Rivendell Winter Sports Watch

The oncoming winter season might seem a little glum, but Rivendell winter sports are the perfect remedy for a season slump. On the ticket this upcoming trimester are both basketball and hockey, and multiple opportunities to watch all the teams in action.

Varsity basketball teams will return looking strong this year. The boys team will be led by captains Noah Martel and Owen Pelletier, two seniors with three years of varsity experience already. Noah Martel is ready for his favorite season to begin. “I’m really excited to start practices, play around with all my friends and stuff...we got a couple good kids on the team, so that will be a positive.” The girls team will be lead by Riley Thomson and Mikayla DeBois, both in their senior year and second year as captains. After losing only one senior last year, the girls are looking forward to picking up where they left off. Riley “I’m excited that we didn’t lose many players last year so we don’t have to relearn different plays and we can just be working well together.” After losing four seniors to graduation, the boys varsity team will need to call up some new faces, but the captains are confident they will have a successful season. Both head coaches will be back, Jeff Huntington for the boys and Hank Tenney for the girls. Last year in the playoffs, both teams fell short of a second game by losing in the first round, but both teams hope to surpass those results this season.

Hockey players will be travelling to Hartford High School to join their varsity team this year. Ross McFate and AJ DeBois will be on the roster for Hartford, a team coached by Todd Bebeau. The Hartford boys hockey program has a history of being strong in D2 Vermont, falling to North Country in the semifinals 6-3 last year in the playoffs. In the past, Rivendell hockey players have succeeded at Hartford on both boys and girls teams. However the last two years, Rivendell players travelled to St. Johnsbury Academy to play. Ross, a sophomore, one of two goalies on the squad, expressed his feelings about the move to Hartford. “I’m looking forward to getting to know the new group of guys and the coaches, I’m looking forward to having a good season with them.”

“You better be rowdy!” is Riley Thomson's charge to the Rivendell fans.