Bellows Falls is having the best season so far of our local girls' basketball teams, as coach Todd Wells is reaping the benefits of a population boom at the school.
There are 13 players each on the varsity and junior varsity squads, and there is plenty of competition for playing time. With the varsity well-seasoned with veterans of the state champion field hockey team, Wells also benefits from having players who are hard-working and know what it takes to win.
So, it's not surprising that the Terriers are off to a 7-1 start this season. They showed that with a 57-44 win over Leland & Gray on Jan. 12 in Townshend.
Taylor Goodell had a huge game for the Terriers with 12 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and four blocked shots as Bellows Falls took a 30-24 lead at the half, and led 41-34 after three quarters.
“That was a break-out game for Taylor,” said Wells. “We were really active on defense, and this team knows how to anticipate plays and be in the right spots.”
Halle Dickerson added 12 points for the Terriers, as 10 players got into the score book with points.
Mariah Hazard finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Rebels. Kelsi Bostrom followed with 11 points, Sierra Fillion added seven, and Maris Linder chipped in six.
The Rebels had trouble dealing with the Terriers' pressure defense, but coach Terry Merrow was not overly discouraged by the loss to BF, because his team picked up two wins earlier in the week.
Leland & Gray crushed Black River, 44-9, at home on Jan. 9. Hazard had 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Rebels. Sydney Hescock scored six points and pulled down nine rebounds, while guards Morgan Stevens, Arin Bates, and Linder combined for 12 assists.
The Rebels followed that up with a 39-33 win over Springfield on Jan. 10. Hazard filled up the stat sheet with 10 points, 12 boards, three assists, and three steals. Fillion and Linder each scored five points for the Rebels. Skye Richardson and Arin Bates added four apiece as Leland & Gray ended the week at 3-4.
Earlier in the week, BF beat Green Mountain, 42-27, at Holland Gymnasium on Jan. 9. Dickerson and Abbe Cravinho scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, to lead the Terriers, while Michelle Marchica added eight points and seven rebounds.
“We are improving with every game, and that's where you want to be in mid-January,” said Merrow of his team. “You want to be playing your best basketball by March, and that's what we hope to be doing then.”
Boys' basketball
• Leland & Gray coach Brud Sanderson says his team “lives and dies by our defense.” Against Bellows Falls on Jan. 11 in Townshend, defense was the key to the Rebels' 48-46 win over the Springfield Cosmos.
That was especially the case in the second half of the game, as the Rebels shut off Springfield's inside scoring and forced them into taking shots from outside that refused to fall in. The Cosmos led 17-15 at the half, but the Rebels took the lead for good late in the third quarter, and turned back a late rally by the Cosmos.
It was a rugged game too, with more than 45 fouls committed by both teams. That put pressure on the free throw shooters, and the Rebels passed that test too, going 12 for 20 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, while the Cosmos were 5-for-11.
“Defense kept us in the game,” said Sanderson. “We got some big stops in the third quarter, and that got our offense going.
Lucas Newton and Kaie Quigley led the Rebels with 11 points each. Adam Culver chipped in 10 and Nathan Claussen added nine. Dakota Bushey picked up 14 points for Springfield and Noah Zierfus added 13.
The Rebels' win over Springfield offset a 44-26 road loss to Proctor on Jan. 9. While the Phantoms had a cold shooting night, their defense picked up the slack and shut down Leland & Gray's offense.
Joe Valerio led the Phantoms with 13 points, 10 rebounds, six steals, and four assists. Quigley and Austin Morse had six points each to lead the Rebels, who finished the week with a 3-6 record.
• Twin Valley got out to a 20-4 lead, and then fell apart as Poultney rallied for a 45-40 win on Jan. 11. Robbie Brill led the hosts with 11 points, while Dylan Howe led the 2-4 Wildcats with 12 points.
• Brattleboro started the week with a frustrating 55-49 loss to Otter Valley at the BUHS gym on Jan. 8.
The Otters built up a 20-9 lead by the end of the first quarter, but struggled on offense in the third quarter, scoring only six points to let the Colonels back in the game.
Josh Letourneau led the Otters with 14 points, while Charlie Galanes led the winless Colonels with 13.
• Bellows Falls is stuck in a four-game losing streak. On Jan. 9, they lost to Mount St. Joseph in Rutland, 87-53. Two nights later at Holland Gymnasium, BF dropped a 65-53 decision to Windsor. The Terriers ended the week at 1-5.
Girls' basketball
• It was a tough night for scoring for Twin Valley, as the Wildcats were held to just three points in the first half in a 31-18 loss at home to Mount St. Joseph on Jan. 8.
MSJ led 15-3 at the break and cruised from there. Julia Lee scored 11 points for the Mounties, the only player in the game in double figures. Jerrett Niles led Twin Valley with five points.
At Proctor on Jan. 12, the Wildcats saw an early lead slip away as the Phantoms rallied for a 51-38 win. Tayler Courchesne scored nine points and Niles added eight for the 1-6 Wildcats.
