Week 7: House 9/10 Power Rankings

-By: Matt House Brown-

This week brought a plethora of excitement to the House league. Few teams showed ill effects of shoveling far too much snow. Three of the five games were decided by 2 points of fewer. And a stunning Knicks loss shakes up the rankings.

1. Heat (W, 47-32) – The fact is that the Heat are playing the best basketball right now. They have steam-rolled their last four opponents and show no signs of slowing down. The loss to the Bucks looks like it was more of a wake up call to the Heat than a Bucks display of dominance. The Heats leading scorer, Jackson Whiting, has told me multiple times, “I guarantee a championship… put that in the blog” showing the confidence that this group exhibits. Perhaps it is being cocky, or perhaps scoring near 300 points in six games permits such a brash prediction. The bottom line is that if the Heat played any team tomorrow, I would pick them. The only thing that will beat the Heat is the Heat itself… and that happening is more than possible. (5-1)

2. Bucks (W, 43-41)- It was hard for me to put the Heat above this bunch. They beat both the Heat and the Knicks, which should indicate that they are the best in the league. However, they have developed into a one-man show while the Heat is developing into a unit. Also, the Deer were one rim-out away from losing to the Wizards, who the Heat beat by 14. The scariest part is that the Bucks star, Jack Sherwood, scored 27 points. So the Bucks were near full potential. In my humble opinion, right now, the Bucks are playing the second best basketball in the league. (5-1)

3. Knicks (L, 28-29)- The Knicks were stunned by sophomore Nick Pettit (pictured) and the Celtics this week. The Knicks weren’t able to produce much on the offensive end, and were simply edged out down the stretch. This is the Knicks second loss, and they display an inability to win in close games. The team suffered from the absence of sophomore Jack Travers and couldn’t hit foul shots as the game progressed. This loss has dropped this squad below the Bucks and Heat and they need to improve their game if they want to be considered a top tier team. (4-2)

4. Celtics (W, 29-28)- The Celtics have earned the four spot this week with a huge victory over last weeks number one, the Knicks. The MVP of week goes to Nick Pettit. After a bonehead foul, Pettit got three foul shots. With the game on the line, Nick showed cold blood nailing two of the three foul shots he took. In a league where most players struggle from the foul line, Nick remained calm and iced the win. Great game, great win. (4-2)

5. Raptors (W, 25-23)- The Raptors squeaked past the Bobcats this week with a two-point win. This victory would be a detriment to most squads atop the blog but I am under the impression the Raptors play up to their competition. When the big lights are on them, they will be there. (3-3)

6. Wizards (L, 41-43)- The Wizards hung around against the Bucks and were extremely close to beating them. However the fact is, this team has lost four straight and are in desperate need of a turn around. As long as the Skolds show up, they will remain in the conversation late in the playoffs. (2-4)

7. Bobcats (L, 23-25)- The Bobcats only lost by two this weekend, and haven’t had a team practice in two weeks. The reason they are above the Hornets, who won, is because the Bobcats beat the Hornets by 20.

8. Hornets (W, 55-26)- The Hornets slaughtered the Bulls, but then again, who hasn’t? This squad needs to put some wins into a streak if they want to be considered serious contenders. (3-3)

9. Nets (L, 32-47)- The Nets competed against the Heat this week, but still only hold on to one legitimate victory. This win was over the Celtics, which can as easily be contributed to the Nets as it could to the Celtics playing bad. This squad caps out at mediocre. (2*-4)

10. Bulls (L, 26-55) - This team got destroyed by the Hornets, who aren’t even that good. The Bulls need to find a way to, at the very least, win a game.

Darien Places Second in FCIAC East

-By: Kevin Cassidy-

It came down to the final relay on Saturday. (1/29) The boys’ indoor track team took second place in the FCIAC East Championship this weekend. The boys lost the final race to New Canaan. That meant the Rams were able to sneak away with a 147-145 win. Strong individual performances included senior captains John Conley, Stockton McMullin, (pictured) and Kevin Keller who were all key contributors to the team's success. "We really thought we had a good chance to win, so finishing second was tough, especially since it was to New Canaan," freshman Peter Kreuch said. The next meet for the boys is the next round of the FCIAC Championship to be held at 4:30pm on Thursday (2/2) at Hillhouse High School in New Haven.

Girls' Indoor Track Wins First FCIAC Round

-By: Shelby Penfield-

Girls’ indoor track ran ahead of the competition to win the FCIAC Eastern Division Championships in Wilton on Saturday. (1/29) Darien pulled far ahead with an astounding 194 points, leaving New Canaan in second place with 96.7 points. The team went up against Bassick, Fairfield Warde, St. Joes, Wilton and New Canaan. The Blue Wave scored major points in the 300-meter-race with senior Elizabeth Crafford in second, sophomore Lizzie Heaney in fourth, junior Katy Close in fifth and junior Sherry Gilronan in sixth. Darien took first place in two relays including the 4Χ375 relay where junior Claire Gaffney, freshman Dillon Schoen and junior Katie Donovan ran. There was also a victory in the 4Χ225 relay for senior Elizabeth Crafford, junior Katy Close, sophomore Lizzie Heaney and junior Sherry Gilronan. More points were added to the score when junior Katy Close took second in the 45-meter dash along with Donovan who took second in the 600 meter. Sophomore Katie Farren took second in the 3200 meter (two miles) race while sophomore Catherine Lacy cleared 5”1’ and won first place for the high jump. Darien will now move on to the next round in FCIAC. Be sure to check out the team on Thursday (2/3) when they compete in the FCIAC Championship at 4:30pm at Hillhouse High School in New Haven.

Pictured: Senior Megan Keane. Photo courtesy of Darien Patch

Boys' Basketball Faces Trinity Catholic

The boys' varsity basketball team is gearing up to play the powerhouse team in Fairfield County. They face Trinity Catholic on their home court in Stamford at 7pm on Friday. (1/29) The boys are eager for a better result than earlier this week. They went down 48-35 to the Greenwich Cardinals on Tuesday. (1/26) The 1-10 Blue Wave was evenly matched against the 1-10 Cardinals. On their home court, Greenwich came out firing, jumping to a quick 9-0 lead led by junior guard Greg Donlic. After a quick timeout by DHS coach Kyle Marian, the Blue Wave tried to respond and closed out the quarter by a score of 16-7. However, the Cardinals run was not done, as they went on an 11-3 run in the second quarter to close out the half at 27-10. The Wave came out of the halftime huddle fired up and finally responded to the Cardinals hot shooting by winning the third quarter by six points and closing on the Cardinals. The team played tough in the second half and late into the fourth quarter, Darien got within nine points behind senior center Charlie Kunze, however, that was the closest it would be. Donlic kept hitting threes for the Cardinals and the Wave could not connect to get a much- needed win.

