Vermont

CVU makes claim as one of Vermont’s best high school football teams ever

Published

1 year ago

November 10, 2024

CVU makes claim as one of Vermont’s best high school football teams ever

ST. JOHNSBURY – Nolan Walpole powered to over 100 rushing yards. Quarterback Orion Yates flung touchdown passes to three different receivers. The defense, despite missing a star linebacker, forced three turnovers.

The script went according to plan for the Champlain Valley Union High School football team during the Division I state championship game. And the Redhawks might have written themselves into history, too.

In a wire-to-wire performance, No. 1 CVU cruised to a 41-14 triumph over second-seeded Rutland to cap an undefeated season and seize its second D-I title in three years at St. Johnsbury Academy’s Fairbanks Field on Saturday night.

Walpole finished with 141 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries, Yates passed for 172 yards and connected with Walpole, Jacob Armstrong and Dylan Frere for TD hookups, and Chase Leonard forced a fumble and snagged an interception to headline CVU’s balanced squad.

“It feels great, it just feels awesome to go out like this,” said Leonard, a senior.

CVU was brutally efficient and dominant over 11 games this fall: The Hinesburg powerhouse outscored opponents 462-62, to cement its status with one of the best single seasons in Vermont history. Saturday, CVU gave up two touchdowns in a game for just the second time in 2024, and the first in over two months.

“That’s an awful big statement you want me to make there,” said CVU’s sixth-year coach Rahn Fleming when asked about his teams place among the state’s all-time greats. “But we certainly set a new standard for CVU football.”

Indeed.

Two years after winning the program’s first crown, CVU turned over the offense to Yates, a 6-foot-3 sophomore star who hadn’t played the position in prior years, while relying on game-breaking receivers, experience in the trenches and a veteran defense that swarmed on every chance it got.

“You know my theory: Hire people smarter than you are and get out of their way and let them coach,” Fleming said. “But if we couldn’t win with this group, I’d have to turn in my coaching card. I didn’t fail, we didn’t fail, this was a special bunch.”

Rutland’s opening possession Saturday resulted in a three-and-out because of Dylan Terricciano’s sack on third down. After a punt, CVU started from its 42-yard line, and Walpole immediately went to work, gaining 29 yards on five carries, the last rush via a 5-yard plunge into the end zone.

“He’s an absolutely animal. He never stops and he’s a staple of our team,” Yates said of Walpole.

On Rutland’s next series, Sean Kennedy recovered a fumble near midfield. Six plays later, Yates fired a strike to Armstrong, who evaded his man on his way to an 18-yard TD and 14-0 lead with 3:07 left in the first quarter.

Rutland responded when Noah Bruttomesso hit Ethan Wideawake for a 7-yard TD, slicing the deficit to 14-7 by the end of the first 12 minutes of action. But inside the first minute of the second quarter, CVU called a screen pass and Yates hit Walpole in stride for an untouched, 18-yard TD and 21-7 advantage.

In the third quarter, CVU sandwiched a pair of Alex Jovell 23-yard field goals around Leonard’s forced fumble for a 27-7 lead. Rutland got to within 27-14 on Bruttomesso’s 4-yard TD scramble early in the fourth. But Yates and the CVU offense continued to hum: The signal-caller hit Frere in stride over the middle, and the senior receiver broke one tackle to complete a 26-yard TD play.

Then after Leonard’s INT near midfield, Yates capped a 10-play drive with a 3-yard rush for the Redhawks’ final margin of victory.

“It doesn’t even feel real, I’m grappling with it right now. We have (18) seniors who from the moment we lost to BBA last year, set the tone and (saying), ‘We are going to win a championship,’” Yates said. “We did all the work to get there. I didn’t win this, they did.”

Champlain Valley, Rutland, D-I football championship highlights

Check out some scoring and other big plays from the D-I football championship game between No. 1 Champlain Valley and No. 2 Rutland

Rutland wraps a turnaround season at 9-2 (8-2 against Vermont foes).

“The senior class has a lot to proud of. It’s not for a lack of effort. They did everything they possibly could,” Norman said. “(CVU) just made more plays than our kids did. Tip your hat to them.”

After gutting out a 21-7 semifinal win over Middlebury in which they lost linebacker Lucas Almena-Lee to injury, the Redhawks refocused during practice. Almena-Lee’s replacement, Zane Martenis, also shined, allowing CVU’s defense to remain as fierce as it’s been all year long.

“Middlebury did a really good job last week, making us respect defenses a little bit more,” Leonard said. “That was a big theme in practice. We really just came out here and did what we were supposed to do.”

In Saturday’s post-game, Fleming’s emotions got the best of him.

“The bond that we have created on this squad, literally over the last four years, runs so very deep, that the joy is deserved by them and it just owns me right now,” Fleming said. “The joy for these guys owns me right now.”

Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.

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Vermont

Police investigating after ATV stolen from Vt. driveway

Published

27 minutes ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

Police investigating after ATV stolen from Vt. driveway

Police are asking for the public’s help in their ongoing investigation into a stolen all-terrain vehicle in Derby, Vermont.

State police say they were notified around 4 p.m. on Oct. 31 that a Camouflage 2008 Yamaha Rhino 700 ATV had been stolen from a driveway on Main St. The theft occurred some time between 10 p.m. on Oct. 30 and 7 a.m. on Oct. 31.

