Did the sun rise in the east this morning? Then the Thetford Academy girls basketball team must be defending another state championship.
Eric Ward has made Panther appointments at the Barre Auditorium a regular thing during his dozen years in charge. They’ve been to the VPA Division III finals six straight winters and won three of them, including last year. There’s every reason to believe they can do it again.
Hanover finally broke down the door with an NHIAA D-II title last winter after banging on the door for a decade. Enough talent remains to challenge again — if archrival Lebanon doesn’t provide the traditional roadblock.
Mid Vermont Christian enters with rare depth, adding five players from Sharon Academy when the Phoenix shut down their program for low numbers. The season also marks Steve Landon’s return to coaching girls hoop; the interim coach at Woodstock won a state title coaching the Hartford girls in 2012.
Coach: Dan O’Rourke (19).
Last year: 22-2, won first D-II state championship since 2008.
League: NHIAA Division II.
Returnees: Seniors — Maddie McCorkle (G), Anna Kirkpatrick (F), Johari Ajwang (F), Isabella Bardales (F/G), Willet Parkins (C). Junior — Charlotte Johnson (G). Sophomore — Melissa Whitmore (F/G).
Newcomers: Sophomores — Stella Galanes (G), Caroline Adams (G), Jane Lackley (F).
Analysis: The Marauders put together a magical run last winter, concluding it with the program’s first state title in more than a decade thanks in large part to the senior trio of Diana Schwarz, Lois Schwarz and Julia Golder. Those three have since graduated, leaving Hanover in the capable hands of senior sharpshooter Maddie McCorkle (12.4 points per game last season) and a talented supporting cast. Senior Anna Kirkpatrick and junior Charlotte Johnson should play big roles this year after breaking out in last year’s tournament run.
Coach: Heidi Bushway (2).
Last year: 5-16, lost to Enosburg Falls in the first round.
Leagues: VPA Division II, Southern Vermont League.
Returnees: Seniors — Carol North (F), Makenna Druge (G), Kennedy Mullen (G). Juniors — Bailey Cameron (F), Jasmine Jenkins (G), Davan Murphy (G). Sophomores — Madison Withington (G), Beth Dobrich (F).
Newcomers: Seniors — Emma Farnsworth (F), Megan Libuda (G). Sophomores — Elsie Davis (G).
Analysis: Hartford’s basketball struggles have been well-documented, and its girls basketball program is no exception. The team was 5-16 last winter, managing to win three of its last six contests to squeak into a playoff spot, and the Hurricanes showed some promise under first-year head coach Heidi Bushway.
Senior Kennedy Mullen led the way with 12.0 points per game, and Jasmine Jenkins had 8.2 points per game. It’s still a rebuilding effort for the Hurricanes, but the pieces are there to take another step in the right direction.
Coach: Tim Kehoe (29).
Last year: 22-2, lost to Kennett in semifinals.
League: NHIAA Division II.
Returnees: Seniors — Isabelle Fabry (G), Megan Gradijan (G), Maddy Finnell (F), Rebecca Wright (F), Caroline Borger (C), Caroline Laramie (F). Junior — Sally Rainey (F). Sophomores — Molly Smith (G), Ella Longacre (F), Catherine Cole (G), Emily Wright (C).
Newcomers: Sophomore — Clara Smyrski (F).
Analysis: Tim Kehoe and the Raiders have one more shot at a title with Southern New Hampshire University-bound 1,000-point scorer Rebecca Wright leading the charge. There have been some heartbreaks in the past — a quarterfinal loss to rival Hanover two years ago and a semifinal loss last winter come to mind. Wright averaged 20.08 points per game last season, leading all Upper Valley scorers despite being the focus of opposing defenses. Perhaps a seasoned Sally Rainey (9.8 points per game) and a little bit of luck might just be enough do the trick for the Raiders.
Coach: Walt Hammond (3).
Last year: 8-13, lost to Hopkinton in first round.
League: NHIAA Division III.
Returnees: Seniors — Michaela Dowd (G), Nikki Williams (G), Jordan Henry (F). Juniors — Emily Moulton (G), Lilly Bennett (G). Sophomore — Brianna Withington (G).
Newcomers: Junior — Abbee Hammond. Sophomore — Liberti LaCasse (F). Freshman — Madisun LaCasse (G).
Analysis: Coach Walt Hammond is confident in his team’s depth this season and excited what his three-player senior class can bring to the hardwood. Dowd averaged 7.5 points per game, and Williams netted 5.7. Henry missed six games, mostly midseason.
