Repeat, Redemption & Perfection: Looking back at #vthsbaseball championship Saturday

     On June 13th, 3 teams got to lift the Vermont high school baseball trophy and be crowned Division champions.  For 1 team, they went back-to-back; for another, it's a redemption story many couldn't believe; for the third, the end of a perfect season and a 4-year title drought.  Let's look back at Saturday's title tilts.

D3:  Thetford 8, Bellows Falls 0

    As I've mentioned earlier in the week, Thetford's Xander Oshoniyi was a freshman who nearly no-hit White River Valley when they won the D3 title back in 2023, their first of what it now 3 title game appearances in 4 years.  In 2025, Oshoniyi and Miles Lawrence combined to knock off the Wildcats again.  In 2026, same 2 pitchers, roles reversed and Lawrence went longer and delivered another masterpiece.

Oh, and he's a Sophomore!

The Panthers used Lawerence's brilliance and Tommy Amber's 3-RBI Day to stymie Bellows Falls and capture back-to-back titles 8-0 over the Terriers.

After a bases-loaded walk plated Thetford's first run in the second and a passed ball made it 2-0, Amber delivered with a 2-run triple deep to right field.  An errant throw allowed him to score on the play, capping off the 4-run inning.

While BF had their chances (including putting 2 runners on in the fifth), Lawrence was able to shut down the Terriers, only allowing 3 hits along with 3 walks and 7 Ks in 6 innings pitched.

Oshoniyi would come on in the 7th and strike out the side to complete his high school career the same way he ended his freshman year:  as state champion.

D2:  Mount Abraham 5, Lyndon 3

    There are few things that will make me bias when it comes to high school sports.  My alma mater and my family are at the forefront of that.  One of those family members happens to be Mount Abraham's Calvin Peck.

    So, think about how I felt when he was at the plate and the Eagles capitalized on a double steal of 2nd and home to tie the Division 2 championship game against Lyndon Institute.

    It started a 4-run 4th that would be the difference in Mount Abe's 2-year redemption story as they would finally clinch the state title 5-3 against the Vikings at Centennial Field.

    Lyndon would get on the board first in the top of the 2nd when Connor Wood laced a 2-run single off of starter Evan Corrigan.  Mount Abe would get 1 back in the 3rd on an RBI groundout from Clark Crary to score Mazur.

    In the 4th, the Eagles put runners on the corners for Peck when Brody Barnard stole second and Corrigan stole home to make it 2-2.  After a wild pitch from Ray Powers scored Barnard, Jackson Jennings scored Peck to make it 4-2.  An MAU RBI groundout made it 5-2 Eagles after 4.

    After an amazing catch from Stefan Johnson in center led to a double play to end the 6th, Abe Ready would allow a run in the 7th before getting the final out.

    When that last swing and missed happened, there was a delayed reaction before the celebration began.  Alex Abrami noted that it might have had to do with what happened in 2024, when they had the title won only to have it overturned because a runner left the lane early to celebrate the potential winning moment.

    This time, 2 years later, The Eagles can celebrate their title win.

D1:  Essex 5, Mount Anthony 0

     The 2026 Essex Hornets have been a fun team to watch.  They went undefeated through the regular season, have had amazing pitching performances from the likes of Laroche, Bent, Barber and Max Smith, and had great offensive performances from the top of their lineup.

    In their semifinal win over Colchester, their hero was Alec Davis, who batted 7th in the lineup.  On Saturday, it was #6 hitter Trevor Trombley who got the Hornets' first hit and scored their first run en route to a 5-0 win over Mount Anthony and their first D1 title since 2022.

    Before that, Essex's Sam Bent had to get out of a jam early in the 1st.  With 2 runners in scoring position, Bent would strike out the next 2 batters he faced to keep the Patriots off the board.  His counterpart, Jacoby Dicarnian, would pitch 1-2-3 innings in the first and second to keep things scoreless.

    In the 3rd, after getting 2 more outs, Dicarnian would walk Aiden Iverson for the Hornets' first baserunner.  Iverson would steal second and third before scoring on a sac fly from Chris Morgan.

    Trombley's hit and a sac fly from Terwilliger made it 3-0 in the fourth and Essex would plate runs in the 5th (Lawrence sac fly) and 6th (Davis sac fly).

    Bent ended up going 6 innings, allowing 2 hits while walking 2 and striking out 7.  Jacob Laroche would come in to finish the game.  Dicarnian would go 4 innings only allowing the 1 hit but allowing 3 runs and walking 3 batters.  He did strike out 5 in the contest.

Note:  Today's D1 title game marked the final event for Essex activities director Jeff Goodrich with the school.  Goodrich will retire, but still be with the VSADA and chair the VPA bass fishing committee...Goodrich's replacement will be Mount Abe AD Devin Wendel, who's final event with the Eagles was the D2 final that took place before the D1 final.

#vthsbaseball Championship preview

     The final weekend of the Vermont high school sports season is upon us with 12 titles on the line across 3 venues and 3 days (Friday-Sunday).  The baseball finals have become a tradition at Delta Dental Diamond at Centennial Field, and the 2026 games feature all 4 top seeds advancing with a split between the 2 and 3 seeds.  So, what are the main storylines to look at and who might be the players to watch in all 4 title games?  Here's my look at the 2026 Vermont high school baseball championship games.

D4:  Mount St. Joseph's/Mill River vs. Blue Mountain (Friday @ 6:30PM)

    For the 6th year in a row, the Blue Mountain Bucks will be playing for the D4 title Friday night.  They'll be looking to finish off the state's first 4-peat in 25 years against an MSJ squad that hasn't won a title since 1949 (MRU, who co-ops with the Mounties, won a title in 2014).  The Bucks defeated Proctor 3-2 to make the final while Mount St. Joseph's knocked out Hazen 8-2 to make their first title game appearance since the Minutemen's last title.

D3:  Bellows Falls vs. Thetford (Saturday @ 11AM)

    The Thetford Academy Panthers are in their third D3 championship game in 4 years.  In their first of those appearances (2023), the state was introduced to Xander Oshoniyi, who flirted with a no-hitter en route to that year's championship.  Now as a senior, Oshoniyi and Thetford are looking to make it back-to-back titles and finish one of the state's most impressive runs.

    Bellows Falls is looking to spoil the fun and win their first state baseball championship since 1999.  Coach Lockerby already has a football state championship this school year, but a win on Saturday would be the perfect ending to a perfect year.

D2:  Lyndon vs. Mount Abraham (Saturday @ 2:30PM)

    Two years ago, in one of the most surprising conclusions to a game you'll ever see, the Mount Abe Eagles seemed to have won the D2 state title.  That moment would be overturned as the team celebrated too early and a runner was ruled out for leaving the basepath.  Their rivals Middlebury would win the game in extras and jubilation turned to heartbreak for Mount Abe.

    Now they are heading back to Centennial with a chance at redemption and their first title in 10 years.  Their opponents will be Lyndon Institute, who had a great defensive performance against Otter Valley to get here.  Keep an eye on Abe Ready for the Eagles and Logan Wheeler for the Vikings as they have played pivotal roles for their teams all season.

