A high school student's athletic career is short, and the prospect of missing a substantial chunk of a season to injury can be a disappointing and frustrating experience.
One such story is that of Jesse Darrell, a junior at Bellows Falls Union High School. He was going to be one of the featured running backs on the varsity football team this season, but he broke his collarbone during a non-contact drill at a football camp in Rutland just before the preseason practice period started in August.
The Terriers were able to get along without Darrell, as they sped off to another undefeated season. For Darrell, all he could do was watch from the sidelines on game day and stay in best shape he could until he was medically cleared to start playing again.
“I was counting down the days,” Darrell said after BF's 62-35 win over the Spaulding Crimson Tide on a sun-splashed autumn afternoon on Oct. 8 at Hadley Field. “I knew I would be cleared for today's game.”
His first carry of the season came early in the second quarter, a 10-yard burst through a wide open hole in the line for a touchdown. He had another 10-yard touchdown run later in the quarter, and was flying around the field the rest of the game as a defensive back. It was an excellent return from his forced exile from football.
“It's like getting another weapon that nobody knows about,” said BF coach Bob Lockerby. “It's great to have him back.”
Against the winless Tide, the Terriers didn't have to work very hard. BF built up a 41-14 lead by halftime, and Lockerby said he used the second half to give his reserves lots of playing time.
BF quarterback Jamison Nystrom ran for a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter, and a fumble recovery by lineman Jake Moore set up Darrell's first touchdown. A 22-yard touchdown run by Caden Haskell made it 28-0.
Spaulding's Jaxon Clark broke up the shutout bid with a 72-yard dash up the sideline for a touchdown with 2:47 left in the first half, but Darrell then got his second TD and, after a fumble recovery by defensive back Douglas Sterling, Nystrom threw a 65-yard TD pass to Eli Allbee with 59 seconds left to close out BF's first half scoring.
Spaulding's Zach Wilson kept it interesting with three touchdowns, two of them coming in the second half, but BF was never seriously threatened. Allbee took over the controls of the offense for much of the second half and scored on a 29-yard run on BF's first possession. Remington LaCroix later scored on a 2-yard run and Nystrom returned for a cameo appearance to throw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Allbee.
The 6-0 Terriers will play in the annual rivalry game against Springfield for “The Trophy” this Friday night at Brown Field.
Colonels sink U-32, 40-8
• After a strong Week 5 win at Lyndon, Brattleboro continued to show improvement in their 40-8 rout of the U-32 Raiders at Natowich Field on Oct. 7.
It would have been easy for the Colonels to coast against the winless Raiders, but Brattleboro stayed focused, especially on defense. Will Miskovich and Tristan Evans each had an interception, Jayke Glidden had a fumble recovery, and linemen Sam Madow and Jolie Glidden and linebacker Jackson Emery wreaked havoc on U-32's offense.
The defense has been a big part of the Colonels' turnaround during their three-game win streak. Simplifying the offense has made a difference too, as Brattleboro opened up a 27-0 halftime lead on an 8-yard touchdown run by Charlie Clark and a pair of touchdown passes from Devin Speno - a nifty one-handed catch in the end zone by Cam Frost and a 45-yard strike to Evans.
Noah Perusse had 16 carries for 126 yards, including a 55-yard dash up the middle for a third quarter touchdown. Evans finished with six catches for 159 receiving yards, while Frost had another TD catch in the second half to finish with three catches for 48 yards. Clark also added a touchdown in the second half as he ran for 65 yards on eight carries. Speno completed 10 of his 21 passes for 234 yards.
The 4-2 Colonels head north to Barre this Friday night to face Spaulding.
Special Olympics honors BUHS
• There will be a new banner hanging in the Brattleboro Union High School gym, as the school was presented with a National Unified Champion School banner by Special Olympics Vermont on Oct. 7.
The organization said it recognized BHUS for “its efforts to provide inclusive sports and activities for students with and without disabilities” and for “meeting national standards of excellence in the areas of inclusion, advocacy and respect.”
BUHS is one of only four schools in Vermont, and one of about 80 schools nationwide, to receive this honor. It currently participates in Unified basketball, bocce, snowshoeing, and soccer, and hopes to expand their offerings in the coming months. Brattleboro has also hosted numerous statewide events, including VPA Unified Basketball and recreational bocce tournaments.
“When I first started at BUHS, I was so impressed by the organization and school-wide support of our unified sports teams,” said interim principal Cassie Damkoehler in a news release. “Previous administrators worked to incorporate unified games into the daily schedule when possible. This helped to create the amazingly inclusive culture that we have here at BUHS. This award is really a testament to the hard work of our staff and student body."
According to Special Olympics, the Unified sports program “intentionally promotes meaningful social inclusion by bringing together students with and without intellectual disabilities to create accepting school environments, utilizing three interconnected components: Special Olympics Unified Sports, inclusive youth leadership, and whole school engagement.”
Unified sports has been a big success story at BUHS as the school has more than fulfilled all those benchmarks, thanks to the efforts of the students, teachers, and staff. Congratulations to everyone who made this possible.
Girls' soccer
• Leland & Gray remains unbeaten. On Oct. 4, the Rebels defeated Stratton Mountain School, 4-1. Abby Towle, Mary Sanderson, Maggie Parker, and Cat Shine all scored for the Rebels, with Sanderson and Parker credited with one assist each.
