ADDISON COUNTY INDEPENDENT
B Section
THURSDAY, Â DECEMBER Â 17, Â 2015
MATT DICKERSON
SPORTS
ALSO IN THIS SECTION:
t 4DIPPM /FXT t -FHBM /PUJDFT
t $MBTTJĂŤFET t 3FBM &TUBUF
Entering  the  story , OLNH ¿VKLQJ , OLNH WHOOLQJ VWRULHV I’ve  enjoyed  doing  both  for  as  long  as  , FDQ UHPHPEHU 6RPH VD\ WKDW ¿VKLQJ and  telling  stories  are  two  sides  of  the  same  coin.  Fish  +  Stories  =  Fish  Stories.  6RPH WKLQN WKDW ¿VK VWRULHV DUH DERXW bragging,  and  for  that  reason  they  are  also  about  exaggeration.  There  might  be  some  truth  to  that.  (Which  is  to  say,  there  might  be  some  untruths  in  there.)  But  they  are  also  about  confession.  And  perhaps  more  than  anything,  telling  or  writing  stories  about  ¿VKLQJ LV MXVW D good  (or  perhaps  bad)  excuse  to  UHOLYH P\ ¿VKLQJ experiences.  Writing  stories  in  general  —  ZKHWKHU ¿FWLRQ RU QRQ ¿FWLRQ ² LV also  a  way  for  me  to  make  sense  of  things.  Some  people  think  authors  write  in  order  to  tell  what  they  already  know.  But  writing  stories  is  also  a  way  of  exploring  what  I  don’t  know.  It  is  how  I  learn. Over  the  past  two  years,  in  addition  to  the  50  or  so  columns  I’ve  written  for  this  paper  (mostly  stories),  I’ve  also  been  fortunate  enough  to  see  four  of  my  books  published:  two  QRYHOV DQG WZR FROOHFWLRQV RI ¿VKLQJ narratives.  Which  is  to  say,  four  books  RI VWRU\ ,Q PRVW RI P\ ¿VKLQJ VWRULHV I’m  a  character  as  well  as  the  author.  Sometimes  I’m  the  primary  character  —  the  protagonist  —  the  hero.  Once  in  a  while  I’m  the  villain.  Other  times  I’m  just  a  minor  character,  someone  (See  Dickerson,  Page  3B)
Sports BRIEFS
Mill  River  topples   Mount  Abe  girls
BRISTOL  —  The  visiting  Mill  River  girls’  basketball  team  remained  undefeated  by  knocking  off  Mount  Abraham  on  Monday  night,  45-Â37.  Jessica  Audy  (15)  and  Rylee  Nichols  (12)  combined  for  27  points  for  the  3-Â0  Minutemen,  who  also  own  a  51-Â39  victory  over  Middlebury.  Emma  Carter’s  15  points  led  the  Eagles,  who  dropped  to  1-Â3.  Mount  Abe  will  visit  0-Â3  Otter  Valley  on  Thursday  night.  Â
ScoreBOARD HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS Girls’ Hockey 12/14  MUHS  vs.  Plattsburgh  ...................2-Â1 Boys’ Hockey 12/15  MUHS  vs.  Missisquoi  .....................2-Â1 Boys’ Basketball 12/15  OV  vs.  Mt.  Abe  ...........................74-Â56 7ZLQÂżHOG YV 98+6  ....................63-Â61 12/15  S.  Burlington  vs.  MUHS  .............61-Â46 Girls’ Basketball 12/14  Mill  River  vs.  Mt.  Abe  .................45-Â37 12/14  MUHS  vs.  OV  ............................34-Â32 12/14  VUHS  vs.  Winooski  ...................44-Â42
OTTER  SENIOR  LEXI  Hedding  is  fouled  by  Tiger  junior  Riley  Fenster  during  Monday’s  game  in  Middlebury. Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell
Tiger  girls  outlast  OV  with  late  free  throws Dunbar  hits  pair  for  winning  margin By  ANDY  KIRKALDY MIDDLEBURY  —  In  the  end  on  Monday  night,  two  late  free  throws  by  Middlebury  Union  High  School  sophomore  Keagan  Dunbar  were  all  that  separated  the  Tigers  and  the  visiting  Otter  Valley  Union  High  School  girls’  basketball  team.  With  the  score  tied  at  32-Â32,  the Â
Otters  —  who  had  tied  the  game  on  back-Âto-Âback  drives  by  senior  forward  Amy  Jones  —  had  a  chance  to  take  the  lead,  but  lost  control  of  the  ball.  Dunbar  picked  it  up  in  the  lane,  and  the  Otters  tried  to  steal  it  back  and  committed  the  key  foul,  about  80  feet  from  the  Tiger  basket,  with  1.1  seconds  to  go. Â
