Varsity Insider

Another week is in the books.

Here’s our Week 2 rankings through games played 12/12:

Boys basketball

1. Burlington (4-0): The Seahorses had to eke out a win over Rutland on Day 2 of the North-South Challenge. O’Shea was limited to eight points, but Brendan Corriveau sank the key, go-ahead three-pointer. Still the team to beat. Last week’s rank: 1.

2. Essex (3-1): Behind Demir Smajovic and Ben Ferris, the Hornets cruised to double-digit wins over southern powers (Rutland and Brattleboro) in the North/South Challenge. Last week: 3.

3. South Burlington (3-0): The Rebels have started well without Josh Varney. A quick glance at their schedule and they should be 6-0 by the time they meet Essex on December 30. Last week: 2.

4. Champlain Valley (3-0): The Redhawks have been consistent — never allowing more than 49 points nor scoring more than 65 — during their 3-0 start. Last week: 4.

5. Mount Anthony (2-0): So the Patriots have racked up wins of 79-21 (over Windsor) and 63-33 (over Massachusetts’ Mount Greylock). The jury is still out on how good the Pats are, but they certainly fit nicely at No. 5 at this point in the season. Last week: Not ranked.

Girls basketball

1. Rutland (4-0): They’re beaten a feisty Rice team twice thus far this season — and edged a very good BHS squad in overtime. Last week: 2.

2. Milton (2-0): The Yellowjackets didn’t play last week. Doesn’t help their cause to stay No. 1 – not with Rutland playing so well. Last week: 1.

3. Champlain Valley (3-0): The Redhawks are off to a good start. Allison Gannon’s 17 points led CVU’s comeback vs. SBHS last Tuesday. Last week: 4.

4. Brattleboro (3-0): A third-quarter surge lifted the Colonels past previously ranked Spaulding. Bratt also has wins over St. Johnsbuy and Windsor, but last Tuesday’s comeback win over Spaulding was a marquee triumph. Last week: Not ranked.

5. Burr and Burton (2-0): The defending D-II champs are now in D-I. So we will have to wait and see how they stack up against the higher-division opponents. For now, defeating Bellow Falls 72-9 is nothing to overlook — that’s impressive no matter what. Last week: Not ranked.

Boys hockey

1. Essex (2-0): The Hornets are buzzing: Nice wins over South Burlington and BFA-St. Albans gives us no reason not to place Essex in the No. 1 slot. In Saturday’s win over BFA, Essex converted power play chances. Coach Bill O’Neil must like that. Last week: 3.

2. South Burlington (3-1): The Rebels bounced back from a loss against Essex to edge Burlington. Tom Royer has scored in three straight games (four goals total) and Charlie Vallee has been solid in net. Last week: 1.

3. Harwood (3-0): The Highlanders have crushed Peoples on back-to-back Saturdays. Nik Laskaris has been a scoring machine. Will it continue against D-I competition? Last week: 2.

4. Rutland (2-0-1): How’s this for a turnaround: The Raiders tie the Lakers in the season-opener, then rout them for a 8-1 win 10 days later. It was the second straight game Rutland has scored eight goals, and Taylor Porrier has five of them. Last week: Not ranked.

5. Burlington (2-2): Although they lost to SBHS 3-2, the Seahorses stay in the top 5 on the strength of the previous week’s wins. Plus, no other team has a better resume to displace them. Last week: 5.

Girls hockey

1. Essex (3-0-1): The Hornets finished second in BFA’s tournament, claiming a 4-1 win over N.Y.’s Salmon River and falling to Hanover, N.H. in a shootout. (although, it goes down officially as a tie). Chelsea Normand scored twice during Day 2 of the tournament. The Hornets have scored 13 goals in four goals, while yielding just 2. Last week: 1.

2. BFA-St. Albans (3-1): The Comets were within a period of winning their tournament, before falling to Hanover, N.H., 3-2. That said, one-sided wins over Missisquoi and Salmon River, N.Y. put BFA near the top of this ranking Last week: 5.

3. Champlain Valley (3-0): Gotta like CVU’s resolve. Down 3-0 entering the third period, the Redhawks rallied past South Burlington for a 5-4 win. After winning a pair of blowouts earlier this season, CVU showed it can comeback and win a close game. Last week: 3.

4. Spaulding (3-0): Should the Crimson Tide be ranked higher? Their latest win — a 5-3 triumph over Hartford — saw the return of all-state goalie Kaitlyn Lague. Spaulding will be a force with her back. Last week: 4.

5. U-32 (3-0-1): The Raiders bumped off previously ranked Montpelier to capture the 11th annual Dr. Dick Butsch tournament. Other teams could — and likely will — knock U-32 from this list. But, for now, the Raiders earned some recognition. Last week: Not ranked.

The Essex-vs.-South Burlington high school boys hockey game today is intriguing on several levels, none greater than this matchup:

South Burlington’s offense vs. Essex’s defense.

The Rebels, with their balance — seven players have scored at least one goal through two games — are an offensive juggernaut. The Hornets, who haven’t played a regular-season game yet, return much of a defense which recorded six shutouts last season, including Thomas Dvorak, Alex Godin, Ethan Parry and goalie Evan Russell.

“I think, on any given night, we can run four lines … and the scoring is spread out,” SBHS coach Sean Jones said. “Everybody can finish — they have a pretty good knack for the net.”

Alex Bartlett, Charlie Cobb, Matt Chickanosky and Tom Royer each have two goals for the Rebels (2-0).

Backup goalie Charlie Vallee (39 saves, one shutout) has fared well in place of starter Alex Bliss, who will likely be eligible for South Burlington’s next game, Jones said. Regardless, Vallee’s early-season play has opened the door for healthy competition for the starting spot, Jones said.

The Hornets, who lost their bid for a fourth straight Division I crown in last year’s title-game loss to CVU, return only one first-line forward (Jake Orr). Bryce Currier also jettisoned to the Green Mountain Glades — one of two players to leave for the Junior Hockey team — leaving coach Bill O’Neil with certain questions.

“We will have to wait and see,” O’Neil said. “(The Metro) is going to be tightest its been for the longest time. … We are in the mix.”

Today’s game — a 5:30 p.m. start at Cairns Arena — will at least provide some answers to each coach’s early-season concerns.

Rice Memorial soccer coach St. Ambroise Azagoh-Kouadio, better known as just ”Azzie,” picked up his 100th win when the Green Knights beat Mount Abraham, 7-1, at Bristol on Tuesday.

Azzie, who is starting his 11th season,  has helped direct the Rice girls to a 100-61-4 record during that time.

He almost didn’t make it to this season after some “miscommunication” between the athletic office and the principal last spring.  One week after telling the players the school said it wanted to go “in a new direction,”  Azzie learned he would be retained.

Rice is off to a 3-1 start this year, including a 2-0 win over state Division I runner-up Essex.  We’re not sure how many active coaches in girls soccer are ahead of Azzie, but certainly he has a little way to go to catch Bill O’Neil of Essex.  O’Neil, who coaches three varsity sports, is 330-125-42  in his soccer career.

Who is in between O’Neil and Azzie?   Any ideas?