Sports

Former Castleton head football coach Rich Alercio was named the head football coach and assistant athletic director at St. Johnsbury Academy last week. Alercio was the first coach in Castleton history coaching the Spartans in 2009 and 20010. Alercio will make his debut, you guessed it, at Rutland High on Friday night August 30th in the season opener. Alercio’s oldest son Jake will be a junior on the Rutland High football team.

The big story in high school baseball this spring is in Division 2 as Burr and Burton and Otter Valley are both undefeated and are on a collision course to meet at Otter Valley on May 30th. As of this writing the top four teams are: In Division 2: Burr and Burton, Otter Valley, Lamoille and Missisquoi. Fair Haven is 6th, Mill River is 10th. In Division 1: Essex, South Burlington, Colchester and CVU. Rutland is 8th. Mt. Anthony is 4-8 on the year and is 12th, but Mt. Anthony seems to be better than the record. The Patriots were impressive in a 2-0 victory over Rutland last week. In Division 3: BFA-Fairfax, Oxbow, Leland and Gray and Randolph. Poultney is # 6. In Division 4: South Royalton, Danville, Rochester and MSJ. West Rutland is 6th.

In high school softball: Division 1: Essex, Colchester, Brattleboro and Mt. Anthony. Rutland is 11th. Division 2: BFA-Fairfax, Lyndon, Vergennes and Fair Haven. Mill River is 6th and Otter Valley is 7th Division 3: Leland and Gray, Green Mountain, Randolph and Windsor Division 4: Whitcomb,West Rutland, Black River and Proctor.

The Softball state championship games from Poultney and the baseball state championship games from UVM will all be video cast on the Northeast Sports Network,nsnsports.net.

By the way all the semi-final games and championship games in boys and girls basketball and the boys and girls state championship games in hockey are available on the archives. Go to nsnsports.net and click in to the archives and look for the game or games you want to watch. NSN!!!

Catch you next week!

RJ all the way at Albany Saratoga

After a violent flip last week Ronnie Johnson found his way to victory lane Friday night at Albany Saratoga Speedway. Derrick McGrew won the sportsman race and Rob Yetman was back in victory lane in the pro street division. Ken Conroy was the street stock winner . A quick look at the locals found C.G. Morey finishing 20th in the modifieds and Ray Hoard 25th. Frank Hoard III was 8th in the sportsman division, Jake Scarborough was 22nd and brother Joey was a DNQ. Chris Murray was 7th in the novice sportsman Jeff Washburn and Eddie Thompson were 8th and 9th in the pro stocks and Bill Duprey was 4th in the street stocks. At Fonda it was Danny Varin in victory lane while Andy Bachetti stopped Brett Hearn;s win streak at Lebanon Valley and also won the 358 mod feature. Brian Hoar won the ACT race at Airborne Speedway. Points leader Todd Stone was 4th in the modifieds there. Devils Bowl return action next Friday night and then on Sunday the mods will race at Thunder Road . The Bowl also recently announced a five race Northern modified Challenge Series which will commence Sunday at Thunder Road and will travel to Devils Bowl and Canaan New Hampshire on August 2 and 3 and return to the Bowl September 15 and conclude on the Dirt at Canaan on October 12.

Despite the foreboding weather predictions and some reluctant Brook Trout, the annual Rutland City Fishing Derby was a great success this past Saturday at Combination Pond. The Rutland Kiwanis Club, in conjunction with the Rutland Recreation Department, annually provides this great opportunity for kids and their extended families to enjoy a sport in which all can participate.

Part of the state's widely popular stocking program for YOUTH FISHING EVENTS, these scheduled derbies throughout the state engage thousands of young anglers and provide opportunities for them to see, at a very young age, just how much fun fishing can be. There was no lack of that this past Saturday.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department had just stocked 300 yearling Brook Trout about 9 to 12 inches on the previous Friday, but since the surface water temperature of Combination Pond was around 70 it took the fish some time to acclimate to the conditions.

Early on in the derby, which started at 8:30, the fish were reluctant, with but a few gobbling up the worms at the end of a bobber line. However, as time went on they seemed to come alive with more and more bobbers jiggling with activity and more kids yarning in their prizes.

One of the more spectacular catches of the day was a beautiful Painted Turtle, about hand size, which is typical for this species, and it grabbed a worm and was hauled in by a very surprised kid. We managed to get the hook out of its mouth pretty easily with no apparent damage to the crusty creature, and the young boy slipped it back into the pond.

By the end of the event, at 12 Noon, the fish were rising for a hatch of black flies that were emerging on the pond, and the rings could be seen just about everywhere. That was pretty much when they stopped eating the worms and power bait that was being offered by the kids. And, amazingly, the rain that was intermittent at 8:30 stopped shortly thereafter and allowed all to have a ball for three plus hours and then promptly started up again just as the derby wound down at noon.

Kiwanis provided healthy snacks of juice, water, and fruit for all who wished it and ran a really good show. Anyone who knows a Kiwanian should thank them for their unselfish donation of time and effort for such great community events. It is things like this that make Rutland special, in this humble writer's opinion.

Stay tuned to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife's website in the KIDS FISHING EVENTS section to check on future events in our area. I do know that the annual Teenies Tiny Derby for kids will be held on the last Saturday of this month, the 25th, which is two weeks from now, and maybe the weather will warm up a bit for this one. With frost predicted for Mon nite and Tues nite of this week, I hope you all protected your early plantings and flowers. I never put away my fleece gear until July 4!! and even then, reluctantly! Until next week, good sports.