OTTER  VALLEY  UNION  High  School  junior  Sophia  Bloomer  breaks  around  Tiger  junior  Lily  Smith  and  drib- bles  into  the  lane  Monday  night. Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell
'XQEDU ZKR ÂżQLVKHG ZLWK points,  four  rebounds  and  four  steals,  went  to  the  other  end  of  the  court  to  shoot  a  one-Âand-Âone.  Afterward,  she  said  she  had  never  gone  to  the  line  with  a  chance  to  win  a  game  —  but  she  had  gone  to  the  Middlebury  College  gym  on  Sunday  to  practice  her  free  throws. Â
Football  players  named  to  all-Âstar  teams ADDISON  COUNTY  —  Local  high  school  football  players  were  well  represented  on  the  coaches’  postseason  Division  I,  II  and  III  all- star  teams  this  fall.  The  runner-Âup  Middlebury  Union  squad  placed  three  athletes  RQ WKH ÂżUVW WHDP WLJKW HQG 6DZ\HU Ryan  and  defensive  linemen  Nick Â
Beauchamp  and  Wyatt  Laberge.  The  full  list  of  Tiger  all-Âstars  is:  OFFENSE: First  team:  Ryan. Second  team:  running  back  Jerry  Niemo,  fullback  Cortland  Fischer,  wide  receiver  Chase  Messner,  linemen  Laberge  and  Bruce  Wright,  and  punter  Oakley  Gordon. Â
Honorable  mention:  Quarterback  Gordon,  running  back  Ali  Abdul- Sater,  linemen  Beauchamp,  Chris  Grier  and  Pat  Messenger.  DEFENSE: First  team:  Beauchamp  and  Laberge. Second  team:  end  Niemo,  inside  (See  Football,  Page  2B)
“I  told  myself  when  I  went  to  the  line  that  I  was  just  going  to  shoot  it  just  like  I  was  the  other  day,â€?  said  Dunbar.  “And  I  did  it  the  exact  same  way  I  did  the  other  day,  and  they  went  in.â€? “I  was  so  excited  when  I  looked  at  the  clock,â€?  she  added.    For  the  0-Â3  Otters,  it  meant Â
Middlebury  men’s  hockey  gets  win,  tie  on  road;Íž  stands  atop  NESCAC AMHERST,  Mass.  —  The  Middlebury  College  men’s  hockey  team  picked  up  a  win  and  a  tie  on  the  road  vs.  NESCAC  foes  this  past  weekend  to  remain  the  only  unbeaten  team  in  league  play.  At  3-Â0-Â3  in  NESCAC  play  (3-Â2-Â3  RYHUDOO WKH 3DQWKHUV DUH LQ D ÂżUVW place  tie  with  Williams  (4-Â1-Â1)  as Â
WKHLU ÂżUVW VHPHVWHU FRPHV WR D FORVH On  Saturday,  the  Panthers  blanked  host  Amherst,  2-Â0,  dropping  the  Jeffs  to  3-Â2-Â3  overall  and  2-Â1-Â1  in  NESCAC  action.  Panther  goalie  Stephen  Klein  recorded  a  33-Âsave  shutout.  The  Panthers  took  the  lead  at  (See  Panthers,  Page  2B)
OV  boys  top  MAU;  VUHS,  MUHS  lose Â
Schedule
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS Girls’ Hockey 08+6 DW 1RUWKÂżHOG  ...................3  p.m. 12/22  MUHS  at  Saranac  Lake  .......6:15  p.m. Boys’ Hockey +DUWIRUG DW 08+6  .....................7  p.m. 08+6 DW /DNH 3ODFLG  ...............6  p.m. 08+6 DW 5XWODQG  .................6:15  p.m. Boys’ Basketball 12/17  Burr  &  Burton  at  MUHS   ...........7  p.m. 5DQGROSK DW 0W $EH  .................7  p.m. 12/17  OV  vs.  MSJ  at  Proctor   ........5:30  p.m. 12/18  OV  vs.  TV  or  Proctor  ....5:30  or  7  p.m. 12/18  VUHS  at  Mill  River  ....................7  p.m. 12/21  Mill  River  at  OV  .........................7  p.m. 12/21  Burr  &  Burton  at  VUHS  .............7  p.m. 12/22  Mt.  Abe  at  Winooski  ..................7  p.m. 12/23  VUHS  at  Fairfax  ........................7  p.m. 12/23  OV  at  Brattleboro  ......................7  p.m. Girls’ Basketball 12/17  Mt.  