MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury Union High School teams didn’t earn any new banners to hang in the school gym during the fall of 2023, but all in all the season had to be rated a success.

The Tiger football team won a road Division I quarterfinal, and came achingly close to claiming a road semifinal victory.

Girls’ volleyball posted double-digits in wins and earned a home playoff victory in its inaugural campaign.

Boys’ soccer reached the D-II semifinal round and lost an OT heartbreaker to the eventual champion.

A Tiger bass fishing duo followed up its 2022 state title with a runner-up finish.

The girls’ and boys’ cross-country teams each finished fourth in D-II.

The recently reborn boys’ golf program qualified for the D-II tournament.

Only the young MUHS girls’ soccer team failed to enjoy any postseason success, though the group had its moments.

Can the Tiger athletes match or surpass those accomplishments this fall? MUHS Activities Director Sean Farrell shed some light on what to expect.

TIGER FOOTBALL 2024

FOOTBALL

Farrell brought up a data point that shines a light on the consistency of the Tiger football program under three coaches during the past two-plus decades, all with similar, if not exactly identical, philosophies and tactical approaches.

“We’ve had one losing season in 22 years here, so the prognosis is always good,” Farrell said.

Certainly there were, as always, graduation losses, including the team’s starting quarterback and three Shrine Bowl players, one of whom was the team’s leading rusher.

But the new starting quarterback, senior Luke Nuceder, saw playing time a year ago, and the running backs who’ll see most of the carries this year — the top two are fullback Avery Carl and halfback Alex Sperry, plus junior Logan McNulty and senior Tassilo Luksch — all saw action in 2023.

At offensive tackle, seniors and tri-captains Kyle Stearns and Angus Blackwell will help open holes for the backs, and other experienced linemen are back on both sides of the ball, including their classmate Callan Boulanger.

“We do have a good core returning, which is great,” Farrell said.

Of course, the Tigers will run most of the time, but when Nuceder throws, his most likely targets will be senior wideout Tucker Morter and junior tight end Cook Riney.

“We’ve always had throwing in our arsenal, and we can do it when it makes sense,” Farrell said. “Tucker is certainly an asset for us out there, and Cooke Riney at tight end has a lot of height and athleticism.”

Many of those same players will be fixtures on defense.

“We’ve always been a program with a lot of players going both ways,” Farrell said.

The Tigers should have the depth to spell them, with 57 athletes signed up for the high school program.

How will it all work out?

“I think we’ve got a lot of solid players returning. We’ve got a great coaching staff who seem to always get them ready,” Farrell said during preseason. “So, as always, I think we’re going to be right in the mix and have a great season.”

TIGER VOLLEYBALL 2024

VOLLEYBALL

Coach Bethany Morrisey’s girls’ volleyball program made quite the splash in its first season at the varsity level, showing enthusiasm and chemistry as well, earning the No. 4 seed in the only statewide division and winning a home playoff game before falling in a quarterfinal. The Tigers wound up at 13-3.

The Tigers’ senior captain and arguably top player graduated, but Farrell said there are others ready to step up.

“There is a lot of good leadership still within the program. Emma Morrisey, Georgie Kiel and Ronan Young are the three captains and are consistent players,” Farrell said.

He also offered an example of how the sport has caught on at MUHS.

“We have great numbers, so we have three teams, balancing out the development of our players and the development of our program, as well as having a competitive varsity team,” Farrell said. “We’ve got nine seniors on the varsity team.”

And that experience should mean more good results, he added.

“We should be very strong,” Farrell said. “I expect that they’ll do very well.”

TIGER BOYS’ SOCCER 2024

BOYS’ SOCCER

The new boys’ soccer coach is Max Ratti-Bicknell, a former Vergennes standout who graduated from VUHS in 2017, played club soccer at UVM, and for the past two seasons coached JV teams at Mount Mansfield Union that lost only once overall. Early Tiger player feedback has been positive, Farrell said, adding Assistant Coaches Andrew McWilliams and August Morrison have been instrumental in creating a smooth transition. 

