Jack Healey’s Blog March 19th, 2018

What a weekend for Rutland area sports!!!! Typical Rutland!
On Friday night at the Barre Auditorium MSJ won its 4th straight Division 4 girls basketball state championship as Lyndsey Elms led the way with 9 points. Bill Bruso with his first championship as head coach and MSJ winning its 5th state title overall. The Mounties won a Division 3 state championship in 2002. MSJ returns everybody off that championship team next year!
Then on Saturday Rutland High completed a perfect season at 23-0 with a 45-39 victory over Mt. Mansfield. It was St. Patrick’s Day at the Patrick Gym as the Raiders won their 2nd straight boys basketball Division 1 state championship and 8th overall. It was also the 40th straight win for Rutland and coach Mike Wood’s 200th victory as Rutland coach. Jamison Evans had 18 points, Jared Nelson 11 points and Noah Tyson with 6 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals.
Rutland is just the 3rd undefeated Division 1 state champion in the last 35 years. Middlebury did it in 1983 and Burlington did it in 2008.
I got a good laugh when I was interviewing Jamison Evans after the game I said to him 23-0 it doesn’t get any better than this does it and Jamison said “I wish we were 24-0 though.”
Yes it was that darn bye!
Also on Saturday the Rutland High cheerleaders won their 3rd New England Championship in four years in Manchester, New Hampshire. Rutland is in the Division 2 category. The Raiders are the only Vermont team to win the New England championship.
The Rutland basketball championship was won on the Tom Brennan Court at the Patrick Gym and the former UVM coach was on hand to watch the “Final Four” when Rutland defeated St. Johnsbury and Mt. Mansfield defeated Rice.