After ten weeks of practicing, training, working, and playing, the Fall Athletics season has come to an end for most of Proctor’s teams. For the varsity girls soccer and varsity football teams, their season continues with an appearance in the NEPSAC Tournament.
Varsity Football wins NEPSAC Bowl Game for 1st Time in School History!
After narrowly missing a New England Bowl Game last season with a 6-2 record, the Varsity Football team finished a remarkable season at 8-1 after winning the Ken Hollingsworth New England Bowl Game, the program’s second Bowl appearance in the last four years. The Hornets hosted New Hampton School (6-3), with the Hornets winning 34-7.
The team gelled around veteran players and new talent, taking a team-first mindset into each and every game. After an early season 14-21 loss to Pingree School on the road with two key players injured, the Hornets have knocked off six straight opponents, blending a devastating run attack with a high powered special teams unit and lock-down defense that gave up an average of 8 points a game until their final shootout with Hamden Hall. The match-up with New Hampton was the first this season and a rematch of last year’s overtime thriller won by the Hornets. Head Coach Ben Rulli notes, “It is always exciting when you earn the right to compete in a NEPSAC Bowl Game, but to be matched up against a school just 30 minutes away that we have had a healthy rivalry with for decades, makes this year’s bowl game even more special. Whoever you play this time of the year is very good, and New Hampton is no exception. They are excellent in all three phases of the game and well-coached, but our kids played well, we executed our game plan, and they get to head into Thanksgiving champions.”
Rulli adds, “We began our season in early September at pre-season camp. At our first team meeting, we shared the team photos of all the NEPSAC Bowl teams and Evergreen League Champions of the storied history of Proctor football, and we left the last slide blank. As coaches, we have continually challenged the team on how they want to be remembered and what their legacy will be. We have had a lot of success this season, and that is due to the leadership of the Class of 2023 and the work every player in the program does day in and day out. Whether it is a starter or a JV player, every member of the program arrives daily to make each other better and themselves. Working with this year’s team has been a pleasure, and we were thrilled to represent the Proctor community in the Ken Hollingsworth Bowl and to win the school’s first New England Bowl Game in school history.”
Girls Varsity Soccer Advances to NEPSAC Quarterfinals
Finishing the season with a 9-8-1 record, varsity soccer earned the #8 seed and traveled to face #1 seed and defending Class C champion, Brewster Academy on Wednesday, November 16. The teams met twice during the regular season with Brewster winning both matchups, 3-0 and 1-0, and the playoff game went similarly as the Hornets fell 0-3.
With eleven seniors on the team, Head Coach Kyle Connolly reflects on a great season, “Being recognized with a NEPSAC playoff berth is a great honor. The senior class, in particular, this year have put their hearts into this season and earning an opportunity to keep playing is huge for them and their teammates. To be guaranteed a few extra training sessions and a match with a talented Brewster team is why we work hard from preseason through the very end of the season. It is no secret that we played against a powerhouse in Brewster who are the Class C defending champions, but that gave us all the more motivation to work hard and compete. We are proud of the team and the work they put in this fall.”