Fred Harris – 1906

Fred Harris was an innovator in several outdoor sports but spent his life promoting and supporting ski jumping.  Born in Brattleboro in 1887, he was a 1906 graduate of Brattleboro High School and a 1911 graduate of Dartmouth College.  While in college, he founded the Dartmouth Outing Club.  He later founded the Brattleboro Outing Club and the Brattleboro Winter Carnival as well as co-founded both the United States Eastern Amateur Ski Association and the Dartmouth Winter Carnival.  The Dartmouth Winter Carnival remains the longest running collegiate winter event of its kind.

Harris has been called, “The man who put America on skis”.  He was the designer of Brattleboro’s Harris Hill Ski Jump and the founder and organizer of the annual Harris Hill Jumping Tournament in 1922.  The success of his efforts was never more evident than in 2022 when Harris Hill celebrated its 100th anniversary.  Harris, a ski jumper himself, also excelled at tennis, once winning the National Championship in mixed doubles.  He also excelled at rowing, sailing, marksmanship and became a pilot, learning to fly in World War I.  Frederick Henry Harris is now a member of five Halls of Fame.

 

Meghan McLoughlin – 2001

Meghan McLoughlin was an outstanding athlete in softball, field hockey and basketball. While playing field hockey she was a 3-year varsity starter, a captain and winner of the coach’s award. She made the All-Marble Valley League team.In basketball she was the offensive player of the year in 2000 and MVP in 2001. She was a 2-time All-Marble Valley player and made the north/south all-star game.

Softball was where Meghan really excelled. She was the team MVP in 2000 and 2001, 2-time team captain and 2-time all All-Marble Valley League player. In her sophomore season she had an era of 1.59 with 99 strikeouts. In her junior season she had an era of 0.70 with 161 strikeouts. She followed that up in her senior season with an era of 0.63 and 148 strikeouts and only 10 walks. She finished her Brattleboro career with an era of 0.85 with 407 strikeouts and 47 walks. Meghan had 20 shutouts, 5 no-hitters, 13 1-hitters and 3 trips to the final four. She was the Stotle Cup winner, an award given to the best male and female athlete.

Meghan took her playing career to Keene State College where she saved her best for last! She helped her team become 2-time Little East Conference champions, win a Little East regular season title and the NCAA tournament twice. She had a career era of 0.395 with her senior year at 0.21. She had 422 strikeouts, 39 wins, 7 saves and walked 72 batters. She led the nation for Division III with a career lowest era 0.395 and season lowest era in 2005 (0.21). She threw the first perfect game in school history and had. In the Little East Conference she was a 2-time pitcher of the year, 2-time tournament MVP, 5-time pitcher of the week and 2 time lowest era in a season.

Meghan has been inducted to the Keene State College Athletic Hall of Fame and the Little East Conference Hall of Fame.Meghan was a role model to female athletes. She was a team-first player and always had her teammates’ success in mind over her own. All the awards and accolades did not matter to her. What mattered was she did her very best as a teammate and her very best to help the purple and white win.  Every time she was competing, she always carried her father’s words that she wore on her sleeve, “Not too high! Not too low.”

Thomas Edward Finnell – 1994

Thomas Edward Finnell was born with special needs and while he couldn’t physically perform sport skills, he had the devotion to sports a physically abled athlete would have, if not more. His loyalty was always to BUHS and The Brattleboro Colonels. For over two decades he consistently served the BUHS football, baseball, and boys basketball teams as manager. During those two decades his dedication to those teams meant he didn’t miss more than a handful (or two) of practices and games.

Tommy was there to help with equipment, filling water bottles and any task the coach or  players might need help with. Tommy wholeheartedly enjoyed performing those duties and as helpful as those jobs were, he gave much more to the BUHS athletic community than the tasks he performed.

Tommy showed what it meant to have “Colonel Pride”. Tommy always proudly represented the school and the BUHS athletic community by wearing anything labeled BUHS or Colonels. His wardrobe consisted oft-shirts and sweatshirts for each sport season he helped with but his most prized possessions were his Colonel coat and his Colonel purple ball cap with the white letter “B” on top.

