I've been in Brattleboro since 1989, long enough to now be watching the children of the students I covered as a sports reporter at the Reformer become varsity athletes like their parents.
Current Reformer sports editor Shane Covey provided me one of those “geez, I'm getting old” moments last week when he pointed out that three of the players from the Brattleboro girls' basketball teams that reached four consecutive Division I semifinals from 1991 to 1994 had daughters that played on the current team - Kara Miner, Courtney Christmas, and Jen Hamilton.
I remember those three from the period that coincided with my first tour at the Reformer from 1989 to 1995. They were part a tremendous run of great girls' teams at BUHS that included two of the best basketball players that ever pulled on a Colonels jersey, Kari Greenbaum and Kathy Georgina.
Greenbaum scored 1,420 points for the Colonels between 1988 and 1991, then went up to the University of Vermont to score 1,252 points and help lead the Catamounts to two undefeated seasons (1991-92 and 1992-93) and UVM's first appearances in the NCAA women's tournament.
Georgina scored 1,108 points between 1989 and 1992. She was a great basketball player, but she was an even better softball player, pitching the Colonels to state championships in 1991 and 1992 and then playing four seasons of softball at Springfield College from 1994 to 1997.
Miner, Christmas, and Hamilton were part of the supporting cast during the Greenbaum-Georgina era, but this season, their daughters - Kelsea McAuliffe, Devin Millerick, and Gabby Carpenter, respectively - did something hadn't been done since their moms wore the purple and white, and that's lead the Colonels into the Division I semifinals.
For the first time since 1994, or one year after Shane Covey graduated from BUHS, the Colonels were in the Division I Final Four in one of the most improbable playoff runs in school history.
After starting the season 2-10, the Colonels flipped the script and won six of their last eight games to qualify for the No. 14 seed in the Division I tournament.
Brattleboro got to the Final Four by winning two tough road games, knocking off third-seeded Essex, 45-43, in overtime, then shocking sixth-seeded St. Johnsbury, 50-46, to become the first-ever No. 14 seed to make it to the semifinals.
On March 1 at UVM's Patrick Gymnasium, the Colonels took on another Cinderella team, the 10th-seeded BFA-St. Albans Comets, who defeated seventh-seeded Colchester and second-seeded Rice to make it to the Final Four.
Unfortunely for the Colonels, the trip to Burlington marked their third long bus ride in one week. Traveling nearly 850 miles round-trip to play three high-pressure, win-or-go-home games is lot to ask of any group of high school students.
Although they did not use that as an excuse in their 52-26 loss to the Comets, the Colonels simply did not have the same energy that they had in the Essex and St. Johnsbury games. On top that, Millerick, who was the heroine of the St. J win, was battling a stomach bug and was not able to play at her peak.
But give the Comets their due. They dominated the Colonels from start to finish. The Colonels' 2-3 zone that shut down St. J had little effect on the Comets. Freshman Kelly Laggis scored five of BFA's 15 first quarter points en route to a 15-5 lead. She added six more points in the second quarter as the Comets took a 29-12 lead at the half.
Laggis cooled off in the second half, but still finished with a game-high 13 points and 10 rebounds. The Comets controlled the boards, outrebounding the Colonels 37-24 over, and 27-12 on the offensive glass. Hannah Earl and Lilly McAllister each added eight points for the Comets.
Millerick and Shenise Talliaferro each scored five points to lead the Colonels, who finished the season at 10-13. There's a lot to look forward to for the 2016-17 season. The Colonels lose just four players to graduation - Alexandra Livanis, Jaida Henry, Morgan Derosia and Meghan Sargent - and the core contributors to this season's team should all be back.
Colonel boys finish 3rd in state Nordic meet
• The Brattleboro boys finished third behind perennial Division I powerhouses Mount Mansfield and Champlain Valley in the state Nordic ski championships last at the Rickert cross-country ski complex in Ripton.
Twenty boys' teams and 18 girls' teams participated in the championships on a icy course that put a premium on choosing the most-effective wax combination for the competitors' skis.
Isaac Freitas-Eagan was the standout for the Brattleboro boys. He came in sixth in the 5-kilometer freestyle race in 12 minutes, 37.3 seconds, and second in the 5-kilometer classic race in 13:33.6. Brattleboro also came in third in the freestyle relay in 23:28.9.
