Bill Murphy
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Articles by Bill Murphy
Gainesville handles Marietta
GAINESVILLE -- For Gainesville, an explosive second quarter was all it took to land a victory against Marietta on Friday at City Park Stadium. Following a lengthy weather delay to start the evening and a sluggish first quarter offensively, the Red Elephants (1-0) showed off some of their most potent offensive weapons with three second-quarter touchdowns en route to a 26-7 win. The Gainesville victory kept new Marietta coach Cameron Duke from picking up his first win.
Terriers inched out in post season once again
Back in 1999 Al Pacino played Tony D'Amato, a football coach, in the popular movie "Any Given Saturday." A famous line spoken by Pacino in the film was "You find out life's this game of inches, so is football.
Valley News - Hurricanes hold on to advance to final
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION —In football circles, the initials N.D. are typically associated with the storied Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Friday at Hartford High, however, it was another N.D. — running back Nick Daniels — who made a name for himself. Daniels ran for two touchdowns to help the Hurricanes advance to the program’s 21st state title game with a 20-17 defeat of Middlebury.
Springfield Eliminates Otter Valley While Stevens Loses Finale
BRANDON, VT — Teams with home field advantage are expected to win high school postseason games. Percentages are high that they win and advance. The Springfield Cosmos have repeatedly followed those percentages on the gridiron. In the fall of 2023 things were expected to be the same—but they weren’t. The Cosmos overcame the odds and found a way to defeat Otter Valley 18-12 on Saturday, Oct. 28. “This was probably the best coaching win of my career.
Terriers Chew Up Spaulding for Win
WESTMINSTER, VT — Football games at Hadley Field in Bellows Falls always seem to have a special feel. The spirit provided by the school band, the fire department on scene hoisting the American flag from their tower truck and passionate fans displaying their love for their favorites in Purple and White provide the perfect backdrop for a special evening. When you toss in a full moon, the atmosphere was over the top.
Terriers Fall to North Country
NEWPORT, VT — About 10 days ago a North Country football player was interviewed by WCAX after a Falcon victory, and he said he was looking forward to the upcoming match up with Bellows Falls. “We want to be the best and to be the best you have to go through Bellows Falls,” he said. Last Saturday, Oct. 21, the North Country Falcons went through Bellows Falls 27-7. Bellows Falls trailed 14-0 at halftime and believed they always had a chance to win.
Big Games for Bellows Falls, Stevens and Springfield
Bellows Falls snuck out a close win at Lyndon, overcoming several missing Terriers; Stevens took care of business at Kingswood, but unfortunately, Springfield’s big injury to their two-way standout Carson Clark was too much to overcome. Bellows Free Academy of Fairfax took advantage of his absence by winning a contest which will likely send the Cosmos on the road for the first round of the postseason.
Brattleboro Bears Hibernate Terriers
WESTMINSTER, VT — And then the lights went out... More on that later. A mid-sized crowd filed into Hadley Field last Friday night (Oct. 6) to watch the newly anointed Brattleboro Bears surprise fans from both sides in attendance by capturing an offensive shootout 26-20 decision over the hometown Bellows Falls Terriers.
Stevens Wins on the Road; Bellows Falls Defeated at Home
Their sights are set on the biggest prize possible at the end of the season, but there are several differences between the Stevens and Bellows Falls high school football teams. Stevens convincingly won their most recent game soundly defeating Epping/Newmarket 36-0. Bellows Falls lost a high-level struggle against Fair Haven 27-20 on the same Saturday afternoon, Sept. 30. The Cardinals are now entirely focused on keeping their playoff hopes alive when they host Fall Mountain Friday night, Oct.
Big Weekend for Vermont Teams
Four area teams pleased their faithful fans last weekend by putting up contests in the win column. Windsor had the most impressive performance of the weekend slamming a respectable Mount Mansfield team 32-6; Bellows Falls defensed Union 32 with a final score of 32-7; Springfield evened their record by turning back Mill River 18-10; and Newport had an unconventional forfeit win because Winnisquam couldn’t field a team.