Tommy could also show his “Colonel Pride” by being able to share statistical sports facts that he retained in his memory. It was always interesting to ask him about a specific sports season from a specific year and he would be able to recall which players were on the team and the team’s overall season record. Often, he would even be able to recall specific games and any memorable moment from that game. Many people would be astounded by his recollection. He also never passed up a chance to converse with anyone who would ask about how the season was going.

Pete Laflamme -1974

Pete Laflamme was a three-sport standout while attending Brattleboro Union High School.  He played four years of baseball, football, and basketball, lettering in all.  His strongest sport was baseball, making the varsity team as a freshman and lettering his sophomore year.  He was named captain his senior year, a true testament to his leadership ability.  He also excelled at football, lettering his junior season, and going on to lead his team to a Division I state championship as the starting quarterback as a senior.  Pete also shined on the basketball court, lettering his junior year and, if not for an injury his senior year, may have been part of another state title.  After high school, Pete attended the University of Maine and joined one of the best baseball programs in the country.  He made the team as a freshman and joined them when they competed in the College World Series in 1976, becoming the only Brattleboro baseball player ever to accomplish this feat. 

After graduating from the University of Maine with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Management with a minor in Education, Pete went on to play for his hometown semi-pro team, the Brattleboro Maples, from 1979-1983.  After accepting a teaching job at Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, Vermont, Pete would continue to follow his passion, becoming a player/manager for the Bennington Generals semi-pro baseball team from 1984-1994.  Later, Pete would help coach the varsity baseball team at MAUHS, and for 35 years Pete would also coach Junior High basketball in Bennington, finally stepping down in 2018. Starting in Brattleboro at age eight, Pete would be involved in baseball for almost 60 years and excel at every level along the way. 

Robert D. Farnham – 1967

Rob Farnham, Class of 1967, is inducted into the BHS/BUHS Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2022 for his outstanding High School Football career.  The only non-senior starter, he played both Center and Linebacker for the undefeated 1965 Colonel Football team.   Farnham was the leading tackler for the team which held their opponents to an average 4 points per game.  Coach Andy Natowich declared Rob to be the “best Center ever.”  Rob was 2nd Team All State his junior year, becoming 1st Team All State as a senior.  He was Captain of the BUHS team and a co-Captain of the 1967 VT Shrine Team.  Additionally, he was a three-year starter on both the Colonel Baseball and Basketball Teams.  Radio station WKVT presented Rob with its first trophy for scholastic ability & leadership combined with football excellence.   Rob was further honored to receive the Monroe Cup, the Sherman Award, and the School Director’s Award upon graduation. These all showcase a student’s Athletic & Academic Excellence as well as their demonstrated Leadership & Citizenship attributes.

Rob Farnham went on to excel as a member of the Williams College Football Team.  At Williams he started every game for 4 years at either tackle or center. In 1971 he was named MVP and Captain of the team.  He was selected for the ECAA All East Team as offensive tackle and received honorable mention as a Little All American.  He also earned Player of the Week accolades more than once.  Williams Coach Larry Catuzzi said, “Rob is a leader on the field, in the locker room, wherever the team is gathered.” Catuzzi, who had coached on Woody Hayes’ staff at Ohio State, wrote authorities at BUHS saying that Williams College would be willing to take all the student-athletes having Farnum’s qualities that BUHS could muster and described the difference between Ohio State and Williams College by proclaiming that “I only have one player that could play for Ohio State and that is Rob Farnham.”

Hall of Fame BUHS coach Andy Natowich called Farnham the best center he had ever coached.

Farnham would write to the HOF Committee saying, “One’s mindset at that time seemed focused on academics, handling certain responsibilities and engaging in athletic competition for the camaraderie and challenge team sports provided.  I do remember the intensity of sport and, of course, the lessons experienced that we all discuss on occasion. I am grateful for the coaching provided by BUHS and the strong support the townspeople always demonstrated. We were nurtured in ways not always evident in today’s world.”