Abe  at  OV  ......................7:30  p.m. 12/21  OV  at  Proctor  ............................7  p.m. 12/22  Mill  River  at  MUHS  ...................7  p.m. 12/23  Montpelier  at  VUHS  ..................7  p.m. 12/23  Mt.  Abe  at  FH  Tourney  .................TBA Wrestling 12/19.....MUHS/VUHS/MAU/OV  at  Granville 12/23  MUHS  at  Bellows  Falls  ................TBD Indoor Track 12/19  VUHS  at  UVM  ............................ Noon Gymnastics 12/19  Essex  at  MUHS  ........................1  p.m. 12/23  MUHS  at  S.  Burlington  .............4  p.m. Spectators  are  advised  to  consult  school  websites  for  the  latest  schedule  updates. Â
another  strong  defensive  effort  went  unrewarded.  They  forced  26  Tiger  WXUQRYHUV LQ WKH ÂżUVW TXDUWHU in  taking  an  8-Â3  lead  after  eight  minutes.  The  Otters  are  allowing  38.3  points  per  outing.  “They’ve  worked  harder  every  game.  They’ve  got  to  get  a  win,  (See  Basketball,  Page  2B)
TIGER  SOPHOMORE  ANDREA  Boe  races  ahead  of  Plattsburgh  de- fender  Reilly  BoulĂŠ  in  the  opening  minutes  of  Monday’s  game  at  the  Memorial  Sports  Center.  The  Tigers  prevailed,  2-Â1. Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell
MUHS  girls’  hockey  earns  wins,  tie  to  stay  unbeaten
MIDDLEBURY  UNION  HIGH  School  sophomore  Helen  Anderson  ¿JKWV IRU SRVLWLRQ LQ IURQW RI WKH 3ODWWVEXUJK JRDO 0RQGD\ QLJKW 7KH Tigers  won  the  game,  2-Â1. Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell
MIDDLEBURY  —  The  Middlebury  Union  High  School  girls’  hockey  team  picked  up  two  wins  in  a  tie  in  the  past  week  and  stood  at  3-Â0-Â1  heading  into  play  on  Wednesday  night. The  Tigers  were  set  to  travel  to  play  Division  I  BFA-ÂSt.  Albans  on  Wednesday,  and  then  will  visit  DQRWKHU ' , IRH 1RUWKÂżHOG RQ Saturday.  On  Monday,  the  Tigers  got  a  tie- breaking  third-Âperiod  goal  from  Julia  Carone  and  a  goal  and  an  assist Â
from  Lauren  Bartlett  in  a  2-Â1  win  over  visiting  Plattsburgh  (N.Y.).  Bartlett  gave  the  Tigers  the  lead  LQ WKH ÂżUVW SHULRG RQ D JRDO DVVLVWHG by  Monroe  Cromis  and  Tulley  Hescock. After  a  scoreless  second  period,  Plattsburgh’s  Meghan  Sullivan  equalized  in  the  third  period.  Carone  then  netted  the  game-Âwinner  on  a  play  set  up  by  Bartlett.  Tiger  goalie  Rowan  Hendy  backstopped  the  win  with  15  saves,  (See  Tiger  hockey,  Page  3B)
ADDISON  COUNTY  —  Otter  Valley  defeated  Mount  Abraham  to  highlight  local  boys’  basketball  play  on  Tuesday  evening,  while  in  other  games  Middlebury  lost  at  home  and  Vergennes  came  up  just  short  on  the  road. OV  VS.  MOUNT  ABE The  Otters  picked  up  a  74-Â56  victory  over  the  Eagles,  their  second  of  the  winter  over  Mount  Abe,  in  a  back-Âand-Âforth  contest.  OV  took  a  ELJ ÂżUVW SHULRG OHDG EXW 0RXQW $EH responded  with  a  16-Â4  second  quarter  to  pull  within  one  at  the  half,  32-Â31.  Then  the  Otters  took  charge  in  the  third  period,  with  their  press  taking  a  toll  as  they  outscored  the  Eagles  by  25-Â12  to  lead  by  14  entering  the  fourth.  Derek  Aines  poured  in  a  career-Âhigh  32  points  for  OV,  and  Dylan  Mackie  added  eight  as  OV  improved  to  2-Â1.   Caleb  Bonvouloir  (13)  and  Coleman  Russell  (10)  paced  the  0-Â5  Eagles.  TIGERS  Visiting  South  Burlington  pulled  DZD\ IURP WKH 7LJHUV LQ WKH ÂżQDO minutes  for  a  61-Â46  victory.  The  (See  Hoop  wrap,  Page  2B)