Henry Raymond
Bellows Free Academy => BFA Sports Events => Topic started by: Henry on October 02, 2009, 07:27:13 AM
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By Tom Haley STAFF WRITER - Published: October 2, 2009
Who are these guys, anyway?
Sure the BFA-Fairfax Bullets are 2-0 in the Division III standings. But both victories have come against teams still winless, Mill River and Mount Abraham.
Still, the victory last week was by 44-0 over Mount Abe and that's domination by any definition, no matter who the opponent.
"In my four years here, it was the most complete game we have played," BFA-Fairfax coach Mike Williams said. "They played with some emotion."
Still, the questions begs: "Who are these guys?"
We find out on Saturday. The 4-0 Windsor Yellow Jackets make the long trip to Fairfax. And if you want to talk about domination, the Jacks have outscored the opposition, 191-12.
"They are scary good," Williams said. "They have got a boat load of athletes."
Windsor coach Jim Taft said the key to all this success is playing fast from the start of the play to the finish.
"Yes, we have good team speed. But that doesn't do any good if you stand around waiting for something to happen," Taft said. "We play fast right from the start. We have done pretty well at being able to play at our own pace."
Quarterback Gavin Callahan drives the Windsor engine.
"We have had good quarterback play so far," Taft said.
Taft is one who thinks he knows who those guys are. He has been a booster of the Bullets even before the season began, calling them "a sleeper."
"I think they are going to be right there at the end," Taft said.
"Their fullback (Ben Langelier) is really good and so is their quarterback (Andrew) Barden."
Now there are some new additions. Seniors Josh Woodward and Jeremy Lawrence, both good basketball players, recently joined the team and their first game was last week against Mount Abe.
Woodward was a soccer player in previous years and is now kicking for the Bullets. Lawrence was a top cross country runner last season.
"Woodward doesn't look like a soccer player; he is 6-foot-3, 215 pounds," Williams said.
"They have no clue about what they are doing. But they are very aggressive kids and that's starting to rub off on the rest of the team."
Maybe this will be the game when Williams puts in more of a passing package for Barden.
"He is learning the position," the BFA coach said. "He is an athlete. He's got a decent arm and we are looking to showcase it sometime."
The other mystery team in the division is Winooski. The Spartans are 3-0, but the three wins have come at the expense of Mill River, Mount Abe and Montpelier, three teams tied for last place with 0-3 records.
Still, being 3-0 in the division does something for your psyche.
"Winooski is playing with a swagger," Williams said.
They will need that tonight. They take on a Woodstock team (1-2, 1-3) that most feel is far better than their record.
But Woodstock coach Jim McLaughlin knows the Wasps can hardly afford to dip to 1-3 in the division.
The division can be divided into three groups. Windsor is sitting pretty at 4-0 and nobody has come close to them yet.
Nobody is mathematically eliminated as we are just in Week 4. But realistically Oxbow, Mount Abe, Montpelier and Mill River are on the outside looking in at 0-3 in the division.
That leaves a truly interesting grouping of teams: Winooski (3-0), Springfield (3-1), Bellows Falls (2-0), BFA-Fairfax (2-0), Woodstock (1-2) and Poultney (1-2) in a mad six-way scramble for the three remaining playoff spots.
The scramble is on this weekend with everyone wondering just who BFA-Fairfax and Winooski really are. It's a question that will get some sort of answer tonight in Winooski and Saturday in Fairfax.
tom.haley@rutlandherald.com