-Two of Windham County's most successful high school sports programs - the Bellows Falls Terriers field hockey team and the Twin Valley Wildcats boys' soccer teams - ended their seasons on Nov. 1 with championship trophies.
• Bellows Falls also snapped a championship drought with a 4-1 win over U-32 in the Division II final in Burlington for the Terriers' first title since 2020 and the eighth state field hockey championship in the program's history. The Terriers haven't had a losing season in 14 years, a testament to the strength of the sport in Bellows Falls, with the coaching of Bethany Coursen and a feeder system starting in elementary school that has turned out many great players over the years.
This game also brought together the top two teams in Division II this year, but the Terriers would not be denied. After a scoreless first quarter, BF scored twice in the span of 68 seconds to take control of the game. Senior Veronica Moore - BF's leading scorer with more than 20 goals this season - scored a pair of goals. Haven Harty had a goal and two assists, and McKenna Applegate also scored as the Terriers had six penalty corners and got goals off four of them.
BF goalie Brooke Parker made five saves in the victory, and defender Delaney Stoodley helped her goalie with a couple of stopped shots. The Terriers led 2-0 at halftime, and Parker and the BF defense would allow only one U-32 goal, from Arianna Conti.
BF finished the season at 14-2-1. U-32 ended its season with a 13-4 record. The Terriers advanced into the finals with a 2-0 win over fourth-seeded Hartford on Oct. 28 in St. Johnsbury. Moore had two goals, Harty added another, and Harty had two assists.
• Twin Valley completed an undefeated season with a 2-0 victory over previously undefeated Caledonia United in the Division IV final in Rutland. After being knocked out in the finals in 2023 and 2024, it was the first championship for the Wildcats since 2020.
After a scoreless first half, Brayden Brown scored on a free kick from about 20 yards out for a 1-0 lead with about 29 minutes left in the second half. Niko Gerding added an insurance goal with 13 minutes left in regulation time to clinch the title.
It was the most difficult game of the season for Twin Valley, which entered the game having outscored its opponents, 84-9, during the regular season. With an abundance of goal scorers, a solid goalkeeper in Kaelyn Lackey, and an equally solid defense, this was a confident team that met every challenge thrown at them.
Twin Valley advanced to the final with a 5-1 win over fifth-seeded Mill River on Oct. 29 in Wilmington. Carson McHale scored a pair of goals in that game, Gerding had a goal and two assists, and Brown and Alex Sullivan also scored.
Terriers advance to football semifinals
• The night of Oct. 30 was rainy, cold, windy, and generally miserable at Hadley Field. In other words, it was a perfect night for Bellows Falls football.
A team that can run the ball and not commit any turnovers will generally win in bad weather, and the No. 2 Terriers were unfazed by the conditions as they rolled to a 46-0 victory over the No. 7 Mill River Minutemen in a Division III first-round playoff game.
Mill River's offense struggled to get anything going as the BF defense forced several turnovers that the Terriers quickly turned into points. On the Minutemen's first possession, BF linebacker Bryer Barnett intercepted a pass by Mill River quarterback Vincent Cavalieri. That set up the Terriers' first touchdown on a 1-yard run by Patrick Connors. The two-point conversion failed for a 6-0 lead with 8:49 left in the first quarter.
BF made it 12-0 on a 1-yard run by quarterback Declan Lisai with 8:39 left in the second quarter and, just a minute later, Connors got his second touchdown of the night on defense, scooping up a fumble by the Minutemen and running it back 44 yards into the end zone for an 18-0 lead.
Mill River had its most productive possession right after the Connors touchdown as receiver Gavin Treanor had a couple of big catches to get the Minutemen down to the BF 14, but they got no closer as the first half ended. The Terriers then finished off Mill River with an explosion of offense in the third quarter.
On the first play of the third, Jaden Bazin blasted up the middle and ran for a 55-yard touchdown. Lisai ran in the conversion for a 26-0 lead. Then, after defensive back Brody Davignon intercepted Cavalieri at midfield on Mill River's first possession of the quarter, it was Connors's turn to have a long touchdown run, another 44-yard jaunt to make it 32-0 with 8:50 left in the third.
A 35-yard punt return by BF's Saul James set up another Terrier touchdown, this time on a 9-yard run by Connor Perry. Stefan James ran in the conversion for a 40-0 lead with 6:20 remaining in the third. The rest of the game was played with a running clock due to the mercy rule, and the BF reserves got their chance to preserve the shutout and add a 5-yard touchdown run from Carter Harper with 7:19 left in the final quarter.