D1:  Mount Anthony vs. Essex (Saturday @ 6PM)

    Whenever I think about this matchup, I go back to the year 2002.  These two schools faced off in the D1 title game that year with my brother being part of the Essex team as a statistician.  It went into extra innings with Josh Santerre hitting the walk-off home run to give the Hornets the title.

    The 2026 Essex baseball team needed that same moment to get to Centennial with Alec Davis playing the hero role on Tuesday.  In an amazing pitcher duel between Jacob Laroche and Colchester's Vinny Wagoner, it was Davis (on a hit and run) driving home the winning run against the Lakers to get them to the title game for the first time since 2022.

    Meanwhile, Mount Anthony is in the same spot as Thetford:  3 title game appearances in the last 4 years.  Unlike the Panthers, the Patriots have gone 0-2 in those games with last year's matchup against St. Johnsbury likely on the mind of those who were there.  MAU knocked off CVU in the semifinals to make it back to Centennial.

Vermont High School Baseball predictions

     In less than 2 weeks, Vermont high school seniors will be walking down the aisle to grab their diplomas and head off to new and exciting opportunities.  For student-athletes, they hope to grab one more piece of hardware before their high school careers are over:  a medal and championship trophy.

    In Vermont high school baseball, anything can happen.  We have seen top seeds fall early and high seeds make it to Centennial Field.  We'll see games take place in the morning and others determined at night.  It should make for some exciting action and dramatic moments.

    But who will come out from all 4 divisions?  Here are my thoughts.

Division 1:

    The Essex Hornets may be the most complete team in Vermont high school baseball.  They have multiple pitchers who can carry them through 6-7 innings (J. LaRoche, B. Barber, S. Bent).  They have hitters who can get on with their speed or power.  The only team that has played them close all season has been Colchester (2 1-run wins).

    The problem:  if they want to get back to Centennial, they have to get through the Lakers squad led by Jackson Pecor and coach Tom Perry, still look for the elusive baseball title (football claimed the 2025 championship in the fall).

    The bottom half sees CVU as the favorite to make it back to the championship game.  Mount Anthony is #3, but most of their games have been against southern teams from other divisions or out of state.

Final:  Essex 5, CVU 2

    Oliver Lawrence powers the Hornets to their first title since 2022 in a grueling matchup with the RedHawks.

Division 2:

    If you're looking for a magic number in the D2 baseball tournament, it might be 6.  That seed has made the title game the last 3 seasons.  This year's #6 is Middlebury, who knocked off Mount Abraham to claim the 2024 state title.

    BTW, the Eagles are the #1 seed and have one of the state's best hitters in Abe Ready.  But as we've seen in the past, anyone could pull off an upset and make it to the final.  However, the way Otter Valley has played in 2026, it would take a perfect game (maybe not an actual one) to stop them in the bottom half of the bracket.

Final:  Mount Abraham 4, Otter Valley 3 (8)

    Eagles get the walk off win and claim their first title since 2016 while also avenging their 2024 loss.

Division 3:

    Over the last 3 years, White River Valley has made the trip to Centennial Field but came up empty.  2 of those 3 years were against Xander Oshoniyi and Thetford Academy.  The 1 difference had to be in 2024 when the schools were matched up in the same half of the bracket and the Wildcats knocked off the Panthers in the semifinals.  In 2026, that same scenario could play out as WRV are seeded 5 while TA are 1 of 2 undefeated baseball teams remaining in the state.

    The bottom of the bracket is led by Bellows Falls, who have been so close to the title game having been a top-4 seed 4 of the last 5 years.  Can the Terriers finally break through and make it to Centennial for the first time since 2016?

Final:  Thetford 2, Bellows Falls 0

    Panthers repeat as champions by shutting out the Terriers.

Division 4:

    Imagine coming in as a freshman and seeing one of your school's teams make it to the title game every year.  It has happened in many sports (Soccer, Basketball to name a couple), but it's pretty rare in baseball.

    Blue Mountain has not only made the title game the last 3 years but have won it each year.  That includes against West Rutland in 2025, a matchup that would take place in the semifinals in 2026.

    The bottom half of the bracket has Mount St. Joseph's and Leland & Gray (another school who the Bucks have defeated in the final over the last 3 years).  The Green Wave last made the title game in 2014 and neither school have won in D4 (MSJ=3 D1 titles in the 1940s; L&G=D3 win in 2010).

Final:  Blue Mountain 5, MSJ 1

    Green Wave ends their title-game drought, but the Bucks use their pitching and defense to complete 4-peat.

Costly Errors, heads up baserunning helps Essex to home-opening win

     In a game where runs became a minimum and pitchers from both the Essex and Colchester baseball teams got out of multiple jams, it would take one swing of momentum to decide the home opener at Ferrera Field for the host Hornets.

    Catcher Oli Lawrence delivered that swing to open the bottom of the fifth inning and, with the help of miscues from the Lakers defense, score the winning run for a 4-3 victory, handing Colchester their first loss of 2026.

    The score was 3-3 after 1 inning of play as a combined 17 players batted in the opening frame (8 Lakers, 9 Hornets).  The first batter of the game (Colchester's Jackson Pecor) caused some concern for Essex after outfielders Chris Morgan and Jacob Laroche (who threw a no-hitter Thursday @ BBA) collided on a fly ball to left.  Laroche was slow to get up with a knee injury but would stay in the game.

    Both Essex's Bryce Barber and Colchester's Vinny Wagoner (and John Luter in the 4th) would keep things even through the fourth.  After the Hornets got a double play to end the top of the fifth, Lawrence would start the bottom of the inning with a leadoff single.  He would go first to third on a wild throw by Luter and score on an error by the catcher.

    Sam Bent would come in to get the final out in the sixth and pitched a perfect 7th to close things out for the Hornets.

Other scores:  SJA starts the season 0-2 with losses to South Burlington (10-7) Thursday and Rice (2-1) on Saturday...CVU starts the 2026 campaign with a 22-1 (5) win over Rutland...Mount Anthony (2025 D1 Runner-ups) fall to Burlington 2-1 on Saturday...Colchester softball scores 5 runs in the seventh to pull away from Essex 13-6.

News:  Essex High School activities director Jeff Goodrich informed me today that he is retiring after the 2026 school year.  During his over 30-year tenure at the school, Goodrich was a social studies teacher, assistant principal and athletic director.  He also coached the boy's basketball program to two state championships:  1 as an assistant coach under Rob Reardon in 1998, then as the head coach in 2010.  Goodrich will remain active in retirement, which does include continuing as chair of the VPA Bass Fishing committee.

Slaters Bowling repeat in thrilling comeback

    On Sunday, Fair Haven teammates Aiden Goyette and George Stamp capped off the individual tournament at Rutland going head-to-head.  In the end, it was Goyette who took home the title with Stamp finishing runner-up.

    In Barre on Saturday, when they were needed most, coach Joe Donaldson knew who to call upon with the final tied up at 2 games apiece versus #1 seed Randolph and game 5 ending tied at 204-204.

    At the end, they delivered, striking out in the roll-off and capping off a decisive game 6 as the Slaters become the first bowling team since 2019 to go back-to-back as state champions.

    Here's a look at the remainder of the tournament from round 1 at 9AM to the final match.

