On Aug. 5, Vermont's top high school graduates did something on the football field that hadn't been done by the Green Mountain Boys in four decades - win back-to-back Shrine games.
New Hampshire had Vermont's number in the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl for 15 straight years. But the Vermonters got a 50-2 win over the Granite Staters in last year's game to end that losing streak.
Now, Vermont is working on a winning streak. Their 19-0 win in the 64th edition of the Shrine game is the first time Vermont has won in consecutive years since it won three straight games from 1975 to 1977. New Hampshire still leads the all-time series at 47-15-2.
“I knew I had 36 darn-good football players and they obviously showed it,” Vermont coach Bob Lockerby of Bellows Falls told the Burlington Free Press. “I think it's a testament to the type of athlete we had on this Shrine team. They are the type of guys who don't get down.”
Fair Haven's Dylan Ellis scored both touchdowns for Vermont. He caught an 11-yard pass from Burr & Burton quarterback Griff Stalcup for a score in the second quarter, and found the end zone in the fourth quarter with a 17-yard run.
Mill River's Mike Morgan added a pair of field goals, a 35-yarder in the second quarter and a 30-yarder in the final quarter.
As you would expect from a team led by Bellows Falls coaches, Vermont got 215 of its 279 yards of offense on the ground. Bellows Falls' Jahyde Bullard led the way with 62 yards on 11 carries, followed by Otter Valley's Brent Nickerson's 48 and Rutland's Jimmy Mee's 42.
Vermont's defense did the rest, holding New Hampshire to just nine first downs and 132 yards of offense. Rutland's Max Pockette and Burlington's Alex Cate had six tackles apiece, and Pockette and Hartford's Matthew Lucke each recovered a fumble.
They needed a great defensive effort, because Vermont committed four turnovers - three fumbles and an interception - on offense. Despite those miscues, the Vermonters stayed focused and kept the Granite Staters from rallying.
Other local players on the Vermont team were Brattleboro's Conor Hiner at linebacker and Kolton Ravenna at fullback, along with Bellows Falls' DJ Snide at defensive end and Brady Illingworth at center.
Colonels prepare for 2017 football season
• The fall high school sports season begins in Brattleboro on Sunday, Aug. 13, when the Colonels football team will have its equipment issue and parent/players meeting the night before practices begin on Aug. 14.
Any Brattleboro Union High School student entering grades 9-12 interested in playing football should go to the school on Aug. 13 to pick up their equipment. Seniors go first at 11:30 a.m., followed by the juniors at 12:30 p.m., the sophomores at 1:30 p.m. and the freshmen at 2:30 p.m.
A parent and player meeting with the coaching staff follows at 5 p.m. that night in the BUHS Multipurpose room. Varsity Coach Chad Pacheco says that every player who attends the meeting should have at least one parent or guardian with them, as there will be much important information to be shared.
The Colonels went 4-5 last year and will open the 2017 season on the road, with games on Sept. 1 at Rutland and on Sept. 8 at Bellows Falls. The home opener is set for Sept. 15 against Mount Mansfield at Natowich Field.
After hosting Burlington on Sept. 23, the Colonels travel to Hartford on Sept. 29, host St. Johnsbury on Oct. 6 and Mount Anthony on Oct. 13 and close out the regular season at Colchester on Oct. 20.
All games start at 7 p.m., except for the Sept. 23 home game, which will be played at 3 p.m.
If there are questions, contact Pacheco at cpacheco@wsesu.org or 802-380-2058.
Terriers open season on the road
• Bellows Falls, the defending state champions in Division II, open the 2017 football season on the road against Spaulding on Sept. 1.
After their home opener against Brattleboro on Sept. 8 at Hadley Field, the Terriers host Burr & Burton on Sept. 15, travel to Springfield on Sept. 22, host Otter Valley on Sept. 30, and travel to Mt. Abraham on Oct. 7 and Fair Haven on Oct. 13 before closing out the regular season at home against U-32 on Oct. 20.
All games start at 7 p.m., except for the Otter Valley and Mount Abe games, which will both be played at 1 p.m.
A deal on sports physicals
• Part of the ritual of starting a new school athletic year is the annual physical.
ClearChoiceMD, the walk-in urgent health care clinic on Putney Road in Brattleboro, is offering a school and sports physical for area students for $25 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. No appointments are needed.
Also, in support of local community education, ClearChoiceMD will donate $15 for each sports and school physical conducted from now through Sept. 15. Donations will be made to the school noted by the student or parent of student at the time of service.
For more information, visit www.ccmdcenters.com.
Post 37 honors players at banquet
• Bellows Falls American Legion Post 37 held its annual team banquet on July 27, honoring the team's members and supporters.
Bellows Falls Union High School graduate Brady Illingworth, a first baseman and pitcher, was presented with the inaugural Justin Beebe Best Defensive Player Award.
Beebe, who was a center fielder on Post 37's 2006 state championship team, died last August at the age of 26 while battling the Strawberry Fire at Great Basin National Park, Nevada. He was a member of the Lolo Hotshots, a group of firefighters based out of Missoula, Mont. Beebe's parents, Sheldon and Betsy, were on hand for the presentation.
