Former Mountaineers suit up for alumni games

Former Mountaineers suit up for alumni games

Former coach Bobby Chatfield started on the mound for the alumni.

Riley Klein

FALLS VILLAGE — Housatonic Valley Regional High School athletic teams ended the 2024 spring season with a series of alumni games.

Mountaineers of years past matched up against current varsity teams in early June. Aside from some achy muscles, the games produced a steady stream of laughs in the name of friendly competition.

Junior Daniela Brennan helped the varsity softball team beat the alumni.Riley Klein

Baseball and softball games were played simultaneously Saturday, June 1, beneath an azure sky. The double feature was complete with a hot dog vendor stationed between the two ball fields and the faint hum of roaring engines at Lime Rock Park.

“This is heaven,” remarked HVRHS history teacher and former football coach Deron Bayer.

Sophomore Anthony Foley stole and tossed the glove of younger brother and future Mountaineer Brayden Foley.Riley Klein

Baseball alums ranged in graduation year from 2001 to 2022. Just shy of a full roster, a couple freshman filled in for the alumni along with a future Mountaineer, 13-year-old Brayden Foley.

The alumni got out to a strong 3-0 start before the varsity team came back to a 4-3 lead. The initial lead slipped away when catcher Brooks Belter, class of 2006, strained his calf and let a series of wild pitches by Anthony Cattelan, class of 2017, create scoring opportunities for the varsity squad.

Cattelan remained optimistic, “It’s super nostalgic to be here, I just wish we were winning.”

Brooks Belter, Class of '06, had words with Anthony Foley.Riley Klein

The game continued to see-saw before settling at a 7-7 tie in the sixth inning.

Willie Yahn, class of 2014, member of the Orioles program from 2017-2022, proceeded to take over and secure an 11-7 lead for the alumni. Yahn aced the varsity boys with nine straight strikes to close out the seventh inning.

Willie Yahn said it was "fun to see the next generation coming up" at HVRHS.Riley Klein

Across the field, varsity softball represented the student body with a dominant performance over the alums. Powerful hits at the plate kept the outfielders busy.

Current coach Kayleigh Selino, situated in left field for the alumni, summed it up during the top of the first: “I’m exhausted already and it’s not even inning one.”

Current softball coach Kayleigh Selino played for the alumni.Riley Klein

The varsity team showed no mercy and piled on the runs to win 9-1 over the alums.

Lacrosse players had planned to meet at the HVRHS field June 9. Mother Nature had other plans and rained out the game.

Coach Laura Bushey described the 2024 season as “one of the best seasons we’ve ever had” and expressed pride in her team.

Senior Anne Moran pitched for the varsity team June 1.Riley Klein

Latest News

A scenic 32-mile loop through Litchfield County

Whenever I need to get a quick but scenic bicycle ride but don’t have time to organize a group ride that involves driving to a meeting point, I just turn right out of my driveway. That begins a 32-mile loop through some of the prettiest scenery in northern Litchfield County.

I ride south on Undermountain Road (Route 41 South) into Salisbury and turn right on Main Street (Route 44 West). If I’m meeting friends, we gather at the parking area on the west side of Salisbury Town Hall where parking is never a problem.

Keep ReadingShow less
Biking Ancramdale to Copake

This is a lovely ride that loops from Ancramdale north to Copake and back. At just over 23 miles and about 1,300 feet of elevation gain, it’s a perfect route for intermediate recreational riders and takes about two hours to complete. It’s entirely on quiet roads with little traffic, winding through rolling hills, open countryside, picturesque farms and several lakes.

Along the way, you’ll pass a couple of farmstands that are worth a quick visit. There is only one hill that might be described as steep, but it is quite short — probably less than a quarter-mile.

Keep ReadingShow less
Taking on Tanglewood

Aerial view of The Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass.

Provided

Now is the perfect time to plan ahead for symphonic music this summer at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Here are a few highlights from the classical programming.

Saturday, July 5: Shed Opening Night at 8 p.m. Andris Nelsons conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra as Daniil Trifonov plays piano in an All-Rachmaninoff program. The Piano Concerto No. 3 was completed in 1909 and was written specifically to be debuted in the composer’s American tour, at another time of unrest and upheaval in Russia. Trifonev is well-equipped to take on what is considered among the most technically difficult piano pieces. This program also includes Symphonic Dances, a work encapsulating many ideas and much nostalgia.

Keep ReadingShow less
James H. Fox

SHARON — James H. Fox, resident of Sharon, passed away on May 30, 2025, at Vassar Brothers Hospital.

Born in New York, New York, to Herbert Fox and Margaret Moser, James grew up in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. He spent his summers in Gaylordsville, Connecticut, where he developed a deep connection to the community.

Keep ReadingShow less