BRANDON — A championship golfer and a winning football team provided most of the highlights for Otter Valley Union High School athletics in the fall of 2023, and they appear poised to provide more success this autumn.

Meanwhile, the Otter field hockey and girls’ soccer teams will look to conjure up a bit more excitement this season, and could have the offensive firepower to do so.

Unfortunately, OV boys’ soccer team will not be joining the party — lower numbers forced administrators to pull the plug on the program’s season. Fortunately, most of the team’s athletes either signed up for other OV programs or are playing soccer at other schools on member-to-member agreements. And OV Athletic Director Steve Keith said good middle school numbers bode well for this being a one-year blip in the school’s six-decade boys’ soccer history.

In better news, two-time defending Division II golf medalist Lucas Politano returns, as do three teammates who helped OV almost qualify for the 2023 state tournament as a group, while numbers are up for both that program and the Otter cross-country team.

Here’s a closer look at each program, including fall forecasts from AD Keith.

OTTER VALLEY FOOTBALL 2024

FOOTBALL

For OV football, it is a case of meet the new coach, same as the old coach: Former Otter program head Jim Hill returned to the fold late this summer after a few years away. Hill most recently leading Division II Fair Haven to an unbeaten regular season in 2023 before stepping away from that post.

Hill just recently took the OV reins soon after Otter Head Coach Jordan Tolar stepped down late this summer when he received an offer he couldn’t refuse — one to join the Hartwick College football coaching staff. Tolar left after leading OV to a 6-2 regular season in 2023, although an upset followed at the hands of No. 6 Springfield in a D-III quarterfinal.

“This (Hill’s availability) opened up at the right time,” Keith said. “We lost JT pretty late in the process.”

Hill joins a team that is motivated to make a deeper playoff run and has good numbers in the program, 40 in all.

“I think the guys got a really good taste of what it takes to have good success last year. The hard work in practices paid off,” Keith said. “And they all kind of didn’t like how last year ended.”

Hill’s Otters have plenty of players returning on both sides of the ball, including both in the backfields and in the trenches.

“We have a ton of offensive and defensive skill players back,” Keith said. They include junior quarterback Zach Dragon, senior running backs Isaac Whitney and Noel Pearsons (Hill’s stepson) and receiver Chase Razanouski.

A couple key linemen did graduate, but senior offensive lineman Colin Carroccia is a three-year starter who will help anchor the offensive line, and there are a handful of other veterans and newcomers on both sides of the ball who should ensure the Otters will more than hold their own up front, Keith said. “We’ve got some depth,” he said.

Overall, Keith expects solid results.

“There are certain expectations for us to compete, day in and day out,” he said. “And the hope is we have some talented kids, and we’ll have some good success.”

OTTER VALLEY GOLF 2024

GOLF

Any look at Coach Greg Hughes’s golf team starts with Politano, who added to his trophy case this summer by winning a New England tournament to qualify for a national junior amateur tournament, the Vermont Amateur tournament in a four-way playoff, and the Ralph Myhre Golf Course Club Championship.

“Lucas has had, by all rights, the best summer a Vermont high school golfer has ever had,” Keith said.

Politano aims to defend his D-II medalist title, but just as much would like to see OV win the D-II team trophy, as it did in 2022.

“He would tell you the same as me,” Keith said. “All those guys want a shot at getting back the team title again.”

It’s not an unreasonable proposition. All three of the other Otters who scored in the qualifying tournament a year ago return, Jackson Howe, Jacob Tripp and Rowen Steen, and all carded right around 100. A few shots lower apiece might do the trick.

“They’ve all played a good amount, from my understanding, through the summer. Coach Hughes is pretty happy,” Keith said. “It sounds like they’ve seen some improvement.”

And the six newcomers could add more than just hope for the program’s future.

“We’ve added a couple of new guys who are going to compete for spots there,” he said.

OTTER VALLEY FIELD HOCKEY 2024

FIELD HOCKEY

Coach Jodie Keith’s OV field hockey team has been steadily competitive over the past few years, but the D-II postseason has not been kind to the Otters — Spaulding has knocked them out in the quarterfinal round in each of the past three seasons.

OV’s AD said his cousin, the coach, likes what she has seen of this year’s group, including players who must replace standout graduates in goal and central defense.

“Jodie’s really happy with the depth she has across the field,” he said. “A lot of pieces are pretty interchangeable. She returns some really nice players who will kind of step up in the back.”

Coach Keith is promoting backup Alexis Beaulieu to start in the goal, while senior veteran Matelin LaPorte will move to central defense in front of her.

On the attack Breanna Bovey returns as the leading scorer, and Keith said Charlotte Newton, Hannah Desabrais and Sophia Parker are among those who should contribute to the attack.

AD Keith said Coach Keith believes her entire roster should contribute to a successful season.

“I know Jodie is excited because she feels she has a strong group top to bottom,” he said. “The group we can slide onto the field there has a really nice opportunity to do very well.”

OTTER VALLEY GIRLS’ SOCCER 2024

GIRLS’ SOCCER

Coach Tammi Blanchard’s OV girls’ soccer team did not lose many seniors to graduation, but those who walked the stage included an all-state goalie and key cogs at central defense and midfield.

The Otters also started fast a year ago at 5-1, but ultimately settled for a No. 11 seed in D-II and dropped a first-round road contest.

Keith said the Otters are optimistic about this season because the team returns goal-scoring punch: Mallee Richardson (eight), Allie Charbonneau (seven), Tegan Boynton and senior Randi Lancour all scored multiple goals a year ago.

“We’re really excited about our opportunity to put some goal-scorers on the field,” he said.

Sophomore Ady Humiston takes over in goal. She has not played soccer previously, but played football a year ago, basketball in the winter, and made a big impact at the plate and in the field this past spring for the OV softball field.

While arguably the team’s best defender graduated, three return in the back: Seniors Savannah Cook and Laura Allen and sophomore Michelle Hendee. “We have some really good defenders coming back,” Keith said.

And the program’s future looks bright, as well, he added.

“We’ve got 16 at the high school and 17 in the middle school,” he said.

OTTER VALLEY CROSS COUNTRY 2024

CROSS COUNTRY

Coach Cameron Perta’s cross-country program fielded a full team at the D-III state meet a year ago, finishing seventh out of nine boys’ teams after failing to field a scoring group the previous two seasons. That result is one of the best ever for a program that historically has failed to attract high numbers.

It’s possible the squad could do better this fall. Three of the top five OV runners at that meet return: Luke Calvin, who was 22nd overall, Elisha Bagley and Cooper Rubright.

And Keith said the turnout for the team this fall was strong, including a couple athletes who had hoped to play soccer, for a total of 10 runners, seven of them boys.

“We have six or seven boys who can hopefully lock down that fourth spot,” Keith said.

Also last year, OV’s only female runner at the state meet, Sara Loyzelle, finished 27th in the D-II race. She should have company this year with two other girls signing on, and Keith said the program hopes to recruit one or two more runners and field a scoring girls’ team at the state meet.