CVU football season ends, Five Redhawks named to State All-Star team

By Holly Fournier

All good things must come to an end, and so it did on Friday night with CVU’s playoff defeat at the hands of South Burlington, 42-20. The loss marks the end to a remarkable run for the Redhawks in their Division 1 debut.

It was just six years ago that the school’s club team earned varsity status and played their first game in D-4. After ascending rapidly through the Vermont divisional ranks, CVU’s program should be proud. The Redhawks ended their first D-1 regular season in the top half of the standings with a 5-3 record and achieved a playoff berth.

Although a playoff victory proved elusive for the Redhawks, there were many exciting moments that kept the Sea of Red in the stands on their feet all night. Fans roared as Tyson White returned a kick-off 77 yards for a touchdown – his blistering speed proved too much for the Rebels. Fans cheered when the Rebel signal caller was not only intercepted, but later sacked by CVU’s own quarterback, Drew Nick. And fans were energized when, over the course of the game, Michael Fournier deflected three passes and recovered a fumble.

CVU’s other scores came from Nick’s passes to Johnny Powers and Davis Mikell. In all Nick went 14-for-21, finishing with 219 yards passing, in addition to pounding out quite a few yards on the ground. Powers caught five passes totaling 129 yards. Nick Ferrentino, back from a three game absence, rushed for 123 yards on 24 carries. Tucker Kohlasch nailed two out of three extra point attempts, missing one on a bad snap.

Ryan Fleming, Nick and Fournier led the ‘Hawks in tackles with help from Matt Bauer, John Keen, Quinn Kropf and Rex McCoy.

Congratulations to the five CVU seniors named to the North team for the Vermont North-South Senior Bowl Football Classic – team co-captains Fleming, Kohlasch, Kropf and Nick, along with Dylan Raymond. The annual showdown between the top high school senior football players in Vermont takes place at Middlebury College on Saturday, November 19th, with kickoff at 12:30 pm.

Redhawks wing it to victory over Fighting Patriots

By Holly Fournier

The Redhawks took to the air Friday night at Spinelli Field in Bennington, securing a 28-13 victory over Mt. Anthony Union on quarterback Drew Nick’s three touchdown passes. Champlain Valley Union, now 5-1 on the season, moves one step closer to clinching a playoff spot while the Fighting Patriots drop to 1-5.

Nick adroitly moved the ball downfield all night, totaling 280 passing yards and completing 21-of-31 attempts with aerial strikes to Ryan Beaudry, Brent Carreiro, Ryan Fleming, Trevor Kennedy, David Mikell, Johnny Powers and Harvey Ottinger.

Halfback Carreiro, filling in without notice for sidelined running back Nick Ferrentino, valiantly pounded out rushing yards, including a 9-yard carry for a first down to set up CVU’s first TD. Still, the Redhawk overall ground attack came up short against a Fighting Patriots defense well-prepared to stop CVU’s run game. "MAU made us one-dimensional. They took away the run, but gave us the pass and we needed to take advantage of that," Coach Jim Provost said.

Nick’s first tally came with 2:47 left in the first quarter on a 5-yard keeper down the middle to cap CVU’s second possession of the game. Tucker Kohlasch nailed the extra point, as he did all night, to give the Redhawks a 7-0 lead.

MAU evened the score with 6:21 remaining in the half on a 45-yard run by Alex Cross, but CVU responded quickly with Nick’s 9-yard completion to fullback co-captain Ryan Fleming. This game was a first for Fleming in two regards: new position, new number. Fleming’s move to fullback in addition to his linebacker duties was “designed to help with lead blocking on goal line plays,” he says. As for wearing jersey #30, Fleming likes it, adding, “It’s Eric Palmer’s number so I’m trying to do it proud.” Palmer, a stand-out member of last year’s squad, played linebacker on the Vermont Shrine Team.

CVU’s third touchdown came with just 55.3 seconds before the half on a 37-yard Nick pass into newcomer Davis Mikell’s capable hands for a 21-7 first half lead. Mikell’s six pass receptions created some press box buzz, considering that two weeks ago he had never played football and this was his first game appearance. Mikell said that he “kept watching the games and seeing how much fun the guys were having. I wanted to join in.”

The Redhawks and Fighting Patriots traded interceptions in the game’s third quarter. John Keen’s red zone pick with 2:04 into the second half was key in thwarting a strong MAU drive. However, five minutes later the determined Fighting Patriots scored with a trick play on fourth and long. MAU signal-caller pitched the ball to Chris Redding who then easily targeted Dan Lawson for a 21-yard touchdown pass over the heads of unsuspecting CVU defenders. Their extra point was blocked by Lucian Bedard for a 21-13 score.