Photo: Senior guard #1 Chris Allam (Taken by Bob Luckey of the Greenwich Time)

Boys' Basketball suffers its 10th loss

The Wave could not handle the top-seeded Ridgefield Tigers on Monday night. (1/24) The boys had a 68-43 loss at home. The Tigers, with a surprising 9-1 record, have emerged as one of the top teams in the FCIAC with a signature 1-3-1 defense. This strong point helped hold the Blue Wave to 13 points in the first half. While Darien held its own behind senior captain point guard Chris Allam and senior center Charlie Kunze by keeping the Tigers to only 28 points at half, Ridgefield was too much for the Wave. While the game was always within reach for the Darien, the Tigers never let them get on a streak. The Wave received contribution form freshman Bobby Fitzpatrick and sophomore Liam Naughton. Darien now has a record of 1-10 going into tonight's (1/25) game against the struggling Greenwich Cardinals with the same record. The game starts at 7pm at Greenwich High School.

Picture: Darien's bench

9/10 Power House Rankings: Week 6

-By: Matt House Brown- Mega-snow day breaks seem to have benefitted the top team in the league. The Knicks are back on top and some surprise hot performances on the Middlesex court on Sunday (1/23) are keeping this YMCA House season exciting during a never-ending midterm lull.

1. Knicks (W, 47-25)- After a two-week hiatus the Knicks regain the first place ranking. They didn’t overly impress this week, just beating up on the bottom of the barrel Bulls. However, the former number one Bucks lost to the Raptors, and although the Craig (LaMantia) and the Knicks lost to the Bucks, they beat the Raptors and seemed to dominate the pace of the game despite a close finish. (4-1)

2 Bucks (L, 26-35) – The Bucks having a horrible day combined with a tremendous performance from the Raptors led to this result: the upset of the season. The Bucks played with the absence of role player sophomore Andy Mogenson and Fairfield Prep freshman Andrew Vegliante. Then, in the fourth quarter, the Bucks big man sophomore Eric Christensen fouled out of the game. This left the game squarely on Brunswick sophomore Jack Sherwood’s shoulders, and against the colossal Raptors bunch the task was too much for any one player to handle. I suspect this was just one bad day and that the Bucks will be back on track soon enough. However, it does now mean that every team in the league has a loss. (4-1)

3. Heat (W, 43-29) – With a dominating performance over the mediocre Wizards, the Heat is looking to move up this week. However, like the Knicks, the Heat lost to the Bucks, and unlike the Knicks, the Heat has not played the Raptors. Also the Knicks beat up on the Wizards even more than the Heat did this week. That being said, the Heat is playing great basketball and see few quality teams until the last week of the season, look for the Heat to rise in coming weeks. (4-1)

4. Raptors (W, 35-26) – Wow. The MVP of this week is sophomore Joe Berkowitz, (pictured above) but not quite for his on court play. The past week, in the midst of pestering Facebook IM’s from Berkowitz about how good the Raptors are, Berkowitz guaranteed me a victory over the Bucks. At the time I dismissed him as overconfident, but Berkowitz’s squad proved it on the court on Sunday. The Raptors size sets them above most of the league already and their defensive prowess has slowed the near untouched Jack Sherwood. This win has established the Raptors as one of the stronger teams in the league along with the top three that dominate the rankings. The Raptors only weaknesses are a lack in scoring and overconfidence. (2-3)

5. Wizards (L, 29-43) – The Wizards have been victims of a difficult schedule early on. In fact, the Wizards have played three of the top four teams in the rankings already this year. The Skolds brothers are too talented to not take advantage of some teams going down the stretch. That being said, they have dropped three games in a row and need to turn it around if they want to stay competitive. (2-3)

6. Bobcats (W, 42-22)- Look who showed up this week! This profound victory over a Hornets team coming off a big win over the Wizards is reason for a leap in standing. I am not sure what happened to the Hornets here, but still the Bobcats sure did capitalize. The Bobcats have been victims of a difficult schedule and I see them snagging a few more wins over lesser opponents as the season plays out. (2-3)

7. Celtics (L, 32-36)- The Celtics were edged out by the Nets this week. Although this is a bad weekend, the Celtics have topped both the Wizards and the Raptors this year. Their record is a product of an easy schedule and they need to improve to stick around as the season moves on. (3-2)

8. Nets (W, 36-32) – Despite the win this week the fiery Nets still have more to prove before they are taken seriously by the upper half of the league. They only have one true victory, the other being a forfeit. I suppose the jury is still out but I do not expect much. (2*-3)

9. Hornets (L, 22-42) – I am not sure if the Hornets are actually the second worst team in the league but the 20-point loss handed to them by the Bobcats places them here. Call it a punishment or probation of sorts. (2-3)

10. Bulls (L, 25-47)- The Bulls actually improved this week against the powerhouse Knicks. Twenty-five is a season high for them and will raise their points per game average from the teens. I still have hope that the Bulls may be able to steal a win down the stretch.

11th & 12th Grade Boys House Basketball Power Rankings: Week 6

-By: Darius Majd-

1. Mavericks (5-0); LW: 1 – Another 60+ point barrage for the Mavericks in their 67-37 victory over the Rockets. What else is new? There isn’t much else left to say about this team that hasn’t been said before. Despite having two close calls so far this season (60-58 vs. the Nuggets in week 1, and 48-47 vs. the Thunder last week), the consensus around the league is that the Mavericks just might run the table.

2. Lakers (5-0); LW: 2 – The other undefeated team held serve this week, beating the Spurs 36-30. But it wasn’t enough to put the Lakers in the top spot, as they were far from dominant after racing out to a big league, and shot poorly in the second half. Still, the Lakers are an athletic bunch, with an aggressive pace that compensates for their lack of height, and helps them to win loose balls and rebounds. This team passes better than anyone else in the league, and applies incredible defensive pressure for all 40 minutes. It also doesn’t hurt to have great perimeter shooters like senior Chris Carmody, and all-around scoring threats like juniors Bobby Weaver and St. Luke's junior Luke Osherow.

3. Spurs (3-2); LW: 3 – It’s tough to gauge the Spurs thus far because they’ve pounded weaker teams, and been shorthanded when beaten. Their only quality win so far is over the Nuggets (35-29). Since then, the Spurs have looked both awful and awesome, depending on whether star senior Ben Preston is on the floor. Take the loss to the Lakers; for the first 25 minutes, the Spurs were dominated 29-10 (senior guard Graham Maybell was absent for the second straight game, and Preston had only just arrived at this point). With Preston in for the last 15 minutes, the Spurs got as close as 34-30 with 8 seconds left (Preston delivered the highlight of the season during this stretch with a clean one-handed dunk). The Spurs stay at #3 thanks to their record, their win over the Nuggets, and the fact that at full strength they can play with anybody.