Round 1

    In the first round, Craftsbury Academy faced off with White River Valley while Burlington and Brattleboro met in the other match.  WRV swept CA but only won by 1-pin in game 4.   BHS had to go an extra game against the Bears, but they were able to advance to the Quarterfinals.

Quarterfinals

    Randolph, Essex and Fair Haven swept their matches in the QF round against BHS, South Burlington/Colchester and WRV respectively.  Meanwhile, Windsor and St. Johnsbury split the first four games of their match before the Hilltoppers took the last 2 games to advance to the semifinals.

Semifinals

    All 4 teams split the first two games in their respective SF matchups (RUHS vs. EHS; SJA vs. FH).  In game 3, the Hilltoppers knocked off the Slaters by 1 pin only for Fair Haven to take the next 3 (going over 200 in each match) to advance.  Essex tried to keep things close and won game 5 in their match, but the Ghosts were just too much for the Hornets as they were knocked out in the semifinal round for the second time in three years.

Championship Match

    In the final match, Randolph got out to an early advantage while Fair Haven looked like it was starting to come undone, wondering if they were going to fall short in their repeat bid.

    Down 0-2, Coach Donaldson had a lengthy chat with his team, motivating them and the Slater crowd at Twin City Lanes to bring the energy for the rest of the match.  In addition, FH made a change to their lineup, adding Reagan Stamp (sister of George and Maddie) and JW Adams-Sliva to bowl the first and sixth frame.

    The move worked out as they would take the next 2 games prior to the 204 tie and the dramatic strike out from George and Aiden in game 5.  The Slaters would clinch the title 237-189 in the sixth game, becoming the first team since 2016 to sweep the state and individual title in the same season (Windsor).

    The Slaters one-upped their title run in 2024-25 with a perfect 300 and individual champion from the same bowler (Goyette) along with a 2nd straight championship.  With most of their entire crew returning next season, Coach Donaldson is definitely looking for a 3-peat in 2027 and, by all means, should be favored.

6 Things to know before the Vermont High School Bowling championships

     After 10 weeks of thrilling action, tournament time has arrived in Vermont high school bowling.  Before this Saturday's individual tournament at Rutland and the state tournament in Barre on February 28, here are 5 things you should know about the teams involved.

1---Stamps on Fair Haven repeat?

    In 2025, George and Madison Stamp led the Fair Haven bowling team to their first state title since 2022, knocking off 2024 champs Randolph in the finals.  George has continued success in 2026, taking the top spot in the individual standings heading into Saturday's tournament.  Meanwhile, the Slaters' Aiden Goyette made history during the campaign, becoming the second bowler in VT bowling history to get a perfect game (300) in week 3 of the season.  It's been nearly a decade since a school has had an individual champion while also winning the state title, but FH has a great chance to do it in 2026.

2---Randolph revenge incoming?

    The Ghosts are the #1 seed in the state tournament on February 28 and had 4 bowlers finish in the individual top 15.  Sophomore Nathan Luciano tops the group as the #2 bowler during the regular season while helping the squad rack up 30 wins in Baker (team) matches.  Can Randolph make it back-to-back individual winners on Saturday and return to the top on the 28th?

3---St. Johnsbury climbing up.

    The Hilltoppers have been a top 5 team throughout their 3 seasons since returning to the VT bowling scene.  In 2026, St. J finished in the #3 spot as a team and could be on a collision course with Fair Haven in the state tournament.  On January 31, the Slaters swept SJA in the first-place match at SpareTime, but the Hilltoppers were perhaps one pin away from taking one of those games from FH.  What could happen in a best-of-7 series between the two teams in Barre?

4---Essex, SBC battle once more

    For the second time in 3 years, Essex and South Burlington/Colchester will battle it out in the state tournament.  In 2024, the Strikers knocked off the Hornets in 7 games.  Last week, Essex got the best of SBC in their best-of-3 final to clinch the #4 seed in the state tournament, but how will the 2 teams fare in Barre?

5---Dark Horse Jackets?

    Windsor will head into the state tournament as the #6 seed but riding some momentum knowing they can hang with the best.  The Yellowjackets have bowled .500 or better the last 6 weeks of the regular season, including first place finishes in weeks 6 and 7.  Will that be enough to get by St. Johnsbury and make a deep run in the state tournament?

6---A first round surprise?

    In the first round of the state tournament on February 28th, Craftsbury will face White River Valley while Burlington takes on Brattleboro.  While history may not favor the teams playing early (9AM start), we've seen schools in the past go from round 1 to the finals (most notably South Burlington in 2024 when there were 11 teams).  Could history repeat itself in 2026?

    Notes:  2026 will mark the first time since 2022 that the state tournament is being held at Twin City Lanes in Barre (last 3 were at SpareTime)...Top 32 bowlers will make up the individual tournament at Rutland Bowlerama on Saturday...10 VT seniors will face the best bowlers from New Hampshire on March 7 at Maple Lanes in Claremont, NH.

Vermont High School Bowling Rundown

     The weather has gotten colder, but the winter sports season is about to heat up in Vermont.  While most of the coverage is going to involve basketball and hockey locally, my venture for the fourth year in a row will be in high school bowling.  We've seen teams rise to amazing firsts and others continue success from years before.  We've even seen new teams try to make a name for themselves in the sport.  The 2025-26 season begins this Saturday and will wrap up on February 28th with the state championship at SpareTime in Colchester.  Before that, a few notes about how high school bowling works.

    Each match begins with an individual round where all bowlers will throw 2 games to determine their average for the week.  Those averages are totaled and divided by the number of bowlers to get the total average score, which determines each team's placement during the match.  Individual totals are also critical as the top 32 bowlers at the end of the regular season advance to the individual tournament on February 21st at Rutland Bowlerama.

    Once the totals are determined, the teams in the match are seeded for the Bakers round of the match.  Most matches have 3 teams facing off while others have 4.  In the case of 3-team matches, the teams finishing 2nd and 3rd would face off with the winner facing the top seed; in 4-team matches, 1 faces 4 and 2 faces 3 with the winners facing for the win and the losers battling for 3rd.

    The Bakers format is a best-of-3 where each team chooses 5 bowlers to try and knock down the most pins.  In each match, bowler 1 will throw the first and sixth frame, bowler 2 throws the second and seventh frame and so forth.

    In the tournaments, the individual round begins with a bracket-style format determined by the best 2-score averages at the event (regular season averages may determine tiebreakers).  Eliminations continue until the final 4 individuals remain.  From there, it's a stepladder final to determine the champion (4 vs. 3; winner faces 2; winner faces 1).

    The state championship will be a best-of-7 series in the Bakers format.  Winners move on to the next round with the final round determining the state champions.

    As of December 16, there are 10 teams competing in high school bowling for 2025-2026:  Essex (EHS), Burlington (BHS), South Burlington/Colchester (SBC), White River Valley (WRV), Randolph (RAND), Brattleboro (BRAT), Windsor (WIND), St. Johnsbury (SJA), Craftsbury (CA) and defending state champions Fair Haven (FH).  On December 13th, the Ghosts defeated Fair Haven in the Kickoff Classic at Rutland, getting a big of revenge from their 2025 final which saw the Slaters take home the title.

