Boys XC Wins State Championships at Wickham Park

by Michael Coe
For only the second time in Darien history, the boy’s cross country team has gotten to take home the coveted 1st place plaque for the States Class L championship at Wickham Park. The team won with 46 points (putting 5 runners in the top 15 finishers), followed by Naugatuck with 86 points, and Pomperaug with 147 points. Finishing first for Darien was senior captain Michael Johnston with a time of 16:44 (5th place), followed closely by senior captain Charlie Baird with a time of 16:50 (6th place) and senior captain Michael Coe with a time of 16:55 (8th place). All three runners earned the All State title, the first time in coach Tyson Kaczmarek’s career that this has occurred. Charlie Baird and Michael Johnston also earned the distinction of being the only two runners in DHS history to win two state titles. Rounding out the Darien finishers were sophomore Marshall Huffman with a time of 17:07 (12th place), freshman Alex Ostberg with a time of 17:16 (15th place), freshman Peter Kreuch with a time of 17:43 (31st place), and senior captain Eli Converse with a time of 17:58 (45th place). The team managed to avoid the harsh weather that derailed some of the races later in the day, although the Class L championship was run on an alternate course that was more road-heavy than the typical Wickham 5k. The team will run at State Opens on Friday, (11/4) for a chance to qualify for New Englands.

Wreckers demolish the Wave in a Real White-Out

By Cameron Van de Graf and Ryan Barthold - The Darien Blue Wave lost 23-42 to the undefeated Staples Wreckers in a game dominated by the elements. While Darien had a solid first half, Staples returned with a vengeance in the third quarter and ultimately prevailed in the contest.

At kickoff, the temperature was already down to 35 degrees, though no precipitation had fallen. Darien struck first, driving down the field into Staples’ territory, culminating in the completion of a 30-yard touchdown pass by junior QB Henry Baldwin. Staples retaliated with a 56-yard running TD by junior running back Nick Kelly. In the second quarter Darien scored again after Staples blocked a field goal attempt but failed to recover the football. After a touchback, junior Peter Gesualdi ran in for the score. Staples threatened again late in the second quarter with a 50-yard pass down to the 6 yard line. However, the Wave demonstrated some solid goal line defense, stopping the Wreckers’ offense in their tracks. After a Darien FG, the score at the half was 17-7 Darien. As the players left the field, a wintry mix began to fall, as if auguring Darien’s second half woes.

In the second half, Staples took control of the game from the beginning with another TD run by Nick Kelly. With snow coming down sideways and the wind kicking up, Staples then blocked a Darien punt, resulting in a touchdown by senior Robbie Wolf. After Baldwin threw a pick, the Wreckers were able to capitalize and score once again. With the lead securely in hand, Staples proceeded to pummel the Darien defense, with junior Joey Zelkowitz converting two 65-yard runs for touchdowns. All told, Zelkowitz ran 197 yards on 16 carries. By the end of the game, snow was covering the field to a depth of several inches, severely impeding players’ ability to run and throw the football. Nonetheless, Darien battled back to score again in the fourth quarter, resulting in the final score of Staples 42, Darien 23.

With this loss, the Wave moves to a record of 6-1. Unfortunately, Darien has almost no chance of making FCIACs, as several other teams including Staples remain undefeated in the conference.

Darien’s next game is Saturday, 11/5 against Trinity Catholic.

Captain Kanigan rallies Wave to FCIAC Semi-Finals

By Jack Rehm - After losing to Westhill in the first game of the season (only to get the win back via a forfeit) 7-1, there was little reason to believe that the Blue Wave would win today (10/28) in the first round of the FCIAC Tournament. The boys, though, got off to a quick start today with an early goal from junior Marcus Iqbal. Iqbal scored off a throw in from senior captain Elliott Helgans with 30 minutes remaining in the first half and his goal was followed up later in the half by senior captain Eric Kanigan. The Blue Wave dominated throughout the first half, keeping the ball in the Westhill side of the field for most of the period but the second half was a different story. Westhill came out at halftime looking like a different team, being much more aggressive and seized control early in the half. They scored an early goal to cut the Darien lead in half and were later able to tie the game at 2. In the first half of overtime Kanigan was awarded a penalty kick and was able to convert to put the Blue Wave in the lead again. This time, they would not look back and went on to win by that score. Boys soccer returns to action this Tuesday (11/1) in the second round of the FCIAC Tournament where they will play Trumbull.

Soccer: Blue Wave Girls Blank Wilton ". . . Awesome. . !"

