Boys Cross Country Trifecta

By McKinley Stauffer

Boys’ Cross Country ran unleashed today as varsity took first place in the away meet at Trumbull. (9/29) Competing against the stiff competition of Trumbull, Greenwich, and Fairfield Warde, Darien kicked its way to the finish line. The Blue Wave took advantage of this 2.9-mile-course, which was relatively flat and had a grassy terrain. Junior Charlie Baird came in first for Darien, and second overall. According to this running champ, “The race went really well today. We had a good strategy, which we executed very well. The team pushed through,” Baird said. Boys’ varsity drove towards the finish line as a team, rather than individuals, which ensured Darien’s victory. Other notable runners for Darien were junior Michael Johnston and senior John Conley. Johnston took second place and Conley placed third. Come cheer varsity at the next meet in Wilton at 5pm next Tuesday. (10/6) in Wilton. Photo: Charlie Baird, left, John Conley, back, and Michael Johnston, right.

Field Hockey Recovers With Big Win

By Doug Wells

Field hockey keeps its winning streak alive with a 9-0 win over Brien McMahon on Monday. (9/27) From the start the Wave dominated ball possession. Strong defense from junior Galen Rohn and seniors Sophie Doering (pictured) and Courtney Wynne set the victorious tone from the beginning. Senior Sam Johnston led the scoring followed by Wynne and fellow seniors Ellie Riegel and Madeleine Gill. Seniors Sophie Watters and Alex Iqbal also scored a pair of goals. This win reaffirmed the girls’ goal to dominate after a disappointing two-goal performance against Fairfield Warde last week. “We really stepped it up today after last Thursday’s tough game,” Gill said. Come support the girls when they take on Trumbull on Thursday (9/30) at 6:30pm in Trumbull.

Boys Soccer Loses to St. Joes

By Ben Hall
The varsity soccer team was in action Friday (9/24), traveling to St. Joseph's High School in Trumbull in search of its first win. After their rough start (0-2-1), the Wave looked to this game as the beginning of a new season, but failed to beat a team known for its inexperience. The game began slowly, with both teams possessing the ball equally, and not many scoring opportunities presenting themselves. In the 30th minute, a St. Joseph's forward scored on a pass that squeaked through the Wave's defensive line and met the speedy striker's foot in stride, putting away the goal, and deflating the team just before the half. The second half the Wave came out energetic and on the attack, with senior Captain Alex McGuire creating countless chances from the right wing, and sophomore Brennan Branca controlling the center midfield. Senior Chris Losito tested the St. Joe's goalkeeper multiple times with shots from up to 25 yards away, but none could find the back of the net. The last 20 minutes the Wave sent more and more players up the field to attack, but kept coming up empty until it appeared in the waning minutes that they had broken through on a put back goal by senior Rupert Hansford, but he was controversially called offside. The game finished 1-0, leaving the Blue Wave in heartache again for a second one-goal loss this season. The team will look to bounce back from this heartbreaking loss on Tuesday (9/28), when they travel to take on Harding High School in Bridgeport. The Wave will be in search of some critical momentum to lead them into the upcoming three game push building up to a showdown against FCIAC powerhouse Greenwich High School.

Football Shuts Down Danbury

By Jamie Muehring

The football team continued to prove its worth on the field as they defeated Danbury at Danbury High School on Friday. (9/24) The game got off to a slow start as neither side seemed to be able to score in the first quarter. That all changed in the second quarter when Darien was put on the board 6-0. Junior Clay Barker got another touchdown in the second to put Darien even further ahead. Darien continued to have a strong defense and a good offense with multiple interceptions, as senior Will Weinstock scored a touchdown in the third quarter. Darien soon started to make a few mistakes and towards the end of the game faced tough resistance from Danbury as they scored twice in the fourth quarter. Then thanks to senior Tucker Morehouse’s touchdown in the fourth Darien won the game 25-13. "It wasn’t the greatest performance, we could have executed better, but overall it was a good game for us," senior Sam Gesualdi said. Darien plays again at the Homecoming game vs. St. Joes 1:30pm on Saturday. (10/2)

Field Hockey Narrowly Beats Mustangs

By Samantha Wood
Blue Wave varsity field hockey team beat the Fairfield Warde Mustangs on Thursday. (9/23) The game had a slow start, but the Wave was strong against the Mustangs. The first score was after almost 13 minutes of play, and the Wave scored again less than one minute later. These were the only goals. Darien stayed strong through the rest of the game, with many near-misses on the Warde goal. They prevented Warde from even getting close to scoring, with only one shot on goal. Many people are saying the Wave “lost” to Warde, because the 2-0 score wasn’t a crushing defeat like its usual games. Either way, this will be a “W” in the books, with a record of 4-0. Come show your support at field hockey’s next game at home on Monday (9/27) at 4pm against Brien McMahon in Norwalk.

