12 Rutland Herald Winter Sports Guide 2019-2020
Girls Basketball Preview continued from page 11
Others on the squad are Hannah
Robinson, Kim Cummings, Tierney
O’Brien, Mary Cameron, Chestina
Perry, Grace Tyrell, Hannah Sheehan,
Luna Berklund, Eliza Purbela and
Maisen LaPrise.
Nine seniors graduated off the team
that made the trip to the Final Four at
Barre Auditorium.
But not only is the team new, so is
the coach. Jeff Buffum succeeds Terry
Farrell.
But Buffum will not be unfamiliar
to this group of players. He is heavily
involved with the AAU program that
most of these players have been playing
for.
“They know me and I know them,”
Buffum said.
“I can tell you one thing and that
is that we will not get outworked. We
might get beat by teams with more
talent but we won’t get beat because we
got outworked.”
Fans can see their new-look Chief-
tains on Dec. 17 when they open
up against Twin Valley in the Green
Mountain Holiday Tournament in
Nason Gymnasium.
MILL RIVER
The Minutemen are also making
the transition to a new coach and the
coach is making the transition from the
college game to the high school game.
It’s not new to former Green
Mountain College women’s basketball
coach Brad Rideout. He coached on
the high school level in Maryland and
Pennsylvania.
The Minutemen will look to improve
on a 2-18 season and that quest begins
with Friday’s opener at Hartford.
Returning as seniors are Molly
Bruso, Kelsey Sheehe, Jess Roberts.
Lexi Bowen and Hannah Schoengarth.
Roberts is the center and the others are
guards.
Juniors are post player Kate Schutt,
guards Evelyn Trujillo, and McKenzie
White and forward Lila Tarbell.
Forwards Malori Carlson and Kyla
Sheehe are sophomores.
“The girls are intent on learning
on to mix it up inside.
Trayah sees Lufkin increasing her
time by playing some inside as well as at
the three spot.
Other players are Boonie Moore and
Maddie O’Connell.
“Bonnie Moore is a future coach. She
really knows the game,” Trayah said.
Bernhardt and Pinkowski should
make the Otters are formidable
rebounding team.
“Alia Edmunds can play every
position,” said Trayah, indicating that
she will give the Otters a lift inside and
on the perimeter.
POULTNEY
JON OLENDER PHOTO
Otter Valley High School’s varsity girls basketball team during practice.
how to play. I have been impressed
with that,” Rideout said. “I have been
impressed by their willingness to listen
and learn.”
He will deploy a flex offense. He is
still sorting out the defensive scheme
but don’t look for the Minutemen to
press much.
MSJ
Mount St. Joseph lacks size, but
coach Bill Bruso likes plenty of other
things about his Mounties. They are
quick, have some shooters and boast
experience.
Selena Wilbur, the lone senior and
Ella Paquin, Jillian Perry and Tiana
Gallipo all have logged plenty of varsity
minutes.
Rounding out the squad are
Chloe Seely, Meghan Cole, Ellie
Tracy, Christelle Poteau and Becca
Diehlmann.
The lack of size does not concern
Bruso.
“I always say that rebounding is about
effort and technique. Some of the best
rebounders I’ve seen are the smaller
guys who can box out,” Bruso said.
They will definitely be looking up
at their first opponent. The Mounties
open on Dec. 13 at West Rutland.
“We are going to be road warriors,”
Bruso said, noting the Mounties do not
play at the Martin McDonough Gymna-
sium until January, the seventh game
into the season.
OTTER VALLEY
The Otters boast experience, size
and what coach Kelly Trayah believes
is a realistic goal of earning a home
playoff game.
Returning seniors Livia Bernhardt,
Alia Edmunds, Leah Pinkowski, Mary
Kingsley and Julia Eastman all have
plenty of varsity minutes and Alice
Keith also is a returning starter.
There are other familiar names like
Mallory Lufkin and Mia Napolitano.
The Otters did not lose much from
a team that put together a 6-14 record
before giving Division II runner-up
Lake Region a tough contest in a first-
round playoff game.
“Our goal is to get a home playoff
game and then, hopefully, get to
Barre,” Trayah said.
That quest begins on Dec. 18 with
the opener against Middlebury.
You can look for freshman Anna
Lee to get a lot of playing time. She is
a good shooter and has grown to the
point where she might also be called
Doubling last season’s three victories
would be a sign of significant growth
for the Blue Devils and Poultney coach
Todd Hayes believes they have a chance
to do it.
“We are trying to get better each day
and I don’t think last year we did that,”
Hayes said.
The biggest thing about this year is
that everyone is returning after a very
active summer on the court and in the
weight room.
“Last year we had 10 tough games by
the middle of January in which we were
overmatched and we never recovered,”
Hayes said. “We had an excellent sum-
mer. Everyone is moving much better
in practice.
“Last year the offense just wasn’t
there. Now, we are moving the ball
much better in practice.”
The seniors are Kassidy Mack and
Kat Scribner.
Grace Hayes is the lone junior and
sophomores are Kylie Considine and
Marissa Holcomb. The freshman class
is represented by Hannah Welch, Emily
Handley, Hayley Taran and Naomi
Haviland.
“The playoff loss with MSJ left a sour
taste in my mouth. We didn’t play well
in that game,” Hayes said.
They try to rid themselves of that
taste on Dec. 18 when they open the
season at Greenwich, New York.
Continued on page 14