    One final message:  I've gone out to a lot of high school sporting events over the years, and I have seen my fair share of unsportsmanlike conduct.  Sometimes it's from the players but mostly this involves the fans in the stands who are berating officials, opposing players or even their own team.  When I first went to a bowling event (2023 state championship), I saw something that made me feel happy:  the joy from each team not just for their teammates, but for their competitors as well.  If you come out to a match (regular season or tournament), you have the chance to feel that too.  I hope to hear from you all in 2025 (my e-mail is in my X/twitter bio) or see you at the matches.  Until then, peace, love and hopefully a few turkeys or hambones mixed in.

#vthsfootball Why...

...will the D2 championship be the game of the day?

    Of all the Vermont high school football games on championship Saturday, only one involve teams not seeded #1 or #2.  That's Fair Haven vs. Colchester in the D2 final.

    The Slaters come in at #5, but winners of 6 in a row and an upset of top-seed Hartford in the semifinals last Friday.  Sam Kyhill has been the biggest piece of that success, but Cody Adams stepped up big time in Hartford to get them to Munson Field.

    The Lakers have used their Metro division schedule to toughen up at the right time, dominating on D in both wins against Rice and Lyndon to make it to the title game for the 2nd time in 3 years.  Colton Lefebvre's 4 TD passes in the semifinal win played a key role for an offense that has used the running game to find their success all season.

    In the end, these two programs will have to handle both sides of the ball and make key plays late to get the job done.  But how will the Munson turf play in the game between two teams who have had little experience on turf in 2025?  That's what could make this an exciting final and close at the end.

...will the D3 championship game be a low scoring affair?

    In week 8 of the season, Bellows Falls traveled to Woodstock for a game that would decide the top seed in the Division 3 playoffs.  Both teams found success in a high scoring game that went to double overtime before a winner was determined.

    The Wasps would end up winning 60-52 and clinch the #1 seed with other week 8 results going their way.  But it hasn't stopped the Terriers from getting to the final, dispatching of Mill River and MAV in the playoffs to get to South Burlington and the D3 final.

    Meanwhile, Woodstock have shut out each of their playoff opponents (Windsor and Otter Valley) to get to 9 straight wins after an opening week loss to D2 U-32.  

    Top 2 teams in D3 and 2 great offenses going head-to-head with Bazin and Conners for BF against Emery and Oates for Woodstock.  But if you're expecting a similar result from the regular season finale, I have a feeling both teams will push their defense to get better, leading to a lower scoring game on Saturday.  Maybe both teams get to 35 in the end, but I can't see another triple-digit combined performance from these teams just 3 weeks after the first one.

...will the D1 final come down to the passing game?

    Middlebury is one of the most prolific programs when it comes to running the football and finding success with it.  St. Johnsbury has the Palmeri duo (Davis and Vincent) who have pushed their way to a combined 13 TD runs with QB Maddox McFarland adding another 13 on the ground.

    But McFarland also has 13 TD passes and I think that arm will come into play when it's needed most.  While the Tigers D have been able to stop the passing game (Marshall Eddy has 12 PBUs this season), they haven't played against Maddox and SJA this year.  It will be up to the sophomore QB to find his receivers to keep the Hilltoppers in the title game.

    With game time slated for 5PM, it's going to be a chilly night and could lead to more running plays.  But all it takes is one play from a QB to change the complexion of the game.

Okay, one more.

...will this championship Saturday at South Burlington be the best one yet?

    because the support of the fans, the players and everyone at Munson Field will showcase the positive of high school athletics.  As long as everyone keeps a positive vibe on Saturday, every game will deliver and finish with an experience no one will forget.

Thank you, best of luck to all the teams and enjoy the games on Saturday!

#vthsfootball QF recaps

     12 teams down, 12 teams remain on the road to Munson Field and championship Saturday.  Here's a recap of Quarterfinal/Wild Card week in Vermont high school football:

Division 1:  OT thriller and a key injury

    Burr and Burton and Essex went through an offensive struggle in the rain on Friday night with a late drive leading to the Bulldogs' game-tying TD that would force overtime.  After Essex was stopped on their goal-to-go possession (HS OT rules in VT), BBA scored on a Sam Dowd TD Pass to Caleb Perry to knock off the Hornets in the Quarterfinals.  The Bulldogs will travel to Middlebury in the Semifinals after the Tigers took care of BFA in similar conditions at home Thursday night.

    In the other half of the bracket, Rutland pulled away from Mount Anthony in the second half of their contest while St. Johnsbury went wire-to-wire once again vs. CVU.  The Hilltoppers did lose their star QB Maddox McFarland in the game with an ankle injury, leaving his status unknown for Friday's semifinal against Rutland.

 

Division 2:  Baning dominance as favorites prevail

    Hartford's undefeated run nearly came to an end against Colchester in week 8, but the Hurricanes left no doubt early against 8-seed MMU.  RB Rex Baning had 4 rushing TDs on only 5 carries to lead Hartford to a 49-21 victory Thursday night.  Up next for the top-seed Hurricanes:  the defending D2 champs Fair Haven on Friday night after the Slaters took care of business at U-32 Saturday night.

    Meanwhile, Lyndon and Colchester dominated in their Quarterfinal matchups against Spaulding and Rice, respectively, to set up their semifinal game at LI Saturday.

Division 3:  Otters' run continues while top 3 shut out competition

    While the top 3 seeds in D3 all advanced to the semifinals without allowing a point (WOOD and BF Thursday night; MAV on Saturday), Otter Valley's winning streak went to 6 with a 34-24 road win against Fairfax/Lamoille.  While the Otters did lose starting RB Keegan Reid to injury in the game, Zac Dragon returned to form, finding Chase Razanouski 3 times for TDs on Saturday en route to their second straight playoff win at Fairfax.

    Now Otter Valley will have the same route as last year:  Beat the Bullets, face Woodstock in the next round.  This time, it's in the semifinals on the road.  Meanwhile, Mount Abe/Vergennes travel to Bellows Falls in the other semifinal.  Both games at 7PM Friday night.

Stats and notes from BFP.

#vthsfootball Playoff Predictions

     Normally, this would be the time to do my 5 Things from Week 8 of the Vermont high school football season.  Maybe it would include how Essex showed their dominance early and resilience late against Rutland?  How about Otter Valley defeating Rice and giving Woodstock #1 in D3 after the Wasps' 2OT thriller against Bellows Falls?  What do we make of Hartford's undefeated season in D2?

    Well, I thought I'd do something different...something I hadn't done all year but, since it's postseason time, makes sense to do.  Here are my picks for EVERY playoff game in all 3 divisions.

Division 1

Middlebury over BFA

St. Johnsbury over CVU

Rutland over Mount Anthony

Burr and Burton over Essex

Semifinals

Middlebury over BBA

Rutland over SJA

Final:  Middlebury 28, Rutland 24

Tigers end 11-year title drought with defensive stop late vs. Rutland.

Division 2

Hartford over Mount Mansfield

Lyndon over Spaulding

Colchester over Rice

Fair Haven over U-32

Semifinals

Hartford over Fair Haven

Colchester over Lyndon

Final:  Hartford 31, Colchester 14

Hurricanes complete undefeated season with complete game vs. Lakers

Division 3

Woodstock over Windsor

Bellows Falls over Mill River

Mount Abraham over Springfield

Otter Valley over Fairfax/Lamoille

Semifinals

Woodstock over Otter Valley

Bellows Falls over Mount Abraham

Final:  Bellows Falls 33, Woodstock 22

Terriers get revenge on lone loss and win first state title since 2021

5 Things from #vthsfootball week 7

     The final week of the 2025 Vermont high school football regular season is a few days away and the best teams in the state have solidified their spots in the playoffs.  But there are still some seeding questions left to be answered as we head into this week.  Those seeding scenarios (with the help of our friend Pat Lynch of WCAX) are the five things from week 7.