4. Nuggets (3-2); LW: 5 – After losing two competitive games against the Mavericks and the Spurs to open the season, the Nuggets have quietly put together a solid three game winning streak. The latest win, 31-30 over the Celtics, was the grittiest of the bunch. This victory in particular isn’t all that impressive given that the Celtics were missing their powerful senior big man Eric Parnon, (pictured above) but a win is a win. What is most impressive about the Nuggets is that they’ve compiled their winning record against mostly the best teams in the league; they played all of the better teams in the league except the Lakers, and beat their weakest opponent by 28 points. Senior Max Reyes continues to make his presence felt on offense and defense, and the team as a whole can shoot and rebound as well as anybody.

5. Thunder (3-2); LW: 4 – The Thunder got back above .500 this week, but oddly enough it seems more like they took a step backwards. After giving the #1 Mavericks their toughest game of the season, and holding them to below 60 points for the first time in a 48-47 loss, the Thunder scraped by the sinking Timberwolves 45-43. This team has been carried by the hype surrounding the league-leading scorer, junior Tony Britton, but ultimately their isn’t a quality win on the schedule thus far. In fact, the tight loss to the Mavericks might be the most telling sign that this team can compete for the title. It will be interesting to see how this team performs down the stretch, when they play the Lakers and Spurs.

6. Celtics (2-3); LW: 6 – Even without Eric Parnon, the Celtics were able to compete with the dynamic Nuggets, falling just short – literally – of the win. Junior Jack Voigt was under tremendous pressure when he was given two free throw shots in the final seconds, with his team down by two. He drained the first, but the second bounced off the rim, and senior Evan Rogers was not able to connect on a 3-pointer at the buzzer after the Celtics recovered the rebound. It was a gutsy effort, and given that the other two losses have come against the two remaining undefeated teams, the Celtics are still on the rise.

7. Suns (2-3); LW: 7 – A 38-28 win over the last place Trailblazers doesn’t indicate much about the caliber of this team, positively or negatively. But it’s still a win, and the Suns have more of them than the teams behind them. This coupled with a head-to-head win over the Timberwolves keeps the Suns once again firmly entrenched at #7 in the rankings. Senior guard Tommy Farren is providing strong leadership for this team, and a nice run in the playoffs is plausible if things fall perfectly into place.

8. Timberwolves (1-4); LW: 8 – The Timberwolves are in a four game slump after posting a big win in week one. But the team has new hope, after a good effort in a 45-43 loss to Tony Britton and the Thunder. In retrospect, a few breaks here and there could have this team sitting at 3-2, with wins over the Thunder and the Suns instead of losses. But that would still leave to blowout losses to the Lakers and the Nuggets. Senior John Foster, once a regular in the Varsity team lineup, needs to put the team on his back if they want to challenge the top-tier teams.

9. Rockets (1-4); LW: 9 – It’s hard to blame the Rockets for giving up 67 points to the Mavericks, considering that seemingly no one knows how to stop that offense. But scoring 37 points on one of the weaker defenses is disappointing, especially since they put up similar point totals against the two best defenses in the league (33 against the Lakers, and 34 against the Spurs). Peter “Swiss” McDonough and the other seniors need to provide leadership to go along with the scoring efforts of juniors Eric Walsh, and Ryan and Bobby Minion.

10. Trailblazers (0-5); LW: 10 – It seems likely that the Trailblazers will go winless during the regular season, but don’t quit on this team yet; plenty of last-place teams have surprised in the postseason. Last year, Graham Hotchkiss (a senior who has now taken his talents to the Varsity level) put his last-place team on his back and put a scare into the top two seeds, bowing out on a high note in the playoffs by going toe-to-toe with the eventual champions. There are some decent shooters on this team, primarily junior Russell Palmer, but the offensive game plan is flawed; there is no penetration, and the Trailblazers settle almost entirely for perimeter shots, which are effectively turnovers when they don’t go in because the team’s rebounding is weak.

New Canaan Ices Girls' Hockey

-By: Ian Sullivan-

Darien Girls' Ice Hockey squad was no match for New Canaan as the Rams won in convincing fashion 6-1 at Darien Ice Rink on Friday. (1/21) In the second meeting between the two (the Rams ousting Darien in the first match up as well) it was all New Canaan right of the top. The Rams jumped out to an early 2-0 lead behind senior attacker Olivia Hompe. While the Wave had some quality shots at a goal late in the first, they could not convert. The Rams took advantage of its goalie's star performance and jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead at the start of the second period. Senior Ellie Bullitt scored early in the third to try and spark a Darien comeback. The Wave took 16 shots on goal in the third period alone, however only converted one. The Rams four shots in the third were effective, as they tacked on two late in the game to make a statement with a 6-1 win over a strong Darien team. This dropped the girls' to their fifth loss of the season. The Wave's next match up is away against Wilton at 6pm on Wednesday. (1/26)

Photo credited to Kara Glover Billhardt

Snow Doesn’t Stop Girls’ Track Race to States

-By: Shelby Penfield-

Darien girls’ track returned from an unwanted day of rest to do well in a regional meet at Staples in Westport on Saturday. (1/22) Many girls were banned from competing at a meet at Yale in New Haven due to icy road conditions on Friday. (1/21) The girls came back to face Stamford, Ridgefield, Harding and Trinity Catholic this weekend. Darien won every event except the 50-meter-dash. One high point was winning the entire race for the 300. Official results have not yet been posted.

Other standouts included freshman Catherine Lacey who won three events and sophomore Katie Farren who won the 3,200. Both girls qualified for States. Freshman Dillion Schoen also qualified for States in all her events as well as senior captain Amanda Dobler (pictured) who won the 1,000 and senior Megan Keane who won the 600. “Overall we have a really strong team and a ton of people qualified for States and FCIAC’s in all different races” junior Katy Close said.

The next meet will be the FCIAC Eastern Division Championships in Wilton on Jan. 29. “I think we have a good chance of doing well in FCIAC and States” Close said. However, it was one week ago that proved more successful when senior Elizabeth Crawford won the high jump at the SCC Coaches Invitational in New Haven on Jan 15. The girls participated in huge meets the past three weekends and are preparing to keep the success going as they get ready to compete statewide next weekend.

Picture: Senior Amanda Dobler leads the pack. Photo courtesy of Darien Patch

Girls' Track Gets Snow Day Ban

The snow day posed a minor setback for girls' track and field when they competed in a regional meet at Yale University. (1/21) The Darien Board of Education would not allow girls who had events scheduled in the morning and early afternoon to compete due to the condition of the roads. This prevented many girls who were counting on this meet in order to qualify for FCIAC’s or States. “I was hoping to use the Yale Invitational as a chance to qualify for the 300 meter in FCIAC’s,” freshmen Cassidy Stauffer said.

