Mount St. Joseph Academy

Football practices are from 4 to 6PM. Football players must be ready for practice to begin at 4. Football players are encouraged to complete homework from 3 to 3:45.

Open gym is on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 6pm.

Open gym will last one and a half hours.

MSJ Athletic Association president Dick Densmore is looking for volunteers to help staff the “Green Wave Cafe” during the Vt. State Fair.

Please call 770-0305 if you can help.

New Mount St. Joseph football coach Torrey Allard stands next to the Mounties’ new uniforms after being introduced to his team on Monday. Cassandra Hotaling / Rutland Herald

By Chuck Clarino
Staff Writer, Rutland Herald – Published: August 24, 2010

When Torrey Allard was asked why he wanted the Mount St. Joseph Academy head football coaching job, his response was simple and clear: “Why not?”

Allard, 35, was named the 14th head football coach in the 80-year history of the sport at MSJ on Monday.

This no-nonsense, straight-talking man picks up the reins of the state’s most storied football program from interim coach Conrad Looney, who stepped up to fill the void when Chip Forte abruptly resigned the position Friday, Aug. 13 — three days before the start of fall football practice.

“I appreciate the opportunity and the honor of coaching here,” said Allard, while standing in the equipment room just before meeting his new team. “I want to get this thing going. I’m very excited and thrilled to be a part of the rich history and tradition of this program.”

Allard faces a tough challenge at MSJ. The numbers on the football team are down to fewer than 20 players, many of whom are young and inexperienced. There are no seniors on and few veterans from a team that failed to win a game last fall.

MSJ players also have endured significant turmoil due to the uncertainty caused by Forte’s resignation and dropping down from playing a Division I schedule to playing in the Division III ranks.

And the Mounties are slated to play their first game at Rice Memorial a week from Saturday.

“Hey, I’m ready to go; ready to go to work,” said Allard, wearing a green MSJ T-shirt and visor, while posing in front of the new MSJ uniforms. “I am not one bit hesitant. I’ve got kids who want to play football and I’m ready to coach them.”

MSJ Athletic Director Marty McDonough and MSJAA President Dick Densmore introduced Allard to the Mountie team and later to the media.

Densmore was impressed with Allard’s interview and his knowledge of the game.

“His was one of the best interviews we ever had,” Densmore said. “He’s a real student of the game.”

“We are very excited to have him on our staff,” McDonugh said.

Allard is an alumnus of Burlington High School class of 1993, where he played football for Jim Billings. He got into coaching right after high school, working in the youth football program in Burlington. Allard has also served as an assistant at Burlington, CVU and Colchester before moving to Otter Valley, where he spent the last four years as an assistant to Dennis Perry.

“I owe everything to Dennis Perry,” Allard. said “He’s one of the best Xs and Os man out there He’s a motivator and a great game coach,. He brought me to a different level.”

Allard had a 15-minute meeting with Looney before closing the doors to the locker room to spend about 20 minutes with his new team.

When asked his philosophy about football, Allard got right to the point.

“We want to have fun,” he said. “I want players to be in good shape, be a disciplined group and have some fun.”

When asked what he planned to run for offense and defense, Allard was purposefully vague and would not commit to any specific system.

“We have a good mixture of both running the ball and passing,” he said. “We’ve got to spread the ball around and get the ball into the hands of our athletic kids.”

Allard, who owns a landscaping business in Chittenden County, plans to get right to work at St. Peter’s Field this morning.

chuck.clarino@rutlandherald.com

On Friday, September 10, 2010, the Rutland Country Club will be hosting the 26th Annual Mount St. Joseph Green Wave Golf Tournament.

Play will begin at 1:00 pm with a Shotgun Start (5-man scramble format), and the tournament will be followed by an awards presentation and a BBQ buffet.

The Golf Outing provides the opportunity for Friends and Alumni of MSJ to enjoy a day of golf while raising money for the Academy’s Student Scholarship Fund. The signup deadline is September 6, 2010. For more information contact the MSJ Development Office 802-775-0151 ext. 112, or email development@msjvermont.org.

