Who Has The Longest Playoff Victory Droughts?

Which rivals have the longest playoff victory drought of any currently operating varsity football  programs in Vermont?

If you were thinking of rivals from Chittenden County, go further south. Rutland County? Warmer, but keep on heading toward Massachusetts. Before you make it to the Commonwealth, you will find the answers to this trivia question in the southwest and southeast corners of the state. The Brattleboro Colonels have failed to win a playoff game since 1973, and the Mt. Anthony Patriots achieved their last playoff victory in 1994.

On a positive note, the last playoff victories for both of these teams resulted in state championships. Mt. Anthony stormed to a 9-0 record in 1994 and capped their season off with a 20-7 win over Brattleboro in the semifinals and a dominating 28-0 performance against Middlebury in the finals. Coincidentally, Brattleboro's last playoff victory was also decided by a score of 28-0 in the state finals, when they defeated BFA-St. Albans in 1973.

Since the Patriots last playoff victory, they have only made the playoffs in four of the last twenty-two seasons. In each playoff game they have lost by at least 20 points. Brattleboro has made the playoffs eight times during the same stretch, including a 9-0 regular season in 2005, only to be upset by MSJ in the playoffs.

So, where are the Patriots and Colonels now, and what is next for them? After dropping down to Division 2 following a winless season in Division 1, the Patriots have found some success as they are currently seeded 6th with a 3-3 record. They are a virtual lock for the 8 team playoffs, though breaking their playoff victory drought will be a tall task given the strength of the teams at the top of the standings. The Colonels, who remain in Division 1, are 0-6 and have been outscored by almost 28 points per game. In their only game outside of Divison 1, they dropped a 52-29 decision to Bellows Falls, a Division 2 team. While Brattleboro has a young team, their struggles make you wonder if their next move will be joining Mt. Anthony in Division 2.

Despite the struggles for both of these teams, their annual matchup for the Elwell Trophy is always a heated affair. Last year, the Colonels destroyed the Patriots by a score of 45-7 behind 230 rushing yards from Cheick Diakite. This year the game returns to Bennington, where the Patriots are favored to reclaim the trophy on Friday night. While both teams are sure to be ready for this game, only time will tell how long it will be before they are ready to break their playoff victory droughts.

VT High School Football Playoff History:
https://www.vpaonline.org/cms/lib/VT08001199/Centricity/Domain/11/TeamsFootball.pdf