The Darien School Board did, however, let girls with events starting around 8pm travel to Yale to compete. One of these events was the distance medley relay. Sophomore Grace Loh started off the race with a 1,200 meter, finishing in sixth place as she passed the baton to junior McKinley Stauffer who ran the 400 meter. After Stauffer’s two laps in under a total of 67 seconds, sophomore Caroline Weihs took the baton and ran a solid 800-meter-race. Sophomore Katie Farren was the last and longest leg, running 1,600 meters. “The meet was a great experience and there were so many great high school runners there and it was really fun to see them compete,” Loh said. The relay finished fifth out of 11 teams. Girls' Darien Track and Field has its last qualifying meet for States and FCIACs at 4pm at Staples in Westport on Saturday. (1/22) Come support the girls as they try to individually qualify.

Reporter Perspective: Basketball Suffers Seventh Loss in a Row

-By: Mid-season Analysis by Ben Hall-

After an electric win at home two weeks ago versus Trumbull, the Blue Wave Basketball team has been on a recent skid, losing seven straight games. The drought can be attributed to a number of things, but lack of offense has been a glaring weakness all year. With no consistent leading scorer, Darien has averaged a mere 40.2 points per game, clearly missing sophomores Henry Baldwin and Patrick Ryan (pictured), both nursing back injuries and out for extended periods of time.

The Blue Wave came into the Wednesday (1/19) night matchup versus Staples with a record of one win, seven losses, and eager to bounce back from their recent skid. The game began with the momentum heavily in favor of the Blue Wave, but the team was not able to capitalize on many transition opportunities, preventing them from building too much of a lead over Staples. After many misses on both sides of the court, and a late run by the Wreckers, the score at halftime was 34-10 in favor of Staples.

The second half picked up right where the first left off, with Staples maintaining most of the momentum and going on brief runs, each time increasing the margin, up to at one point a 25 point deficit for the Blue Wave. After an ugly third quarter and a similar fourth, the game's final score was 61-28 in favor of Staples. It appears the Blue Wave could be on their way to a season similar to that of last year, with very few things to cheer about, but time is on the team's side, with still over half the season remaining. Come support the Blue Wave this Friday (1/21), when they take on Ridgefield High School at home, and attempt turn things around for the second half of the season.

Boys’ Basketball Loses to Staples

-By: Doug Wells-

The Blue Wave Basketball lost its seventh game of the season to Staples on Wednesday. (1/19). From the start , the Staples’ Wreckers took the lead. They were able to maintain strong offense and defense throughout the game. At half time, the Westport team had a 10-34 lead. The Blue Wave was never able to rebound and found themselves down the entire night. “We didn’t come to play tonight, we showed a lack of heart and until we decide to play four quarters of basketball we’re not going to get wins,” senior Chris Allam said. The Wreckers maintained good ball possession and scoring which propelled them to the victory. “It’s a tough loss, but we can’t point any fingers. We just have to get back in the gym and work hard to prevent a game like this from happening again,” senior Graham Hotchkiss said. (pictured) Come support the Blue Wave at its next game against Ridgefield at home at 7pm on Friday. (1/21)

Pictured: senior Graham Hotchkiss and sophomore Bobby Fitzpatrick.

Girls’ Basketball Heads to State Tourney

By: Katherine Minion-

After a close away game against Staples High School on Wednesday night (1/19), Darien Girls’ Varsity Basketball walked away with a 46-35 victory, which puts them in the state tournament. Although the team had a rough start on offense in the first half, the girls stepped it up in the second half, racking up points. The team maintained a strong defense throughout the game. Senior Nicole Buch had 12 rebounds, and sophomore Meg Marren came back from an injury with a great performance. Sophomore Vanessa Budd also had a great shwoing, knocking down several shots. “Everyone played well and it was a team effort,” senior captain Julia Boulton said. Be sure to come cheer on the team at an away game against Ridgefield High School at 7pm on Friday. (1/21)

House Basketball Power Rankings: 11th and 12th Grade League

-By: Jack Rehm-

The Mavericks and the Lakers retain domination on the House Basketball court this weekend. (1/16) Height and an easy schedule are proving to be the strength that keeps these teams on top and another squad remains mired in the basement unable to blaze a trail to hoop glory.

1. Mavericks (4-0)
The Mavericks had their first true test of the season this past weekend as they just edged out the Thunder, 48-47. A pair of 3-pointers in the final minute from senior Sam Nelson won it for the Mavericks who almost coughed up a 10-point-second half lead. Even without senior Parker Lange, their height once again proved to be their most important asset as fellow seniors Tyler Pruden and Ricky Miller led the way not allowing the Thunder to grab many rebounds. With this win and their week two win against the Celtics, the Mavericks have cemented their spot atop the 11th and 12th Grade League.

2. Lakers (4-0)
The Lakers were looking to avoid a letdown coming off their 32-point win over the Timberwolves and did so with a 39-32 victory over the Suns. With only two seniors, many did not expect this team to be as good as they are this season but the duo of junior Bobby Weaver and St. Luke's junior Luke Osherow has proven to be one of the best in the league even though they have played one of the easiest schedules of any team so far.

3. Spurs (3-1)
One way to bounce back from your first loss of the season is to play the Trailblazers. This plan worked out very well for the Spurs as they crushed the 10th ranked team 51-20. The Spurs have proven to be a very defensive minded team thus far. They rank second in the league in points allowed at 32.5 PPG, which has offset their offensive woes as they are ranked 7th in the league and points scored.

4. Timberwolves (2-2)
The Timberwolves had a very impressive 64-34 victory over the Nuggets to get back to .500 after a disappointing 32-point loss to the Lakers the previous week. While it was nice to see the Timberwolves bounce back they way they did, it’s difficult to say that this team is for real again as the guys they have beaten are a combined 1-7. They have a big game coming up against the Thunder where I believe we will learn a lot about the Timberwolves.

5. Celtics (2-2)
The Celtics survived a first half scare from the Rockets and went on to win by 17. After being tied at halftime, the Celtics, led by senior Eric Parnon and Brunswick junior Jack Voigt, dominated the second half as the Rockets appeared to give up on the defensive end. The Celtics have bounced back very nicely in their last two games against the Spurs and Rockets, winning by an average of 13.5 points, after starting off 0-2 against the Lakers and Mavericks. They have one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them riding a six game win-streak into the playoffs.


6. Thunder (2-2)
While junior Tony Britton (pictured above in chair) may have bounced back from his subpar performance of 11 points in week 3 by scoring 34 points, his team was unable to do so as they lost a thriller to the Mavericks. After trailing for most of the second half, the Thunder was able to take a 5-point lead with less than a minute left but gave it all back in a hurry losing 48-47. While this was a disappointing loss for the Thunder after making a big comeback, they must make the most of their next two easier games before they end the season against the 2nd and 3rd ranked teams in the Lakers and Spurs.