1---Bellows Falls/Woodstock for D3 regular season crown?

    While the Terriers are undefeated in 2025, Woodstock have dominated their opponents since the week 1 loss to U-32.  But even if the Wasps knock off BF on Friday night, they need a multi-team "Parlay" to have any shot of the #1 seed.

2---Milton could be passed by 1-win teams after week 8.

    I mentioned it last week, but the QPR system hasn't helped the Yellow Jackets one bit in an attempt to make the 2025 D2 playoffs (but neither has their play as I saw in their 40-12 loss to Rice on Saturday).  

    Milton could beat Springfield on Friday night and still finish outside the postseason if MMU knocks off BFA and both Poultney and Missisquoi lose on Saturday.  If North Country can knock off Brattleboro Friday night, MMU only need one of those Saturday results to happen for them to make it.

3---Rutland, Essex and a D1 home playoff game

    One of the greatest rivalries between teams on both sides of the "Middlebury-Dixie Line," The Hornets and former Raiders battle in week 8 for not just bragging rights, but also to host a playoff game in the Quarterfinals.

    An Essex win guarantees them #4 (#3 if 7 different games go right); a loss forces them on the road if BBA wins.  A Rutland win and "The Game" between LI and SJA might determine #2.

4---VFN shines in 2025

    As we head into the final week of the season, I have to applaud Eric Berry and the crew from Northeast Sports Network who have been the driving force of getting to as many games as possible during the high school football season.

    Berry, Alan Ruggles, Ken Wells and Paul Wheeler are among the main crew who have called their fair share of games during the 2025 season (mostly involving NCU, LI and SJA).  Last week, NSN covered 7 of the 8 Friday night games that took place (the only one they missed was Seawolves/Colchester) and have become the must-have app/website to watch future sporting events for the rest of the school year and hopefully beyond.

    While their playoff coverage may move to NFHS (a subscription-based service), it won't take away from how important they have been to covering the student-athletes who make every Friday night and Saturday afternoon (and sometimes Thursday nights) must-see.

5---Week 8 Slate

Mount Anthony (3-4) @ Fair Haven (3-4) (Thursday @ 6:30PM)

Mount Mansfield (1-6) @ BFA-St. Albans (2-5) (Friday @ 7PM) (NSN)

North Country (0-7) @ Brattleboro (0-7) (Friday @ 7PM) (NSN)

Champlain Valley (2-5) @ Burr and Burton (4-3) (Friday @ 7PM) (NSN)

Essex (4-3) @ Rutland (5-2) (Friday @ 7PM) (NSN)

Middlebury (6-1) @ Burlington/South Burlington (0-7) (Friday @ 7PM) (NFHS)

Colchester (5-2) @ Hartford (7-0) (Friday @ 7PM) (NFHS)

Springfield (4-3) @ Milton (2-5) (Friday @ 6:30PM) (LCATV)

U-32 (3-4) @ Spaulding (3-4) (Friday @ 7PM) (CVT)

Bellows Falls (7-0) @ Woodstock (6-1) (Friday @ 7PM)

Otter Valley (4-3) @ Rice (4-3) (Saturday @ 1PM)

Windsor (2-5) @ BFA-Fairfax (5-2) (Saturday @ 1PM)

Mill River (3-4) @ Missisquoi (0-7) (Saturday @ 1PM) (NSN)

Mount Abraham/Vergennes (6-1) @ Poultney (0-7) (Saturday @ 1PM) (NYVT)

Lyndon (6-1) @ St. Johnsbury (6-1) (Saturday @ 5PM) (NSN)

5 Things from #vthsfootball week 6

     2 weeks remain but still a lot to be determine as far as who will make the playoffs and where those teams will be seeded.  Also, another underclassman has found his way into the race for Vermont's top player, and while a couple of divisions have their playoff hopefuls, one could be determined by who loses in week 8 instead of who wins.  Here are this week's 5 things:

1---Bobwhites, Yellow Jackets pull ahead in respective 8-seed battle

    On a chilly Thursday night at Munson Field, BFA-St. Albans defeated Burlington/South Burlington 10-7 to take a 2-game lead in the race for 8th place in Division 1.  Saturday, Windsor came back to defeat Poultney 29-20, improving to 2-4 and likely solidifying their spot in 8th as well.

2---Maddox, Hilltoppers ruin Essex's homecoming & senior night

    It's been an amazing season for St. Johnsbury Academy, and they can thank Sophomore Maddox McFarland for their 5-1 record.  

    The Hilltoppers have relied on McFarland's arm in most of their games.  But on Friday night, it was Maddox's running that contributed the most with 4 rushing TDs and a game-sealing 74-yard carry to outlast the Hornets on their homecoming and senior nights.

    McFarland's recent success puts him in the same category as Jaden Bazin as far as underclassmen who can help lead a program to success down the line.

3---Another week, more D1 wins for Colchester, Hartford

    The Lakers knocked off defending D1 champs CVU 20-7 in a very complete game on both sides of the ball, while the Hurricanes won at home 37-7 to Burr and Burton in a game that was competitive at the start until Hartford pulled away in the second half.

4---A wacky scenario in D2 playoffs

    On Friday night, Milton and Mount Mansfield both lost in convincing fashion against MAV and U-32, respectively.  The Yellowjackets are 2-4 and the Cougars are 1-5, but when you look at the QPR rankings, a unique scenario has come into play.

    Both teams have an identical number of points (1.25), but it's MMU that is ahead in 8th place.  This means that even with losses in their final 2 games, the Cougars can make the playoffs at 1-7 if Milton loses their final 2 games (@ Rice and home to Springfield).  Easily put, we could see some chaos in week 8 depending on outcomes from week 7.

5---Week 7 Slate (streaming info unofficial)

Essex (3-3) @ BFA-St. Albans (2-4) (Friday @ 7PM) (NSN)

Brattleboro (0-6) @ Mount Anthony (2-4) (Friday @ 7PM) (NFHS)

Burr and Burton (4-2) @ Middlebury (5-1) (Friday @ 7PM) (NSN)

Champlain Valley (2-4) @ St. Johnsbury (5-1) (Friday @ 7PM) (NSN)

Rutland (5-1) @ Hartford (6-0) (Friday @ 7PM) (NSN)

Burlington/South Burlington (0-6) @ Colchester (3-3) (Friday @ 7PM) (LCATV)

Fair Haven (2-4) @ U-32 (3-3) (Friday @ 7PM) (NSN)

Lyndon (5-1) @ North Country (0-6) (Friday @ 7PM) (NSN)

Milton (2-4) @ Rice (3-3) (Saturday @ 1PM) (NSN)

Bellows Falls (6-0) @ Mount Mansfield (1-5) (Saturday @ 1PM) (MMCTV)

Spaulding (3-3) @ Mount Abraham (5-1) (Saturday @ 1PM) (NFHS)

BFA-Fairfax (4-2) @ Missisquoi (0-6) (Saturday @ 1PM) (NSN)

Springfield (4-2) @ Mill River (2-4) (Saturday @ 1PM)

Poultney (0-6) @ Otter Valley (3-3) (Saturday @ 6:30PM) (NSN)

Woodstock (5-1) @ Windsor (2-4) (Saturday @ 1PM)

5 Things from #vthsfootball Week 5

     In my last 5 things, I noted the strong performances from teams in the southern part of the Vermont high school football realm.  So, it wasn't any surprise that part of the state had the most dramatic and exciting performances from Week 5 of the season.  Here are this week's 5 things.