Ratti-Bicknell inherits a Tiger squad that’s reached — and lost in — the D-II semifinal round in four straight seasons, the last two in tough, one-goal setbacks.

This year’s squad also saw its leading scorer and starting central defenders, among several key players, receive diplomas this past spring. Farrell described it as the circle of life.

“Just like any program, you have your graduates, and you have your core behind them,” he said.

Returning to start for a third year is senior all-state midfielder Ollie Choudhury, and for a second year starting, junior all-league goalie Jonathan Kafumbe. There are also experienced defenders and midfielders and promising young attackers on the roster, including junior striker Ben Longman.

Farrell said the group played a lot of soccer over the summer and appears to be developing good chemistry under the leadership of Choudhury, Kafumbe and its new coach.

“One of his (Ratti-Bicknell’s) strengths is his ability to connect with the players,” Farrell said. “He’s bringing the group together.”

TIGER BASS FISHING 2024

BASS FISHING

Maybe the most successful sport at MUHS during the past two years has been bass fishing, thanks to Coach John Fitzgerald and two 2024 graduates, Dylan Stowe and Riley Disorda.

In 2022, they edged a Mount Abe pair by a slim margin and claimed the state championship. In 2023, in stormy conditions off Grand Isle, the duo settled for silver.

This fall, Fitzgerald and his assistant coach/boat captain Chris Groman will have to evaluate the team’s 10 anglers’ abilities to see who the final four are who will compete at the VPA championship tournament. Farrell said the program has invited other schools to an unofficial competition that could help them decide.

“We are holding our own scrimmage,” Farrell said. “We’ll see who performs in that.”

One team member could have an edge if all things are equal: Senior Vance Larocque is the only Tiger who has been on the squad since its founding.

The program’s numbers this year are comparable to 2023, Farrell said, but there appears to be a difference.

“More of these kids are dedicating themselves to bass fishing,” he said. “There’s a lot of interest. Our success at the state level doesn’t hurt.”

Farrell credited the coaches, who take the students out on their own boats and volunteer their efforts in the offseason.

“It really comes down to the coaches/captains who are willing to use their boats. They put in the time and energy. They will take these kids out all summer if any of these kids are available and want to go,” he said. “It shows true commitment.”

TIGER GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY 2024

CROSS COUNTRY

A year ago, Coach Chris Anderson’s MUHS girls’ and boys’ cross-country teams both finished fourth in Division II at the state championship meet in Thetford, stretching a string of the program’s respectable or better efforts.

There’s reason to expect more of the same this fall.

On the girls’ side, junior Mary Harrington and senior co-captain Beth McIntosh are back after running 2-4 in the 2023 championship race, and senior co-caption Sarah Benz and classmate Jessie Bodette are also back after scoring at the state meet.

It’s too early to say who will step up as the fifth scorer or even possibly challenge for a higher spot, but Farrell suggested freshman Louisa Orten could be one candidate.

TIGER BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY 2024

The boys’ team lost its top finisher, but five runners at the 2023 Thetford state meet return. In order of their finish a year ago, they are junior Kaden Hammond and seniors Baker Nelson, Ethan Spritzer, Aaron Carr-Perlow and Keil Broderson.

Nelson and classmate Matthew Berg are the co-captains.

“That’s our core back that we expect to lead the team throughout the season,” Farrell said, adding the team will wait and see if anyone emerges among the other runners to challenge for scoring spots.

He summed up.

“I fully expect them to be competitive through the season,” Farrell said. “We’ve had a good tradition in our cross-country program of success. Chris Anderson will do a good job.”

TIGER GIRLS’ SOCCER 2024

GIRLS’ SOCCER

Coach Reeves Livesay leads a veteran girls’ soccer team, with eight seniors, while at the same time it’s blessed with youth on a roster of 19 that includes six sophomores and two freshmen.