7. Nuggets (1-3)
It’s tough to say where exactly this team is at right now after suffering a big loss to the Timberwolves. Coming off a huge win over the Thunder where they held scoring leader Tony Britton to only 11 points, their defense failed them as they gave up 62 points to the Timberwolves who hadn’t scored over 45 in a game previous to this past Sunday. Their schedule doesn’t get any easier as they take on the red hot Celtics next week.

8. Suns (1-3)
Led by junior Thomas Carruthers and senior Tommy Farren, this team simply just has not been able to put together a complete game so far this season and this showed in their 7 point loss to the Lakers. Their lone win came against the Timberwolves in a game where they needed a huge second half effort from Farren in order to win after getting down by double digits in the first half. This team does have all the pieces to compete as they have a lot of height in seniors Mason Barron and Dan Pidgeon along with junior Ryan Barthold, and they have good guard play with Thomas, Tommy, and junior Billy Siemers but they have not been able to put everything together as of yet.

9. Rockets (1-3)
Coming off their first win of the season, the Rockets were looking to back up the victory with a more formidable opponent than the lowly Trailblazers. They were unable to do so and suffered a 65-48 loss at the hands of the Celtics. The Rockets played their best offensive game of the season but paired that with their worst defensive effort of the season and were unable to keep the game close. GFA junior and Rockets’ leading scorer Eric Walsh missed the game leaving the Rockets to struggle even more than usual.

10. Trailblazers (0-4)
In the words of former Super Bowl winning coach Bill Parcells, you are what your record says you are. And according to the Trailblazers’ record, they are just not a very good team as we have been saying for the past three weeks. They were once again unable to remain competitive and suffered their worst loss of the season, 51-20 at the hands of the Spurs. If the Trailblazers are going to win a game this season, their best chance will come next week in a matchup of the two lowest scoring teams in the league as they play the Suns.

9th-10th Grade House Power Rankings: Week 4

By Matt House Brown:

Midterms didn’t stop the power players from hitting the Middlesex basketball court on Sunday. (1/17) There was some excellent play from the Bucks and nonexistent action from the Bulls who forfeited the game.

1. Bucks (W, 33-32) – This week’s battle at the top of the rankings between the sophomore Craig LaMantia (pictured) led Knicks and the Brunswick sophomore Jack Sherwood led Bucks ended with the Bucks on top. The game lived up to the hype that surrounded it coming down to the final seconds of the game. Sherwood scored 26 and the Bucks seemed to control the game throughout. Their depth off the bench is unmatched by any other team: the Bucks are looking at the rest of the schedule thinking about going undefeated. However, the Raptors could be angry after the loss and it could be a trap game for the Bucks, but even that is a long shot. As long as the Bucks keep winning the cliché still rings true to the other nine teams: fear the deer. (4-0)
2. Knicks (L, 32-33) – The Knicks suffered a tough loss at the hands of the Bucks. Defensively, they consistently watched Sherwood take layups and offensively, LaMantia couldn’t do it himself as his supporting cast struggled. They were lagging behind the Bucks all game long as they proved their worthiness of the number one spot. Although the Knicks simply got beat, this loss could be contributed to the lack of substitutes available to them. They only had one sub until sophomore Jack Travers, a fairly important player, went down due to a lingering ankle injury. No matter how they lost, they still lost to the best, resulting in no decline in their ranking. (3-1)
3. Heat (W, 57-22)- The Heat early in the house season this year are playing much like the actual Heat in the NBA. They are throttling lesser opponents and putting up big numbers, but lost in the only big game of the year so far. In only one of their four matchups so far have they really played a full game defensively and in that one game they lost at the hands of the Bucks. Despite this team’s ability to win big the jury is still out and I can’t place them over the Knicks or Bucks because they beat a team that is averaging 24 points a game. (3-1)
4. Hornets (W, 38-22) – The Hornets led by Casey Burke, sophomores Carl Stowell, and freshman Cam Smith beat up on the Wizards this week. I must say I am very surprised by this victory and am skeptical in putting them up as high as they are. However, They only have one loss, and have only lost to the Heat and Bucks, two great teams. (2-2)
5. Celtics (W, 32-25)- This team caught the Raptors getting overconfident and took advantage getting the solid win. The Celtics continue to play solid basketball despite their lack of a singular superstar. One may speculate that their record is better than the Hornets, but the Celtics lost to the Hornets by 9. Hence the Celtics are placed below the Hornets. (3-1)
6. Wizards (L, 22- 38)- The Wizards did not just lose to the Hornets. They got throttled by the Hornets. I’m not sure what happened here but no matter what excuses they throw at me they have still lost two in a row and need to turn it around. (2-2)
7. Raptors (L, 25-32) – After their big win over the Nets the Raptors appear to have gotten over confident and than shocked by the Celtics. While the Celtics proved better than previously thought, the Raptors revealed themselves to the league. Underneath the high socks, sweatbands, and lack of the sleeves, the Raptors are what the record shows they are. (1-3)
8. Bobcats (L, 22-57) – Although throttled by the Heat this week, they still do have a legitimate victory which came over the Bulls. (1-3)
9. Nets (W, Bulls forfeit) – They beat the Bulls due to the fact that the Bulls only had four players. However, the Nets still have no real victory. (1-3)
10. Bulls (L, forfeit)- (0-4)

Blake Lange: Freshman Sharpshooter

-By: Doug Phipps- After a few disappointing seasons for Darien Basketball, the varsity squad already has more wins in FCIAC play this year than it had all of last year. The freshman team is finding similar success under the guidance of sharpshooting freshman Blake Lange. The 3-1 DHS freshman team has had a solid year thus far, with a good team effort, according to Lange. "Our winning record has been a team effort. Nobody has stood out for every game." Despite this chemistry on the court, Lange still manages to score 8 points per game, leading the freshman squad. He's made five of 7 3-pointers this year, an impressive feat. Of the boys' strengths, Lange said, "Our team is very tall. Rebounding has been very good offensively and defensively this year." Lange also again emphasized the Wave's camaraderie on the court. "Team play has been crucial," he said. "Nobody has been labeled a 'ballhog' this year because everyone is willing to pass the ball." But Lange also recognizes some weaknesses: "Running plays has gone somewhat wrong this year," Lange said. "Sometimes everybody forgets where they should be and turnovers caused by the confusion are often converted into points for the opposing teams." Lange has also become involved with rowing at the Maritime Rowing Club in Norwalk. Crew has a different season than basketball, allowing him to easily manage both sports. But as he gets older, rowing and basketball are going to clash, and force a decision. "Managing both sports will be a problem in the future," Lange admitted. "Because they are different seasons, I can play both right now, but eventually I will most likely choose one or the other. Which one remains a mystery to me." But for now, this freshmen phenom continues to lead the ninth grade team to a solid year, a bright spot in a program that hasn't seen a lot of recent success. The team will have its next game at home against Staples High School at 4pm on Wednesday. (1/19) Come support the next generation of Blue Wave talent. Blog Editor's Note: Stay tuned for video of Blake Lange to be posted later this week.