 

Bill Holiday – 1968 

Bill Holiday has had a lifetime of achievement at BUHS. As a sophomore Holiday was a starting running back on the undefeated State Championship team and selected Honorable Mention to the All-State Team. He started and was the leading scorer on the varsity basketball team, was the starting 2nd baseman on the Varsity baseball team and homered in 4-3 semifinal loss to Burlington. He was the second baseman on the Brattleboro Post 5 American Legion‘s first ever state championship team.

During his junior year he led the South in scoring and was named All-State as a halfback. In a win over Burlington Holiday “put on one of the greatest individual performances seen at Stolte Field in several years.” And in 2 games rushed for 378 yards. In a 25-19 win over MSJ Holiday scored all 25 Colonel points and rushed for 213 yards in 21 carries. He led the Colonel basketball team in scoring, played American Legion baseball for Bellows Falls Post 37 (Brattleboro had no team) and was named Most Valuable Player by Post 37.

As a senior he was football’s leading scorer, was named All-State as a Linebacker, was selected to the Vermont Shrine Team and started both ways, was named team captain and Vermont’s Most Valuable Player. In basketball Holiday was leading scorer, team captain, featured in 2 National basketball magazines as one of Vermont’s best players. He averaged 18 ppg, setting the school’s free throw record for consecutive shots made.

At Windham College Holiday started, captained, and lettered in baseball & basketball.  He set a free throw record of 46 consecutive free throws. The streak was stopped by a lane violation. He averaged over 20 points per game in his final season, during one stretch scoring 21, 26, 30, 37 and 24 points making 46 of 50 free throws. He was named All-League Pitcher in baseball.

At BUHS Holiday was President of the Student Council, winner of the BUHS Citizenship Award and the Dede Stolte Cup. During his coaching career (1968-2007) he served as concurrent basketball and football head coach, winning a football state title in 1973 as an assistant and Brattleboro’s first basketball championship in 1986. He is the last coach to take the Colonels to the DI Championship football game in 1981. He earned Coach of the Year honors in 1986 and 2007 after guiding the Colonel girls’ basketball team from a 4-16 record to a 17-5 playoff team.

Holiday won 14 Teacher of the Year Awards, was JFK Lancer’s 1999 National Teacher of the Year, was cited by a Vermont House of Representatives Concurrent Resolution for career achievements. Holiday is a member of the Vermont Principals Association’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Stan Dunklee  – 1972

Stan Dunklee was an outstanding cross-country skier, cross country runner, and track athlete during his high school career. Stan is a member of the University of Vermont’s Athletic Hall of Fame and most recently was inducted into the Vermont State Athletic Hall of Fame. Stan’s inclusion in these two prestigious Halls of Fame both describe his outstanding achievements in the sport of cross-country Skiing on every level.

Stan ran track for four years under Coach Art Freeman and held the school record in the two mile for many years. In his senior year at BUHS Stan was the state champion and New England champion in cross country skiing.

Stan was also the state champion in cross country running in his senior year. He qualified for the New England championship as a sophomore, junior, and senior.

Stan Dunklee was two-time All-America, Olympian, four-time All-East selectee, and a 1987 UVM Hall of Fame inductee. Dunklee returned from the 1976 Olympics in Austria to win the NCAA 15-kilometer race in 1976 at Bethel, Maine. He also won the Eastern 15K titles at Middlebury in 1975 and 1976 and earned first- team All-America honors. A two-time Olympian (1976 and 1980), he was considered – along with Bill Koch – one of America’s top cross country ski stars. In addition to cross country skiing, Dunklee was one of UVM’s top fall runners during the mid to late 70’s. His achievements went beyond what he did at Vermont: 1976 – U.S. National 50K champion; 1977 and 1978 – U.S. National 15K champion; 1977 and 1979 – U.S. National 50K champion; 1980 and 1982 – U.S. National 30K champion. Proud of his athlete’s victory in the 1976 NCAAs, but the previous year sticks out in Coach Skip LaCasse’s recollection of Dunklee’s contributions. “That performance in 1976 was superb, but what impressed me most was Stan’s courage in 1975. He had an early season stress fracture of the foot and mononucleosis and still, he finished in the Top Five at the NCAAs (at Fort Lewis, Colo.), earning All-America honors. He skied at the nationals that year just three weeks after recovering from mono.”