Weekend Football Roundup
There are very few football teams from our area that meet head on. Only two matchups feature longtime rivals, Bellows Falls-Springfield and Stevens-Fall Mountain. All other matchups are left for our minds to play with. Last weekend Windsor remained unbeaten by dropping Milton on the road 33-6, Bellows Falls outdistanced Mount Mansfield 32-22 and Stevens was left winless falling to strong Campbell 42-0. If these three teams were to play a round robin tournament, how would they come out?
Cosmos Triumphant Over Oxbow Olympians
OXBOW, VT — There was something eerily familiar about the Springfield football game last Saturday when the Cosmos dominated Oxbow, 34-0. “Obviously we felt we had the better team,” said Cosmos Coach Todd Aiken. “Our game plan was to come out and play hard. You can never take a team like that lightly … If you start taking plays off or not going full out, they can sneak up on you and surprise you.” The Cosmos would not be surprised in any way on this day.
Bellows Falls cut short by Hartford Hurricanes
WHITE RIVER JCT., VT — Sirens blared over the PA system as the Hartford Hurricanes raced onto the field in their customary pre-game introduction. Little did anyone know that those sirens would be the backdrop of an incredible night filled with thunder and lighting galore.
Bellows Falls Stymies Springfield Offense
WESTMINSTER, Vt. — Football teams often take some time to put together an offense. When such offenses meet strong defenses, the result is often not pretty. That was the case on Week One of Vermont High School Football as the Bellows Falls Terriers shut out Springfield 34-0 at Hadley Field on Friday night. While the score may have been lopsided, winning Bellows Falls coach Bob Lockerby said his opponent, which only managed one first down, is making progress.
No. 1 Lanier falls to No. 6 Gainesville in Region 8-AAAAAA boys soccer showdown
The sentiment among the coaches after Gainesville beat Lanier 2-0 on Friday was that it might not be the last meeting between the two powerhouse programs in Class AAAAAA. In the second half, Ozmar Marceleno crossed over a defender in the box and found the back of the net with 16 minutes left to play to add a little cushion to the sixth-ranked Red Elephants' (12-2-1, 8-1 Region 8-AAAAAA) lead en route to victory at City Park Stadium.
Murphy's Gridiron Report: Bellows Falls, Newport Have Eyes on Titles
It’s on to their respective state semi-finals for the Bellows Falls Terriers and Newport Tigers in State Football Play-off action. Bellows Falls won a quarterfinal match-up with Spaulding of Barre 49-0 in the generally means nothing and shouldn’t exist first round of the Vermont Division II postseason last Friday night.
Murphy's Gridiron Report: Springfield and Stevens Take Home Victories
How good is this years’ edition of the Stevens Cardinals Football team? From this vantage point it looks like they are quite good. But, quite good, might not be good enough. Stevens had little interference on their way to a 42-16 victory at Con-Val last weekend. Tank Christian ran for three touchdowns, Jai Roberio carried in two and Luke Smith a single scoring run on the way to the Red and Black’s fifth win in a row.
Murphy's Gridiron Report: Terriers, Tigers Already in Playoff Form
Bob Lockerby’s Bellows Falls Terriers are thought of as championship favorites, while John Proper’s Newport Tigers are considered possible title underdogs, but, both teams and their championship contenders know you can take nothing for granted, as both teams exploded on the field last weekend capturing one sided win as they prepare themselves for 2022 play-off action. Both teams have one regular season game left after BF trod on Springfield 49-15 and Newport shutdown Franklin 57-0.
Terriers Coast to 62-35 Win
BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. — The Bellows Falls Terriers showed off their skills on both sides of the football to the delight of this year’s Homecoming Game crowd racing out to a 41-7 lead before halftime and then substituted freely keeping the numbers down (in a way) on the scoreboard, coasting to a 62-35 victory over Spaulding of Barre Saturday afternoon at Hadley Field.
Murphy's Gridiron Report: Newport Suffers First Loss, BF, Springfield Win
Bob Lockerby’s Bellows Falls Terriers stayed undefeated following a battle of unbeatens, turning back a strong overall effort by a determined North Country team which took an early lead, but relinquished the advantage long before the games end and the Purple stayed in front in an exciting 34-27 road victory.
