By Chris LaClair
EAGLE TIMES SPORTS EDITOR
WINDSOR, Vt. – The Windsor Yellow Jackets football team was on cruise control from beginning to end as their deep, experienced roster was too much for the young Oxbow Olympians in a 40-16 victory. The Oxbow team has a 15-man roster compared to Windsor’s much larger squad consisting of 37 players.
The Yellow Jackets have now won 23 straight football games without losing as they continue their journey towards a third straight Division 3 State Championship. The last Vermont high school football team to win three championships in a row in any division was Hartford from 2010-2012.
Windsor got on the board at the 8-minute mark of the first quarter with a rushing touchdown by senior Brody Osgood. Senior Olivia MacLeay kicked the extra for an 8-0 lead.
Yellow Jacket senior Brady Olmstead, a recent transfer from Hartford High School, dominated on both sides of the ball as he scored on an interception, his first of two picks. He followed it up with an 11-yard TD reception from senior QB Brooks Ruderman on the next drive. MacLeay kicked her second and third extra points to put Windsor up 21-0.
Osgood scored another Yellow Jackets TD on a pass Senior QB Corey Lockwood early into the second quarter at the 11:18 mark. Lockwood added a rushing TD of his own. Osgood scored his second touchdown, a rushing TD, to finish the scoring for the first half as Windsor headed off the field with a 40-0 half-time lead.
The game was out of reach for Oxbow as they came out onto the field against backup and JV players to start the second half. The Olympians were able to punch the ball into the endzone twice in the fourth quarter while adding two 2-point conversions for a final score of 40-16.
“I thought the whole team played well with big contributions from all the backs as well as numerous linemen,” Windsor Head Coach Greg Balch said. “Gavin Martin did not find the end zone but gained a lot of tough yards. Justin Draper (a recent transfer from Bellows Falls) and Tanner Moody did a great job on the line.”
Windsor (1-0) host Poultney (0-1) next at 1 p.m., Saturday.
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