BURLINGTON — Burr and Burton boys soccer proved Saturday night they’re the top dogs in Vermont.
The top-seeded Bulldogs capped a historic season with a 1-0 double overtime victory over Champlain Valley Union (CVU) in the Division I state championship at the University of Vermont’s Virtue Field — securing their first-ever Division I title and putting the final stamp on arguably the best season in program history.
Sophomore Gavin Reese delivered the golden goal in the 98th minute, knocking home a rebound in front of the Redhawks’ net early in the second overtime period to clinch the program’s first state crown since 2012.
“It’s crazy. (This) team’s been through so much,” Reese said. “We haven’t done this since 2012, and we needed a person to step up. I was there and I just put it in the back of the net — that’s how it goes.”
Alex Watson began the game-winning sequence with a set piece near the BBA bench. CVU initially cleared the service, but Reese was in the right spot to clean it up and send the Bulldogs into celebration. The win closed out BBA’s unbeaten 16-0-1 season — and its 10th shutout of the fall.
That defensive backbone once again carried the Bulldogs through a tense, physical championship.
“I kept thinking, bend, don’t break,” BBA coach Pat Zilkha said. “It was the same thing against South Burlington — bend, but don’t break. And they just never broke.”
The Redhawks nearly broke through in the 56th minute on a dangerous breakaway, but senior defender Alex Kopeck came up with a perfectly timed slide tackle to erase the chance. The play led to a counterattack, as Forrest Barnes raced down the middle and fired a shot that CVU keeper Charles Wallace turned away.
Five minutes later, CVU senior Sebastian Bronk tested BBA goalkeeper Jackson Kunisch with a powerful drive that looked bound for the near post before Kunisch extended to snag the ball cleanly out of the air. Both goalkeepers finished with three saves.
“I’m really happy for the guys,” Zilkha said. “From day one, they worked on culture, grit and unity — and those three words really define this program. Effort and attitude.”
That identity carried BBA to its 10th overall state title and first at the Division I level. The Bulldogs improved throughout the fall, using every match as a lesson that built toward Saturday’s victory. At its core, this year’s Bulldogs were strong — both physically and mentally.
“We just played with grit, and that’s been our identity all season,” said senior co-captain Rhys Jones. “We’re a group of strong-minded individuals. When something doesn’t go our way, nobody hangs their head. When we face adversity, we always come back — that’s what’s made us great all year.”
The Bulldogs expected a battle from the two-time defending state champions. Despite a 3-0 win over CVU during the regular season, they knew the rematch would be much tighter.
“They’re a fantastic team — every other year it seems like they’re winning the state championship,” Zilkha said. “But we really came in here believing we were the better team.”
BBA had posted double digit wins each of the past two seasons, but postseason heartbreak had been the hurdle. This fall, the Bulldogs cleared it in emphatic fashion. For senior co-captain Bodie Smith, it’s a moment he’s been working his entire life toward.
“Ever since I was three years old and started playing, I wanted to get to BBA and win a state championship for my community and my school,” he said. “This group was special. With the whole community here — my friends, my family — to win a state championship, it’s just like a Cinderella story for me.”
