HARDWICK – The Hazen Union boys basketball team survived a double overtime thriller against BFA-Fairfax in the first round before upsetting fourth seeded Richford on the road last week to punch their ticket to the Division III Final Four for the sixteenth time as a program under head coach Aaron Hill.
photo by Vanessa Fournier
Ethan Gann’s putback off a Brendan Moodie drive with less than two seconds left to play in the second overtime, proved to be the difference as the Wildcats survived a spirited first round effort by No. 12 BFA-Fairfax last Wednesday 62-60. Rylan Muehl and Ryan Sheehan combined for 30 points and 6 three-pointers as the Bullets came out firing, connecting from long range eight times in the first half to take a 34-29 lead into the break. Senior Brendan Moodie led Hazen all the way back from an early double-digit deficit to make it 44-44 after four quarters with a game-high 24 points. The two teams were knotted at 51-51 after the extra period, setting up Gann’s heroics to help the Cats survive and advance. Gann finished with eight points and nine rebounds, Sully Laflam drained a three on his way to a 10-point performance, sophomore Jameson Lamarre added 10, and Morgan Michaud chipped in with five points, five rebounds and five assists. Gann joined teammates Moodie, Michaud and Laflam as the latest Wildcat to have a last second game winner in what has been a roller coaster season for Coach Hill and his young team.
“That was a real gut check for us. Fairfax came in very prepared and shot the lights out. We showed great composure and resilience to beat that team. The thing I was most impressed with Wednesday night was our confidence and courage to rise to the moment. The kids were focused and determined going into that game. I loved our competitive spirit and attention to detail,” said Hill.
photo by Vanessa Fournier
Moodie continued to put the Wildcat offense on his back in what has been a sensational senior campaign, pumping in 31 points Saturday to lead Hazen to a dominating 65-47 quarterfinal road upset over Richford. Moodie drained four more threes and extinguished any chance of a Falcon comeback with 12 big fourth-quarter points. Damian Morrison (14 points) was also lethal from long range, draining four threes, and Michaud continued to do the dirty work with nine rebounds and seven assists. Michaud has taken on all comers defensively in the high scoring Capital League this season and did it again when it mattered most on Saturday, holding 1,000-point scorer Jerrick Jacobs to just nine points in the win. Coltin Kittell led Richford with 10 points as they fell for the first time in six games.
Hill has brought six state titles back to Hardwick in his legendary career that has now spanned nearly three decades. His program has been in three straight championship games at the Barre Auditorium with Wildcat greats leading the way like Tyler Rivard and Xavier Hill. Moodie, who is his only starting senior, is having a breakout season averaging just under 20 points per game. He transferred to Hazen as a sophomore, earned Vermont Dream Dozen honors, and this will be his third straight trip to Barre. The rest of Hill’s team will get their first Final Four experience as starters against an undefeated White River Valley team this week, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
photo by Vanessa Fournier
“I honestly can’t remember having a team like this before that just continues to surprise everyone. I don’t think most people saw this coming. White River has tremendous athleticism and shooting. They play full court in your face pressure defense and try to turn teams over, while averaging over 80 points per game. They are heavily favored and handling and attacking their defensive pressure will be tough, but I am excited and it’s going to be such a fun challenge,” said Hill.
Hazen will square off against top-seeded White River on Thursday at 7:45 p.m., at the Barre Auditorium. If they pull the upset, they will be in their fourth consecutive Division III state championship game on Saturday night.
