Fall sports are entering the heart of the season all across Vermont. Here at Essex High School, the teams are working hard day in and day out to be in the best shape possible for their upcoming games, matches, and meets.
Girls Soccer
The girls’ head coach, Dallas Brodhead, has been coaching soccer for five years at various levels. Those include junior varsity, club, and now varsity at Essex.
Brodhead and the whole team say they’re excited for this season and the potential to compete for a state championship.
“We know that we are going to be contenders this year and we are looking to make a statement,” Brodhead
said in an email statement.
The team’s deep roster of 22 is fit and ready to compete. A significant part of that group is the senior class with Kelsie Scanlon, Azra Tailer, Elisabeth Moino, and Grace Symula as big names. Their team motto is “why not us?”, and Brodhead made a point to emphasize the strength of the whole team playing together.
“I could truly name everyone on the roster,” she said. “Everyone has a very important role and collectively we are so strong!”
Boys Soccer
On the varsity boys side, head coach Ross Van Osdol said the team is young but solid. Osdol has been involved in the sport since a young age, coaching at different levels and places, but is jumping back in this year after a four year hiatus.
Some players to note are Ethan Pringle, who Osdol says is the team’s engine. Frankie Santaniello is back after playing last year for an academy in Massachusetts. For seniors, Cam Stultz and Eli Conti show leadership skills, maturity, and athleticism.
Brothers Ethan and Owen Leo stand out for “having loads of potential,” Osdol said.
With roughly 12 teams competing for the D1 title, Osdol said he believes his team is in contention.
“We’re not favorites, but I certainly think there’s a decent chance we could make a solid run in the postseason if we peak at the right time and play to our maximum potential,” Osdol said.
Girls Volleyball
Despite losing half of their team from last year, 12 year coach Jennifer Liguori shares they’ve been working hard during practice and more and more players are becoming highly skilled.
“We are looking to make a deep run towards the championship again this year,” Liguori said.
Tess Adams, Reese Gregory, and Sara Sinkewicz are all First Team All Star players, with Hannah Knickerbocker being the only Second Team All Star returner.
“Trinity Anaya is arguably the top defensive specialist in the state as well,” Liguori said.
Boys Volleyball
The boys coach, Laken Shook, has also been coaching for 12 years, both on high school and club teams.
The boys have six returning starters who lead a very talented group of athletes. Shook is excited to see how the season progresses.
“If they can all be on the same page and have a game winning mentality we will be able to compete with anyone,” Shook said.
Captains Sammy Sanderson, Alex Johnson, and Jacob Hoy, all seniors, bring
“experience and leadership on and off the court,” Shook shared.
Girls Cross Country
This is Julie McGilpin’s fourth year coaching at Essex, and 11th overall.
There are a lot of newcomers this season, but McGilpin says they still have a strong group of runners who have a chance to do big things.
“The veterans on the team continue to improve in both their times and confidence,” McGilpin said.
Seniors Alyse Bibeau, Taylor Dall, Chelsea Larsen, and Kate Nourse each possess unique strengths in guiding the team. During races they are a powerful pack and lead the team to strong finishes.
“We’re grateful for having a tight-knit group lead our team,” McGilpin said.
Boys Cross Country
Dylan McNamara works alongside head coach Derek Martisus.
McNamara says the boys team is deep in strength and numbers, an attribute they are ecstatic to see. With the JV team likely the best in the state, and varsity also in contention for that top spot, the coaches are looking to see improvements each week. McNamara says it will be a very competitive season.
“We are working to continue to build our fitness and aim to be at our peak late October,” McNamara said.
The large senior class has been training together for the past four years. Leading the team as captains are James Steward and Jonathan McNamara, both are a quintessential part of that senior group of runners. At their heels is junior Hudson Cunningham, the third team captain.
Girls Golf
Three year Essex coach Pamela Hemingway is the head of the girls golf team.
They are going to be competitive this season with six returners paving the way. Of those six, two competed in the state championship last year.
“I believe we have the ability to be in the top 3 teams this season,” Hemingway said.
Sophie Guenther and Aggie Morse, both captains, show their leadership every day on the fairway and by organizing team bonding activities. Hemingway says each player is improving constantly, but Sophie Guenther and Sarah Krauss are their top two golfers.
Cheerleading
Emily Curtis is in her 12th year of coaching cheerleading. Starting at EMS and ADL, then moving to assistant for Essex, Curtis has been the head coach since 2018.
With a skilled group of athletes, and some dedication to technical development, Coach Curtis believes they have a strong chance for being state champions in February. In addition to improving their skills, the team also has their sights set on bettering the community of cheerleading.
“It is a goal of mine and the team to have a positive environment for all athletes and to create respectful and trusting bonds,” Curtis said.
Team captains Joce Bourget, Ava Lovely, and Audrey Pampinella bring exceptional leadership in working toward the team goal of what they want Essex Cheerleading to be. Curtis says all the athletes are doing extremely well, and they wouldn’t be able to perform the way they do without everyone.
Football
Head coach Ethan Curtis has been working with high school football players for nine years, most of that time has been spent on the Essex field.
This year is shaping up to be a special year for the football community. Curtis says Essex always has a decent chance of winning the championship game, but this year perhaps more so than others. Led by a strong group of seniors who care about the program, they also have a large underclass who are ready and willing to work hard.
The team also makes a point to be good players off the field.
“We have high standards on and off the field for everyone; this includes in the classroom, academically, and being good citizens out in the community,” Curtis said.
In regards to team leadership, Curtis tells his players that “just because you do not wear a C on your jersey does not mean you are not a leader.”
Joe Reed, Brady Botelho, and Carter Crete are the team’s captains, however Curtis listed at least ten additional names of strong leaders and skilled players.
“It takes all of us, holding each other accountable, and leading to make our program successful,” Curtis said.
The championships will be here in no time. With so many Essex sports teams, there are many opportunities to go out and support one or multiple. The athletes and coaches love to see more community support.
