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Rutland Herald Winter Sports Guide 2018-2019
HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL PREVIEW
Legends and a dynasty spice new season
By Tom Haley
Staff Writer
all it “The Season of Legends
Revisited.” Call it “The Season
of Old Faces in New Places.”
Call it “The Season of The Dynasty.”
Call it whatever you want, but just
appreciate the fact that it is here. The
girls basketball season gets started on
Friday.
Legends revisited? Sue Pollender,
who won 325 games, seven league titles
and a couple of state championships
from 1969 through 1997, is back. She
will be an assistant coach to Howie Paul
at Black River this season.
The new gym fl oor at Black River will
be dedicated to her before the opener
against Green Mountain on Dec. 10.
Another legend, Shirley Bruso, has
moved back to the area from North
Carolina. The former longtime Mill
River girls basketball and softball coach
will now be able to spend her retire-
ment watching her granddaughter
Molly Bruso play for the Minutemen.
The dynasty? Mount St. Joseph
Academy is chasing another state
championship.
A 35-29 win over Proctor in the 2015
Division IV state championship game
was the start of four consecutive state
crowns for the Mounties.
Some of the most imposing road-
blocks to the dynasty come in the form
of Rutland County neighbors Proctor
and West Rutland.
The unusual twist to the MSJ title
run is that G.J. Garrow becomes the
third head coach during the fi ve years
following Dan Elliott and Bill Bruso.
There are many familiar faces in new
colors as players switch schools more
frequently.
There are also new coaches and two
old ones returning. Chris Hughes is
back at the helm of Proctor after a two-
year absence and Kyle Wilson returns
C
ROBERT LAYMAN / STAFF PHOTO
Rutland High School’s varsity girls basketball team practices at Keefe Gymnasium.
to Fair Haven after a one-year hiatus.
Here are some of those stories as
we look at the teams in the Herald’s
coverage area:
Black River
The Presidents got a windfall when
Tatum Armstrong transferred in
from Burr and Burton Academy after
practices started.
“She is a very good player. She should
help a lot,” coach Howie Paul said.
She will complement Hope Kelley,
who was an All-MVL player last year.
Two other starters return: Emily
Perham and Jae Greineder, as well as
sixth man Rebecca Rogers.
Gabriella Tobeldini is an exchange
student who has never played the
game.
Rounding out the squad are
eighth-graders Riley Paul, Chloe Ayer
and Jordan Devereaux and freshman
Jazmin Beam.
The Presidents endured an 0-20 sea-
son last year and coach Paul is hopeful
the players can experience some wins.
”Last year we were in games. This
year I think we can win some. I think
we’ll be better,” he said.
Fair Haven
Ryleigh Coloutti is the igniter. She
brings the energy to both ends of the
fl oor. She is an outstanding perimeter
shooter but can also handle the ball
and distribute it.
She’s not the only returning starter.
Coach Wilson also has Courtney Brew-
ster and Kaleigh Brown back as players
who started for Leo Hutchins’ Slaters.
Wilson would love to replicate the
Slaters’ 2016 state title, but as he says,
“there are a lot of new faces.”
He saw the result of that in a recent
fi ve-school scrimmage at Fair Haven
when the Slaters started slow and then
began to hit their stride in the second
half.
Other returning varsity players are
Kyleigh Grenier, Katrina Bean, Kerigan
Disorda and Sydney Rathbun.
Others vying for time are Megan
Ezzo, Theresa Culpo and Abby Brown.
Likely fl oating between the JV and
varsity level will be Zoey Cole, Emma
Ezzo and Emma Briggs.
The Slaters open on Friday at the
New York Coaches vs. Cancer Tourna-
ment at North High School. Their two
opponents at the event will be North-
east Clinton Central and Moriah.
Girls continued on page 11