Wave Puck Defeats Amity

-By: Doug Miller-

Boys’ varsity hockey team defeated Amity High School 3-1 at West Haven Ice Rink on Saturday. (1/15) It was a highly-contested game, as both teams were penalized numerous times. Junior Grayson Horan opened the scoring with a great individual effort and tipped in a shorthanded goal. After an Amity penalty, Darien was able to create a two-goal lead when sophomore Brendan Hathaway scored on a one-timer in the slot on the power play. Amity was able to score on the power play late in the first period to make it 2-1. The rest of the game was tight checking, as neither team was able to score until senior Garren Fritts added an empty netter at the end to finish the game. “This could be a turning point for our season,” coach Larry Vieira said. The boys' next game is against Staples at the Rinks at Shelton at 8pm on Wednesday. (1/19)
Pictured: junior defense man Cam Murray

Girls’ Basketball Gains Victory over Ludlowe

-By: Melanie Tzenova-

The girls’ varsity basketball team came out victorious (52-36) against Fairfield Ludlowe at home on Friday night (1/14), coming back strong from a loss against Norwalk High School on Tuesday. Regaining sophomore Meg Marren after an injury, the Blue Wave was on point throughout the whole game, with senior captain Nicole Buch scoring two points at the last second, ending the 1st quarter 16-6. Junior Amy Biggart saw sufficient time as point guard, making great plays along with junior Leslie Yuen, putting points on the board for the Wave. Sophomore Kate Bushell played secure defense as post along with Meg Marren, allowing few shots to be made by their tough competition. The team worked hard and kept the tempo up. The second half was toughest for the team when the Ludlowe girls nearly caught up with them, but Darien played their game and ultimately defeated the other team. Go show your support for the girls’ team at their next away game at 7pm at Staples High School in Westport on Tuesday. (1/19)


Caption: Senior Julia Boulton shoots for a two-pointer with a pass from freshmen Emily Stein.

Girls' Basketball Loses in Overtime

By Julia Lang:

The girls' varsity basketball team faced tough competition at home against Norwalk High School on Tuesday. (1/11) Without the help of a lead scorer, sophomore Meg Marren, who is currently injured, Darien fell to Norwalk in overtime with a final score of 35-33. Overall, the team struggled in the first half, ending period 2 with only 6 points, while Norwalk had scored 12. However, by the end of the third period, Darien picked up the pace, leading Norwalk 23-20. Both teams struggled to surpass each other, ending regulation with a tied score of 28-28. In overtime, Norwalk eventually claimed the lead, beating Darien by one basket. Darien's basketball team was disappointed with the results of the game. "I don't think the team played up to our potential against Norwalk. We missed a lot of shots, we got into some foul trouble, and we didn't get enough rebounds," senior captain Nicole Buch said. (pictured) The team still hopes to make the FCIAC tournament and the state championship. "We are a young team and I hope we can bring it all together for the homestretch," Buch said. Come support the girls' basketball Fairfield Ludlowe at 7pm on Friday (1/14) in the DHS main gym.

Boys' Hockey Blinded by Greenwich Ice Storm

-By: Jesse Hodges-

The boys’ hockey team beat the snowstorm only to face their own storm on the ice against the Greenwich Cardinals on Tuesday night. (1/11) They went down to Greenwich in a close 2-0 loss. The game started off on a sour note when senior captain Richard Gregory and one of top sixth forwards, junior George Gregory, could not play. In the first period senior Will Kerr received a penalty for interference. Then Greenwich made the first goal in the first period – a controversial goal because it appeared a Greenwich player kicked a puck into the net. The next goal was scored in the second period on a power play shot from a Greenwich defenseman which deflected off another Greenwich player. “it was tough loss because it was our first FCIAC game versus an opponent who we believe we are better than. Overall, we played all right even though we didn’t fore-check that well and we didn’t take shots when given the opportunities,” junior Nick Bruno said. The boys have a chance to redeem themselves against Amity at 3:30pm in Woodbridge on Saturday. (1/15)

11th & 12th Grade Boys House Basketball Rankings: Week 4

By Darius Majd:

House Basketball is back with the Mavericks continuing to deliver big numbers and the
Trailblazers not living up to its name. Here is a look mid-season how it all shakes up.

1. Mavericks (3-0), LW: 1 – Once again, the Mavericks put up 60 points in a 65-40 romp over the Suns. This team has lived up to the hype, possessing possibly the best offense. Darien YMCA house basketball has ever seen. All of the usual suspects played well again, led by a balanced performance from senior Parker Lange. (pictured) It also looks as if the team has been taking these write-ups to heart, as their defense was significantly better on Sunday. (1/9)

2. Lakers (3-0), LW: 3 – The other undefeated team remaining, the Lakers had flown
under the radar heading into this week. After a 56-28 victory over the Trailblazers, the rest of the league has no choice but to be wary of this athletic and skilled team. Senior, Chris Carmody drops bombs from long distance as he hit four three-pointers and scored 20 points, earning this weeks "Player of the Week". Juniors
Luke Osherow and Bobby Weaver deliver the best 1-2 punch of any team in the league.

3. Spurs (2-1), LW: 4 – The Spurs moved up a spot despite losing 47-37 to the previously winless Celtics. It must be said that the Spurs were missing their best player (due to studying at the library), senior Ben Preston, his size and range makes him one of the best two-way athletes in the league, without whom they struggled to match up with senior big man Eric Parnon (although the Celtics too were missing a star player in junior Jack Voigt). The Spurs did find another go-to scorer in senior Graham Maybell, who was explosive on the offensive end.

4. Thunder (2-1), LW: 2 – For those wondering how the Spurs jumped a spot with the
loss, look no further than the only other 2-1 team. The Thunder were bested by the
Nuggets (whom the Spurs beat last week) 53-44, and junior Tony Britton was finally
held in check, scoring “only” 11 points. Losing to senior superstar Max Reyes may have sprinkled the seeds of doubt in Britton’s chances of being considered the MVP, although there is plenty of time to bounce back, which I expect this team (and its star player) to do.

5. Nuggets (1-2), LW: 6 – Victims of a rough early schedule, the Nuggets displayed
themselves admirably through the brutal three game opening stretch that saw them play
two of the top three teams. The 53-44 victory over the Thunder was impressive, and the narrow 60-58 loss to the Mavericks is very intriguing; hopefully a playoff rematch with the number 1 team will present itself for this team. Until then, the Nuggets must continue to develop an offense that revolves around more than a couple of players.