Murphy's Gridiron Report: Bellows Falls, Newport Roll On
Newport and Bellows Falls maintained their undefeated football status this week with both teams getting off to a slow start and coming up with fast finishes allowing both to stand atop their respective state Division standings. Each team led 7-0 after the first quarter but walked off the field with 35-0 and 43-7 victories over Newfound and Union 32 respectively. Both teams face showdowns with another undefeated power this coming weekend.
Murphy's Gridiron Report: Bellows Falls, Newport, Windsor Stay Hot
For the second time in three weeks, a defending state champion area football team met up with the opponent they faced in last year’s state title game and in each case, the local eleven turned back a football team which was raring to go on their home field looking to get even with the title winners who had spoiled their day in the sun. Last Friday night Bellows Falls suppressed Mount Anthony 28-13.
Murphy's Gridiron Report: Bellows Falls, Fall Mountain Remain Unbeaten
Bellows Falls and Fall Mountain had narrow halftime leads in the second week of area high school football action. The Terriers opened things up offensively in the second half, while the Wildcats scored enough to jump start their way into the victory column for the first time this fall. Bob Lockerby was not a happy camper at intermission of the Bellows Falls 35-14 triumph over Fair Haven.
Murphy's Local Gridiron Report: FM, Springfield, Stevens Drop Openers, BF, Windsor Win
I am sitting here wondering when, or if, the Bellows Falls Terrier and Windsor Yellow Jacket football teams will lose again or whether either one of them could possibly have another undefeated season? Bob Lockerby’s 2022 edition of the Purple Gang showed up right on cue for this season’s opening game Friday night with a 56-40 triumph over their new Division II closest rival, the Brattleboro Colonels.
Softball scoreboard: North Hall tops Cherokee Bluff
Read full article Aug. 17—Genesis Satterfield, Ashley Callahan and Jacey Smith each had a pair of hits for North Hall in an 11-7 win against Cherokee Bluff on Tuesday. In the pitching circle, Mac Taylor threw threw five solid innings, allowing six hits. Olivia Mullins pitched a pair of innings in relief for the Lady Trojans. CHESTATEE 19, CENTRAL GWINNETT 2: Savannah Petty and Jaden Lee each drove in four runs for the Lady War Eagles on Tuesday. Lee had a team-high three hits for the Lady War Eagles.
Tennis: Flowery Branch's Andres Martin gearing up to play in Atlanta Open
Jul. 19—Flowery Branch's Andres Martin is eager about the opportunity. Devoting his life to honing his skills on the tennis court since he was a child, Martin feels like he belongs in the field with some of the biggest names in the game. Now, it's time for the 21-year-old rising senior at Georgia Tech to put his training to the test in the talent-packed Atlanta Open. "It's pretty awesome," said Martin, who has played his first two pro events in 2022, and is ranked No. 735 in the world.
GAINESVILLE, Ga. (AP) — George Groover holds a special place in the hearts of people who love Gainesville High athletics. At 85, the longtime supporter of all things Red Elephants has served in every role imaginable to support their sports teams. kAmp?5 DE:== 3=6DD65 H:E9 8@@5 962=E9 2D 96 ?62CD 9:D ?6IE 3:CE952J :? yF=J[ vC@@G6C H@F=5 =:<6 E@ 36 2C@F?5 7@C J62CD E@ 4@>6]k^Am kAm$:>A=J AFEi 96’D 2? :?DE:EFE:@? 2C@F?5 v2:?6DG:==6 w:89]k^Am kAm“}@3@5J 92D A@AA65 >@C6 A@A4@C?
At 85, Georgia man maintains devotion to high school sports
George Groover holds a special place in the hearts of people who love Gainesville High athletics. At 85, the longtime supporter of all things Red Elephants has served in every role imaginable to support their sports teams. And still blessed with good health as he nears his next birthday in July, Groover would like to be around for years to come. Simply put: he’s an institution around Gainesville High.
High school wrestling: Chestatee captures Hall County championship
Dec. 13—Behind three first-place finishers and a pair of second place wrestlers, Chestatee claimed the Hall County championship Saturday at Cherokee Bluff High in Flowery Branch. Business Insider Fox News reporter brings up 'half-million-dollar Christmas-tree' fire in White House briefing, asks Psaki whether suspect's release is 'good governing' The suspect in the Fox News Christmas-tree fire was released without bail last week because his misdemeanor charges are exempt under NY's bail reform.