1---Rutland/MAU play offensive classic

    It was a back-and-forth matchup in Bennington as Mount Anthony had their homecoming game vs. Rutland.  Asa Reis and Grady Gallagher made big plays on offense, but it was Gio Spalleri finding Cellan Wood (a BFP breakout performer) for the go-ahead score late in the 4th quarter and an INT from Jon Crossman that gave the team formerly known as the Raiders a 42-39 win, spoiling the Patriots festivities.

 

2---This season's best player is...just a sophomore?

    Bellows Falls may be in D3, but after defeating the defending D2 state champions Friday night, they're 5-0 on the season.  One of the biggest reasons for their success is Sophomore RB/DB Jaden Bazin, who scored 5 TDs and came up with an INT on defense in the Terriers' 52-27 win over Fair Haven on Friday Night.  As the great Jack Healy of NSN noted, Bazin did "Everything except play in the band and sell popcorn in the stands."

3---SJA rebounds from Rutland loss in dominant fashion

    While they did face a rebuilding Seawolves team on Saturday, seeing St. Johnsbury up close gave me a chance to see one of the contenders in Division 1.  Maddox McFarland looked great both running and throwing the ball; Vincent Palmeri made guys miss all day and the defense kept Burlington/South Burlington under duress throughout their 49-7 win at Munson Field, a venue the Hilltoppers hope to get back to next month. 

4---D2 Hartford outplays D1 Middlebury

    It was a battle of undefeated teams in Middlebury, but it was Hartford who came out firing on Friday night en route to a 28-13 win over the Tigers.  Rex Baning had another great game with 2 total TDs while the Hurricanes D held Middlebury to 7 points in the first half.  At the moment, it might come down to Rutland in 2 weeks to try and stop Hartford from ending the year undefeated.

5---More realignment?  8-Man football?  The future of the sport.

    Every week, once the final games finish off (or in this case as BFA/Colchester was going on), I'll head on the X app to recap the week's action.  On the Week 5 Recap Show, we had a discussion about the future of the sport in the state of Vermont.

    This came after NSN's Eric Berry had posted on his blog (top post) his idea of realigning the teams into 4 divisions.  I encourage all who see this to look at Eric's post, then tap the other link to check out the space from Saturday for my thoughts on the situation.

5 things from #vthsfootball Week 4

     We have made it to the halfway point of the Vermont High School Football season.  Most of the top 4 teams in each division is either 4-0 or 3-1 but there are still opportunities for those in the bottom of the division to make a move and give those at the top a run for their money.  For now, let's look back at Week 4 and see what we've learned heading down the homestretch.

1---Burr and Burton uses strong 2nd half to knock off Essex

    After both teams' quarterbacks (Dowd for BBA, Bent for EHS) scored in the first half for a 7-6 Bulldogs lead.  Both teams would score to start the second half, and the Hornets were looking to respond after a big 4th down conversion, only for Burr and Burton to force a fumble and return it all the way for a TD to take control of the game.  Owen Cassan had 2 rushing touchdowns in that half as part of the Bulldogs run of 20 unanswered points as they knocked off Essex 27-13 in a pivotal Division 1 matchup.

2---Patriots run away from Rice; ready for D1 test

    Mount Anthony improved to 2-2 on the season with a 43-6 win vs. Rice on Saturday.  Both wins have come against D2 opponents (other being MMU) with a pair of massive D1 games coming up next (vs. Rutland, vs. Middlebury).

3---Rutland's Gallagher plays hero against St. Johnsbury

    Grady Gallagher was among the star players from the 2024 Rutland football team that made the D1 championship game vs. CVU.  He played that role perfectly on Friday night at home against a St. J squad that came in undefeated.

    Gallagher ran for 2 TDs and had a game-sealing INT to hand the Hilltoppers their first loss of the season 21-13, part of a major weekend for teams south of the "Middlebury-Dixie Line" in VT high school football.

4---Game that looked good on paper ended up as drubbings

    It was the 112th meeting between Springfield and Bellows Falls, but for the 15th year in a row, it's the Terriers bringing the trophy home after a dominant performance against the Cosmos on Friday night.

5---Week 5 slate of games (to be updated before Friday)

Hartford @ Middlebury (Friday @ 7PM) (NSN)

Rutland @ Mount Anthony (Friday @ 7PM) (NSN)

St. Johnsbury @ Burlington/South Burlington (Friday @ 7PM) (NSN)

North Country @ U-32 (Friday @ 7PM) (CVT Sport?)

Fair Haven @ Bellows Falls (Friday @ 7PM) (NSN)

Mill River @ Woodstock (Friday @ 7PM)

Poultney @ Springfield (Friday @ 7PM) (NFHS/YT)

Lyndon @ Mount Mansfield (Saturday @ 1PM) (NSN)

Missisquoi @ Milton (Saturday @ 1PM) (LCATV)

BFA-St. Albans @ Colchester (Saturday @ 7PM) (NSN/LCATV)

Brattleboro @ Burr and Burton (Saturday @ 1PM) (NSN)

Essex @ Champlain Valley (Saturday @ 1PM) (NFHS)

Rice @ Mount Abraham (Saturday @ 1PM) (NFHS)

BFA-Fairfax @ Spaulding (Saturday @ 6PM) (CVT Sport?)

Otter Valley @ Windsor (Saturday @ 1PM)

5 things from #vthsfootball week 3

 1---Another defensive stand keeps Lyndon undefeated

    Lyndon Institute faced adversity yet again on Friday night after allowing U-32 to come back from 11-0 down to take a 15-11 lead in the third quarter.  But the Vikings drove down the field, Logan Wheeler scored early in the 4th quarter to take the lead, and the defense did just enough to defeat the Raiders 18-15.

2---Middlebury pulls away from Rutland; moves to 3-0

    In a battle of undefeated squads, it's the Tigers knocking off Rutland 31-21 and take control of one of the top spots in D1 (with St. Johnsbury, who are also 3-0)

3---BF, Cosmos head into rivalry game with seeding at stake

    The Terriers dominated their matchup Friday night at North Country while Springfield got a road win against Windsor.  Both teams come into a critical rivalry matchup 3-0 as Bellows Falls celebrates homecoming 2025 Friday night.

4---Teams who fell week 1 getting better at the right time?

     CVU, Essex, Rice and Woodstock among teams who have won last 2 games after losing their season opener.

5---New Vermont high school football field unlocked.

    Burr and Burton open up Friendship Field with 17-7 win vs. Mount Anthony on Saturday.  Bulldogs head to Essex Friday night for a pivotal game with Hornets.