6. Celtics (1-2), LW: 8 – It is easy to look at the comfortable 47-37 victory over the Spurs and say that the outcome might have been different if Ben Preston had played for the Spurs. But with junior Jack Voigt and senior Alex Bruno missing, the Celtics might have had the worse share of player absences. Senior Eric Parnon is hard to stop when he gets a full head of steam, and junior Gabe Wade exploded for 25 points to pick up the slack. Senior Sam McCarthy was also key in grabbing key rebounds, and taking advantage of size mismatches with Parnon attracting most of the attention. It was a great team effort. The Celtics should continue to rise in the rankings now that they have finished their own murderer’s row against the top three teams in the league.

7. Suns (1-2), LW: 7 – The Suns maintain their spot in the rankings simply because the teams behind them have an even less impressive resume. The Trailblazers might
contest that they are better, but the Suns’ miraculous comeback when the two met last
week is the difference right now. In the other two games, the Suns defense has been
atrocious: after allowing 66 in their opening game, the Suns were ripped apart again to the tune of 65-40 against the Mavericks. To be fair, the Mavericks have put up 60 on everybody they have played thus far, so the performance is less egregious. Still, the Suns need more production from their supporting cast, as senior Tommy Farren has had to generate most of the offense by himself.

8. Timberwolves (1-2), LW: 5 – The Timberwolves followed up their collapse against
the Suns by taking a pounding from the Lakers, who more than doubled them up on
the scoreboard. Senior John Foster and juniors Jay Alter and Nicky Neville have produced points, but the scoring drops off significantly after them. Right now it looks as if the Timberwolves are fighting just to stay out of the bottom third of the league.

9. Rockets (1-2), LW: 9 – The Rockets finally got into the win column with a 40-34
victory over the Trailblazers. Although they didn’t do enough to move up in the rankings(beating the last-place team, especially by a less then dominant six points, is still not that impressive), the Rockets have reason to be hopeful. Senior Peter “Swiss” McDonough finally played his first game, and his presence gives the team a more experienced,explosive big man to go along with first-year player Justin Coley (senior). If he can perform in the frontcourt, it will open things up for junior scoring threats Eric Walsh and Ryan and Bobby Minion.

10. Trailblazers (0-3), LW: 10 – There aren’t many positives for the Trailblazers to
take away from their season thus far. They are the last winless team remaining, and
they didn’t really threaten to win any of the first three games; even the 40-34 loss to the Rockets could classify as a “comfortable win” for their opponents. To make things worse, the Trailblazers have done this all against one of the more forgiving schedules to open the season: games against the #4, #8, and #9 teams. There are plenty of teams in house lore who have had terrible regular seasons, only to respond by making a deep run into the playoffs. In spite of this, the possibility of a playoff run for the Timberwolves seems like a fantasy at this point.

Girls' Hockey Falls to Simsbury

-By: Emily Close-
The girls' hockey team suffered a 5-1 loss against its toughest competition to date from Simsbury on Tuesday. (1/11) The girls had the hometown advantage but were not able to come away with a win. The night started with a quick goal from the Simsbury Trojans just three minutes into the game. This goal was followed by another shot fired three minutes later at the nine- minute mark. The girls responded in the second period when freshman Sage Thacher scored a goal just four minutes 39 seconds into the period. Simsbury fired back with 2 goals in the second, one at the beginning of the period and one with a minute to go. In the third, the Trojans scored a final goal four minutes into the period. The Wave played outstanding defense in the third to hold off Simsbury for the duration of the game. After the game, Darien Coach Al Gurney said, “We have yet to play against another team who is better then us so I thought that we played great.” The Wave will take on Ridgefield at 8:30pm at Ridgefield High School on Saturday. (1/15) The girls hope to land a second victory against Ridgefield whom they beat during an eight-minute overtime on Jan. 5. Picture Caption- Senior Lauren Perkins receives a pass as the Wave tries to put one in the net.

Boys’ Hockey 2011 Season On the Rise

-By: Jamie Muehring-


Blue Wave Hockey was 1- 6 last season. This year they have managed to win 2, lost 4, tied once. Neirad interviewed senior captain Doug Miller (pictured) to get his take on how he is doing personally, and how the team is doing so far this year. “I thought I’ve been playing pretty well recently, I’ve been playing a lot on the special teams and 5 on 5”. So far Miller has gotten one goal against West Haven, and his team has steadily improved from the 2010 season.

The hockey team tied against Notre Dame of Fairfield in the ending moments in the 3rd period with only a minute to go on Saturday. (1/8) “Last week we took a step in the right direction with our win and tie against Notre Dame of Fairfield,” Miller said. “With the FCIAC season coming to a start, we need to make sure we keep going,” Miller added. While the team is doing well so far this season, there are some areas of improvement. “We gotta work on our penalty kill because we have been giving up a lot of goals.” Although they do have two wins so far this year, the hockey team does have some big games coming up this season. “New Canaan is always a big game, and so is St. Joes, so we need to keep improving”.

The hockey team has a big game tonight (1/11) against Greenwich. “playing at Greenwich is going to be tough, but if we come out with a win there, that’ll be good,” Miller said. Come cheer them on at 5pm at Dorothy Hamill Skating Rink.

Girls’ Indoor Track Races Toward States

-By: Jessica DeMaio-

Girls’ indoor track team races toward another impressive season with a impressive performances on Saturday. (1/8) Two meets took place that day: a meet at Wesleyan University for higher level competitors in the morning and a developmental meet at Staples High School in the afternoon. Both meets yielded great improvement and success for individuals and as a team. Juniors McKinley Stauffer and Katie Donovan as well as senior Megan Keane qualified for both States and FCIACs in the 1000- meter race. Sophomores Ellen Bauer and Sarah Colon qualified in the 3,200m race (2 miles) for States and FCIACs. Sophomore sprinter Lizzy Heaney also qualified for both States and FCIACs in the 300m dash. Other FCIAC qualifiers include junior Alex Pear for the 600 m; junior Meredith Ott in the 1600m; senior Charlotte Phillips in the 50m dash; sophomore Caroline Weihs in the 1000m; and junior Niya Wright in shot put. Field events are looking especially good on the girls’ team with junior Victoria Kominek throwing 28’ 3 last weekend and Phillips coming in first place in long jump with 13’ 11. Pole vaulting has high expectations as well with three returning seniors including captain Elizabeth Crafford, Lee Bolton, and Phillips. The girls’ upcoming meets are a developmental at Staples High School and a varsity level meet at New Haven, both on Saturday (1/15).
Photo Caption: (left to right) Freshmen Jessica Jones, Cassidy Stauffer, and sophomore Caity Lowden, get set at the starting line.

