Reynolds, Johnson Earn Athlete of the Week Recognition

One of this week's iBerkshires.com/Southwestern Vermont Medical Center Athletes of the Week excelled under the Friday night lights. The other nearly needed lights to finish her team's Wednesday night win.

 

Taconic's Anthony Johnson ran for 153 yards and a pair of touchdoowns as his team knocked off Pittsfield to win the City Championship on Senior Night Friday at Berkshire Community College.

 

Johnson scored his Taconic's first TD, from 37 yards out, to answer an early Pittsfield score. And he capped a 30-0 run with Taconic's final score of a 30-18 win.

 

“I was a little nervous at first, because they are a good team. But as soon as I got warmed up, I felt better throughout the game,” Johnson said.

 

Johnson also made five tackles on the other side of the ball as Taconic (3-5) wrapped up the regular season with its second win in three games and its first win in front of the home crowd.

 

Unfortunately, that was not enough to get Johnson's team into postseason tournament play, but it it has two weeks of non-qualifier play ahead to try to even its record and build momentum for his class' senior season.

 

Savanah Reynolds and the McCann Tech girls soccer team are in not one but two post-season tournaments.

 

They started the first one on Wednesday with a double overtime win over Tri-County Tech in the semi-finals of the State Vocational Small School Division tournament.

 

After ending regulation tied 2-2, the teams played two scoreless overtime periods before going to the penalty shootout as daylight rapidly disappeared.

 

Reynolds just as rapidly made Tri-County's scoring chances disappear, stopping three of the five shots she faced in the shootout.

 

It's arguable that she influenced Tri-County's fourth miss, too. After watching the Hornets keeper stymie three of the first four tries, the visitors' final booter sent her kick wide of the goal, giving McCann a 2-1 PK win and a berth in the state final.

 

Two days later, McCann Tech (13-2-4) found out it will be home on Tuesday in the first round of the Western Massachusetts Division 4 tournament.

 

The Hornets and fellow State Voc finalist Blue Hills will wait and play their state final if and when each team is knocked out of their respective MIAA sectional tourney -- Western Mass for the Hornets, Southern Mass for Blue Hills.

 

The iBerkshires.com Athlete of the Week is sponsored by Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.