5 Things from #vthsfootball Week 2

 1---CVU dominates for coach Parisi's first win

    After getting outplayed by Rutland in week 1, Champlain Valley returned to Hinesburg for their first home game of the Frank Parisi era.  It ended up being a dominant performance as the Redhawks defeated BFA-St. Albans 31-3 for Parisi's first win as head coach.  Ian Kennelly threw 2 TD passes in the game as CVU moved to 1-1 on the season and host Burlington/South Burlington next Saturday.

2---LI ones to watch after knocking off defending D2 champs

    Lyndon Institute was 1 win away from a D2 title game appearance close to home in St. J.  Their chances of getting to that game in 2025 got better with wins over the two teams that played in said final.

    After a dominant performance vs. Rice in week 1, the Vikings outlast the Slaters 14-13 on a pair of TD runs by Jackson Wells and an INT from Preston Jenkins late in the game to seal a 2-0 start.  Lyndon travels to U-32 on Friday night.

3---MAV a D3 contender

    3 teams moved down a division this year, but while Hartford and Bellows Falls' moves led to folks already booking them for state title games, Mount Abraham/Vergennes have become a contender.

    After major defense and special team moments against Otter Valley in week 1, the Eagles delivered another 2nd half rally to knock off BFA-Fairfax/Lamoille 27-20 and improve to 2-0 on the season.  Cole Gagnon carried that momentum with 193 rushing yards and a pair of 2nd half TDs in the win.  MAV are at Missisquoi Saturday.

4---D1 St. J survives scare from D2 Colchester

    The game of the week may have been Otter Valley-Springfield had it not been for a pair of massive late-game drives in Laker Land on Friday night.

    First, Colchester tied things up with a 13-play drive, culminating in a TD pass from Colton Lefebvre to Mason Sheltra (+2 from Brody Coppins) to tie things up at 14.  Then, St. Johnsbury would answer with a sub-60 second drive, capped off by a Maddox McFarland pass to Cole Lemieux to give the Hilltoppers a 21-14 win over the Lakers.

    This game may have proved that Colchester could hang with the Metro teams as they head to Essex on Friday night.

5---Massive matchup in Midd awaits.

    After a pair of intense wins to start the season, both Middlebury and Rutland head into their matchup on Friday night with hopes of ending their season at Munson Field in November.  The Tigers picked up road wins at Essex and Brattleboro while Rutland defeated CVU and Burr and Burton at home.

    Now the two clash in a game where the winner may become the favorite to win Division 1, making this a can't miss matchup.  If you can't be there for the game, NSN will be there for all the action.

*Stats and highlights from Burlington Free Press

5 things from #vthsfootball Week 1

     It's time for a new segment on the blog in 2025 involving the Vermont High School football season!  After every week, I'll be looking at the 5 most important events from the previous week.  Let's take a look at those moments from Week 1.

1---Playoff rematches=revenge*

    In Week 1, 2 games were rematches of playoff matchups from last year...and in both cases, the team that lost in 2024 wound up winning in 2025.  Lyndon, under new HC Colin Wells, shut out Rice 23-0 at home and Rutland, also at home, took care of CVU 35-10 to get to 1-0 on the season.

    However, I did have to put an asterisk on this topic as both teams that won last year lost some key players to graduation (and in the Redhawks case, prep school) so we'll have to keep an eye on both Rice and CVU to see how the rest of the season goes.

2---drop down teams mean business

    In 2025, Hartford dropped from D1 to D2 while Bellows Falls and Mount Abe/Vergennes went from D2 to D3.  All 3 teams pitched shutouts in Week 1 with each team playing within their own division.

    The Hurricanes defeated Fair Haven 33-0; The Terriers knocked off Windsor 44-0 while the Eagles got a blocked FG return for a TD en route to a 14-0 win vs. Otter Valley.

3---Colchester's continued success vs. D2

    In Laker Land, the football program has one of the toughest schedules in the state with more than half of their 8-game schedule vs. D1 foes.  But it's helped Colchester against D2 opponents, including rival Milton on Friday night.

    The Lakers got out front with a KO return TD and never looked back in a 54-12 win over the Yellowjackets.  A great start heading into the Metro slate that includes SJA, Essex and CVU on the horizon.

4---Bobwhites' impressive comeback

    A handful of teams ended up with disappointing 2024s with 1 or 0 wins.  BFA-St. Albans may have had the toughest year out of them all, but they started 2025 with a bang.

    The Bobwhites went on an impressive 92-yard drive late in the fourth quarter and capitalized on a miscue on the ensuing kickoff to knock off North Country 21-20 and pick up their first W since 2023.

5---Mill River/Mount St. Joseph's co-op leads to football back at St. Peter's

    Mount St. Joseph's football program hasn't been around for 20 years but have been able to see some players suit up for neighboring Mill River in the years since.  On Saturday, St. Peter's Field at MSJ was home to football once more as the Minutemen hosted BFA-Fairfax/Lamoille.

    The Bullets may have won 31-20 but for me and those who remember the days of the Mounties/Green Wave playing at St. Peter's, seeing it host another game makes it a special occasion for everyone involved.

30 Hours of Excitement: My weekend at the VPA championships.

     On Wednesday night, after the final outs took place in the Vermont high school baseball semifinals, we all had the same idea going:  It was going to be a busy day at Centennial Field for the championship games.

    That was until we realized that when Enosburg knocked off Lyndon, a tripleheader Saturday became 2 doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday.  That's because Enosburg (D2) and White River Valley (D3) were graduating that AM while their opponents graduated the night before.  It meant their games would take place on Saturday afternoon/evening and the D4 and D1 finals would happen on Friday night.

    Not to worry though because it meant that I could also get to Virtue Field for the Ultimate finals on Saturday morning.  So instead of attending just 4 baseball games over 2 days, I got to see 6 title games and meet so many people (both new and familiar) to talk everything involving high school sports.

    Without further ado, here is a look at my weekend attending the VPA championship games.

D4 Baseball Final:  Blue Mountain vs. West Rutland

    Prior to the game, I had the chance to speak with Vermont Sports Hall of Famer George Commo about Friday's action.  He told me that this one had all the makings for an upset (more from him in a moment).  It made sense as the Golden Horde had knocked off #2 Arlington and #3 MSJ to get here.

    But 3 batters in, everything changed.  Leadoff hitter Ryan Coolidge was on third base heading home on a chopper to third and was out by a mile, but tried sliding in a suffered a severe knee injury in the process.  Nearly 30 minutes later, he was transported to UVM Medical Center, and the game was able to resume.

    After that, the story turned to the Bucks' #9 hitter Kristofer Fennimore, who broke his wrist in a scrimmage before the season began.  It led to him wearing a brace throughout the season.  But on Friday, it didn't faze him one bit as he hit an RBI single and got the save, pitching 2 innings in relief, to help Blue Mountain 3-peat as D4 state champions 4-1 over West Rutland.

D1 Baseball Final:  Mount Anthony vs. St. Johnsbury

    Going back to my conversation with Mr. Commo, we talked in great lengths about this matchup and had the same thought:  These two teams making it here was somewhat a surprise.

