BARRE, Vt. — A recent Hartford High social media post touted T-shirts celebrating the boys basketball team’s advancement to the VPA Division II semifinals. The tongue-in-cheek update claimed they’d been discovered in a box dating to 1984 — the last time the Hurricanes reached that stage of the playoffs.

“A lot of people believed it,” said athletic director Jeff Moreno, who oversaw the sale of dozens of the bright blue tops emblazoned with an old-school “Barre Bound” design. “There were people who bought theirs and sniffed them.”

Hartford is smelling sweet this week.

On Monday, the top-seeded Hurricanes defeated fourth-seeded North Country, 66-48, at the Barre Auditorium and now face the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between second-seeded Montpelier and sixth-seeded Otter Valley on Saturday.

“We’ve grown so much during the past year,” said Hartford coach Mike Gaudette, whose program won its lone state title in 1929. “We’re mentally stronger.”

A Hartford graduate and former player who returned two years ago for a second stint coaching at his alma mater, Gaudette inherited a team with only one experienced member in sophomore Brody Tyburski. Gaudette’s predecessor, current White River Valley principal Jeff Thomas, had laid a strong foundation of character expectation and hard work, but the talent available needed refinement.

Gaudette guided the Hurricanes (22-1) through more intense summer work, preseason scrimmages against out-of-state foes and the constant refrain of cohesion. Tactics don’t matter, the coach stressed, unless you’re truly playing for each other and with unselfish intent.

“We’re seasoned now,” Gaudette said. “We would panic and break down at times last year, but I don’t worry about these guys now. I just sit back because our chemistry is so good, and we have 10 kids who believe in what we do.”

Hartford trailed, 13-10, after a quarter but outscored the Falcons, 22-7, during a dominant second quarter. Up by 12 points at halftime, the Hurricanes saw North Country (15-8) pull within three points with five minutes remaining in the third stanza, but were up 56-40 by its end.

“A year ago, if we’d faced that run, we would have collapsed, but we don’t do that anymore,” Gaudette said. “We called a timeout and the kids coached themselves, talking to each other. They were proactive, and it was amazing.”

Said guard Christian Hathorn: “That’s the cool thing about this team. In the face of pressure, we thrive and come back with our own runs.”

Hathorn led Hartford with 16 points, followed by Tyburski with 13, Ayodele Lowe with 11 and Kole Fotion with nine.

Haidin Chilefaux topped North Country with 23 points.

“There were definitely butterflies because none of us had ever played here before, but we knew if we played the great defense that we strive for, we’d be all good,” Hathorn said. “We shade toward the paint and take away the inside and work out.”

Gaudette said he and Hathorn have butted heads during the past two years but that the senior has come around.

“He’s one of our leaders, and he hit some big shots tonight,” the coach said. “Last year, if he missed, he’d hang his head, and he doesn’t really do that anymore. He plays about 28 minutes a game, and he’s realized that a bad 20 seconds a night shouldn’t bother him.”

Notes: Gaudette and Hathorn said they planned to attend Wednesday’s other semifinal on a scouting mission. Montpelier knocked the Hurricanes out of last year’s playoffs in the quarterfinals, 59-33. … Hartford’s lone loss this winter was an 18-point setback to Rutland in December. The Division I Raiders finished 17-6. … Hathorn is headed to play at Northern Vermont University-Lyndon next season. … Performing an unusual double dip Monday was Ed Welch, who served as Hartford’s bus driver and kept its scorebook.

Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com.