“There’s a lot of senior leadership,” Farrell said, which he said is supplemented by junior all-league midfielder Solstice Binder, a co-captain along with senior back Meredith Horne, a multi-year starter.

Offense can come from seniors Jazz Hurley and Lily Dame, while senior Kaitlyn Brown returns in goal. Seniors Elsa Burrows and Ada Weaber and sophomore Isabel Quinn, a returning starter, are among those who will work with Horne in the back, while the roster lists no fewer than nine candidates who could line up with Binder in the midfield.

Farrell believes the team has ample reason to believe it can improve on its No. 10 seed and first-round loss in the D-II tournament in 2023.

“I think they’re going to have a great season. Reeves does a great job working with them,” Farrell said. “I think we have some very good athletes, and we’re starting to develop some team chemistry and work together. They’re going to do a good job.”

TIGER FIELD HOCKEY 2024

FIELD HOCKEY

Tiger field hockey Coach Makayla Foster and assistant Tajah Marsden focused on intangibles as well as skills and tactics during the Tiger field hockey preseason, according to Farrell.

“Makayla and Tajah are doing a great job,” he said. “They’re bringing a great energy and bringing more community to it.”

For example, he said the team is re-starting the traditional Monday afternoon youth clinics run jointly by the coaches and athletes, something that had been an important way to introduce younger potential players to the sport as well as build team camaraderie.

“They’re just trying to get the sport out there again,” Farrell said, noting there are now six athletic offerings for girls in the fall now at MUHS — soccer, field hockey, cross country, and the recent additions of volleyball, bass fishing and golf

The program does have better numbers, even if not as many as it enjoyed back in its heyday, when it fielded a full JV team and contended for D-I titles. But eight ninth-graders signed up, boosting the varsity team’s count to 18, including just three seniors, defender Meredith Cameron, midfielder Lila Cook Yoder, and goalie Michaela Charbonneau. Junior Kenyon Connors joins Cameron and Cook Yoder as tri-captains.

“We haven’t had that growth at that level for a while, so that obviously is spelling a good future for us,” Farrell said.

On the field this season, the team will be looking for its second D-II postseason victory in six years.

As well as the talent of the team’s captains, Farrell noted Charbonneau is an accomplished goalie, junior Quinn Doria has established herself at midfield, most of the team’s other juniors will be entering their third season and are now experienced players, and the freshmen appear to be holding their own during practices.

So it’s fair to expect the Tigers to be more competitive this season, he said.

“We’re hopeful we’re going to have a more productive season,” Farrell said. “The energy on the field is better than it has been in years past, and I’m always one to say chemistry beats talent. So if you’ve got talent and chemistry on your team, that makes you tough to stop.”

TIGER GOLF 2024

GOLF

Coach Joe Crodelle’s MUHS golf program is growing, with 11 boys signing up this year and all three girls from last year’s team returning.

On the boys’ side, the Tigers qualified for the D-I tournament a year ago. The top scorer among the five golfers who played at the qualifying and state tournaments graduated, and another didn’t return, but seniors Cooper Quinn and Ben Fuller and sophomore Reany McKinley are back to give another shot at qualifying and competing for a title.

Farrell believes sophomore newcomer Rowdy Malcolm, already an experienced golfer, will join them on the tournament unit.

“I expect he’s going to contribute a lot to the team,” Farrell said.

The fifth spot will likely be up for grabs among the one junior, two other sophomores, and four freshmen boys on the roster.

The three girls on the team are all sophomores — Abigail Andres, Sedona Carrara and Maggie Morter. On the girls’ side, that’s enough to compete as a team, and Farrell hopes the trio can progress to the point they could give it a shot. To help that process along, he and Crodelle have added more outings to their schedule.

“We’re developing a girls’ team, which is great,” Farrell said. “We’re increasing the times they can compete.”