First Athletes of the Week of New School Year Named

The iBerkshires.com/Southwestern Vermont Medical Center Athlete of the Week returns with a couple of two-way players who led their teams to victory on Saturday.

 

Hoosac Valley junior Ben Payton was part of a Hurricanes defense that allowed just two scores in a 36-30 win over longtime rival Wahconah in Saturday’s season opener (the other two Wahconah scores came in the kicking game).

 

But to the surprise of many, Payton also went under center and directed the Hoosac Valley offense on a day when it doubled up its own point total from last fall’s game in Dalton.

 

Payton went 3-for-6 for 130 yards with two touchdowns and an interception and ran for 27 yards, a TD and a couple of two point conversions.

 

Not bad for a kid who was not even on the depth chart at quarterback when Hoosac Valley opened preseason camp in mid-August.

 

“Ben Payton has been our quarterback for nine days, and Kamarion Kastner has not been our quarterback for nine days,” Hurricanes coach Marshall Maxwell said, referencing the senior on the receiving end of both Payton touchdown tosses. “We made the change nine days ago, yeah, an intersquad scrimmage.

 

“We focus a lot on passing. Everyone knows Hoosac is going to run the ball. Everyone knows I love to run the ball. And I talked to Jeremy Levesque, our offensive coordinator, and I said, ‘Listen, rip it. Rip it.’ “

 

And Payton’s offensive contributions kept coming when the pass play did not develop.

 

“Critical third down play there – third and seven, deep in the game, we call a pass play, and he scrambles and gets the first down,” Maxwell said.

 

Payton and Kastner will have a chance to get some more reps in practice with Hoosac Valley taking a week off before its next game, Sept. 19 at Berkshire Community College against Pittsfield.

 

Mount Greylock sophomore Rowan Apotsos was a mainstay on a Mountie defense that last year posted 12 shutouts, including three in the post-season.

 

She played well enough in Mount Greylock’s first two games this year to be named the most outstanding defensive player at an annual tournament at Bennington, Vt.’s, Mount Anthony.

 

But she also assisted on the first two Mount Greylock goals in Saturday night’s tournament final win and she made a big play to set up a third.

 

Midway through the second half, Apotsos carried the ball out of the back and through the Mount Anthony defense up the right wing leading to a shot on goal that teammate Tanley Drake finished off a rebound.

 

“It was not part of the game plan for Rowan Apotsos to take the ball from midfield and dribble by everyone and pass it in,” Mount Greylock coach Blair Dils said. “She has the green light to do that, obviously, and we’ve told her that. But we saw it tonight.

 

“Her speed – the defenders are not accustomed to her speed when she does make a break like that. So she’s able to catch them and go by them and then, obviously, serve quality balls into the box for people to get on the end of. She’s a tremendous player.”

 

After making a couple of short trips out of state to start the year, Mount Greylock plays its next 10 games in the county starting with Tuesday afternoon’s contest at Drury.

 

The iBerkshires.com Athlete of the Week is sponsored by Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.