CVU, Montpelier, Winooski, and Rivendell claim boys hoops crowns

BURLINGTON and BARRE, Vt. (WCAX) - The Vermont Winter high school sports season came to a close Saturday, with all four boys basketball state title games at Patrick Gym and the Barre Aud.

CVU claimed their first ever boys hoops title in D1, downing three-time defending champ Rice in the process. The Redhawks used a 9-0 third quarter run to tie the game and gritted out a 42-38 victory.

“Yeah it was a great season,” said senior captain Noah Vaughan after the game. “That was the goal though. That was the goal, we accomplished it.”

At the Aud, Montpelier continued its dominance of D2. The Solons jumped out to an early lead on North Country and coasted to the 63-36 victory to cap off a three-peat.

“Three years in a row, that’s something special,” said Solon senior Ronnie Riby-Williams. “It all starts with the older kids, we’ve been practicing with them. Leo, Tyler, Will, Jonah, Rashed, those boys, pushed our littlest kids, the sophomores, to the level. We couldn’t have done it without them. Everyone stepped up tonight, everyone’s been up, pushing ourselves all playoffs. We couldn’t have done it without each and every single one of our teammates.”

In D3, Winooski was seeking revenge after falling in the title game to Hazen a year ago. The Spartans built a large lead and held off a late Wildcat comeback attempt to bring home their first title since 2011.

“It feels great, especially after last year,” said senior guard Trevon Bradley. “Disappointing loss, but we came back, and that was our plan from the start. We just had to stay disciplined. The adversity, we just had to fight through it, but we came out with the W.”

In D4, it was a battle between a pair of teams chasing their first title. Rivendell led pretty much the whole way and held off a late Mid Vermont Christian charge to take the win.

“These guys have been my best friends forever,” said junior guard Finn O’Donnell. “This is my last time playing with them, the least I could do ice that game and I did, and it all came pouring out. All my family in the stands, all my best friends are here, it’s just really a surreal feeling honestly, I couldn’t have pictured it any better way.”

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