“I expect to be a team that grows a lot throughout the season,” Hammond said. “We have a good mix of veteran players and young players that offer more skills than we had in the past. Our bench is deeper than last year.”
Coach: Chris Goodwin (4).
Last year: 15-6, lost in quarterfinals to Mount St. Joseph.
League: VPA Division IV.
Returnees: Seniors — Sydney Goodwin (G/F), Nyah Jenks (G). Juniors — Rachel Horner-Richardson (G), Hayley Goodwin (G), Emma Patel (G). Freshman — Skye Whitcomb (G).
Newcomers: Seniors — Emma Foster (F/C; transfer from Sharon), Olivia Sanford (F; transfer from Sharon). Juniors — Lydia Eastman (G; transfer from Sharon), Molly Kinnarney (F; transfer from Sharon), Tia Kendall (F; transfer from Sharon). Freshmen – Deborah Airoldi (G), Sarah Bascom (F).
Analysis: A season after making a run to the state quarterfinals, Goodwin will have to take on the biggest challenge of his coaching career thus far: integrating transfers into his system. The fourth-year coach adds five players to his roster this winter from Sharon Academy, which canceled its season because of low turnout.
“It is going to be a difficult process trying to get everyone on the same page,” Goodwin said. “If we can get everyone the same page about five games in we should be good, but people need to recognize their roles.”
Coach: Ross Dole (4).
Last year: 8-13, missed playoffs.
League: NHIAA Division III.
Returnees: Seniors — Alexis Quimby (G), Alyssa Burr (G). Juniors — Morgan Roberts (G), Maddie Miller (G), Greysan Beaulieu (F), Eliza Bates (F). Sophomore — Riely Skarin (F).
Newcomers: Senior — Alysha Lee. Juniors — Dalyce Meunier (F), Kaylie Pennington (G).
Analysis: Newport is in search for its first playoff berth since Dole’s first season back in 2016-17. This year’s team features three seniors and returns junior Eliza Bates, who averaged a team-high 9.1 points per game. Teammate Greysan Beaulieu also returns after scoring 8.9 a game. The Tigers are also working to get senior Alyssa Burr back on the floor soon to cap a yearlong recovery from a knee injury.
Coach: Barry Emerson (7).
Last year: 10-14, lost to Thetford in state final.
Leagues: VPA Division III; Capital League.
Returnees: Seniors — Tiffany Longmoore (G), Melanie Neil (G). Juniors — Arianna Bolles (F), Emma DeGoosh (F), Chloe McIntire (F), Rachel Spear (G). Sophomore — Emma Parkin (G).
Newcomers: Junior — Ellyn Hart (G). Sophomore — Alexa Kosakowski (F).
Analysis: “Last year was last year,” Emerson said of the Olympians’ surprise run to the D-III title game. “This team will take nothing for granted, but again the experience was great. We will build on last season by remembering that it took an extreme amount of hard work and effort to try to accomplish our goals.”
Coach: Dennis Fitzgerald (2).
Last year: 4-16, lost in first round to Danville.
Leagues: VPA Division IV; Southern Vermont League.
Returnees: Juniors — Cora Day (G), Adele Tilden (G/F). Sophomores — Alex McFate (G/F), Kylie Taylor (G), Savannah Gray (G/F).
Newcomers: Senior — Lizzie Noyes (G). Junior — Natalie Martin (F/C). Freshmen — Ryleigh Butler (G), Lexus Austin (F)
Analysis: Fitzgerald lost five players to graduation after last season and only has one senior, who is a newcomer, on this year’s roster. He is hoping that enthusiasm he’s seen in practice can transfer into games, ultimately resulting in strong chemistry and growth throughout the season.
Coach: Ivy Condon (6).
Last year: 6-15, missed playoffs.
League: NHIAA Division II.
Returnees: Seniors — Sydney Miller (G), Ellee Grenier (G/F), Nicole Salls (G). Juniors — Abigail Faro (G), Julia Tursky (G). Sophomores — Zahna Rice (F), Molly Derosier (G), Jenna Bonneau (F).
Newcomers: Freshmen — Alyssa Paquette (F), Jaci Morin (F), Tara Sullivan (G/F).
Analysis: After missing the postseason last winter, Condon reloads with a three-player senior class in hopes of clinching a tournament berth for the first time since 2017-18.