The Redhawks extended their lead to 28-13 on a Nick-to-Kennedy 24-yard touchdown pass with 7:20 remaining in the game. MAU’s late game comeback attempt was brought to a screeching halt by Alec Distler’s quarterback sack, one of three that night for CVU’s #64, and that was followed three plays later by a Ryan Beaudry interception. With 2:22 left on the clock Beaudry snagged the ball from the intended receiver near the goal line.

Along with Distler, CVU’s Bedard, Keen, Rex McCoy, Ottinger and Peter Wernhoff stood out for their defensive efforts.

Roughly 100 CVU fans made the nearly 6-hour round-trip trek to support the players. While vastly outnumbered by the Fighting Patriots Homecoming crowd, the Redhawk side made a gallant effort to be heard with cheers of “C-V-U, C-V-U” anchored by parent Stephanie Wernhoff’s boisterous cow bell-clanging. But CVU families and friends found themselves somewhat speechless at halftime when a streaker dashed 130 yards across the football field shortly after the Bennington school’s King and Queen were crowned in what is apparently a MAU Homecoming tradition.

CVU’s next contest takes them on the road again, but this time it will be a much shorter bus ride when the Redhawks battle the South Burlington Rebels, also 5-1, under the lights. Game takes place Friday, October 14. Kick-off time is 7 pm.

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.

CVU handles Burlington in 2011 season opener

By Joe Cribari

Champlain Valley Union High School’s football Redhawks made an impressive statement with a decisive, five touchdown, 34-0 victory over the Burlington High School Seahorses Friday night at Burlington. The Redhawks defense was almost perfect. This game was CVU’s first as a Division I team and their first ever meeting with the Seahorses as a varsity squad. BHS, although a smaller team with fewer upper classmen, is an established organization in Vermont high school football. The Seahorses have been in Division I since 2007.

Junior running back Nick Ferrentino drew first blood for the Redhawks with a dazzling fifty-one yard scramble late in the first quarter. Ferrentino helped grind down the clock, rushing for over 125 yards two additional scores for one and thirteen yards in the second and third quarters respectively.

Senior co-captain Drew Nick has handily taken over as starting quarterback this year. Drew passed for over 130 yards and one touchdown, connecting with senior running back Brent Carreiro in the first quarter. Nick also scored on his feet from the nine yard line on a QB sneak with two minutes remaining in the first half.

CVU linebacker and co-captain Ryan Fleming is showing strong leadership in his senior year. Fleming was everywhere – he was in on almost every defensive play. Burlington’s offense will remember number 74.

Tucker Kohlasch, now in only his second season playing football, has proved to be a vital addition to the team. The senior kicker not only hit four of five extra point attempts and nailed the ball deep on kickoffs, but is now a defense threat as well. This young man showed his mettle in his first football game ever last year scoring a two-point conversion. In Friday’s game Tucker pulled in two interceptions. Tucker does a lot more than kick. Fleming, coming off the field after one of those interceptions, expressed the general reaction, “I love this! Our kicker comes in at corner and intercepts the ball!”

“I have been practicing with [the defense] and coach put me in,” said Kohlasch. “I just wish I had started playing football younger,” he stated. Tucker is certainly making up for that lost time.

The 2011 Redhawks have some other familiar faces. Alec Distler, Dylan Raymond and co-captain Quinn Kropf are back anchoring CVU’s big offensive line. Matt Bauer, Ryan Beaudry and Johnny Powers are back – each increasing as a contributing factor on this Redhawks team that lost twenty three graduating seniors since last year.

Redhawks fans made a great showing as well on this balmy, beautiful evening and may have outnumbered home team fans. With the help of CVU’s cheerleading squad, a lot of noise poured from the Red side of the field. Shouts of “CHAMP-lain VAL-ly” and “CVU!, CVU!” created a din that neither the Burlington fans nor the announcer could penetrate.

Junior running back Patrick Shea pounded out over ninety yards, especially towards the end of the game as those Redhawks fans shouted out “SAY good-NI-ite” and sang the 60’s song “Na-Na-Na-Na . . . Na-Na- Na-Na . . . Hey, Hey-ey - Good bye.”

“This was a team effort,” stated a smiling Head Coach Jim Provost at the game’s end. Next week the Redhawks play their first home game of the season with a visit from Brattleboro High School. The game starts at 1:00 pm on Saturday September 10, 2011.