    It was probably a Chittenden County bias if you ask me, but then I talked to Michael Mawson of the Bennington Banner, and he felt the same way.  But in his case, he thought CVU would give the Patriots a run for their money in their QF matchup.  But in the end, MAU and St. J put on an exciting (and pretty sloppy) contest.

    After Wedensday's win, we knew Rex Hauser, the Gatorade player of the year in baseball for the state, would start for the Hilltoppers.  But he had a rough start against Mount Anthony, allowing 6 runs (1 earned) in 4IP while walking 4 batters in the process.  But St. Johnsbury would rally with a 4-run fourth (down 3-0) and a 2-run sixth (down 6-5) to claim the program's first D1 title since 2016 by a final of 9-7.

Boys Ultimate Final:  Champlain Valley vs. Montpelier

    At 9:45AM on Saturday, UVM's Virtue Field was set up for the Ultimate finals and it was a pretty unique experience for me.  In ultimate, the goal is to either be ahead after 90 minutes or be the first to 15 points to win.  After a back and forth start, the Solons would make a run to take an 8-5 lead into halftime.  Montpelier would then pour it on, making stops and scoring goals to get to within 1 goal of the title.  

    That's when the chant of "Rally, Rally, Champlain Valley" would kick in as the Redhawks would score the next 4 goals to get within 2.  But the Solons would get that title-clinching goal with about 3 and a half minutes left in the game to win their third boys ultimate title 15-12.  An exciting contest and a great look at how the sport has grown since its inception in 2019.

Girls Ultimate Final:  Champlain Valley vs. Milton

    Next up was the girls' final, also involving CVU as they faced the Yellow Jackets from Milton, making the final in only their second year as a varsity program.  Unfortunately, this game was a lot different from the boys as it was all Redhawks from the opening toss.

    Zoey McNabb was the star of this one, scoring 5 goals in the first half and guiding Champlain Valley to their first girls ultimate title in program history.  It was a great story for Milton to make the title game, but it was CVU who would not be denied on this day.

D2 Baseball Final:  Missisquoi vs. Enosburg

    Back at Centennial Field on Saturday, the place was packed with folks from eastern and western Franklin County as the #1 Thunderbirds faced off with the #6 Hornets in the Division 2 final.  This one ended up being a blowout, but not without some excitement from both teams as a couple of foul balls ended up closer to me than I would've liked.

    In the end, a massive game from Missisquoi's AJ Dennett (2-run single and bases-clearing double) and a great pitching performance from Parker Hakey proved to be too much for Enosburg as the T-Birds finished a perfect season with a 12-2 win.

D3 Baseball Final:  White River Valley vs. Thetford 

    Occasionally, I could have some bias towards a team depending on location or who follows me on social media.  This one, my bias was towards the home plate umpire who I've talked to several times online and formally met in St. Johnsbury back in November for the football championships.

    If I had a chance after this game, I would've asked if he implemented a pitch clock for this one as it started at 8PM and ended nearly 100 minutes later with the same outcome as the last two D3 title games:  White River Valley falling short in Burlington.

    The Wildcats did end up scoring first on an error by Thetford (their first run in the last 3 years at Centennial Field), but Thetford answered with back-to-back doubles from Owen Goodrich and Ollie Sarazin giving the Panthers the lead for good, adding one more in the 6th for a 4-1 win.

So, after all of that, the 2024-2025 Vermont high school season has come to a close for me.  It was one of the most time-consuming years I've had.  From the first game at Munson Field to the championships at Centennial Field, it has been a blast being able to see so many great student-athletes compete in the sports they love and the people who covered these events for the different media partners.

Over the course of those 30 hours, I met up with some familiar faces and others who I hadn't talked to either in years (Mawson) or at all (James Biggam of the Times Argus).  That's the benefit of being at 6 games with different parts of the state represented; you never know who's going to show up and cover the games.

As we head into summer vacation, a note that hopefully I can catch some American Legion baseball action before we return to the high schoolers again in August.  For now, enjoy the sunshine (however much there may be this year) and we'll come back again when the gridiron calls in the fall.

Walkoff X2: Wolves take over #1 seed in D1 after 12-inning thriller vs. Lakers

     After losing so many talented players (including their top pitcher), the South Burlington baseball team has been able to find wins and get back to the top of Division 1 in 2025.  But their last 2 wins may have been their most dramatic.

    Less than 24 hours removed from coming back from a 3-1 deficit and walking off CVU, the Wolves were able to force extra innings (and then some) before getting their second straight last at-bat win, defeating Colchester 2-1 in an instant classic at the SB Field on Wednesday night.

    The offenses were kept off the scoreboard throughout the game, with the only runs in regulation coming from an Owen Fullerton RBI double in the fifth and a sac fly by Aiden Gray to bring home Cedric LaMothe (who stole both 2nd and 3rd prior to) in the 7th.

    Both Bennett Campbell (SB) and Jackson Pecor (COL) were outstanding tonight, going a full 9 innings before being relieved in the 10th.  Trey Smith was able to keep the Lakers from scoring through his appearance, while Eli Davis got big strikeouts in the 10th and 11th innings to keep things even.

    In the 12th, Gray led off with a Double and got to 3rd on a single by Sam Kelly.  After Henry Dorman was intentionally walked, Davis was able to get Cade Brouillard (who started the 7th inning rally vs. CVU on Tuesday) to strike out looking before Campbell knocked in the winning run on a hit through the right side of the infield.

    South Burlington improves to 12-2 on the season and travel to Jericho tomorrow for a matchup with Mount Mansfield; Colchester drops to 9-5 on the year and will head to Hinesburg for a date with the Redhawks tomorrow.

Rapid Recap: Hornet Miscues lead to 'Toppers victory

     In a hotly contested game at Ferreira Field on Tuesday, Essex fell to St. Johnsbury 5-4 after the first baseman dropped the potential third out of the 7th inning, allowing the winning run to score.  It was the biggest gut punch for a Hornets team that had to endure several of them throughout the contest.

    A Carson Finn RBI single in the top of the first gave the Hilltoppers a 1-0 lead, but Essex was able to put a pair on the board in the bottom of the inning to take the lead.  After Jackson Lyman struck out the side in the 2nd, leadoff hitter Christopher Morgan sent a drive to the centerfield wall but was thrown out trying to stretch a double into a triple.

    In the 3rd, Finn delivered again with a 2-run double to give St. J the lead back before Bryce Barber hit one just inside the left field foul pole for his first Varsity homer to even the score at 3.  The Hilltoppers were able to load the bases in the fourth before Lyman got Rex Hauser to fly out to center.

    Both starters (Lyman and Cage Thompson) started the fifth and walked the first batter they faced, ending each of their days.  Sam Bent was able to keep SJA off the board, but Essex was able to get one run off of Carson Finn in the fifth before leaving the bases loaded.  St. Johnsbury were able to tie the game off of a groundout that led the run to score while a rundown was taking place at 3rd.

    In the 7th, St. J got a runner to second with two outs before the pop fly that dropped out of the glove of the Hornet first baseman brought him home.  Essex got one man on in the bottom of the inning before Finn struck out Eklof to end the game.

    St. Johnsbury stays undefeated at 7-0 and play back-to-back games with Burlington and Rice on Friday and Saturday, respectively.  Essex falls to 3-5 and are at Colchester on Thursday before facing CVU at home on Saturday.