Windsor
If they’re to return to next year’s event as players, it’ll be while representing a different school.
That’s because Chelsea High is closing after this school year in an Act 46 measure, its remaining students forced to transition into the realm of school choice.
Colby, for one, hasn’t made that choice yet. The all-Central Vermont League forward, who scored 21.8 points per game for the Red Devils this winter, doesn’t yet know which school he’ll attend.
“It’s a decision I’ve been putting off, waiting till the end of basketball season,” said Colby, who added 6.4 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game this season. “Now that it’s over, I know it’s a decision I’m going to have to make. All I know at this point is that I’d like for it to be somewhere close to home.”
For Colby, the best part of being named to the Dream Dozen was the opportunity to represent Chelsea in one final capacity. A K-12 facility, it’s the only school he’s known, and its imminent closure remains difficult to grasp.
“It’s a hard situation, because it’s a place you’ve grown up in all your life, and of course you envision yourself graduating from there,” Colby said. “All of a sudden, it’s taken away from you.”
Whichever program ends up with Colby will land a versatile player who steadily progressed into one of D-IV’s top scorers. Chelsea coach Seldon Levasseur enjoyed watching him develop.
“At the beginning of his freshman year, he was mostly a perimeter shooter,” Levasseur recalled. “By the end of that season, he was taking the ball inside a lot, and he doubled his point total the following season. This year, he really became a top-notch defender and did a lot of different things on the court.”
Johnson is likewise disappointed in Chelsea’s closure, but at least has some certainty with her future. She’ll spend her senior year at Thetford Academy, where the multi-sport athlete will join winning programs.
The Panthers’ girls soccer team is coming off of a VPA Division III championship, while TA’s girls hoops program was a runner-up to Windsor after winning the D-III crown in 2017.
Located a half-hour’s drive from her front door, Thetford seemed a natural choice for Johnson.
“Academically and athletically, I think it’s going to be the right fit to get ready for college,” said Johnson, who averaged 16.9 points per game and was an all-CVL first teamer in her final season at Chelsea. “Everyone (at Thetford) was very welcoming during the application process. I think I’ll be able to make a lot of new friends there.”
That includes on the basketball court, where she’ll bolster a Panther team standing to benefit mightily from her skills and experience. Several key players are graduating from a Thetford team that has reached the D-III final in five straight seasons, winning two titles, and has been to the final four at Barre Auditorium every year since 2012.
Panthers coach Eric Ward is glad Johnson chose Thetford, although he doesn’t envy the decision she was forced to make.
“It’s hard for the Chelsea students, because they’re switching schools because they have to, not because they want to,” Ward said on Saturday. “They have to decide where they’re going to go for one year. It’s not like someone who’s going to be an eighth-grader or a freshman and changing schools. If they don’t have a great experience, they can change schools again. So for all of the Chelsea students, I just hope wherever they decide to go is the right choice and a good experience for them.”
Johnson’s game is so well-rounded, she shoots both right-handed and left-handed. It’s one byproduct of being in the gym whenever possible since before high school.
“I remember her being in seventh grade, making it clear she wanted to play varsity as soon as possible,” said Red Devils girls coach Gordon Barnaby, who does not intend to apply for a varsity job next season. “I had an open gym on Sunday mornings at 8 o’clock, and she was there every week.
“She’s going to be a great addition (at Thetford) because she sees the court really well, knows what’s going to happen before it happens, can score from anywhere on the floor and plays great defense.”
Plus, Johnson’s family was among the most supportive of any at Chelsea home games over the years.
“I told (Ward), ‘If nothing else, you’re going to get a lot more spectators,’ ” Barnaby said.
Jared Pendak can be reached at jpendak@vnews.com or 603-727-3225.