Girls’ Volleyball Defeats Harding

-By Taiki Miki-

The girls’ volleyball team is off to yet another fantastic start this year as they handily defeated Harding 3-0 on Friday. (9/24) The momentum was all for the Blue Wave as they cruised through the first set 25-3. The Wave got off to a similar start in the second set as senior Mackenzie Begley (pictured) served the first 9 points. The 2nd set was finished off with more of the bruising serves against the Bridgeport team, this time coming from senior Bella Carrara. The team faced some resistance in the 3rd set with errors coming from both teams. However, it was Wave all the way as they came up victorious in the set 25-9. Senior Emma Getsinger and juniors Charlett Stevenson and Katie Stueber were forces upfront, racking up both kills and blocks. Carrara and junior Riley Sousa were stellar defensively at the back.
So what is the key to their strong showing? “The success comes from the hard work we put in every day,” Begley said. The fact that they have only dropped one set so far this year is a testament to their dedication. When asked about the rest of the season, Carrara said, “If we keep working hard like this, we’ll definitely get the results we want.”
The next game is 5:30 pm at Greenwich High School. Like Darien, the Greenwich Cardinals are undefeated. “This should be a great game. They’re always good,” Getsinger said.

Girls Soccer Powers Through Danbury to a 6-0 Victory

By Jessica DeMaio
The varsity girls’ soccer team took on the Danbury Hatters on Thursday, scoring a total of six goals and letting up none. Senior captain Charlotte Phillips was solid in the goal as was freshman Phoebe Taylor during the last 15 minutes of the game. Great defense was played by junior Caity Dee to keep the Hatters from scoring. The first goal for Darien, which was the only goal in the first half, was by freshman Dillon Schoen and assisted by sophomore Olivia Wolak 20 minutes into the game. Darien proved scoreless for the rest of the first half, but came up big in the second half scoring five goals. Schoen scored again in the early part of the half taking an easy shot after maneuvering around the goalie. Senior captain Georgie Highton then scored two back-to-back goals for the Blue Wave. With six minutes left in the game, sophomore Phoebe Wong scored and in the last two minutes junior Carly Renaud scored on an assist by India Tibbetts.
“I thought we did a great job,” captain Charlotte Phillips said. “We had a tough first half, but came back to score five goals in the second half, which shows the perseverance we have,” Phillips said. The varsity girls’ soccer team takes on the Wilton Warriors Monday at 4:15pm at home. “They (Wilton) are always a good team,” Phillips said. “But I have no doubts if we play our best game we can beat them,” she said.

Photo Caption: Freshman Dillon Schoen avoiding a Hatters defender

Coley Bowl: 365

-By: Doug Miller-

A lot of hoopla was made about the meeting between Peyton and Eli Manning, a battle of the brothers in their NFL quarterback positions. But the Manning Bowl earlier this month has nothing on the three Coley brothers at Darien High School. Twin seniors Brandon and Justin Coley start for the varsity on different sides of the ball, and highly touted freshman Matt is turning heads on the freshman team. “We’re really competitive with each other, and we like to push each other as far as we can,” Justin said. “I’ve always played with Brandon, but now that Matt is joining us, it’s indescribable.” Fellow members of the football team agree they are much more entertaining than the Manning brothers. “Eli and Peyton don’t see or talk to each other every day: the Coleys are together all day every day,” senior center Jack Newton said. Family dynamics play a big part. “It’s a testament to Mr. Coley’s parenting,” senior captain Charlie Kunze said. Look for the Coleys on the field on Friday (9/23) at 7pm in Danbury.