Byrne set to lead Cosmos
Sitting here wondering what it is going to take to turn around the fortunes of the Springfield boys basketball program? Once upon a time, the Cosmos were on top of the basketball world, however the truth is, those times have been few and far between. Springfield boys basketball has not put together a winning record since 2009. The records say though, that was one heck of a season.
Sitting Here Wondering: Newport, Bellows Falls remain unbeaten
What would happen if Newport played Bellows Falls? In the old days, Larry Carle and Bis Bisbee usually scrimmaged in the pre-season and both coaches told me numerous times how perfect the match-up was to prepare for the season. Right now my mind drifts to wondering if either team would throw a pass in my imaginative game? For old timers forget Woody Hayes three yards and a cloud of dust, these present day teams chew up way better than three yards a carry.
What's the future of high school soccer in the area?
Sitting here wondering why two area schools couldn’t field boys soccer teams this fall and what the future of soccer in those towns and some others is bound to look like in the future. I believe so much of what we are and what we do is tied up in our early years. Certainly there are cases of people who branch out and follow a path no one predicted they would go, but for the most part, we stay true to what we have learned and what we know.
Is Green Mountain boys soccer championship bound?
Sitting here wondering if you start talking about a high school team’s state title chances early in the season, if you somehow put some type of curse on them? Could you make them overconfident or somehow get in the way of their potential success? The Green Mountain Boys Soccer team shutout Fair Haven Monday evening on the road 7-0. Everett Mosher scored five goals and freshman Tanner Swisher and sophomore Austin Kubisek each added one.
Undefeated teams keep the chains moving
I sit here wondering how many weeks Bellows Falls, Newport, and Windsor will remain undefeated. Each of them looks like they are title state championship contenders in their respective state divisions, but the leaves will have fallen off the trees by the time we find out how far each team can hold on to their perfect slate and what seed they will end up with heading into the play-offs. It is certain we are getting ahead of ourselves, but this trio IS really good.
Bellows Falls, Windsor off to big starts
REGION – Sitting here wondering how many high school football fans recognize any of these names: Pat Barbour, Peter Kamel, Jake Moore, Dillan Perry, Kevin Patterson, Richie Young, Vance Martin, Dalton Clifford, Bradley Bowers, Avery Dean, and Austin Gauld. Chances are unless you are part of their circle of influence, most of these gridiron performers aren’t on your radar.
A young old face returns to guide Bellows Falls basketball
WESTMINSTER, Vt. — Brattleboro lawyer Evan Chadwick is the new boys basketball coach at Bellows Falls Union High School. This will be Chadwick’s second tour of duty on the bench for the Terriers program. Chadwick succeeded Rich Demuzio at the helm in the fall of 2008 and guided the program for six years. Since Bellows Falls won the Vermont Division II State title in 2000, the program has only two post season victories in the two decades plus.
COUNTY CHAMPS: North Hall takes down Flowery Branch for Hall County title
Aug. 28—Lady Trojans won 3-1 in the championship match. Recommended for you
The Silvas: An integral part of Stevens baseball for nearly half a century
CLAREMONT — The last time the Stevens High School Cardinals won a New Hampshire State Baseball Title was in 1978 when they defeated Timberlane 2-1. Ralph Silva was the head coach. Ralph and his son Paul, who stepped down as head coach following the 2021 season, have been a part of the Cardinal program for 44 of the past 50 years. Ralph, who became the head coach in 1972, had brought teams to three state championship games before his arrival.
Recent North Hall graduate Andrew Jones building off running school-record time at Night of Champions
Associated Press Pence: I'll likely never see eye to eye with Trump on Jan. 6 Former Vice President Mike Pence says that he isn’t sure that he and former President Donald Trump will ever see “eye to eye” over what happened on Jan. 6 but that he would “always be proud of what we accomplished for the American people over the last four years.” Pence, speaking at a Republican dinner Thursday in the early-voting state of New Hampshire, gave his most extensive comments to date on the events of Jan.
