WILMINGTON — Twin Valley’s Buddy Hayford became the first high school soccer coach in Vermont history to reach 500 wins with a 10-1 rout over Green Mountain on Tuesday, another feather in the cap for what has already been a legendary career.
Hayford captured the milestone in his 43rd season as the Wildcats head coach, where he has won 10 state titles. The 500th win extends Hayford’s run as Vermont’s all-time winningest coach, and he is only the fourth coach in New England to reach that mark. Hayford was honored after the game in front of a packed crowd at the field bearing his name, where Wildcats assistant and boys basketball head coach Chris Brown ran the proceedings.
Brown detailed the long list of accomplishments of Hayford, before he was presented with a plaque to signify his most recent milestone. Hayford was also joined by former coaches and players, the latter of whom were escorted to the field by local first responders in firetrucks and police cars that were equipped with banners expressing their congratulations. Hayford was also given a signed game ball by his current players, who gave him a Gatorade bath during the ceremony, before he had the chance to share a few words with the crowd.
“You don’t win 500 games unless you’ve had a lot of talent, and I’ve been very blessed over the years to have had players that cared about the sport, that worked hard, gave me everything that they could,” said Hayford after the ceremony. “It was a match made in heaven.”
The Wildcats (4-0) were led on the field by sophomore Alex Sullivan, who had a game-high five goals. Junior Brayden Brown also had a strong night offensively, finishing the contest with six assists and a goal. Other strong performers included senior Carson McHale, who had two goals and an assist, and junior Niko Gerding, who scored and had an assist. Senior Tucker Magnant rounded out the goal scorers with a tally. Defensively, Hayford was impressed with the play of Magnant, and seniors Chris Eckert, Zack Mercier and Brian Sullivan.
“My guys were locked in, I mean they just right from the get-go were just on fire and just totally outplayed, dominated the game from start to finish and looked really good,” said Hayford. “So, I was really happy with the way we played.”
The Wildcats got on the board early when Alex Sullivan scored on a corner kick from Brown at the 36:57 mark of the first half to give them an early lead. The home side scored again when McHale converted on a give and go from Brown with 33:17 on the clock, bringing the lead to two. The Wildcats kept up the pressure offensively, and found the back of the net a third time less two minutes later when Sullivan scored on a shot into the top left corner from 25 yards out with 31:34 left in the first half to increase their advantage.
Sullivan almost scored another from outside the box on a one-timer later in the half, but Grizzlies (1-3) sophomore starting goalie Ryan Jenkins pushed the ball over the crossbar. Brown would then pick up the ball off a long throw in from the Wildcats and score at the 25:46 mark to extend the lead. After an issue with the scoreboard briefly delayed the game, both keepers would be tested in the middle stages of the first half, as Jenkins made a number of saves and Wildcats senior starting goalie Kaelyn Lackey was forced into action as well.
The Wildcats then scored two goals in a row off Brown corner kicks, as Sullivan scored the first on a scramble at 22:34 and Magnant added the second by deflecting the ball in at 16:52. Magnant and Sullivan both nearly scored again, as the former had a shot saved by Jenkins and the latter’s follow up effort went off the right post. While the pace slowed considerably to end the first half, Sullivan scored on a shot from outside the box to the left side of the goal with less than three minutes left in the half to give the Wildcats a 7-0 lead at halftime.
Both sides made a change at goalie to start the second half, as the Wildcats swapped out Lackey with sophomore Davis Cole, and the Grizzlies brought in freshman Alex Deslauriers in place of Jenkins. Deslauriers was immediately tested and saved a shot by McHale inside the box. But less than five minutes into the half Gerding scored with an outside the foot shot to give the Wildcats an eight-goal lead.
The Wildcats kept their foot on the gas as Sullivan scored another goal from outside the box, this time from a shot that went off the left post and in with just over 29 minutes left in the game. About five minutes later McHale was put through on goal off a feed by Brown and slotted the ball into the bottom left corner to give the Wildcats their tenth goal. After forcing a couple of saves out of Cole, the Grizzlies got on the board as junior Logan Williams scored on an outside of the box shot with just over 18 minutes left in the game.
The rest of the game saw the Wildcats use a few players off their bench, and both teams were able to create some chances in the later stages. Late in the game Grizzlies freshman Bently Bonneville had two acrobatic flip throw ins that impressed the crowd. With less than 30 seconds left and the clock running junior Halen Ranslow was fouled in the box, and stepped up to attempt the penalty kick for the Wildcats. With no time on the clock Deslauriers saved the shot down the middle, but the Wildcats still earned Hayford’s 500th victory in comfortable fashion.
“We’re playing some good soccer and we’re finally getting healthy, so I’m happy about that,” said Hayford. “I feel good about where we are at the moment.”
The Wildcats will open up a seven-game road slate when they travel to take on Randolph on Thursday. Kickoff for that game is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