With the win, the 8-1 Terriers advanced to the Division III semifinals. BF will host
No. 3 Mt. Abraham this Friday at Hadley Field.
Rebel girls knocked out in semifinals
• Leland & Gray's wild ride through the Division IV girls' soccer playoffs ended on Oct. 28 as the ninth-seeded Rebels fell to the fourth-seeded Poultney Blue Devils, 6-3.
Eme Silverman had three goals and three assists to lead the Blue Devils. Addison Eldridge scored a pair of goals and Hope Landers also got a goal for the Rebels. Poultney trailed 2-0 just before halftime, but Silverman scored the first of her three goals with 25 seconds left. That opened the door for a five-goal explosion in the second half to send the Blue Devils to their first title game since 1995.
The Rebels ended their season at 6-10-2, but can console themselves with the accomplishment of knocking top-seeded West Rutland out of the tournment with a shocking 3-1 win. Poultney went on to upset second-seeded Winooski, 1-0, on Nov. 1 to win the Division IV championship.
Phil and Mary Dunham Ski, Skate, Snowboard, and Hockey Equipment Sale is Nov. 8
• The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department hosts the annual Phil and Mary Dunham Ski, Skate, Snowboard and Hockey Equipment Sale on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Gibson-Aiken Center on Main Street.
This event is co-sponsored by the Recreation & Parks Department and the Brattleboro Outing Club, with 40% of the sales retained by the two organizations for special programming. The sale accepts snowboards, skis, poles, bindings (both downhill and cross country), ski boots, snowboard boots, hockey and figure skates, hockey equipment, and more. If you have specific questions on what is allowed, call 802-254-5808. Only 20 items per person will be accepted. All sales are final.
People who wish to enter items in the sale must bring them to the Gibson-Aiken Center on Friday, Nov. 7, between noon and 7 p.m. Items will not be accepted before or after this designated time. Pick up your money or unsold items on Monday, Nov. 10, from noon to 6 p.m.
'Cranksgiving' benefits local food shelves
• On Saturday, Nov. 8, from 8 a.m. to noon, cyclists from across the region will gather at First Congregational Church (UCC), 880 Western Ave., West Brattleboro for "Cranksgiving: Miles for Meals," a community ride combining cycling, charity, and seasonal spirit.
Organized by Burrows Sports and First Congregational Church, this event brings together riders of all levels to collect food and raise funds for local organizations supporting the food insecure. "This event is about community," Peter "Fish" Case, co-owner of Burrows Sports, said in a news release. "Cranksgiving gives cyclists a chance to do what they love - ride - while helping our neighbors who need it most."
Riders are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items or monetary donations. Cyclists can donate themselves or raise funds from families, friends, or businesses and either purchase food or personal care items or simply drop off the monetary contributions. To register and for more details, go to burrowssports.com/cranksgiving.
Senior bowling roundup
• Week 9 of the fall/winter season of the Brattleboro Senior Bowling League at Brattleboro Bowl on Oct. 30 saw Wayne's World (31-14) have a 5-0 week to take over first place. 3 Plus One (29-16) also had a 5-0 week to move into second place, followed by Slo Movers (26-19), Pinocent Bystanders (24-21), Strike Away (23-22), Lucky 7 (22-23), Ricochet and Stayin' Alive (both 21-24), SOS (16-29), and Strikers (12-33).
Shirley Aiken had the women's high handicap game (240) and Carol Gloski had the high handicap series (682), while Al Dascomb had the men's high handicap game (256) and Chuck Adams had the high handicap series (707). Wayne's World had the high team handicap game (878) and series (2,576).
Adams had the men's high scratch series (701) with games of 245, 229, and 227, while Kevin Napaver had a 642 series with games of 227, 221, and 194. Milt Sherman had a 565 series with games of 226 and 191, Mike Pavlovich had a 561 series with games of 201 and 199, Warren Corriveau Sr. had a 558 series with a 190 game, and John Walker had a 540 series with a 196 game. Duane Schillemat had a 513 series, Robert Rigby had a 507 series, Rick Westcott had a 502 series with a 195 game, and Dascomb rolled a 197.
Gloski had the women's high scratch series (513) and game (192). Aiken had a 174 game and Nancy Dalzell rolled a 172.
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 news@commonsnews.org.
This Sports column by Randolph T. Holhut was written for The Commons.