Caption: Freshman Matt Coley and senior brother Justin Coley embrace before practice. (Not pictured, Brandon Coley)

Wave Wipes Out Ridgefield

By Claire Dickson

The Darien field hockey team is making good on its goal to complete a perfect record after beating Ridgefield 9-0 on Monday. (9/20) Wave Senior Leslie Gill scored a goal in the first 14 seconds of play. It was as if she’d won the game in only a few seconds as Darien scored eight more goals easily, with multiple players scoring more than one goal. Senior goalie Perrin Brown had yet another shutout as she didn’t see the ball once the entire game. It looks like the Wave girls still have another trophy in its sights. Come see them try to continue their flawless play at 4pm on Thursday when they play Fairfield Warde at home.

Photo: Junior Lilly Cassidy drives down the field (Courtesy of Darien Times).

Girls Keep Greenwich to Zero Goals

By Jessica Hodges

Girls’ varsity soccer landed a big win against Greenwich on Friday (9/17). “This game was much anticipated because Greenwich was going to be a hard team to beat” junior Carly Renaud said. Junior Caity Dee set the tempo scoring the first goal just four minutes in with an assist from senior Georgie Highton. (pictured above right) Darien senior goalie Charlotte Phillips had a phenomenal game with 11 saves leaving Greenwich with zero goals. Sophomores Phoebe Wong and Blair Pelley joined forces to score the second goal. The final goal of the first half and the last of the game was made by sophomore Christie Gilbert.

Field Hockey Claims Second Win

By Julia Lang
Girls' varsity field hockey is off to a great start after claiming a second win against Norwalk High School on Thursday (9/16). Senior Sophie Watters set the tone scoring Darien’s first goal within the first five minutes. “We basically dominated from the start! We were distributing the ball well, had great communication, and truly started connecting as a team!” senior captain Sam Johnston said. Darien’s performance helped the girls attain an easy win, resulting in a final score of 7-0. The team hopes to see similar results the rest of the season. The girl’s field hockey team takes on Ridgefield on the DHS turf at 4pm on Monday. (9/20) Come cheer them on! Pictured: Senior Kate Morant. (right)

Girl’s Field Hockey Jump Starts Season

By Emily Close

The Girl’s field hockey team proved they were ready to add another FCIAC and State title to their three consecutive titles. The girls opened the season with a 9-0 win against Stamford High School in Stamford on Monday. (9/14). The girl’s started off the first half with a quick goal by senior Sam Johnston followed by a goal by sophomore Lexie Perticone and junior Lilly Cassidy.

Starting off the second half it was clear who controlled the field. Johnston scored her second goal, along with a goal from seniors Ellie Riegel and Leslie Gill. Freshman Hollis Perticone had a hat trick adding to the Wave’s final score. “Everyone played their part today. Our offense connected very well- allowing us to put the ball in the goal and our defense was so solid, the ball barely crossed our half,” Gill said. Watch as the field hockey team takes on Norwalk High School in Norwalk at 3:30pm on Thursday. (9/16)

From back left, Alex Iqbal, Claire Dickson, Kat Huber, Hollis Perticone, next row left- Meg Del Col, Perrin Brown, Lilly Cassidy, Julia Cobb, Sam Johnston, Leslie Gill, Maddy Gill, next row left- Lexie Perticone, Marguerite Morgan, Kate Morant, Galen Rohn, Sophie Doering, PJ Johns, Courtney Wynne, Sophie Watters, Caroline Kapustynski, Ellie Riegel

Boys’ Soccer Preps for Brien McMahon Season Opener

-By: Kevin Cassidy-

Boy’s varsity soccer team traveled to Amity High School in Woodbridge to compete in a soccer jamboree to prep for the upcoming season on Saturday. (9/11) The boys played four games, which included a 1-0 win over FCIAC rival Trumbull. Junior Will Collier scored the lone goal. The team was especially happy with this win since they lost to Trumbull earlier this month. They finished with a 3-1 record on the day.
“The team played really well in the tournament, we are really looking forward to a great season,” senior captain Rupert Hansford said.
The boys have their first official against Brien McMahon at 4:00pm at home on Tuesday. (9/14) We wish the team the best of luck in their season opener.

Pictured: senior captain Rupert Hanford takes a moment to rest following a long day out on the soccer field

Eight Lax Seniors to Play on in College

-By: Darius Majd-

Although DHS junior lacrosse player Case Matheis’s commitment to Duke University has been the talk of the school recently, he is not alone in his decision to play college lacrosse. Eight seniors from the Blue Wave lacrosse team are now committed to colleges to play lacrosse. All-American defenseman Eric Parnon was the first to commit, choosing national powerhouse Maryland in the fall of last year. Justin Shaw (defense, Loyola), J.P. Walsh (midfield, Lehigh), and Christian Kolderup (defense, Villanova), followed, making their commitments during the spring season. The busiest time for recruitment, however, is during the summer, and Dylan Torey (goalie, Quinnipiac), Graham Maybell (midfield, Villanova), Baylis Treen (defense, Lafayette), and Richard Gregory (attack, Union), all benefited from the exposure received during the summer.