Green Wave Player Sign Up Sheet

By Chuck Clarino Staff Writer – Published: August 5, 2009

On the wall at his office at White Birch Realty, Mark Benetatos keeps a map of Vermont. The map has colored pins stuck at various points where his company has sold country store properties. The map represents the hard work Benetatos has put in and his success as a Realtor. It also reveals some roads that Benetatos will follow in his new job as Mount St. Joseph boys basketball coach.

Benetatos, 52, was chosen from a wide pool of applicants to fill the job vacated by Pat Pockette and his appointment was announced by MSJ Athletic Director Marty McDonough.

“We are pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Benetatos and I’d have to say that this is the toughest call I’ve ever made,” McDonough said in a recent interview. “In addition to his knowledge of the game, Mark will develop team chemistry and bring a well-disciplined team onto the court.”

Benetatos, a former prep school coach at both Kimball Union Academy and New Hampton School, as well as a highly successful coach at College of St. Joseph, certainly has the credentials for the job.

But why would he choose to go to a small private school that is coming off a season in which the basketball team won its first game and lost the rest?

“I’m excited about the challenge,” said Benetatos. “And that I have always had a lot of respect for MSJ, what they have done and how they do it. Maybe that’s the prep school guy coming out in me but they’ve had a history where they have had a good basketball program. The challenge is to try and build it back.”

As a standout player at Rutland High School, Benetatos knows firsthand about Mounties basketball. During his high school days in the early ’70s, Benetatos played against some strong MSJ teams and loved the competition. But MSJ has changed considerably since those halcyon days. It has a much smaller student body, which means fewer athletes to choose from. MSJ will also drop down a division and play a Division II slate for the first time this winter.

“I’ll have to be patient,” said Benetatos, who claims he’s in for the long haul. “I’m fully aware of the challenge ahead of us.”

Along with a wealth of experience and a strong work ethic, Benetatos brings a knowledgeable and veteran team of coaches to help with the rebuilding program. Former CSJ head coach Jeff White and Jim Madgwick, who has served as both a college and high school assistant, will form the coaching staff that Benetatos has assembled to help him.

“I have a pretty good track record at turning things around but a big part of that job for me has to do with both Jeff White and Jim Madgwick,” he said. “Jeff brings 18, 19 years of coaching experience and a solid basketball mind, and Jim has coached at both CSJ and at West Rutland (with current CSJ coach Phil Bartlett). You need input and the input that Jim and Jeff will give is crucial.”

The team approach is what Benetatos will stress to his squad. He has a desire to build a strong identity as a hard-working team.

“I want hard-working kids; what their talent level is, that’s out of our control,” Benetatos said. “But if they’re hard workers and willing to put an effort into it that extra 10 or 15 percent, they can contribute to turning the program around. Regardless, they are going to see us as a coaching staff, working hard and taking an interest.”

Benetatos has no idea what kind of talent he will have so can’t say for certain what kind of basketball his Mounties will play – whether they will run-and-gun or pound it inside. But he will stress fundamentals and said that the coaching staff will adjust the style to what type of players they are working with.

“I would start on the defensive end; not everybody can shoot the ball or score,” he said. “But if you have a good work ethic, heart and desire, you can play defense. Not knowing the talent, I can’t say what we’ll do. I do have a wish list.”

During his coaching tenure at College of St. Joseph, he built the program to the point where the Saints were selected to participate in the NAIA Division II national tournament in Branson, Mo. So Benetatos understands what needs to be done and realizes that success will not come easily or quickly.

“It will be a process, this is not going to happen in a year,” he said. “What I hope will happen this year is that our team will be competitive and at the end of the game, regardless of the score, people will say, ‘those kids worked hard.’ It will be a question of finding young men who are willing to work within the system and be a part of it. Our hope is that we have a lot of kids interested and have a lot of kids participate, because our style requires that.”

chuck.clarino@rutlandherald.com

By Carleton Laird Staff Writer – Published: July 15, 2009

Dale Patterson likes a challenge. And he just took one on.