 1986 Colonel Boys Basketball – 1986

Manager Tom Finnell – Tim Hudson – Jamie Garfield – Tom James – Mike Winkler – Peter Faradoni – Peter LaMorder – Chris Parro – Keith Williams – Coach Bill Holiday – Jeff Houle – Jim Derosia – Bob Holbrook – Jason Coplan – Bill Holbrook – Brian Williams

1986’s Colonel Boys Basketball team was the first in Brattleboro history to win 20 games in a single season, reach the championship game and win the Vermont State Division I championship “after nearly three-quarters of a century of trying for the elusive title”. Ken Campbell March 10, 1986 Brattleboro Reformer.

 Colonel tournament wins were over:

Hartford 89-58

Spaulding of Barre, VT 66-64 Quarterfinal

Essex Junction 77-72 Semi-final at UVM

St. Johnsbury 60-59 Final at UVM

The Colonels showed the ability to come from behind. Down by 13 points in the 4th quarter quarterfinal win over Spaulding, the Colonels came back to win. Trailing Essex 34-27 at the half in the semifinal, the Colonels scored 50 points in the second half to win. Trailing 11-2 at the start of the championship game the Colonels rallied lead by 28 points in the 4th quarter.

Tom James was named to the All-Southern Vermont League (SVL) All-Star team. Mike Winkler and Tom James were named to the Alhambra Twin State (VT-NH) Vermont basketball team.

The Colonels were a very deep team.  Several of its bench players would have been starters on other teams.  Contributions were made many team members. The Most Valuable player award was given to the team to be placed in the BUHS trophy case.  Explaining the decision, coach Holiday said, “I don’t like individual awards and it’s always difficult to present them. We’re not playing golf, we’re a team sport and it took a team effort to win the championship.”

Principal Anthony Broom, speaking at the end of season banquet, said, “I have respect for them as athletes and as young men of character.”

Shawn Baker – 1981

Shawn grew up in Brattleboro in the shadow of his father, Owen, who was a nine-time winner of the Brattleboro Country Club Championship and who also was Club Pro at BCC for several years. Soon the scores of the grade schoolboy approached 40 for nine holes. As he entered high school his scores dropped to the mid to upper thirties. The apex of his high school golf career was winning the individual and team state golf championship with Gary Fairbanks, Ken Defeo, David Gates and coach Owen Baker.

Shawn Baker distinguished himself in high school competition before going on to dominate the Vermont golf·landscape for the better part of a decade. A 1981 graduate of Brattleboro Union High School, Shawn led the Colonels to a State Championship as well as capturing individual medalist honors. Brattleboro was dominant in Golf during Shawn’s four-year tenure at BHS/BUHS. Shawn was recruited for golf by Central Connecticut State University where he went on to win several individual titles, including a third-place finish in the division II national finals in 1985. He was the New England Champion collegiate golfer in 1984. He was named to the All-New England and All-American Teams in 1983, 1984 & 1985. Shawn was inducted into CCSU’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997. He won five Vermont Amateurs –  a record in the event’s medal-play era, in a seven-year span and became the first Vermonter to win a New England Amateur championship.

Starting in 1985 Shawn dominated the BCC Club Championship by winning eight straight years, setting a BCC course record of 62, and winning five Vermont Amateur Titles. But there was more to come with a win of the New England Amateur and becoming a finalist of the US Mid-amateur in 1989.

Baker burst upon the Vermont Amateur scene at Ralph Myhre Golf Course in Middlebury in 1983 when he charged from behind in the final round to win the first of his five crowns. He added three consecutive victories: 1985 at Country Club of Barre; 1986 at Crown Point Country Club in Springfield, where he won by 10 shots); and 1987 at Orleans Country Club. A superb putter, Baker won his last Vermont Amateur title at Woodstock Country Club in 1989 to set a record in stroke-play format.

He followed up his victory at Woodstock with his New England Amateur championship at Rutland Country Club, taking the lead on the first day with a 5-under par 65 and going wire-to-wire in victory.