“Our ultimate goal is to make the playoffs, but the players know we are always striving for more,” she said. “We have a relatively young team, but our upperclassmen are going to be looked upon to lead this team.”
Coach: Eric Ward (12).
Last year: 20-2, defeated White River Valley, Windsor and Oxbow for third state title in six years.
Leagues: VPA Division III, Capital League.
Returnees: Seniors — Ellen Veracka (G), Casey MacVeagh (F), Grace Davis (F/G), Lily MacVeagh (F). Juniors — Emma Colby (F/G), Emi Vaughan (G), Kelsey Smith (F/G), Namya Benjamin (F/G).
Newcomers: Seniors — Brittney Clifford (G), Bethany Maxfield (G). Juniors — Becca Wells (F), Emma Berard (G), Adrienna Franco (F). Sophomore — Macey Smith (F).
Analysis: The apparent certainties of life remain death, taxes and another talented bunch for Thetford head coach Eric Ward in what has become one of the Upper Valley’s most consistently successful girls hoop programs. The Panthers defeated rival Windsor in last year’s semifinals, and then Cinderella team Oxbow in the final for their third title in six years. Kiana Johnson, who led the team with 12.3 points per game and graduated in the spring, will certainly be missed. But leave it to the Panthers to give the scoring reins to someone else — maybe Grace Davis, maybe Namya Benjamin, maybe Emi Vaughan — and keep on trucking. It’s what they do.
White River Valley
Coach: Tim Perreault (2).
Last year: 10-10 overall, lost to Thetford in quarterfinals.
Leagues: VPA Division III, Southern Vermont League.
Returnees: Seniors — Sylvie Coltey (G), Macey Carbino (C). Juniors — Toni Turner (F), Hannah White (G). Sophomores — Sarah Howe (F), Sophie Howe (F).
Newcomers: Senior — Jazlyn Barnaby. Junior — Chelsea Trask. Sophomore — Aliza Aldrich. Freshman — Ella Perreault.
Analysis: Things are changing in VPA Division III, and the Wildcats — along with Oxbow — are the two dark horses that could change everything. White River Valley is loaded with twin sophomore sharpshooters in Sarah Howe (9.4 points per game) and Sophie Howe (7.9 ppg). Add in juniors Toni Turner and Hannah White, and you’ve got yourself a team that looks eerily similar to the Cinderella Oxbow squad that made it to the state finals last year. The Wildcats were 10-10 last year, giving up way too many points in most of their games. If Tim Perreault can shore up the team’s defense, all bets are off.
Coach: Bruce Mackay (14).
Last year: 17-5, fell to rival Thetford in semifinals.
Leagues: VPA Division III, Southern Vermont League.
Returnees: Seniors — Angelina Bigwood (G), Olivia Rockwood (G). Juniors — Evelyn Page (G), Adi Prior (F), Morgan McKeen (F), Ashley Grela (F). Sophomores — Holly Putnam (G), Peyton Richardson (G), Elliot Rupp (G), Reese Perry (F).
Newcomers: Sophomore — Karen Kapuscinski (F).
Analysis: It’s a goodbye tour for Oliva Rockwood, the Windsor superstar and University of Maine commit who has certainly left the Yellowjacket program in a better place than she found it. Last year’s tournament run ended in a semifinal loss to Thetford, a matchup that has quickly become something of a late-season coin toss at the Aud. Bruce Mackay’s junior class — with Evelyn Page, Morgan McKeen, Adi Prior and Ashley Grela — has turned itself into something promising. Expect another exceptional season from Windsor, with Rockwood leading the way, and Round 4 against those pesky Panthers.
Coach: Steve Landon (1).
Last year: 8-13 overall, lost to Mount Abraham in the first round.
Leagues: VPA Division II, Southern Vermont League.
Returnees: Juniors — Riley Earle (G), Hayley Chase (F), Tobin Calder (F). Sophomores — Lara Tarleton (F), Morgan Myers (G), Savannah Sheehan (G), Emma Tarleton (G), Megan Tarleton (F).
Newcomers: Freshmen — Natalie Parent (G), Norah Harper (F), Dillon Moss (F).
Analysis: Steve Landon, the former Hartford High boys coach, takes over the Wasps on an interim basis for Jason Johnson, who has temporarily stepped down due to a family matter. Once again for Landon, it’s a rebuilding project for a program that has not had a winning season — or won a playoff game — since 2004. The Wasps were a respectable 8-13 last winter and have some promising pieces in the Tarleton sisters.