• Brattleboro started the week with a 2-0 win over Woodstock on Oct. 3. Willow Romo scored both goals; the first set up by Reese Croutworst and the second coming on a penalty kick. Goalkeeper Mariah Fellows made eight saves to earn the shutout.
The Colonels hosted Rutland on Oct. 5 and lost, 6-3. After Sophia Albright scored on a corner kick early in the first half, Rutland scored four unanswered goals to take control. Croutworst scored on a corner kick early in the second half, but Rutland scored twice more to seal the win. Kaitlyn Pattison finished the scoring for Brattleboro with five minutes left.
On Oct. 8, the Colonels lost to Burr & Burton, 5-1. Pattison scored Brattleboro's only goal as the Bulldogs scored four goals in the first half. The Colonels finished the week with a 2-6 record.
• The hard times continue for Twin Valley. On Oct. 7 in Rutland, they were blasted by Mount St. Joseph, 10-0. Now 0-9, the Wildcats - who have six eighth-graders on their roster - have yet to score a goal this season.
• Bellows Falls remains winless as they lost 8-0 to Stratton Mountain School on Oct. 4 and 9-3 to Rivendell on Oct. 7 to end the week at 0-10.
Boys' soccer
• Brattleboro opened the week with a 1-0 victory over Rutland in overtime on Oct. 3. Ozzie VanHendrick got the game-winning goal for the visitors on a header set up by a direct kick by Charlie Kinnersley.
On Oct. 8, the Colonels lost to St. Johnsbury, 4-1. Josh Haskins scored the lone Brattleboro goal and goalkeeper Paul McGillion had 10 saves. Gerardo Fernandez had three goals for the Hilltoppers.
• Leland & Gray was beaten by Woodstock, 3-1, on Oct. 4 in Townshend. Lucca Pozzi got a goal for the Rebels in the first half to tie the game at 1-1 before Woodstock scored twice in the second half to secure the victory.
• Taitlin Griffin scored the game's only goal and goalkeeper Tyler Couture made eight saves as Twin Valley got shut out by White River Valley, 1-0, in Wilmington on Oct. 4. Liam Wendell made nine saves in goal for the Wildcats.
Twin Valley bounced back with a 3-0 win over Mount St. Joseph on Oct. 6 in Wilmington. Wendell made four saves in goal for the victory. Steven Oyer scored two goals and Noah Dornburgh had the other as the Wildcats finished the week at 6-2-1.
• Bellows Falls lost to visiting Long Trail, 6-1, on Oct. 3. Caleb Ghia scored the only goal for the Terriers.
Field hockey
• Bellows Falls is entering the homestretch of the season with some tougher competition on the schedule, and are showing they are definitely up to the challenge.
The Terriers needed overtime to beat an improving Otter Valley squad in a 4-3 thriller on Oct. 4. Trailing 3-2 with six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Ashlin Maxfield tied the game to force the extra period. Ava LaRoss then scored the game winning goal on a breakway with 3:45 left in overtime. It was the second OT game for the Terriers this season. Jules McDermid and Emma Bazin got the other two goals for the Terriers.
The next day, BF faced Springfield, which put up a gallant effort in a 2-0 loss to the visiting Terriers. Springfield goalie Zada Grant made 21 saves and the Cosmos thwarted the Terriers on all of their penalty corners. But BF still came away with a win as Sadie Scott scored with an assist from Nola Sciacca, and Maxfield scored an insurance goal in the third quarter as Tela Harty assisted.
On Oct. 7, the Terriers shut out visiting Burr & Burton, 3-0. Maxfield, Emma Hillock, and Scott scored for the Terriers, and goalie Livie Clough made four saves for the win. BF ended the week at 8-0-1.
• After earning their first win of the season over Springfield on Sept. 29, the Colonels were shut out twice last week, a 7-0 loss to Burr & Burton on Oct. 3 and a 2-0 loss to Fair Haven on Oct. 8, to fall to 1-7 on the season.
Cross-country
• Brattleboro's Ava Whitney got another victory on Oct. 4 and the Colonel girls finished second to Burr & Burton in a three-team meet in Manchester. Whitney covered the 5K course in 22 minutes, 28 seconds.
The Brattleboro boys finished third behind Burr & Burton and Mount Anthony.
Senior bowling roundup
• Week 6 of the fall/winter season of the Brattleboro Senior Bowling League on Oct. 6 saw Keglers 4 have a 1-4 week, but still remain in first place at 22-8. Lucky 7 and Good Times (both 17-13) moved into a tie for second place, followed by The Strikers and Trash-O-Matic (both 16-14), Split Happens (14-16), and Slow Movers and Old Farts (both 9-21).
Shirley Aiken had the women's high handicap game (253) and series (658). Chuck Adams had the men's high handicap game (256), while Robert Rigby had the high handicap series (653). The Strikers had the high team handicap game (905), while Trash-O-Matic had the high team handicap series (2,533).
In scratch scoring, Rigby led the men with a 653 series that featured games of 247 and 196. Adams had a 626 series with games of 256 and 191. Warren Corriveau Sr. had a 574 series that featured a 192 game, while Jerry Dunham had a 550 series, Skip Shine had a 525 series, and Fred Bump rolled a 200 game.
Aiken had the women's high scratch series (493) and game (198), and Carol Gloski rolled a 174.