The 34-year-old native of Canada brings an extensive hockey background to his job as the new boys hockey coach at Mount St. Joseph Academy, assuming the reins of a team that went without a victory last winter.

All the Mounties athletics programs have suffered from low numbers the past few years and the hockey team is no exception. With around 10 skaters committed to taking the ice, Patterson and the administration must find ways to fill out the roster.

In addition to hoping more students will register at the Academy, they will look to the member-to-member program that allows students at schools that don’t offer a particular sport to play for one that does.

“I just want to get MSJ back to where they were,” Patterson said. “After all, they are just a year removed from a state championship.”

The Mounties won the Division II title in 2008.

“Do I think it’s going to be a challenge? Absolutely,” he said. “But will the kids have a positive experience, work hard and be better hockey players? Absolutely.”

Mount St. Joseph Athletic Director Marty McDonough said that the school is excited to get a coach with Patterson’s long connection to hockey.

“Dale will be able to impart technique and discipline to the returning and younger players.”

Patterson grew up in Gaspe Bay in northern Quebec and, at age 16, moved to Jonquiere, about two hours north of Quebec City, to play Midget AAA.

Two months after his 17th birthday, he came to the University of Vermont as a scholarship player. Over the course of his four years, he played with the likes of NHLers Tim Thomas, Martin St. Louis, Eric Perrin and Aaron Miller. His senior year, the team made it to the Frozen Four in Cincinnati.

Patterson later moved to Vermont and married his college sweetheart, Melissa Welch of Rutland, and started Green Mountain Routers and Lasers in West Rutland. He was Lou Goudreau’s assistant coach at MSJ for the 1999-200 season.

He has since been involved with the Rutland Amateur Hockey Association as a youth coach, working predominately with the youngest players, teaching them skating and hockey fundamentals.

“It will be good to have him back with high school players after coaching the kids,” McDonough said.

Patterson says that rebuilding the MSJ program is a process and he doesn’t know how games his team will win the first season. But he says that that the program will offer considerable one-on-one instruction and ice time for those involved.

“This is an opportunity for players that might not yet be ready to play Division I to get a lot individual attention they might not get elsewhere, to improve and have fun doing it,” he said. “I’ve always been of the belief that if you are to be successful at the next level, you have to be a dominant player at the level you’re at.”

Since accepting the job, Patterson has had offers from some former teammates and roommates.

“Guys with NHL experience have offered to help us out any way they can, whether it be in person or with autographs …”

carleton.laird@rutlandherald.com

October 4, 2008

By Chuck Clarino Herald Staff

COLCHESTER – Defense wins football games; just ask the Mount St. Joseph Mounties.

The Mounties made two huge defensive plays in the fourth period and also prevented the Colchester Lakers from scoring three times inside MSJ’s 10-yard line in the second half to pull out a 13-12 nonleague victory here Friday.

Louis Altobell tackled Lakers QB Jack LeClerc just shy of the goal line on a two-point conversion try with 2:38 remaining in the fourth period to preserve MSJ’s narrow lead.

Then Leighton Thayer intercepted LeClerc’s pass with 1:51 remaining to allow the Mounties to run out the clock.

“When Alex Raymond came out of the game, everyone had to step it up,” said Altobell, a junior defensive end. “Our captains were getting us pumped up so that helped a lot and our coaches were getting us going and when we got a couple of goal line stands, it really got us fired up.”

The Mounties lost Raymond, a captain and two-way starter at defensive end and offensive tackle, to an ejection early in the game for unnecessary roughness, so younger players had to fill in.

Meanwhile, linebacker Matt Messier was carted off the field with his leg in a soft cast, while running back and defensive linebacker Johnny Bizon left in the fourth period to a shoulder injury and saftey/running back Ben Benedict was also banged up, so the Mounties defense was patched together, especially at the end.