9/10 House Power Rankings: Week 3

By Matt House Brown:

The YMCA House Basketball season is back in play. The boys took to the court on Sunday (1/9) to fire up the first game of 2011.

1. Bucks (W, 51-39) – There are few adjectives that wrap around the game of Brunswick sophomore Jack Sherwood other then this one: baller. In this game, the entire gym, including the Bobcats, simply watched Sherwood led his squad in the second half and ran away with a solid victory. Fear the Deer…. or Jack Sherwood. (3-0)
2. Knicks (W, 59-31) – This undefeated squad slaughtered the Wizards. The most impressive part is the Wizards aren’t really that bad. The only thing stopping the Knicks from claiming the top spot is the Bucks have beaten the Heat, a top-tier team, and the Knicks have mostly been beating up on lesser opponents. However, the Knicks have a shot at the Bucks next week, and will probably be the biggest matchup of the regular season. (3-0)
3. Heat (W, 51-16) – The Heat’s full court press suffocated the Bulls into a terribly low-scoring performance. Although, this is not a feat to get over-excited about because the Bulls are simply a much worse team. The Heat needs to show consistency before they can reach the top of the rankings once again. (2-1)
4. Raptors (W, 50-29) – The Raptors are firing on all cylinders and have earned the fourth spot in the rankings with a dominant victory over the Nets. Their size is simply too much for the majority of the league and is improving as the season continues. (1-2)
5. Wizards (L, 31-59) – The Wizards cannot receive too much blame for the beating they suffered on Sunday. Sophomore Brian Weil (pictured) and the Wizards failed to perform some magic on the court. The Knicks are a great team and a close loss to this squad – as compared to the rest of the league - is as impressive as a victory. Results show the Wizards should remain at number four, (they did beat the Raptors) but I feel that if they played again this coming weekend the Raptors would win. The Raptors are on the rise and the Wizards, seemingly, have no rebut. (2-1)
6. Hornets (L, 39-51) – I’m not sure how they did it, but they were able to stay with Sherwood and the Bucks for a little over a half. This isn’t too great of a feat, but the Hornets are simply a lot worse than the Bucks and the feat of staying with them for half the game is rewarded with the 6th spot in the rankings. (1-2)
7. Celtics (W, 24-8) – Convincing victory over the Bobcats. This could be both a mixture of the Bobcats being bad and the Celtics being good. Either way they still have two wins due to lack of schedule difficulty. (2-1)
8. Bobcats (L, 8-24) – When you are down this low, just having a win is impressive.
9. Nets (L, 29-50)- With the Nets it isn’t that they are so bad, it’s that they are just too small. The upside with them is that they can probably win a game against a team that lacks in the size department almost as much as they do. (0-3)
10. Bulls (L, 16-51) – The inability of the Bulls at the offensive end makes winning a game a near impossible task for them. (0-3)

Pictured: Sophomore Brian Weil

Boys’ Freshman Basketball Starts Off Season 3-0

By Taiki Miki:
The undefeated boys’ freshman basketball team -- led by Coach Ron Rogers - won its third game of the year, handily beating the Harding Presidents. The game started off with a crucial three-pointer by Dylan Carruthers, who ended the game with 5 points. This started the upward momentum of the Blue Wave that carried the team through the entire game against the Bridgeport squad. Brendan Donohue put up 5 points in the first half, which accounted for a fifth of the team's points. There was no looking back for the Wave as they led Harding 24-16 at the half. Sharpshooter Blake Lange scored 11 points, leading the team. Lange's three-pointer in the third quarter widened the lead, making a comeback by Harding a long shot. Ames Murray contributed to the victory with 7 points. Dan Murphy scored 6 points and Graham Helgans scored 4. Jack Foley, Harry Gillespie, and Myles Ridder each scored 2 points. “It's all about good coaching,”Gillespie said. “Coach Rogers is really showing us how to do it and gets us motivated for the game.” The next game for the freshman squad is at Fairfield Ludlowe High School on Friday. (1/14)

Girls’ Indoor Track Races Toward States

By Jessica DeMaio:

Girls’ indoor track team races toward another impressive season with a impressive performances on Saturday. (1/8) Two meets took place that day: a meet at Wesleyan University for higher level competitors in the morning and a developmental meet at Staples High School in the afternoon. Both meets yielded great improvement and success for individuals and as a team. Juniors McKinley Stauffer and Katie Donovan as well as senior Megan Keane qualified for both States and FCIACs in the 1000- meter race. Sophomores Ellen Bauer and Sarah Colon qualified in the 3,200m race (2 miles) for States and FCIACs. Sophomore sprinter Lizzy Heaney also qualified for both States and FCIACs in the 300m dash. Other FCIAC qualifiers include junior Alex Pear for the 600 m; junior Meredith Ott in the 1600m; senior Charlotte Phillips in the 50m dash; sophomore Caroline Weihs in the 1000m; and junior Niya Wright in shot put. Field events are looking especially good on the girls’ team with junior Victoria Kominek throwing 28’ 3 last weekend and Phillips coming in first place in long jump with 13’ 11. Pole vaulting has high expectations as well with three returning seniors including captain Elizabeth Crafford, Lee Bolton, and Phillips. The girls’ upcoming meets are a developmental at Staples High School and a varsity level meet at New Haven, both on Saturday (1/15).
Photo Caption: (left to right) Freshmen Jessica Jones, Cassidy Stauffer, and sophomore Caity Lowden, get set at the starting line.

Boys’ Hockey Ices Notre Dame

-By: Kevin Cassidy-

Boys varsity hockey skated to a 2-2 tie against Notre Dame of Fairfield on Saturday. (1/8) Senior defenseman Dillon Zaro scored his first-ever varsity goal to tie the game with just under two minutes remaining. The Wave’s first goal was scored by none other than leading scorer, senior assistant captain, Garren Fritts. "Overall, I thought we played pretty well going 1-0-1 against this team," senior captain Doug Miller said. (Miller was referring to how the Blue Wave beat Notre Dame 3-2 earlier in the week and then tying them this weekend) The boys face FCIAC rival Greenwich on Tuesday (1/11) at 5pm at Dorothy Hamill Skating Rink in Greenwich.

BREAKING NEWS: Ben Hall calls Double Snow Day

Neirad wannabe meteorologist Ben Hall predicts no school Wednesday and Thursday (Jan 12-13) due to heavy snow predicted to wallop Darien this week..."The Roads will get icy and the driving conditions will be dicey," -the junior snow-expert said. (reported by Jay Alter)

Mo Minicus Named Coach of the Year

Darien Field Hockey's Coach Mo Minicus was named National High School Field Hockey Coach of the year at a ceremony in Baltimore on Friday. (1/7) The honor comes on the heels of the girls field hockey team going 21-0 and capturing the FCIAC and CIAC title for the fourth year in a row this past fall.