The undefeated Burr & Burton Bulldogs won their first-ever state football title with a 28-7 victory of the Bellows Falls Terriers in the Division II championship game last Saturday at Rutland High School.
This game was billed as a match-up between the aerial attack of the 10-0 Bulldogs versus the ground-and-pound ball control offense of the 9-1 Terriers.
When they met during the regular season on Oct. 17, the top-seeded Bulldogs eked out a 19-14 win. It was the only loss of the regular season for the second-seeded Terriers.
The first BF game was the lowest point total of the season for Burr & Burton. The Bulldogs entered the title game averaging 48.6 points per game behind quarterback Griff Stalcup, who threw for 2,343 yards and 34 touchdowns, with just seven interceptions. He also ran for 429 yards and 11 touchdowns.
BF put up plenty of points this season too, as tailback Jahyde Bullard ran for 1,094 yards and 15 touchdowns. Fullback Jacob Lober ran for more than 500 yards and seven touchdowns, while quarterback Zac Streeter ran for 450 yards and seven touchdowns. Receiver Chris McKeen had more than 400 yards of total offense in scored 10 TDs.
As it turned out, it was the Bulldogs' defense that stole the show, forcing three second-half turnovers and holding the Terriers to just 43 yards of offense in the second half.
And it also turned out that Burr & Burton can run the ball effectively too, picking up 150 of their 181 yards of rushing in the second half.
Burr & Burton wasted no time in putting points on the board, as Ray Gormley scored on a 9-yard run on the Bulldogs' first possession midway through the first quarter.
BF tried to tie the game and, aided by a pass interference penalty, got as close as the Bulldog 14 before they were stopped at the end of the first.
On their second possession, the Terriers again were aided by a Bulldog penalty, but stalled again at midfield. A good punt by Chris Doucet pinned the Bulldogs back at their 9 yard line, and the BF defense stood firm and forced Burr & Burton to kick it right back.
Starting from midfield, BF's third possession was the one that tied it. A 26-yard reception by Bullard gave BF a first-and-goal from the Bulldog 7. Back-to-back false start penalties pushed the Terriers back to the 17, but the Terriers got the ball back down to the Bulldog 1.
On fourth-and-goal at the 1, Streeter handed off to Bullard. The Bulldogs forced a fumble, but Streeter recovered the ball and stretched just enough to cross the goal line for a touchdown. Doucet's point after made it 7-7 game with 50.3 seconds left in the first half.
Stalcup tried to break the tie with a long heave to the end zone as time expired, but the ball was intercepted at the BF 5 to end the half.
Burr & Burton took the lead for good on an 8-yard run by Will Tucker. The point after was good for a 14-7 lead with 4:05 left in the third quarter.
Disaster then struck for BF on the ensuing kickoff when Bullard fumbled the ball. The Bulldogs recovered on the BF 41. The BF defense was again asked to hold the line, and they almost did, but instead, Stalcup led the Bulldogs to another score.
Facing third-and-28, Stalcup connected with Sean Apps for a 29-yard reception and a first down. Stalcup then threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Carter Vickers, The extra point pushed the lead to 21-7 as the third quarter wound down.
The BF offense could not put together a comeback in the final quarter, and it was Stalcup that applied the killing blows. On defense, he intercepted Streeter with under five minutes to play, and he then threw a 29-yard touchdown to Roberts. With the point after, the Bulldogs had an insurmountable 28-7 lead with 3:26 to play.
Stalcup, a junior, completed 20 of his 31 passes for 192 yards, and ran for 43 yards on 11 carries. Gormley finished with 68 yards on 12 carries, while Tucker had 61 yards on 10 carries.
Bellows Falls ran only 14 plays on offense in the second half could muster only 158 total yards of offense for the game. Bullard was held to just 36 yards of rushing on 17 plays.
This was the fourth straight season that Bellows Falls was in the Division II playoffs, and this game marked its first appearance in the title game since 2012. While the end of this season was disappointing for the Terriers, to be one of the last four teams standing in your division for four straight years is something to be proud of.
Area football standouts to play in North-South All-Star game
• With BF again reaching the state football finals and Brattleboro resurgent in Division I, both schools will be well represented in this Saturday's 15th edition of the North-South Senior All-Star Game at Middlebury College's Youngman Field.
Brattleboro is sending linebacker Aleks Harrison and defensive back Taylor King, while Bellows Falls will send cornerback Nathan Fairbrother, offensive tackle Devin Hogan, running back Chris McKeen, quarterback Zac Streeter, and offensive guard Tyson Taylor.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students and will be available at the gate starting an hour prior to game time. All proceeds benefit the scholarship and grant programs of the Vermont Chapter of the National Football Foundation.
Local players earn MVL honors
• With the end of the fall season come the honors from the Marble Valley League (MVL) for the top performers in soccer and field hockey.
Several area soccer players and a coach were named to the MVL All-Star soccer teams.
Three members of the Leland & Gray boys' squad that lost to Twin Valley in the Division III semifinal on Oct. 27 -midfielders Owen McDonald and Owen Beattie, and goalkeeper Nick Morrow - made the MVL's C Division first team. Midfielder Bryce Karg and defensive back Jeremy Bovat were named to the second team.
Twin Valley, which lost in the Division III final to Stowe on Oct. 31, was also well represented with forwards Justin Hicks and Nick Nilsen, and midfielder TJ Felisko named to the C Division first team.
Rebels coach Chris Barton shared C Division Coach of the Year honors with Green Mountain's Andy Levesque.
Brattleboro defensive back Kai Boyd was a girls' first team selection in the A division. Despite a winless season, Bellows Falls saw two players honored as forward Keri Ticino was a first-team selection in the C Division and goalkeeper Alyssa Dejesus made the second team.
Leland & Gray put three players on the C Division first team - defensive back Kristen Perkins, and midfielders Ashley Bates and Mackenzie Boyle - while goalkeeper Jordan Gouger made the second team.
Twin Valley goalkeeper Brianna Rafus was also named to the C Division first team.
• After guiding Bellows Falls to its first state field hockey championship since 1991, Bethany Coursen was named the MVL's A Division Coach of the Year.
The Terriers' back line of Emily Stoddard, Murphy Hicks and Paxton Santorelli were all given MVL honors. Hicks and Stoddard were named to the First Team, while Santorelli joined forward Abbe Cravinho in earning honorable mention.
Brattleboro's Hannah Wilson, Laura Freeman and Marly Lynch all made the MVL B Division's First Team.
Richards finishes 35th in NYC Marathon
• For the second year in a row, Tammy Richards was the fastest Vermonter in the New York City Marathon, and the 10th fastest U.S. female competitor.
The 41-year-old runner from Williamsville finished 35th in the women's division of the 2015 marathon, run on Nov. 1, with a time of two hours, 56 minutes, and 29 seconds. Last year, she was 54th in 3:01:09.
Richards is a avid runner and can usually be found at the front of the pack in most events. She was the overall winner of the Catamount Half Marathon, run on Oct. 4 in and around Brattleboro, in 1 hour, 22 minutes.
She came in 36th in this year's Vermont City Marathon in Burlington in 2:59:30.
Come sail away...
• The Windham Sailing Club is accepting applications for sailboat moorings for the 2016 season.
There is a limited number of mooring spots available for small sailboats 20 feet or smaller at Ward's Cove on Lake Whitingham. A moderate fee is assessed to cover associated costs.
Those interested should contact the Club at: Windham Sailing Club, P.O. Box 636, Jacksonville, VT 05342. The lake is owned by Trans-Canada, and all users are expected to comply with all written rules and regulations therein.