Post 37's top pitcher Kendal Heath, a senior at Fall Mountain, won the Louis H. Largess Most Valuable Player award. Another pitching star, Seth Balch, a senior at Windsor, was named the Charlie Williams Rookie of the Year.
Alex Groenewold, a recent BFUHS graduate who led Post 37's hitters this season with a .418 batting average, received the Dale Burke Highest Batting Average award. Fellow BFUHS grad Jacob Streeter, was the recipient of the Danny Settanni Most Improved Player award.
The Roy Haskell Sportsmanship Award went to Kyle Weeks and the Roy Haskell Leadership Award went to Zach Streeter. They are 2016 graduates of Springfield and Bellows Falls, respectively.
The Richard Forbush Jr. Dedication and Contribution award went to Tim O'Hearn for his service operating the concession stand during home games at Hadley Field.
Youth Services' Golf Tournament raises $15,000
• A good turn out by local golfers -84 in all - and strong corporate support, made Youth Services' annual Golf Tournament a success. The tournament was held at the Brattleboro Country Club on July 26, and it generated more than $15,000 to help underwrite the agency's programs.
The team of Mike Cersosimo, Wayne Wright, Bruce Davis, and Dan Zumbruski from Cersosimo Industries won First Gross, with the PCL team of Steven Shortridge, Adam Sidelinger, Guy Lindholm and Keith Clark finishing First Net.
The Brattleboro Food Co-op team of Sabine Rhyne, Bob Lyons, Jeff Houle and Tracy Sloan took Second Gross with the GS Precision team of Norm Schneeberger, Maggie Aldrich, John Lynde and Chris Worden taking Second Net.
Debbie Boyle won the prize for the Women's Longest Drive. Tammy Bischof took Women's Closest to the Line with Stephanie Huestis winning the prize for Women's Closest to the Pin. In the Men's Division, Nate Winter took the prize for Men's Longest Drive and Men's Closest to the Pin. Jeff McAllister took Men's Closest to the Line.
Youth Services' Board member Timm Harris and staff member Gail Bourque ran a putting contest which raised $195 for the agency. The winner of the Putting Contest was Potter Stewart Jr.
The Tom Heydinger Award, named after a long-serving chairman of the golf tournament, was awarded to Craig Bengston for over a decade of dedicated service to Youth Services' golf committee.
All proceeds from the tournament help support Youth Services' programs. For more information or to get involved in Youth Services, call 802-257-0361 or visit www.youthservicesinc.org.
The Hog Jog is coming
• The annual Hog Jog, a family-friendly road race, is set for Saturday, Sept. 9, in Guilford. It is part of the Brattleboro Bacon Fest, which will be held that same day at the Guilford Fairgrounds.
The race starts at the Guilford Fairgrounds at 9 a.m., and winds its way through the back roads of Guilford. All runners will receive a race t-shirt, and a Golden Piggy will be presented to the top three female and male participants. The race will be professionally timed by 3C Race Productions.
For more information, contact the Brattleboro Chamber of Commerce at 802-254-4565 or info@brattleborochamber.org.
Senior bowling roundup
• Team 4 (52-18) remains in first place after Week 14 of the spring season of the Brattleboro Senior Bowling League. Team 8 (45-22) remains in second, but Team 1 (35-35) moved into third, followed by Team 5 (34-36), Team 3 (32-38), Team 2 (31-39), Team 7 (29-41), and Team 6 (22-48).
Pat Bentrup had the women's high handicap game (260) and series (680), while Jon Peters had the men's high handicap game (280) and Fred Ashworth had the high handicap series (710). Team 8 had the high team handicap game (917) and Team 4 had the high handicap series (2,570).
Fred Ashworth (605) rolled a 600-plus series, with a pair of 200-plus games (209, 231). Peters (533), Fred Bump (500), and Marty Adams (562) all rolled a 500-plus series, as Adams (222) and Peters (223) each had a 200-plus game.
Tri-ing to end hunger in Townshend
• We got an email from local triathlete Moss Linder last week. He's once again doing the Lake Dunmore Triathlon on Aug. 13 as a fundraiser for the Townshend Community Food Shelf (TCFS).
“The TCFS is an amazing program and, I think, one of the wonderful charitable organizations in the West River Valley,” he wrote. “Every Monday night from 6 to 7:30 p.m., a dedicated group of volunteers opens the doors of the Townshend Congregational Church for up to 40 or more needy families or individuals from around the area.
“In the church, they will find a variety of nutritious food including meats, fresh and canned vegetables, pastas, rice, bread, eggs, milk, cereal, juices: you name it! It is like a little grocery store located in the Townshend Congregational Church. This valuable resource helps many in our community 'get by' week to week.”
The TCFS gets support through the Vermont Foodbank, as well as from individual food and monetary donations. Linder is looking for sponsors on behalf of the TCFS for the Lake Dunmore Triathlon. He asks supporters to send a check to the TCFS at P.O. Box 542, Townshend, VT 05353. All donations go directly to TCFS and are tax-deductible.
“Finally,” he wrote, “if you are looking for a terrific volunteer opportunity, call Jean McIntyre at 802-365-4113.”