“I got thrown in at linebacker but I read that quarterback,” said Thayer, who normally plays safety or corner on defense and quarterback on offense. “They put the balls in the air and coach said before the game that the secondary had to intercept. I still feel like I’m part of the secondary, so I took it.”

The Mounties never trailed.

It was an opportunistic play that set up the first Mounties score after they were forced to punt on their first offensive series. But Ben Sexton’s punt was mishandled and Benedict came up with the fumble recovery.

Three plays later, Benedict toted it into the end zone, slashing in from 14 yards. MSJ tacked on the extra point and the Mounties were in front 7-0 with 6:35 remaining in the first.

Colchester answered with a nine-play, 64-yard drive that featured a huge 15-yard penalty that caused Raymond’s ejection, and a 27-yard pass from LeClerc to tight end Tyler Combs that brought the ball to the 13. Devon Grammon carried it in from there, but a host of defenders blocked the extra point to maintain a 7-6 lead.

Colchester was able to move the ball but the attack broke down several times deep in MSJ territory.

On the Lakers’ second offensive series, they moved the ball to the MSJ 30 but fumbled and Altobell recovered.

MSJ began to jam up the running plays and LeClerc had success in the air, hitting his first five passes for 70 yards, but then the Mounties secondary began to poach the while Altobell and Sexton led a pass rush that pressured LeClerc, and the half ended at 7-6.

The second half featured great field position for the Lakers but again the Mounties had their defense working and time and again it saved the day. Big Hannus Mattila helped stuff up the middle, while Sexton and Brian Ribbens made big plays from the linebacker spots, and Benedict, Bizon, Eric Ladabouche, Nolan Rhodes and Thayer made plays wide and in the secondary.

Colchester took the second-half kickoff and drove in eight plays to the MSJ 11. But the defense stiffened and Colchester’s 27-yard field goal attempt went wide.

Colchester drove to the MSJ 7-yard-line on its next offensive series but in four plays couldn’t punch it in.

MSJ’s offensive finally caught fire on the next series.

Bizon broke a 47-yard run and only the speedy Grammo was able to haul him down. Thayer then found Rhodes in the end zone with a 36-yard scoring strike and the Mounties led 13-6 after the point was blocked. But in a series of big plays, one of the biggest had to be the fourth-down QB sneak by Thayer.

Colchester came right back and in lightning fashion drove deep in MSJ territory. But the Mounties made a stand in the shadow of the goal line and the Lakers turned the ball over on downs.

The Colchester defense stopped the Mounties and embarked on one more drive. A 27-yard pass from LeClerc to Shawn Place set them up at the 1 and Jared Vetters bulled in from there. But Altobell came up big with the saving tackle on the two-point try to preserve the lead.

Colchester burned all its time outs during the next MSJ possession and when the Lakers got the ball back, Thayer was able to contribute his big play to give the Mounties their second win of the season.

“It was a great win for us but obviously we looked very ugly at times,” MSJ coach Chip Forte said. “But when we needed it most, they stepped up to the plate. The kids that came in to replace those guys that got hurt were freshmen and young kids. They stepped up big time and this is a huge win for our program.”

Contact Chuck Clarino at chuck.clarino@rutlandherald.com

September 6, 2008

By Chuck Clarino Herald Staff

BURLINGTON — The win has been so long in coming that Mount St. Joseph almost didn’t know how to celebrate the 21-12 victory over Burlington Friday at Buck Hard Field.

Alex Raymond missed head coach Chip Forte with the customary water-bucket bath. But once the 24-man team drew a tight circle around their coach, the Mounties bounced up and down chanting and whooping in victory.

MSJ had lost 11 straight games and scored just four touchdowns during the entire 2007 season, but this is a dedicated band of Mounties. They may be small in size and short in numbers but they have heart plus a lean and hungry look that translated into the first win in Forte’s tenure as a coach and for many of these players, their first in an MSJ uniform.

Senior wide receiver Nolan Rhodes hauled in touchdown passes of 95 and 55 yards from junior quarterback Leighton Thayer, while junior running back Johnny Bizon bulled over the goal line from 3 yards out to fuel the Mounties’ win.

