Redhawks tough it out in the rain

By Joe Cribari

Redhawks Tough It Out in the Rain

There was no joy in Hinesburg as the Champlain Valley Union High School Football Redhawks suffered their first loss of the season Saturday. The Bellows Free Academy – St.Albans Bobwhites flew into town for a late start game at CVU on a miserable, raw, rainy afternoon. The final score: 48-0 in favor of the Bobwhites.

The Redhawks had a rough start. A fumble on CVU’s return of the game’s opening kickoff was recovered by St. Albans. Four plays later and less than two minutes into the game, the Bobwhites scored.

There were shining moments on offense as Patrick Shea and Nick Ferrentino each escaped for a big run in the first half. Ferrentino had another big run late in the game. There was a huge 27-yard pass play from Drew Nick to Johnny Powers as the half drew to a close.

Nick threw for another twenty-seven yards in passes to Ryan Beaudry. Steele DeBrul took over as QB late in the game, scrambling for a few yards on a keeper.

The Redhawks defense was busy all afternoon. Rex McCoy, Ryan Fleming, Harvey Ottinger and Jake Loyer led tackling for the team, but Michael Fournier, Kyle Williams, Brendan Davitt, Quinn Kropf, Ross Harlow, Ryan Beaudry, Thomas Gallagher and Steele DeBrul got in for multiple tackles as well. Loyer’s touchdown-preventing tackle in the second quarter lead to a 4th down stuff by Fleming and Fournier four plays later – ending that drive for St. Albans.

This game was one that tests a team’s stamina, perseverance, valor and sportsmanship. The Redhawks exhibited all of these. CVU’s athletes held their heads high as they watched their defense struggle against a big offensive ground game, their offense battle an aggressive defense and their special teams face an opportunistic opponent.

There was no joy in Hinesburg, but there was no whining either. There were no cheap shots or complaints. There were, however, shouts of encouragement from the loyal CVU fans.

As each player engaged the man on the other side of the line in each contest down-by-down, there were cheers from teammates on the sideline, celebrating each success.

As the day waned, a win out of reach, a continuous stream of steady, soaking rain falling, the field a muddy mess, the Redhawks marched on play after play – continuing the fight.

“They had that ‘Never Say Die’ mentality to the very end,” JV A Head Coach Rahn Fleming said. “Kids like [Kyle] Williams coming in, trying to strip the ball and make things happen.”

The Redhawks are now tied at 4-1 with BFA-St. Albans and South Burlington. Two teams – Middlebury and Hartford – remain undefeated in Division I. CVU next travels to Bennington on Friday October 7, 2011 to face the 1-4 Mount Anthony Union High School Patriots. The game starts at 7:00 pm. Support from Redhawks fans will be welcome on this road trip.

Redhawks grind down Hilltoppers, 14-7

By Holly Fournier

The Redhawks held on to their undefeated record Saturday, outlasting the St. Johnsbury Hilltoppers in a tight contest under damp, dreary conditions following a week that was anything but ordinary for the squad. Fans experienced a somewhat different lineup for CVU as injuries and illness either sidelined or weakened a number of key players. The entire CVU Redhawk family was also reeling from the sudden passing of Head Coach Jim Provost’s mom and the team’s #1 fan, Beatrice “Mimi” Provost, on Tuesday. Linebacker Michael Fournier remarked before kick-off, “If we can win this game, with everything that’s happened, then we have a good shot against anyone else.”

St. Johnsbury proved to be a formidable force for the Redhawks with a virtual stalemate on the offensive and defensive lines throughout four quarters of play. Said Linebacker Harvey Ottinger, “We knew they were going to be a good team, better than our other opponents, making it both a tough and emotional game.”

The Hilltoppers drew first blood late in the first quarter after a slippery ball led to a muffed CVU punt, allowing St. J to take over first and goal. Capitalizing on CVU’s misfortune, Lincoln Lemieux snuck in on a quarterback keeper for the touchdown and booted the extra point himself, putting the Redhawks down 7. That would be the last time the Hilltoppers were a threat.

CVU defensive demon Ryan Fleming intercepted St. J’s pass with just a minute left in the first half. The 6 foot, 205-pound linebacker ran 45 yards before being knocked out of bounds just shy of the goal line. A momentum shift was in the works.

Second half, new ball game as CVU dug deep and found their strength. A solid punt return to the 40-yard line by Tyson White led to stand-in quarterback Steele DuBrul’s pass over the middle to Johnny Powers. Next, Patrick Shea scrambled down the middle to set up a Redhawk first down, then DuBrul finished the job with a 48-yard touchdown pass to Trevor Kennedy. Tucker Kohlasch split the uprights with the extra point to tie the game, 7-7.