• Megyn Ayotte scored 12 points and every one of her teammates also scored as Brattleboro traveled to Windsor on Jan. 9 and won, 53-42.
Julie Hendricks, Rachael Rooney, and Hailey Derosia all added nine points each as the Colonels withstood a late Windsor rally and finished strong with 9-0 run to end the game. The Colonels ended the week at 5-4.
Hoops for Hope at LGUHS
• The fifth annual “Hoops for Hope Country Strong” fundraiser returns to Leland & Gray this week.
The Rebel girls will host Black River on Jan. 18, with the JV game starting at 5:30 p.m., and the varsity game at 7 p.m. The next night, Jan. 19, the Rebels boys play Green Mountain on Jan. 19; with the JV contest at 5:30 and the varsity at 7.
Fans who wear pink, purple, or camo to the games will receive a door prize ticket.
The concessions and the 50/50 raffle tickets will benefit the Alexis “Lexy” Giallella Scholarship Fund. Lexy died in 2013 at age 15 after a courageous battle with cancer. Since then, both the boys' and girls' teams have played a benefit game for the fund. They raised more than $2,000 last season, and hope for another big turnout this year.
Boys' ice hockey
• Colonels goaltender Austin Wood made 21 saves to help the Colonels to a 3-1 victory over Missisquoi on Jan. 11 at Withington Rink.
Mason Powers, Ryan Gerard and Mason Foard were the goal scorers for the 4-4-1 Colonels, with Kam Pelkey, Jasper Reed and Powers all credited with assists.
The Colonels were outshot, 22-16, but the defense helped Wood get another win.
Nordic skiing
• The Brattleboro girls took four of the top six spots as the team won a 5K event at the Round Top resort in Chittenden on Jan. 9.
Bella Thurber finished second, Ellery Loggia was third, Bella Tackacs came fifth, and Liz Morse was sixth as Brattleboro won the six-team meet.
Gymnastics classes begin at Rec
• The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department will offer an eight-week session of gymnastics classes directed by Amanda Montgomery that begins the week of Jan. 22 at the Gibson-Aiken Center, 207 Main St., and ends on March 24.
The cost for an eight-week program will be $80 for Brattleboro residents and $95 for non-residents. Late registrations will be pro-rated. Pick up a copy of the Rec. Dept.'s Activities Flyer or visit www.brattleboro.org for a complete listing of class times.
There is also an Open Gym time available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10-11 a.m. for ages 1 to 5 with a parent for $5 and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for ages 6 to 17 for $10. For more information, or if any special needs are required, call the Recreation & Parks Department at 802-254-5808.
Snowshoe for the Cure at Stratton
• It's not too late to register for the Komen New England Snowshoe for the Cure, which will be held on Sunday, Jan. 21, at the Sun Bowl at Stratton Mountain Resort. This is a family-friendly event with fun for everyone, including a kids' snowshoe dash, that raises money to support critical breast care services and groundbreaking research.
As in past years, Snowshoe for the Cure will kick-off at Stratton's Sun Bowl Base Area at 9 a.m., with a friendly, competitive 3K Snowshoe Race, with prizes awarded to the top three female and male racers and the top three survivors. There are two non-competitive Snowshoe Walks (a 3K and a 5K) and a free Snowshoe Dash for the 5-and-younger set.
No snowshoe experience is required. and free loaner snowshoes (while supplies last) will be available from Tubbs Snowshoes. All participants will receive a commemorative t-shirt.
New this year is a Packet Pick Up Party to be held at Black Bear Lodge at Stratton Mountain Resort on Saturday, Jan. 20, from 4 to 7 p.m. Pre-registered participants can pick up their bibs and t-shirts, new registrations will be taken, and donations may be dropped off. There will be appetizers, music, and a cash bar.
To register online through Friday, Jan. 19, visit www.komennewengland.org. To volunteer or get more information, call Linda at 802-362-2733.
Senior bowling roundup
• For the second straight week, Team 10 and Team 2 won all their games, so both teams remain tied for first with 10-0 records in the Brattleboro Senior Bowling League. Team 4 (8-2) is in sole possession of second place, while Team 7 (7-3) is third. Team 3 (6-4) is in third, followed by Team 5 and Team 6 (both 3-7), Team 1 (2-8), Team 8 (1-9), and Team 9 (0-10).
Shirley Aiken had the women's high handicap game (247), while Lois Pease had the high handicap series (696). Wayne Randall had the men's high handicap game (274) and series (724). Team 4 had the high team handicap game (884) and Team 7 the high handicap series (2,548).
Randall (607) and Robert Rigby (651) both rolled 600-plus series. Randall had a 235 game, while Rigby had a 262 and a 211.
Aiken (501) and Josie Rigby (509) had 500-plus series to lead the women. Fred Ashworth (593), Jerry Dunham (507), Charles Marchant (546), and Warren Corriveau Sr, (583) were the men with 500-plus series.
Ashworth (203, 222), Marty Adams (202), Marchant (227), and Corriveau (201) all had 200-plus games.