The Brattleboro girls came in seventh overall. Brattleboro did not have any top-10 finishers in any event, and came in fifth in the freestyle relay in 29:32.9.
North-South basketball games are March 12
• On Saturday, March 12, the Vermont Basketball Coaches' Association will present the Senior All-Star Games at Windsor High School.
The four games are contested in a somewhat North vs. South format: The Division 3-4 Girls will begin at 11 a.m., followed by Division 3-4 Boys at 1 p.m., Division 1-2 Girls at 3 p.m., and Division 1-2 Boys at 5 p.m.
In addition to the games, the following awards and honors will be presented: induction of new members to the VBCA Hall of Fame, the aelection of Dream Dozen All-Star Teams, recognition of 1,000-point scorers and coaching milestones, Coaches of the Year, Players of the Year, Media Award, Outstanding Official, presentations of VBCA scholarships, and a three-point shooting contest.
Three selected to Vermont Shrine team
• Three area players will take the field for Vermont in the 63rd annual Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl on Aug. 6 at Castleton University - Zach Streeter of Bellows Falls and Aleks Harrison and Taylor King of Brattleboro.
Streeter was the starting quarterback for Bellows Falls and accounted for nearly 1,000 yards of offense both running and throwing the ball, as well as returning kicks. He ran for eight touchdowns as he helped lead the Terriers to the 2015 Division II championship game. He was selected as a first-team all-star at quarterback on the Division II All-State team, and received honorable mention for his work at defensive back.
King was a stellar performer at defensive back for Brattleboro, who finished 4-5 in 2015 and reached the Division I playoffs for the first time in a decade. He was a first-team selection to the Division I All-State team.
Harrison was a stalwart at inside linebacker for the Colonels. He also was named a first-team selection to the Division I All-State team, and he and King turned in great performances in the Vermont Senior Bowl, the game that coaches use as one of the measuring sticks for potential selections to the Shrine team.
The game features the best senior football players from Vermont and New Hampshire playing for bragging rights and to raise money for the Shriners Hospitals for Crippled and Burned Children.
Spring sports sign-ups
• The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department will hold registration for girls' youth softball, Small Fry baseball, T-ball, and youth lacrosse on Wednesday, March 9, and Thursday, March 1o, from 1:30 to 6 p.m., at the Gibson-Aiken Center, 207 Main St.
• The softball program is for girls in grades 3-6, and is designed to teach the players the fundamentals of softball along with providing them with an enjoyable experience. There will be one practice a week and some games in surrounding towns and may have more than one game a week. The cost will be $30 for Brattleboro residents and $45 for non-residents. A t-shirt is included in the registration fee.
• Boys and girls born between Sept. 1, 2007 and Aug. 31, 2009 are eligible to play Brattleboro Small Fry Baseball. Any child born between Aug. 31, 2006 and Sept. 1, 2007 who does not make Little League will be eligible to return to Small Fry. The fee is $30 for in‑town residents and $45.00 for out-of-town residents. All children are required to bring their birth certificate, or a copy of it, to the sign‑up.
• T-Ball is for boys and girls who were born between Sept. 1, 2009 and Aug. 31, 2011. Youths will learn the fundamentals of baseball in an appropriate way, stressing safety, skills and fun.
This league runs for approximately two months. Youngsters will be placed on a team, and will have one practice and one game per week. Each child will need a glove. Additional information will be available at the registration. The cost will be $25 for Brattleboro residents and $40 for non-residents. A t-shirt is included in this fee.
• Youth lacrosse is for boys and girls from grades 4 through 8. There will be separate teams for boys and girls. The cost of the program will be:
Boys Grades 4-6, $80 resident/$95 non-resident; Boys Grades 7-8, $100 resident/$115 non-resident; and Girls Grades 4-8, $105 resident/$120 non-resident.
Practice times are still to be determined. he fee includes a membership to U.S. Lacrosse. Games and tournaments will be played within the region. There will be two to three practices a week and games and tournaments potentially on weekends or weekdays.
• If there are special needs required for any of these programs, or more information is needed, call the Recreation & Parks Department at 802-254-5808, or check them out on Facebook for up-to-date information.