For DuBrul this was his first real test as CVU’s signal caller, having seen only late-game action in the Redhawks' previous contests. He got the job done. “Steele really stepped up and put in a great performance, considering he hadn’t played quarterback since Middle School,” said Kohlasch. Defensive lineman Ross Harlow agreed: “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but Steele came in and did a great job on the fly.”

The go-ahead TD for the Redhawks came with 4:13 on the clock after a key Kohlasch interception gave CVU possession. Three plays later Kennedy snagged a 51-yard pass from DuBrul out of St. J defender Lemieux’s hands for the score. Kohlasch’s kick for the extra point was good for a 14-7 lead.

With the clock winding down, right-man-in-the-right-place Kohlasch notched his second interception of the game, dashing the Hilltoppers’ hopes of forcing overtime. Said Kohlasch, “Finding out about Coach’s mom was definitely an emotional blow. She was a big fan, we felt we owed it to her to win. We made no excuses, just came out to play.” And play they did.

CVU’s powerful defense held St. J scoreless for three quarters behind the tough tackling of Fleming, Fournier and Ottinger who were responsible for more than 30 take-downs between them. Jake Loyer, Peter Wernhoff, Chad Hayden, Harlow and Brendan Davitt were other big contributors in holding the line and creating misery for the Hilltoppers.

After the game an emotional Coach Provost thanked his team for the victory, singling out DuBrul, John Keen, Davitt, Will Parent and Kennedy for stepping up and delivering when their number was called.

The Redhawks, now 4-0 on the season, face-off against 3-1 BFA St Albans on CVU home turf Saturday, October 1 at 3:00 pm. BFA St. Albans lost to Hartford in last year’s D-1 State Championship.

Redhawks finish off Hornets

By Joe Cribari

CVU’s undefeated football Redhawks visited Essex High school to face the winless Hornets on September 10, 2010. Fast forward a little over one year. CVU had an explosive quarterback-defensive back, a strong ground game led by one of Vermont’s leading running backs, a smoking defense and a wild crowd of fans in the bleachers then as they do now. That is where most of the similarities end, as the Redhawks took care of some unfinished business Friday night in Essex with a punishing six touchdown, 49-21 win over the Hornets.

The Redhawks established momentum early, scoring on their third possession on a 5-yard run by Nick Ferrentino. Numerous interruptions by penalty flags did not upset Big Red’s momentum, nor did chilly temps. Nor did facing the 2009 Division I State Champions. CVU came onto the field with a fierce determination that one could taste on the Redhawks side.

Ferrentino dazzled once again, this week with well over 200 yards rushing and three touchdowns – including a 53 yard run from scrimmage on the 1st down of the Redhawks 6th possession and a 74 yard run as the clock ran out on the third quarter. Number 22 also had a would-be 68-yard touchdown run negated by a penalty. The junior consistently breaks tackles and is a significant threat behind excellent blocking by the rest of the CVU’s offense.

Redhawks quarterback Drew Nick scored on a sneak from the 20-yard line after a beautiful faked handoff to #22. Nick connected with Brent Carreiro from the 9-yard line for another score. The balance of CVU’s points came from a 12-yard run by Patrick Shea late in the game, three extra point kicks by Tucker Kohlasch and a pair of two-point conversions – both pass plays from Nick to Ryan Beaudry.

Essex showed a bit of a rally in the second quarter after falling behind 28-0, scoring 14 unanswered points. Both touchdowns came on Jack Valley passes – first to Trevor Yandow, then Willie McSoley; Tyler Warren made the extra point kicks.

The Redhawks defense made this a tough night for the Hornets, holding the opposition to under 300 total yards. Essex QB Jack Valley was harried all night by the Red D. Ryan Fleming was constantly in his face with multiple defections and a sack. Bobby Russell got through for a sack. Brent Carreiro and Harvey Ottinger each had an interception. Quinn Kropf, Ross Harlow, Brendan Davitt, Matt Bauer, Drew Nick and especially Michael Fournier put a stop to almost anything the Hornets tried on offense. CVU’s defense forced the Hornets to turn over the ball five times.

Offense, defense and special teams all came through this evening for the ‘Hawks. Bauer recovered the ball on a CVU punt after it touched the foot of the receiver in the first quarter – the Redhawks scored six plays later.

CVU Fans Rock the Red on the Road – Take Two. It would be remiss not to mention the Redhawks fans – a massive body of screaming, chanting, cheering fans out in force showing colors. Words are difficult to find to relate not only the team’s performance this night, but also that of these fans. The noise from the Redhawks side was deafening.

Champlain Valley heads into week four undefeated – a status they now share with only Hartford and Middlebury in Division I. The Redhawks will host the 2-1 St. Johnsbury Academy Hilltoppers at on Saturday September 24, 2011. This is the first varsity meeting between these teams. It will also be Spirit Day at CVU. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m.