-It's never easy for a team to win back-to-back championships. For the Brattleboro Unified basketball team, following up last year's state title with another championship was going to be tough. As head coach Tyler Boone pointed out when the season began, every team was going to be coming at the Bears with their best effort to beat the champ.
The Bears made it through the regular season undefeated and had no problem defeating Twin Valley, 73-43, in the first round of the Southern Division playoffs on May 13 at the BUHS gym.
Two days later, the Bears hosted their nemesis, the Burr & Burton Bulldogs, and the result was a 42-20 quarterfinal loss that snapped a 19-game winning streak. It was Brattleboro's first loss since the 2023 Southern Division final, which also came at the hands of Burr & Burton.
Boone loves to win, but loves upholding the spirit of Unified sports even more than winning. That was demonstrated in what Boone called the highlight of the game - the way the Bulldogs, after the final outcome of the game was no longer in doubt, gave sophomore Nate Feindel the space to try to score his first points of the season.
As players and fans from sides cheered him on, Feindel got multiple opportunities to get that elusive basket. While it didn't happen and the Bears lost, Boone said "the fact that Nate got to have his moment - that all our kids got to have their moments through this season - it was worth it. The whole season was worth it to see Burr & Burton and Brattleboro cheering for Nate. How this game ended is what Unified is all about."
Feindel's effort epitomized the Special Olympics athlete's oath - "Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt." And the sportsmanship that was shown to make Feindel's moment possible epitomized Unified's Inclusion Pledge: "Together we have the power and determination to ensure no one is forgotten during this critical time around the world. I pledge to look for the lonely, the isolated, the left out, the challenged, and the bullied. I pledge to overcome the fear of difference and replace it with the power of inclusion."
• As for the games themselves, Twin Valley's Brogan Bryce and John-Michael Richard each scored 10 points, but it wasn't enough as the Bears raced out to a 25-10 lead after one quarter on the way to a 47-25 advantage at halftime.
Both teams played at an up-tempo pace, but the Bears played better defense and spread the scoring around. The senior duo of forward Jeffrey White and guard Austin Pinette scored 10 and 12 points, respectively, and nearly everyone on the Bears' roster scored.
"Brattleboro is always going to give every single one of our athletes a meaningful opportunity, that's our philosophy, win or lose," said Boone after the Twin Valley game. "Everyone's going to have the option to meaningfully contribute. And I thought that they did that today."
Despite their 1-7 record, Twin Valley head coach Chris Brown said that while the team needed to improve on defense, the overall effort could not be faulted. "The fact that they're all out here and they're playing, and they're able to participate and be part of the team, that's the victory," said Brown.
• The Bears semifinal game against Burr & Burton was a totally different story. White and Pinette had trouble in the first half; Pinette scored just two points and White didn't score at all. While the Bears trailed 6-2 at the end of the end of the first quarter, the Bulldogs went on a 12-0 run in the second quarter to pull away. Darius Cansler-Cooper had the only other basket for the Bears as they trailed 20-4 at the half.
Burr & Burton's size gave Brattleboro all sorts of trouble in this game, especially in the third quarter when the Bulldogs held the Bears to just a pair of baskets by Pinette. The Bulldogs took a 30-8 lead heading into the fourth quarter, as the team that was the last to defeat Brattleboro would be the team to end the Bears' title reign.
At press time, the Bulldogs were set to face Mill River on May 19 for the Southern Division championship. The winner will then face the Northern Division champs to the state Unified championship game at Norwich University on May 21.
Baseball
• Mount Anthony's Carson Andrick hit an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to give the Patriots a 3-2 win over Brattleboro on May 14 in Bennington. Andrick's walk-off single spoiled a gutsy effort by Bears pitcher Jayke Glidden. He threw 117 pitches over 6 1/3 innings. Despite giving up 10 hits, Glidden struck out nine batters and walked just one as the Patriots left eight runners on base.
Winning pitcher Jacoby Dicranian went the distance and threw 125 pitches in holding the Bears to just three hits. MAU took an early 2-0 lead, but John Satterfield got a run back in the third inning with an RBI single that scored Sam Bogart. The Bears tied the game in the sixth inning when Sean Cozza reached base on an error, got to third on a pair of wild pitches and scored on a sacrifice fly by Eric Kurucz.
Brattleboro bounced back from the loss to their Route 9 rival with a 9-3 win over Otter Valley on May 16 in Brandon. Zach Corbiel drove in four runs for the Bears, while Cozza drove in two runs to even the Bears' record at 5-5.
• Bellows Falls eked out a 9-8 victory over the Woodstock Wasps on May 13 at Hadley Field. The Terriers had a 6-2 lead after four innings, but the Wasps rallied to tie the game in the fifth. BF later took a 7-6 lead in the seventh inning, and again Woodstock came back and led 8-7 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
BF then pulled out the win after Eli Albee scored the tying run, and freshman catcher Quincy Knapp singled with the bases loaded to score Jake Tostrup with the winning run. Jacob Kissell was the winning pitcher in relief of Tostrup.
A 4-1 loss to Hartford on May 15 left the Terriers with a 5-5 record. Steven Joslyn was the losing pitcher and Jaden Bazin drove in BF's lone run in the loss.
• Twin Valley freshman pitcher Colton Corey struck out 14 batters as the Wildcats defeated the Proctor Phantoms, 7-6, on May 12. The win gave Twin Valley a sweep of the season series with Proctor.
