Rutland Herald Winter Sports Guide 2018-2019
Boys Basketball Preview continued from page 4
Merritt, another player in the current
eight-man rotation.
Three-year starter James Anderson
will run the point. The junior showed
good judgment in a scrimmage against
Woodstock.
“I think this will be a big year for him,”
the coach said.
Chase Ordway Smith will try to make
things happen with his athleticism in the
paint and his twin brother, Brooks, will
do the same at guard.
Six-foot-2 Evan Church is the Chief-
tains’ center, while Sawyer Pippen and
Skyler Klezos will also be in the mix in
GM’s up-tempo style.
The Chieftains are still a young group
with four seniors, but stand a good
chance of getting past the fi rst round of
the tournament, where last year’s season
ended.
“I think we’ve got the potential to win
15 games,” Rapanotti said. “I think it’s
just a matter of if we’re going to buy in
and make good decisions.”
The Chieftains will open against
visiting Black River on Dec. 15 and will
host the annual Tip-Off Tournament
beginning Dec. 18 with Twin Valley,
Springfi eld and Mount St. Joseph
Academy coming to town.
Mill River
Coach Jack Rogers is big on a team
that is not so big, but is strong and
athletic. One reason is sophomore point
guard Aidan Botti.
Rogers, who was no slouch in his
playing days as a guard at West Rutland,
is enamored with Botti’s ballhandling
skills and decision making, something
Mill River lacked last season.
“He’s grown about 5 inches and he’s
got a terrifi c handle,” Rogers said. “He’s
a very intelligent kid with great basket-
ball instincts.”
Mill River’s intention is to use outside
shooting to pull opponents out of the
zone and then attack the basket with
quickness and athleticism. The Minute-
men are without a bonafi de big man but
are well stocked with athletic players in
the 5-foot-10 to 6-foot-2 range.
ROBERT LAYMAN / STAFF PHOTO
Rutland’s Jamison Evans, left, during day one of practice at O’Keefe Gymnasium
in Rutland Monday night.
“I think there will be four or fi ve guys
who will surprise people,” Rogers said.
“They practice and play so hard and use
the athleticism properly. This group has
a lot of potential.”
Botti and 6-foot-2 Will Farwell will be
starters the year after helping the Mill
River JVs go 15-5. Four-year veteran Zach
Ames, Tyler Shelvy, whom Rogers calls
one of the best athletes in Division II,
Will Grabowski and Cole Aines will be
the top six.
The majority of the squad will be
sophomores and juniors so Rogers is
building for the long haul.
“I like this team,” Rogers said, “and
they like each other. The team chemistry
is good. I hope that we will reach our
potential.”
The Minutemen will open next Tues-
day at home against Mount Abraham.
MSJ
Imagine adding a big post presence
to MSJ’s 3-point and transition games.
Where would that have taken the
Mounties, one of last winter’s biggest
surprises, in 2017-18?
The Mounties will be easing some
inside punch into their arsenal as they
look for a season that carries them past
the D-II quarterfi nals. Big freshman Jake
Williams is one of the tallest Mounties,
standing a head above MSJ’s returning
bigs.
“In the beginning of the year he may
struggle,” says fi rst-year coach Chris
Charbonneau, who plans to use the
freshman off the bench as the season
begins. “He’s got a boat load of potential
and one day he’s going to reach it.”
Williams showed promise in his
fi rst varsity test during last Saturday’s
scrimmage against Middlebury.
“We’re looking for a little more
balance offensively because everyone
knows who our scorers are so if we get
more from the other guys we’re going to
be a powerhouse,” Charbonneau said.
Versatile Leo Carranza, returning
leading scorer Logan Montilla and
Maddox Traynor lead a core of
3-point snipers and MSJ also brings
back Cole Blanchard, Logan Starling,
Keaton Wright-Chapman and Keegan
Chadburn. They were part of a press-
ing defense that gave many a team
headaches last year. Joey Giancola, the
perpetual-motion guard who starred for
the JVs last year, will join that group this
winter.
Traynor, Montilla and freshman
Andre Prunty will play the point in a
point-by-committee operation that will
take advantage of MSJ’s versatility.
MSJ was one of Vermont basketball’s
biggest surprises last year but the Mount-
ies won’t be sneaking up on anyone this
time.
“We don’t really feel any pressure
because most of these kids love basket-
ball and are here to play it and have
fun and whatever happens, happens,”
Charbonneau said. “As long as we put
the work in we think good things are
going to come.”
The Mounties have a tough early
schedule with the fi rst six games on the
road; they open at D-I Burr and Burton
on Tuesday.
Otter Valley
Coaches won’t have to update their
scouting reports for Otters games this
year. Not that that’s much comfort since
the Otters were speed burners who
rocked all the way to the Division II Final
Four at Barre Auditorium.
“I think we’re going to be able to use
our size a little more than last year,” said
coach Greg Hughes, another former
West Rutland guard, of OV’s style.
The Otters have a group of nine
seniors, including fi reball guard Dylan
Mackie and his former school mate Del
Norwood, who transferred back to OV
from MSJ. So despite the graduation
of Josh Letourneau, the Otters will
again have a very quick tandem in the
backcourt. Both are dangerous 3-point
shooters as well as being able to take
take the ball to the basket.
“Del defi nitely fi lls some pretty big
roles and the group of guys he came
back to, he grew up with,” Hughes
said. “Dylan has got a little bit of senior
mentality coming in to try to lead the
team and with Del back he’s bringing a
lot of leadership.”
Marcus McCullough and Kam Strick-
land will head up the frontcourt where
Kollin Bissette and Pat McKeighan will
also play, and the Otters have a solid
Boys Continued on page 6