Green Mountain’s odds before winning boys Div. III basketball title, part 2
CHESTER, Vt. – Green Mountain finished their regular season as the number one seed in Division III. I spoke to many media members and fellow coaches and no one mentioned the Chieftains as a serious title threat. I received a couple of “can’t count them outs,” but no close to ringing endorsements. After all, when was the last time the Green and Gold had ever won a meaningful game? Coach Brian Rapanotti with his team during the state title game.
Green Mountain’s odds before winning boys Div. III basketball title
CHESTER, Vt. – There are a select few teams who are considered among the elite of Vermont Division III boys basketball. In the past 20 years, Williamstown has dominated the pack more than anyone else with six titles. Thetford and Hazen have both pitched in with four. South Royalton has two and Windsor, Winooski, Lake Region, and Arlington have one each. Those teams with one have also captured titles in other divisions. This great eight is definitely a select group.
This & That
Happy New Year! I mean those words in so many ways each and every year. Here’s hoping whatever wishes or resolutions you have expressed for 2021, you don’t abandon – even if you have already decided to do so. It is so difficult to stay the course with our lives disrupted in all the manners it has been in the last 10 months, but show your strengths to those you love, including yourself, by jumping back on the horse to what you believe will make your year a success.
This & That
My first memory of Rob Weltz was of the young kid who would dribble his basketball everywhere he went. You might see him anywhere around town. He would dribble the ball from his house up in the vicinity of Minards Pond all the way to the Bellows Falls playgrounds over a mile away. He would dribble and then he would dribble. More on that later. Tennis and basketball were Rob’s sports. Tennis began first as his family would go to the playground courts for a family day of fun.
This & That
When any sports season begins, most teams dream of playing for a championship. They also most likely dream, if they can’t play for a championship, of at least qualifying for the playoffs and making some noise along the way. Success brings good feeling, and athletics provide short periods of time that create lifetime memories. During August of 2020, a couple of stories were developing in the area of the lower Connecticut River Valley.
This & That
Last Saturday was Championship Saturday for the Bellows Falls Terriers’ field hockey and girls’ cross country teams. It’s a date both these teams circle on their calendars every year. Shortly before everyone turns the clocks back, they compete and contend and usually win their competition that day. In a year when most people wondered if there would even be a champion crowned, both teams arrived, competed, conquered, and arrived home to a parade salute.
This & That
Maya Waryas, who leads her team in scoring this season, is headed to the net again in Vermont State Tournament action as her opening goal of the game led her Terriers to a 4-1 victory over Burlington. Photo by Doug MacPhee Who are the area’s top fall championship contenders in the state of Vermont? Any such discussion has to begin with Bellows Falls field hockey Terriers.
High school football: Unexpected journey has led East Hall graduate Lee Coleman to happiness as coach at Georgia Military College
BY BILL MURPHY bmurphy@gainesvilletimes.com Lee Coleman firmly believes everything in his life is about timing. The 32-year-old from Gainesville is quite content with his career path. Other football coaching opportunities, in the past, didn’t pan out, he said, because it wasn’t meant to be. However, one thing was for sure, prior to becoming Georgia Military College’s coach in 2019: this East Hall High graduate wasn’t seeking a position in the high school ranks.
This & That: High school football in the time of COVID-19
I’ve been sitting here hoping there will be some sort of fall high school athletic season in the area, and all area schools are expected to field teams in each of the fall sports they normally offer. Some of those sports may have a different type of wrinkle to them, but the good news is that there will be competition. The sport of football is the outlier that most people expected might just not happen in any form this fall.
After stint coaching NFL, Sutulovich still has passion
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. At Cherokee Bluff, he’s happy with being known simply as ‘Coach Stully.’ However, Eric Sutulovich is being modest when he downplays his impact as the football special teams coordinator for the Bears. The 46-year-old was a 14-year assistant coach in the NFL. Sutulovich is the only man roaming the Cherokee Bluff sideline on Fridays who has also been part of a Super Bowl coaching staff.
This & That: Remembering Coach Richie Wyman
Thanks to my family, I have always loved sports. Whenever it has been possible, my schedule has as much sporting activity in it as is logically feasible. My mother was my biggest guiding light through my formative years, but she was by no means alone in my upbringing direction. She was not a dedicated sports fan. Her fabric made sure to keep me balanced because my father and his brother and one of his sisters made sure I developed a big sized interest in the sporting world.
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