5-0 victory. Tony Felisko and Justin Hicks scored in the first half, while Hicks, Morrow Bernard, and Nick Nilsen scored in the second half. Sam Molner made three saves in goal for the win as the Wildcats stayed unbeaten at 11-0.
• Leon Ogden, Brennen Zolnoski, and Ian Fulton-Black scored the goals and goalkeeper Brian McCarthy made eight saves as Brattleboro shut out Hartford, 3-0 on Oct. 8. Zolonoski also had an assist, while Jack Maples assisted on two goals.
• Long Trail School beat Bellows Falls, 3-2, in Dorset on Oct. 7. Two days later, the Terriers were shut out by Black River, 5-0, to fall to 4-8 on the season.
Girls' soccer
• Proctor took an early lead and held on for a 2-1 win over Brattleboro on Oct. 8. Morgan Derosia cut Proctor's lead in half with a goal from Tylynn Kuralt in the second half, but the Colonels could not get the equalizer.
-- Bellows Falls came close to defeating Black River on Oct. 6, but ultimately lost in overtime, 3-2. Black River's Alice Faenza scored the game-winning goal with 1:55 left in the second overtime. Keri Tincio scored first for BF two minutes into the game, but Black River's Abigail Schmidt tied the game on a penalty kick in the 20th minute, then scored again five minutes later. BF tied the game up in the second half on a goal by Stephanie Parsons.
Two days later against Fair Haven, the Terriers fell 4-2. BF and the Slaters were tied 2-2 at the half before Fair Haven took control. The Terriers are now 1-10-1.
Field hockey
• Can Bellows Falls top last season? At 11-0 with three games to play, an undefeated regular season is a strong possibility. On Oct. 8, they clobbered Springfield, 8-0. Cassidy Santorelli scored four goals and Sarah Wells and Leah Robinson added two each.
• Brattleboro is still searching for its first win. On Oct. 7, the Colonels lost to Burr & Burton, 1-0. As has been the case in many of Brattleboro's games, the defense kept the game close, but Sarah Marcus ultimately scored the game winning goal for the Bulldogs in the second half.
Breaking the ice
• It's not too soon to be thinking about skating and playing hockey. The Nelson E. Withington Skating Facility at Living Memorial Park in Brattleboro will be opening for the season on Saturday, Oct. 25.
Skating hours will be as follows: All ages skating is available Mondays and Fridays, 7 to 9 p.m., Saturdays, 1:30 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m., and Sundays, 1:45 to 4:45 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Adults only time is Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 10:30 a.m. to noon, and Sundays, 9:15 to 10:15 p.m.
Stick time, for all skaters of all ages and abilities who would like to brush up on their hockey skills, is offered on Wednesdays from 3 to 4:30 p.m. and Satudays from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m.
Tickets for use of the rink are as follows: Students: $2 for residents, $3 for non-residents; Adults: $3 for residents, $4 for non-residents. For more information, call the Recreation & Parks Office at 802-254-5808, or visit www.brattleboro.org.
• The Brattleboro Riverhawks women's hockey team will have an organizational meeting on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 6:30 p.m., at the home of Kristin Gottschalk, 241 Wantastiquet Drive, in Brattleboro.
Gottschalk says the team, which has been playing in Brattleboro since the 1990s, is open to all ages and abilities of adult women. Home games and practices take place at Withington Rink, and the season runs from late October to early March.
“We have a really great group of players, but can always use a few more,” she said.
For more information, contact Gottschalk at kkgottschalk@gmail.com.