Winter sports season approaches at HVRHS

FALLS VILLAGE — After concluding a successful autumn of athletics, Housatonic Valley Regional High School is set to field teams in five sports this winter.

Basketball

Berkshire League basketball tips off Tuesday, Dec. 14. HVRHS’s girls' and boys' squads will face Nonnewaug High School to start the season. The boys' varsity team is under new leadership this year with the addition of head coach Bobby Chatfield. The boys will be out for revenge in the season opener at Nonnewaug, which knocked HVRHS out of the BL postseason tournament last year.

The girls will be at home Dec. 14 for the first league game of the basketball season. Coach Jake Plitt returns for his fourth season at the helm. Last year, the HVRHS girls were eliminated in the semifinals of the BL tournament by Northwestern Regional High School on their way to repeating as champions.

Hockey

Ice hockey players have joined a co-op team this year with New Milford High School. Two HVRHS athletes will be on the team: Logan Miller and Melanie Rundall.

Games and practices will be held at Canterbury School’s O’Neil Arena. The first official hockey game of the 2025-26 season will be Dec. 17 at home against the Newtown-New Fairfield co-op.

The Housatonic co-op team that was previously led by coach Dean Diamond disbanded after last season due to a player shortage. The New Milford co-op is led by coach Hank Dietter.

Swimming

The HVRHS swim team will begin the season with a road stretch. The first meet will be held Dec. 18 at Shepaug Valley High School, followed by meets at Northwestern and then Lakeview High School. The first home meet for the swim team will be Jan. 14 against Nonnewaug, held at The Hotchkiss School’s pool.

New to the team this year is freshman Phoebe Conklin, who competed at the YMCA National Long Course Swimming Championships in Ocala, Florida, this past summer. Conklin qualified for nationals in the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle and 100-meter butterfly. The HVRHS swim team is coached by Jaqueline Rice.

Skiing

The HVRHS ski team practices and competes at Mohawk Mountain ski area in Cornwall. Competition will hit the slopes beginning with a group meet at home Wednesday, Jan. 14.The HVRHS ski team is coached by Bill Gold.

Indoor track

The last winter sport to get underway will be indoor track. Silas Tripp was the lone Mountaineer to sign up for the sport. He will represent HVRHS in meets, but travel with Lakeview athletes to meets. The first scheduled event will be at Bethel the weekend of Feb. 6 to Feb. 8.