Baker’s pro career included an appearance at the 2005 Barclays Classic playing against the likes of Nick Faldo, Fred Couples and Ernie Els and qualifying for the 2015 Senior PGA Championship.

Shawn was a highly recognized player in the Class-A Professional MET-PGA chapter in New York.

1973 Colonel Football – 1974

On Saturday, November 10, 1973, the BUHS Football Team brought home the Vermont State Division One Football Championship trophy. The Colonels, on a cold Vermont afternoon at Centennial Field in Burlington, VT, won a hard fought contest over the Bellows Free Academy Bobwhites, 28-0. This was the first shutout by any team since the start of official state championship play in 1970.

Many sports news articles were written about the Colonels 1973 State Championship Football Team. The best summary of the season was written by a team member, Butch Hamilton.

“Although nobody expected much from this year’s football team, they really have gone a long way to win the State Championship. It all started with hot August practices. It was then that the coaches said that they had something in this group of guys. 

The team developed the name the “Outhouse Gang.” With a lot of spirit shown by townspeople and students. Rutland was the first team to score on the Colonel defense.

Then the real test came, Brattleboro vs MSJ, and for the Colonels the win would most likely mean going to the state playoffs. That Saturday was a long, hard one ending in an unfavorable way for the Colonels, with MSJ winning 18-14. The Colonels ended up in the Vermont Division State Championship game with a 7-1 record and went on to win the championship game.

Above their success on the field, this team changed the dynamic of school spirit at BUHS as well as in the community at large. Purple and white attire, pins, and pennants were prominent at every game. Team mothers knitted distinctive purple and white hats for the players that were especially appreciated during the bitterly cold week prior to the Championship game in Burlington.

 

Joe Juscen – 1972

At 6’2, 200 lbs, Joe Juscen played offensive guard, defensive middle linebacker and punter for the Colonels football team.  He was senior co-captain, named to the SVC All Star Team, and to the Sportswriters Association’s All-State Division 1 team.  Joe played on the Shrine Bowl team as offensive guard and punter, defeating New Hampshire by 6-0.

A standout in basketball, Joe was consistently a double-digit scorer and one of the team’s top rebounders.  As co-captain, Joe was instrumental in BUHS’ come-from-behind win against Windsor in January 1972, scoring 22 points in the 55-47 victory.

Joe was a multi-event point scorer in Track & Field.  He participated in shot put, discus, javelin, pole vault and the 100 and 220-yard dashes with many triple wins.  In 1972 he set BUHS records in the discus and javelin.  An excellent student-athlete, Joe was selected for the Sherman Award for Athletics as well as the LTC George Broutsas Award for Excellence in Athletics and Outstanding Scholarship.

Following high school, Joe attended the University of Vermont where he played football as an offensive guard and punter.  In his second year he was a candidate for All-Conference guard.  Coach Carl Falivene said, “I believe Juscen is one of the top guards in the conference and he is only a sophomore.”  Joe was also on the UVM Track & Field team, participating in discus, hammer and long jump.

When the football program was dropped in 1975, Joe enrolled at Idaho State University. As a defensive nose guard and tackle, he ran the 40-yard dash in a remarkable 4.7 seconds. He was named ‘Bengal Beast’ by ISU coaches for outstanding defensive play.  In ISU’s 20-3 win over Webster State, Joe had nine defensive stops including seven tackles, stopping Weber State’s quarterback with 34 lost yards in sacks.

Following graduation in 1977, Joe signed with the Seattle Seahawks where he played  linebacker.  A season-ending injury led to his retirement.

Post-college Joe remained active in sports in his hometown of Moscow, Idaho. He played basketball in the Idaho City League, winning many 3-on-3 tournaments. He played for the Rathskellers softball team and in 1980 was known as the Home Run King in Idaho State Men’s AA softball tournament, setting a state record with 24 hits in 26 at bats and 16 home runs.

Committed to his community and youth sports, Joe coached many teams in Moscow including football, basketball and track and field.  Owner of Superior Floors, one of Joe’s fondest accomplishments was building an indoor basketball court in one of his warehouses.  It was open to all local youth and provided a safe haven for many young people.