Nelson returns to MHS
Toolbox
Jim Higgins - Published: October 27, 2009
The "Nelson touch" has returned to the Montpelier boys basketball program.
Dave Nelson of Montpelier was hired last week to replace Joe Salerno, who left the Solons' helm after two years to help coach the Vermont Frost Heaves.
Nelson coached the Solons from 2003 to 2007, guiding the team to a state title in 2005 and three other trips to the Barre Aud. The term "Nelson touch" – first used to describe British Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson's ability to inspire troops during the Napoleonic Wars – is aptly applied to Dave Nelson as well.
He has a gift for devising strategies that transform a group of average-sized guys into guys that "play big" through ferocious running games and sound fundamentals.
Montpelier High School athletic director Lynn Ribolini couldn't be happier.
"How often," he said, "can you find a guy with that much experience on two weeks notice?"
Even on the short notice, Ribolini said there were many qualified candidates.
"We had a lot of interest among local people for the job," he said. "Ten men applied for the position and we interviewed three."
Nelson, who retired for two years to handle family and business expansion matters, didn't leave coaching entirely. He coached his oldest son, Elliott – now 10 years old – at St. Monica's in Barre. He also plans to help out with special "Little Dribblers" clinics with his 6-year-old son Sam.
Montpelier numbers look good, reports Ribolini.
"We'll have eight returning seniors for the varsity team and we should have plenty of boys for the freshman and JV teams as well," he said.
Those eight returning seniors are plenty familiar with the "Nelson touch," as Nelson coached most of them as freshman when he doubled his coaching duties to fill a void in the coaching staff.
"They're a good core," he said. "They know it's about showing up and going after it. Joe (Salerno) did a great job teaching them the 'up-and-down' style of offense and 'in-your-shirt' full-court defense."
Nelson said he plans no major changes, "but like any chef, you like to add ingredients."
The tweaks, he said, might include "knocking the ball inside a little more and a little less emphasis on the 3-point shot."
"I'm very excited to be back," said Nelson, a 1980 MHS grad. "I can really commit to it now that the business pressures are off."
He'll be re-joined by veteran bench coach Mike Dellipriscoli, who also coaches the JV team that went 15-5 last season.
"Mike has a tremendous knowledge of the game and we have always been on the same page when it comes to coaching fundamentals," Nelson said.
Ravens re-cap
The Vermont Ravens just completed their third year of semi-pro football in Central Vermont with another late-season run into the league championship game.
And they did all of this despite numerous off-field and on-field structural changes.
Off the field, prior to the season, the team expanded its ownership group from essentially two people – founders Mike and Linda Salmon – to a group of partners, including Thomas Estes, Rick Theken, Mike Foster and Scott Vaillancourt. Additionally, the board of directors was expanded to include Sean O'Connor, Jim Buzzi, Dick Powell and Dan Cowan.
On the field, Salmon stepped down from his head coaching position after recruiting former player Mike Foster to take the helm. Salmon didn't exit the scene entirely, though, opting to take on the role of defensive coach.
"If things go well, next season I hope to step away from coaching altogether and take on a lesser role with the team," Salmon said.
This year, Salmon said that "things finally started going well at crunch time, during the last regular season game against Central Vermont Rampage, which they won, 24-6. Coming into that game we had a record of 2-5 and were struggling on both sides of the ball. At that point it would have been easy to go out and run through the motions. But not this team. Head coach Foster, offensive coach Theken and line coach Powell really developed the team into a solid group. No one pointed fingers and no one tried to pass the buck. They all just came together and formed a bond that they fed off as they nearly ran the table and won the championship."
For the past three years I've asked Salmon to spill out a list of his personal end-of-season "highs." Next year, I'll likely be asking another member of the new leadership team to do the same.
Listed below are Salmon's top six reasons to love the Ravens:
1. Coach Foster and his leadership.
2. Quarterback Sean O'Connor, the ultimate teammate and warrior. This was his last year and he really wanted that championship, but he was dignified right up to the end when he saw it would not be. I can't ask for more than what he gave to the game and the team.
3. The courage for players such as Gordon Cochran, Roy Rose, Clayton Torres and Sean O'Connor to come back from surgery to play the game at the high-level capacity that each showed this year.
4. The community: the fans, volunteers, school officials, businesses and media. The community has really embraced us and let it be known that a semi-pro football team is welcome here.
5. Discovering the talent of Corey Matthews from St. Johnsbury. A great running back and punter who, if I stuck him on defense the whole season, would have led the team in tackles. Corey is also a Golden Gloves boxer and a former wrestler at Springfield College. One of the best football players the Ravens have had.
6. Ditto for first-year center Tyler Baker. This is the most difficult position on the line and he was at every practice and learned super-fast and was the core for our team along with retiring QB Sean O'Connor.
Puzzler No. 141
Can you match the team to the achievement?
1. Between the years 1972 and 2000 we won at least one state football championship in Divisions I through IV. Answer: Montpelier Boys
2. We won our only state ice hockey championship in 2001. Answer: Spaulding girls
3. We won our first state basketball championship since 1926. Answer: Montpelier Boys
4. We won our only state soccer championship in 1995. Answer: Twinfield Girls
Congrats to Sean Bradley, Jan Gantzhorn and Jim Slotter.
Puzzler No. 142
Here's a few historical questions for the Phillies fans amongst us.
1. What was the nickname of the 1950 World Series champion Phillies?
2. The Phillies are seeking to become only the third NL team to repeat. What NL team was the last one to win back-to-back championships?
3. The 1950 Phillies were led by a pioneer closer, a bespectacled reliever whose 22 saves at the time were the second-most in history. Who was that guy?
4. What former AL manager said: "As far as the similarities between the Philly club and the Yankees, there's a lot of fearlessness?"
Send your sporting news and Puzzler answers to jimhiggins@pshift.com.
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