“We’ve lost 11 game in-a-row but we’ve worked our butts off the past two years,” said Rhodes, a captain. “Nobody gives us a chance, they think MSJ is a bunch of skinny kids with 15 people on the team, but we’re not. We work just as hard as anybody else and we deserve this because we’re as close a team as you can get.”

The Mounties came back from a 7-0 deficit and had to do it with a long field and a third-and-long from their own 5-yard-line. But Thayer found Rhodes running free down the Burlington sidelines with a perfect strike. Rhodes fought off a defender, gathered in the pass and outraced the secondary for the 95-yard scoring strike.

Lauri Vutanen’s PAT gave the Mounties their first lead in two seasons at 7-6.

But the biggest drive of the night was initiated with 6:13 remaining in the second period.

MSJ set up shop on its own 41 and began to march. Relying mostly on Bizon’s hard running behind a fired-up offensive line, MSJ put together a 14-play, 59-yard drive. Bizon beat the clock and blasted over from the 3 with five seconds left in the half.

During that crucial drive, Thayer hit Rhodes with a 10-yard pass on fourth-and-9 to keep the drive alive. On the march, Bizon toted the pigskin 10 times for 41 yards.

Burlington responded by taking the second half kickoff and driving.

With Lloyd Nunn hitting the holes hard and Grady Breen mixing in the pass, the Seahorses moved 61 yards on 11 plays, culminated by a Breen-to-Michael LaBombard 31-yard scoring strike. But the two-point conversion failed and MSJ led 14-12 with 8:34 remaining.

The Mounties offense was hamstrung when both Bizon and his running mate Ben Benedict came up lame with cramps in their legs. MSJ was hard pressed to get anything moving on the ground as Burlington stacked the box with players, trying to force the Mounties to put the ball in the air.

But MSJ stuck to its game plan and tried to grind it out and relyon its defense.

The defensive line, anchored by Ben Sexton and Louis Altobell, were tough, while undersized players like Matt Messier and Brian Ribbans came up big. Alex Raymond celebrated his birthday with a big game, while Finnish exchange students Hannes Mattik and Janne Siltanen also came up big. The secondary, which had players playing out of position, stayed tough with Rhodes, Eric Ladabouche, Thayer, Dylan Stone and Cameron Stiles pitching in.

The Mounties sacked Breen four times and in the second half, casuing the Seahorses to hand the ball over on downs twice, while holding Burlington to four first downs and 85 total yards.

“Our defensive line is the heart of this team and our secondary just needed to step up,” Rhodes said. “We knew that all we had to do was do our deal — we owed it to our defensive line. They played great last week. It was our secondary’s responsibility last week and we made up for it this week.”

Still, with the clock winding down, it was still anybody’s game.

MSJ got the ball with 3:59 remaining and good field position on its own 40.

On third-and-9, Thayer found Rhodes running down the Mounties sideline and threw it up where the tall, lean Rhodes could grab it and wrestle it away from the defensive back. He made the snatch and ran free for a 55-yard TD pass that sealed the win.

“Leighton Thayer is a young quarterback who’s got the talent and he finally just let it go, trusted in himself that he had what it takes to be a great quarterback,” Rhodes said. “It all starts with him and the offensive line being great pass blockers; all I had to do was catch the ball.”

The Mounties were able to rack up 235 yards, with 160 coming through the air. Burlington had 128 yards, split 63 overland and 65 in the air.

Burlington (0-2) scored its first touchdown on a 3-yard run by Andrew Cane after a short punt gave the Seahorses great field position. But Cane left the game with an injury in the first half and never returned, which hurt the Burlington cause.

MSJ (1-1) will now come home to host South Burlington and try for another celebration.

“This is the greatest feeling in the world,” said Forte, leaving the field with his first win. “It was a total effort, they all stepped up. This is something we can build on. I’m very proud of their effort to come back from adversity like that away from home.”

Contact Chuck Clarino at chuck.clarino@rutlandherald.com