“The recruiting process is unpredictable, and puts a lot of pressure on the players. Kids who haven’t committed read about all the other players who have committed and feel the need to do the same. My process was a roller coaster and there were points where I thought I was going to commit and be done and other times where I felt the trail go cold. My dad told me to enjoy the process because there are seldom times in life when people want you and are coming after you, which really helped me through the experience,” Maybell said. Torey agreed about the stressful but rewarding time: “In the beginning, the process was really stressful, but with my new opportunity it gives me a lot of motivation.”

Although eight seniors are committed at the moment, expect more to appear in the coming months.

Caption: DHS laxer Eric Parnon is one of eight seniors currently committed to play college lacrosse.

Girls’ Cross Country Performs Well in Time Trial

By Katherine Minion

The Darien High School Girls’ Cross Country team had a great performance at its practice meet in Trumbull on Friday. (9/10) The entire team ran a 2.5 mile race along with the Greenwich and Joel Barlow High School teams. Darien senior captains Amanda Dobler and Megan Keane finished in first place together with a time of 15:52. Senior runner Gerianne Connell said, “I think we all performed really well today, especially considering it was our first meet and it was a scrimmage. I think the team will only improve moving forward.” After a successful scrimmage, the team is anticipating its first real meet at 4pm at Staples High School on Tuesday.

Pictured: senior captains Megan Keane and Amanda Dobler after the race.

Blue Wave Football Downs McMahon in first timed scrimmage

-By: Ian Sullivan-

The Varsity football team outlasted the much-improved Brien McMahon offense on Wednesday (9/8) in the last scrimmage of the year. Although score wasn’t officially kept, the Blue Wave proved dominant with an outstanding performance by senior tailback Sean Fahey with three touchdown rushes. Newly implemented quarterback Chris Allam, had a great running game exposing the weaknesses of the McMahon secondary. Despite the three touchdowns and the field goal by junior kicker Chris Smith, the Blue Wave’s offense still wasn’t flawless, suffering three fumbles to the McMahon defense. The Blue Wave’s defense was consistent, but not up to expectations. Senior defensive end Justin Coley said, “We won a close game, but we didn’t play up to our level we should be at.” Come support the Blue Wave in its next home game against Fairfield Warde on Thursday (9/16) at 3pm.

Pictiured: senior tailback Sean Fahey

Girls Varsity Soccer Starts the Season with a Win

By Shelby Penfield
Darien Girls Varsity Soccer is off to a great start with an unexpected win against a soccer powerhouse. The girls won a home scrimmage 4-2 last Thursday. (9/2) DHS senior captain Georgie Highton lead the team with a hat trick (scored 3 out of the 4 goals). With this being the first competitive scrimmage, Darien wasn’t expecting to excel against Lauralton Hall of Milford. However, with senior captain Georgie Highton and freshman Dillon Schoen, who scored the fourth goal, Darien got that extra boost to start the season with success. Not only did the Darien attack help with the win, but sophomore Olivia Wolack’s defensive skills stood out on the field. Both attack and defensive forces were able to worked together to claim the four goals. According to junior Caity Dee, “I think the season is going to go really well. The first scrimmage kind of set the tone for the rest of the season.” With standards set high and a good start, Darien Girl’s Varsity Soccer definitely has a chance to make it to States and FCIAC. Go Blue Wave!

Pictured: senior Georgie Highton

Matheis Commits to Duke

By: Jay Alter-
Junior attackman Case Matheis is known for his charming personality, mad flow, and speed on the lacrosse field. Now Matheis will also be known as a Duke University Blue Devil. Matheis accepted Duke's offer this week giving a verbal commitment to the North Carolina university to play lacrosse there in 2012. He chose Duke over Princeton, UVA, and many other top Division 1 universities. Look for Matheis back on the lacrosse field this spring when he defends the state title with Coach Jeff Brameier and the rest of the varsity laxers.
To learn more about Matheis: Neirad's Q & A with Freshman Laxer Case Matheis.