Chelsea Boys Earn Bid In D4,
Fall to Cabot in Final Game

BOX OUT LIKE A DEVIL Chelsea senior, Zach Allen, takes care of two Cabot opponents beneath the basket to gain ground for the rebound. After a 63-36 heart-breaker at the Barre Auditorium Saturday, the Red Devils finished their season as the Division IV State Runners-up. (Herald photo / Tim Calabro)

Back in December, the Chelsea boys’ basketball team may not even have been mentioned in the same sentence as the Aud. But here it is March and they earned the right to two extraordinary basketball games on the Barre hardwood just the same. They brought over half the tiny town of Chelsea with them and headed home to hang a runner-up banner on the gym wall. And while this may not have been the picture-perfect ending to their playoff streak, they set the stage for future hunger in Chelsea sports.

Chelsea 39, Cabot 63

Saturday was a whole new ball game for the Red Devils. But despite the pressure to perform, they seemed relatively at ease and undaunted by the reputation preceding Cabot. Trouble was Cabot still outscored Chelsea in every frame and went to the charity line in the bonus all day long, while Chelsea shot only four free throws in the entire game.

Cabot jumped out to a 16-6 lead in the opening minutes, and despite some pretty shots from Cabot Savidge and Nick Battey in the second quarter, Chelsea was able to build no momentum. With 3:47 remaining in the half, Cabot was already in the bonus and made good on the majority of their shots.

The Red Devils dug deep during half time and came within six early in the third, making good on a few fast breaks. But Chelsea doesn’t have the depth to play a running game or press its opponents, so their options were somewhat limited as the game paused again and again during the third quarter for a Chelsea foul and a Cabot shot.

With 23 seconds remaining in the third, the first foul of the half was called on Cabot, while Chelsea had racked up eight. This spelled out the emotion of the game, not the score, but the intensity faded for Chelsea each time the whistle blew.

Chelsea mustered only eight points in the last frame, still hustling after every ball and holding their heads high. With 1:55 to go, the five seniors who put their time on the floor for most of the second half took their seats and five subs entered the game, some junior varsity players who had been brought up for the playoffs who probably never dreamed of getting two minutes in the game. Sophomore Jamie Blondin layed in the final Chelsea hoop of the game and this year’s chapter of Chelsea basketball ended with more accomplishments than expected.

"We started out with eight players and brought a couple up from J.V. for the playoffs. We got a little beat up, but it was just a great season. We didn’t imagine being in the finals," reflected Coach Mark Vermette.

After making it to the finals in soccer and basketball, these boys will surely be hungry for the real thing in baseball, which is already underway.

Chelsea 44, W.Rutland 41

Short on their roster, but not in inches, the Red Devils rose to a 17-6 record, knocking out No. 2 West Rutland in the semifinals last Thursday evening, 44-41. Neither team ever jumped out with a major lead in this game, and it could have been anyone’s ball game until the final minutes.

With a 14-9 lead after the first eight minutes, Chelsea gave up several hoops and had difficulty capitalizing on West Rutland’s turnovers. Leading 22-18 at the half, the Devils knew they needed to pour it on in the bottom half. Big drives by seniors Nick Battey and Zack Allen gave them an edge which was only cushioned with threes by Battey and Cabot Savidge. Still the Horde outscored the Devils 15-9 in the third.

It was 33 all with 7:52 remaining in regulation when Allen sunk two free throws after a drive, and then 35-all after another Battey drive. A series of offensive rebounds finally paid off with another Allen bucket, giving Chelsea a 40-39 lead.

Battey called an emergency timeout with 41 seconds to go after he intercepted a ball swatted back in bounds by a West Rutland player. On the Devils’ inbound pass, Savidge drew the foul and nailed both free throws, making it 42-39. With 24 seconds left, West Rutland squeezed inside the paint for two, cutting Chelsea’s lead. A long pass to Battey from Allen drew a questionably intentional foul and Battey made good on both shots, leading to the final score, 44-41.

Allen and Savidge each racked up 14 points, while Battey had 10. Chelsea coach Mark Vermette praised Langdon Lyons’ defense on West Rutland star, Kyle Csizmesia, who he held to just eight points.

It wasn’t always pretty, but it was a game filled with intensity and down-to-the-wire sparks. It was a hard earned win that helps the boys get accustomed to a floor they would venture onto again.

By Emily Marshia