No other details were immediately available. Police did released two photos as part of the investigation.

Anyone with information about this theft is encouraged to call Vermont State Police at 802-334-8881, or leave an anonymous tip online.

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Vermont

White out: Vermont’s tallest peak buried under record-breaking powder – VTDigger

Published

13 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

White out: Vermont’s tallest peak buried under record-breaking powder – VTDigger

A snowy scene on Mt. Mansfield, the state’s highest peak. Photo by Molly Walsh/CNS

More than 5 feet of snow currently blanket Vermont’s tallest peak — the deepest powder in recorded history for Mount Mansfield on this date.

The Mount Mansfield snow stake hit 63 inches Thursday, said Burlington-based National Weather Service meteorologist Adrianna Kremer, more than 3 feet deeper than the average 22-inch depth expected this time of year. As of Tuesday, the snow depth at the stake was 61 inches, falling 2 inches due to compaction, Kremer added.

“We do have such a good snow pack early in the season,” Kremer said. “But, as always, there’s a lot of variability as the season goes on.”

Vermont has seen significant snowfall so far this winter, with over 3 feet recorded in November in some areas of the northern Green Mountains, Kremer said.

With 192 inches of overall snowfall Tuesday, Jay Peak has been graced with the most snow of any ski mountain in the U.S. so far this season, surpassing West Coast ski resorts in powder.

Northern Vermont ski resorts Smuggler’s Notch and Stowe are also keeping pace, with overall snowfall hitting 116 inches and 108 inches, respectively, as of Tuesday.

But warmer temperatures this Thursday will spur some snow melt. While that may bring modest river rise, Kremer said the service does not expect flooding, as the increase in temperature is predicted to be short-lived and this year’s powdery snow is less dense with liquid.

Hazardous travel conditions could arrive Friday, though, Kremer warned, as the snap back to colder temperatures brings the potential for a flash freeze and bursts of snow.

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Vermont

Visitors spent over $1B in Chittenden County in record VT tourism year

Published

1 day ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Visitors spent over B in Chittenden County in record VT tourism year

Beth McDermott
| Reporter assisted by AI

Vermont’s tourism industry set new records in 2024, with 16 million visitors spending $4.2 billion, according to a community announcement.

The increase in both visitation and spending marks a modest rise from 2023, according to a study by Tourism Economics.

Visitor spending accounted for 9% of Vermont’s gross domestic product, significantly higher than the 2023 national state average of 3%. The tourism sector directly supports 31,780 jobs, or 10% of the state’s workforce, compared to the national average of 4.6%.

Direct spending by visitors in 2024 included $1.5 billion for lodging, $876 million for food and beverages, $680 million in retail, $678 million for transportation and $462 million for recreation and entertainment. The spending generated $293.5 million in state and local taxes, equivalent to $1,089 per Vermont household.

“As we think about economic impact, it is important to recognize that visitors to Vermont are essentially temporary taxpayers, bringing in outside money that helps to make Vermont more affordable for all of us,” said Department of Tourism and Marketing Commissioner Heather Pelham. “Every guest who buys a meal, stays the night, or heads to the mountain is supporting our businesses, sustaining jobs for Vermonters and funding the essential services that keep our communities strong.”

When considering the broader economic impact, including supply chain purchases and employee spending, the ripple effects of visitor spending amounted to $7 billion in economic activity in 2024.

The report also provided county-specific data, showing increased spending in every county. Chittenden County accounted for the highest share of visitor spending at 24.5%, at well over $1 billion. Lamoille, Rutland and Windsor counties each represented more than 10% of statewide visitor spending.

In Caledonia County, direct spending from visitors reached $109 million, a 7.7% increase from 2023.

“During the 2024 total solar eclipse, the positive impact of tourism on a rural community like St. Johnsbury was clear,” said Gillian Sewake, director of Discover St. Johnsbury. “An estimated 23,000 people came to our town alone. It was wonderful to feel that vibrancy in our downtown, with visitors filling sidewalks, enjoying the attractions that we know and love, and helping businesses break revenue records.”

In Bennington County, tourism generated almost $300 million in direct spending in 2024.

“Tourism is one of our region’s most powerful economic drivers, supporting nearly 13% of our workforce,” said John Burnham, executive director of the Manchester Business Association. “But its value reaches far beyond jobs. Visitor spending strengthens our economy, sustains small businesses, and helps fund the local services and amenities we all rely on, from restaurants and trails to cultural attractions and community events. Tourism also inspires us to preserve our historic character and adds a vibrancy that enriches everyday life. Simply put, the visitor economy helps keep our region the welcoming, thriving place we’re proud to call home.”

The 2024 economic impact report comes at a time when resident support of tourism is strong. In the University of Vermont Center for Rural Studies 2025 Vermonter Poll, 85% of residents agreed with the statement “Tourism is important to my local economy,” and 78% agreed with the statement “Increased tourism would have a beneficial impact on my local community.”

To read “Economic Impact of Visitors in Vermont 2024,” learn more about the report’s methodology, and the additional indirect and induced effects of visitor spending, visit the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing Tourism Research webpage, accd.vermont.gov/tourism/research.

This story was created by reporter Beth McDermott, bmcdermott1@usatodayco.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.

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