The Wildcats then had a 9-0 loss to Poultney on May 14 as freshman pitcher Duke Kelley threw a no-hitter, striking out 15 batters over seven innings for the win. Twin Valley notched a 9-3 victory over West Rutland on May 15 as Halen Ranslow led the Wildcats with three hits. Twin Valley ended its week with a 3-4 record.
• Leland & Gray got a big win on May 12 in Townshend when they defeated Otter Valley, a Division II team, 5-1. Cody Hescock was hero, pitching a complete game three-hitter and driving in two of Rebels' runs. The Rebels then lost to White River Valley, 12-4, on May 15, to drop their season record to 3-5.
Softball
• Brattleboro had another rough week. It began on May 12 with a 15-5 loss to Hartford at Sawyer Field. Two days later in Bennington, Mount Anthony pitcher Emilee George threw a perfect game as the undefeated Patriots shut out the Bears, 12-0, in six innings on May 14.
The week ended with a 12-0 road loss to Otter Valley on May 16. Brattleboro was held to just three hits as Kayli Speno, Rose Stone, and Erika Fletcher were the only Bears to hit safely. The Bears fell to 1-10.
• Bellows Falls started its week with a 15-5 win over Springfield on May 12 in Westminster. The Terriers were then shut out by Hartford, 2-0, on May 14, but BF then clobbered Windsor, 17-4, on May 15 to improve their record to 7-3.
Despite being held to three hits in the Windsor game, the Terriers used aggressive base running and took advantage of numerous errors and miscues in an 11-run fifth inning that broke open a close game. Brielle Mulverhill and Delaney Stoodley split the pitching duties for the Terriers.
• Undefeated West Rutland defeated Leland & Gray, 10-2, in Townshend on May 14 as Emily Hopp, Kennah Wright-Chapman, and Peyton Guay all hit home runs for the Golden Horde.
The Rebels then beat Poultney, 13-6, on May 16 in Townshend to improve their record to 6-3.
• Proctor shut out visiting Twin Valley, 16-0, in five innings on May 12. The Wildcats were held to just two hits as winning pitcher Olivia Graham struck out 12 batters. The Wildcats then lost to Poultney, 12-2, to end their week at 1-6.
Lacrosse
• The Brattleboro boys started last week with two road games. They defeated Stratton Mountain School, 7-3, on May 12 and lost to Mount Anthony, 9-8, on May 14. The Bears then hosted St. Johnsbury on May 17 and lost 11-5 to drop their record to 3-8.
• The Brattleboro girls lost to Burr & Burton, 18-8, on May 14. The Bears are now 3-6 on the season.
Ultimate disc
• Brattleboro lost their first match of the season, as the 3-1 Bears were defeated by Burr & Burton, 15-13, on May 13 at Natowich Field.
• Leland & Gray is still without a win. On May 13, the Rebels lost to Long Trail School, 15-5, and were beaten 16-5 by Burr & Burton on May 15 to fall to 0-6 on the season.
Rec. Dept. offers summer volleyball
• The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department will offer summer adult volleyball on Monday nights from 6 to 8 p.m. at Living Memorial Park. This program will begin on June 2 and continue until August 25.
This program is designed for adults of all abilities and is a freelance program with no instructor. Pickup games will be played. Those 16 and older are eligible to play. Those 17 and under must have a waiver signed by a legal guardian.
The cost per night is $5 for Brattleboro residents and $7 for nonresidents. A season pass for Brattleboro residents is $50, and $75 for nonresidents. Register online at vtbrattleboroweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web or in person at the Gibson-Aiken Center on Main Street.
Learn to row on the Connecticut River
• The Putney Rowing Club's Learn to Row Clinic runs from June 7 to July 1 with eight sessions on Saturdays from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. and Tuesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. The cost is $250.
For information and to enroll, visit putneyrowingclub.org and click on About Us and Learn to Row.
Senior bowling roundup
• Week 3 of the spring/summer season of the Brattleboro Senior Bowling League at Brattleboro Bowl on May 15 saw the rest of the teams get their names and Cyclones (11.5-3.5) move into sole possession of first place. Dims (Team 9, 11-4) is second place, followed by 4Queens (Team 6) and Slo Movers (both 10.5-4.5), Team 7 (9-6), I.D. Care (8-7), Strikers (6-9), Having Fun (Team 8) and Leftovers (both 3-12), and Wayne's World (2.5-12.5).
Mary Piluski had the women's high handicap game (240) and series (658). Ian Lake had the men's high handicap game (250) and Chuck Adams had the high handicap series (706). Dims had the high team handicap game (878) and Cyclones had the high handicap series (2,499).
Adams had the men's high scratch series (671) with games of 235, 223, and 213, while Jerry Dunham had a 560 series with a 196 game and Warren Corriveau Sr. had a 539 series with games of 198 and 193. Rick Westcott had a 526 series with a 193 game, and Fred Ashworth had a 524 series with a 199 game. Robert Rigby had a 202 game, while Lake rolled a 195.
Carol Gloski had the women's high scratch series (488) and game (177). Pamela Greenblot had a 164 game and Nancy Dalzell rolled a 162.
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 [email protected].
This Sports column by Randolph T. Holhut was written for The Commons.