By DAN BARILE
Eagle Times Correspondent
WINDSOR, Vt. — Sustaining success at the high school level can be difficult with athletes graduating each year, but despite these challenges, the Windsor Yellow Jackets keep finding a way to punch their ticket to Barre.
For the ninth straight year, Windsor will be competing in the Division 3 semifinals after cruising to a 53-34 victory over Bellows Falls on Saturday afternoon.
Bellows Falls entered the contest looking to take the next step under second-year Head Coach James Pecsok after nearly making the semifinals a season ago.
Windsor quickly dashed the Terriers hopes of making their first trip to the semifinals since 2008 by dominating the action throughout the first half. The Yellow Jackets held a 19-10 edge at the end of the first quarter, and its lead ballooned to 36-14 entering the half.
Windsor continued to maintain a comfortable cushion throughout the second half to earn its second double-digit victory against Bellows Falls this season.
Sophia Rockwood and Kemari Wildgoose each scored 14 points to lead Windsor and Audrey Rupp added nine. Abby Nystrom was the top scorer for Bellows Falls with 15 points.
Third-seeded Windsor (17-4) will face second-seeded Hazen (21-1) in the semifinals in a rematch of last season’s championship game. Hazen earned a 66-56 victory over Windsor in last season’s championship tilt, but with both teams losing their leading scorers to graduation, this year’s matchup will have a different look. Windsor and Hazen will meet at Barre Auditorium on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. before the other semifinal contest between top-seeded Oxbow (19-2) and fifth-seeded Peoples Academy (16-6) tips off at 7:45 p.m.
The winners of Thursday’s semifinal games will meet on Saturday at Barre Auditorium.
Bellows Falls finished the season with a 16-6 record.
