Girls' Basketball Info
Girls Basketball
The BFA girls' basketball program began in 1930 with the opening of Bellows Free Academy. The team, coached by Leo Papineau, was successful from its inception, winning several state titles. In 1945, the reigns of the program were handed over to, the soon to become legendary, Dario "Doc" Comi who coached the girls until 1973. Due to his successful record and the exciting style of play that teams exhibited under his direction, the girls' basketball teams soon became known as "Comi's Comets" and later, all the girls' teams at Bellows Free Academy, honored Comi by being dubbed Comets. During Comi's tenure as head coach, the BFA Comets won 14 state championships and amazingly, won 84 straight games from 1950 to 1955. The Comets had become recognized as one of the premiere girls basketball teams in the state of Vermont.
After the departure of Doc Comi, BFA physical education teacher, Kathy Keenan took over as the head coach of the Comets. Keenan was at the helm for the next five seasons until 1978 when she turned the program over to Frank Zakrzewski. A member of the social studies department at BFA, Zakzrewski guided BFA for the next three seasons. Although, during the 70s, the wins were not as plentiful as in previous years, the Comet teams still consisted of many good, hard-nosed basketball players who represented Bellows Free Academy well.
The 1981-82 season, marked the commencement of Jim Bashaw's coaching career at BFA and the beginning of the resurgence of Comet Basketball. Bashaw, a newly-hired mathematics teacher at BFA, joined the Comet program after stints at both Missisquoi Valley Union High School and Essex High School. Bashaw's first season at BFA was not a successful one in terms of wins and losses, but was very successful in the sense that he began to establish new traditions and to build the Comets into a team that would be a perennial title contender. Bashaw piloted the Comets for the next 14 seasons, amassing a 211 - 99 record during those years. His teams made nine final-four appearances, competed in five title games and won two state championships.
Following the retirement from coaching of Jim Bashaw, Richard "Bert" Berthiaume was selected to be the next to guide the Comets. Berthiaume was already a successful varsity girls soccer and softball coach at BFA and had experience coaching in the Comet basketball program, as the coach of the JV team in the late 1980s. Berthiaume's teams continued the proud traditions that Bashaw started until he decided to step down at the end of the 2000-01 season.
Former Comet star, Kelly Greenfield was then chosen to direct the Comet basketball program for the 2001-02 season. Although the teams still "played hard, played smart and played together", the start of the new millennium was not kind to the Comets. The teams struggled to string together victories, but still maintained many proud Comet traditions.
The tide began to turn for the Comets during the 2005-2006 season. Former Bobwhite star, Glenn Johnson took over the program and with him came a freshman class that showed much promise. In his first season, Johnson steered the Comets through a run to the Division I title game. Although BFA lost the championship game to an excellent Essex High School team, "Comet Magic" had returned to Franklin County. These resurgent Comets have returned to the Division I final-four for the last four seasons and completed the 2008-09 regular season with a 19 - 1 record, before falling in an exciting and tense championship game to the Spaulding Crimson Tide.
Collapse All
Expand All