The high school football season opened over the weekend as Brattleboro played host to Essex under the lights at Natowich Field on Friday, while Bellows Falls faced Fair Haven at Hadley Field.
• Tyler Higley's touchdown pass to Soren Pelz-Walsh with 3:20 remaining in the fourth quarter gave the Colonels a 26-20 win over Essex.
It was the Colonels' first win since 2009, and a major confidence boost for a team filled with young and inexperienced players.
Brattleboro tight end Elliot Gragen caught two touchdown passes and added a two-point conversion on the final score.
Essex had a 14-6 halftime lead as quarterback Jack Valley connected with Willie McSoley and Matt Mulchahy for a touchdown. Essex's lead increased with McSoley's second touchdown catch and stayed intact until the fourth quarter.
Higley, a junior making his first start at quarterback, found Gragen open in the end zone in the first quarter for Brattleboro's only touchdown in the first half.
In the second half, Brattleboro senior running back Mac Paige ran in a touchdown and Gragen hauled his second touchdown to bring the Colonels within two, 20-18, with the clock running down.
The Colonels then dug in with strong defense and Higley orchestrated a 90-yard drive for the touchdown that got the win and ended a 10-game losing streak.
Brattleboro travels to Champlain Valley on Saturday.
• Bellows Falls, the defending Division III state champions, moved up to Division II this season. This means more games against bigger schools, and a decidedly more uphill battle to get back into the postseason.
On a hot and humid Saturday afternoon that seemed more like early July than early September, the Terriers opened with a 35-18 loss to Fair Haven.
The Terriers had no answer for Fair Haven quarterback Robert Coloutti, who either ran or passed the ball on 38 of the Slaters' 48 plays from scrimmage. Coloutti ran 21 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns, and went 11-for-17 through the air for 174 yards and two more touchdowns.
BF trailed 14-6 at the half, despite sacking Coloutti six times. Their only score came on a touchdown run by Bruce Wells that was set up by a 70-yard kickoff return by Will Bourne.
The rest of BF's points came in the second half, with a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown by linebacker Joe Aslin and a 65-yard touchdown pass from Jeremy Kilburn to Bourne. Kilburn went 7-for-14 for 112 yards.
The Terriers travel to Rice this Saturday.
PVA Hockey sign-ups on Sept. 10
• Pleasant Valley Hockey Association (PVA) announces its annual welcoming picnic and sign-ups on on Saturday, Sept. 10, from 4-7 p.m., at the Polish American picnic grounds on Darby Hill in Bellows Falls.
Since 1976, PVA Hockey has been teaching kids hockey skills and drills, the importance of teamwork and dedication, and most of all, how to have fun when it's cold outside. PVA plays hockey at Vermont Academy in Saxtons River. Practice is generally two nights a week and games are on weekends. The season starts November and ends in February. PVA supplies hockey equipment for their youngest players ages 4-7 years old.
All players are required to register with USA Hockey as well and can do so by visiting www.usahockey.com. For more information, visit www.pvahockey.org
Time for Walk, Run & Roll
• The 16th annual “Walk, Run & Roll” fundraiser to benefit the Brattleboro Walk-In Clinic will be held on Saturday, Sept. 17. The event includes a 5K run, a 5K walk, a kid's fun run and 34-mile cycling event.
The first 50 adult bikers and first 50 adult walkers/runners will receive a free race t-shirt. This year, the Brattleboro Walk-In Clinic is offering a $100 prize to the adult walker, runner or cyclist with the most creative attire. Top-finishers will be eligible for a variety of prizes from area restaurants, shops and retail outlets. Additional prizes will be awarded in raffles.
Prizes will be awarded to the top finishers in several categories, as well as randomly raffled. All kids participating in the fun run will receive a medal. Refreshments will be provided.
Registration this year takes place behind the Dunham Building in the parking lot of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Bikers will register at 7 a.m., with a 7:30 a.m. start time.
Run, walk and fun run registration begins at 7:45 a.m. The fun run event starts at 8:30 a.m., while the 5K walk starts at 8:45 a.m., and the 5K run begins at 9 a.m. The walk and run events will be professionally timed by 3C Race productions.“Walk, Run and Roll” is sanctioned by the New England Association of the USA Track & Field (USATF). This year, the course is newly certified by USA Track and Field. Information and entry forms are available at www.BrattleboroWalkInClinic.com.
There is a non-refundable entry fee of $20 for adults (free for youths under 12.) Pre-register for this event at www.3craceproductions.com. More information and entry forms are available at www.BrattleboroWalkInClinic.com.
All proceeds go to support the Walk-In Clinic, a nonprofit organization providing free medical and dental care to those without health insurance. Last year, the clinic provided 914 free medical patient visits and 113 free dental patient visits.