By Annabel Schneider With lots of closed fields and cancelled games this Thursday (10/27) the girls’ varsity soccer team played on through the rain. With a lot of senior day spirit the girls started the big game against the Wilton Warriors with excitement . The girls weren’t the only ones with spirit; despite the weather there was a great turnout for the game. This was a big game. The team came into the game being ranked 5th and this game's results would be the determining factor for the team's FCIAC opponent as well as narrow possible locations for the FCIAC playoffs for the Girls. The girls started the game off great with a quick goal in the first half off a header from senior captain Marieke Bravo. After heavy dominance on the offensive side the girl got a second one in the back of the net by senior and other captain Caity Dee later on in the second. The girls finished the game 2-0. Senior captain Caity Dee was very excited about the result. “It felt awesome winning on senior day and it was a great way to end the regular season!” The results of other games this week will determine the location of the team’s next game. Be sure to keep following the girls through FCIAC and the states.

Field Hockey’s Undefeated Regular Season Comes to a Close

By Marguerite Morgan - Darien varsity field hockey defeated Greenwich High School 5 to 0 Tuesday October 25th, in their final game of the regular season, leaving them with another undefeated regular season title.
Greenwich came out strong on their home turf and got an offensive corner within the first few minutes of the game. Darien defense, led by sophomore goalie Danika Hornick, cleared the ball immediately and the girls got back into their dominating groove. About 15 minutes into the game, Darien executed on their own offensive corner with a strong shot at the top of the circle by junior Lexie Perticone and a goal for Darien. Junior Sloane Bessey followed Lexie’s example with a strong sweep into the goal a few minutes later. With only a minute left in the first half, junior Cammie Lattimer put another goal on the board for Darien, leaving the score 3 to 0 Darien at half time.
Darien came out in the second half just as strong as they had left off, with an immediate goal by senior Lilly Cassidy. Sophomore Hollis Perticone took a defender and goalie one on one, dodging to the right of both of them and hitting an easy sweep into the goal. After the final whistle, the girls cheered in triumph at their successful undefeated season. Coach Mo Minicus advised Darien to enjoy their deserved victory and begin gearing up for post-season. Darien’s first round of FCIAC’s are this Saturday at Brien McMahon versus Westhill. Come cheer them on at 4:00pm!

And We’re Off to the Races!

By Julia Cobb The Darien High School boys and girls cross country teams competed in the FCIAC championship meet at Waveny Park in New Canaan this past Monday (10/24). The boys suffered a four point loss to Danbury who finished with 54 points to Darien’s 58 points. The Hatters have captured 10 of the last 11 FCIAC championship titles and continued the tradition this season. The Darien High School girls cross country team finished in fifth place behind Ridgefield, Greenwich, Wilton and Westhill. The boy’s top finishers included senior Charlie Baird in sixth place followed by senior Michael Johnston in seventh place with times of 16:31 and 16:46. Sophomore Marshall Huffman finished close behind Johnston at 16:52, earning him a tenth place finish. Freshman Alex Ostberg also contributed to the team by placing fourteenth with a time of 17:02. The girl’s team was led by junior Grace Loh who finished in fourth place with an impressive time of 15:08. The FCIAC championship meet concludes the cross country season for the Junior Varsity cross country teams. However, the fastest eight athletes of both the boys and girls Varsity cross country teams will continue on to compete in the CIAC Class L Championship meet at Wickham Park in Manchester (10/29). Photo Credit: Shelley Cryan, Stamford Advocate

Profile of Varsity Diver: Caroline Ashcraft

By Katrina Vassell

While most Darien High School students are sound asleep at 5:30 am, Caroline Ashcraft endures dry land practice or “boot camp.” Preparing for the upcoming championship season involves running miles, lunges, and tiring conditioning, even before sun rise. After the New Canaan dual meet next Friday (10-28), only a handful of the girls will continue diving for the remainder of the season. Even though Caroline has suffered from another injury, she hopes to qualify for finals. “I’d like to get in top 5’s but because of the meniscus injury, it will be hard,” said Caroline. Although diving to her full potential will be a challenge, Caroline has overcome torn ligaments and broken bones in the past. Her most severe injury occurred freshman year when she broke both her hands. Since then, “bathing suit hospital visits” have become a routine. In an attempt to prevent further injuries, Coach Shannon Eagan even promised to buy Caroline a cat in return for a year without broken bones. The deal was working for her entire sophomore year—she swam without injuries and won class L of states. Unfortunately, since then, Caroline has torn her meniscus. “I don’t cry but whatever I did to my knee was so bad I was almost in tears,” said Caroline. Despite her injury, Caroline plans on having a successful season.

JV Field Hockey defeats New Canaan as its season comes to a close

By Caitlin Keady

The Girls JV Field Hockey team pulled a 7-1 win over the New Canaan Rams this Monday (10/24) as its season nears the end. The game began with a goal by New Canaan in the first 10 minutes making the score 0-1, but that would be the only goal the freshman goalie Morgan Spar let in. “We freaked out a bit after the first goal but recovered very quickly and came back really strong.” Sophomore Colleen Heaney said. Darien managed to stay on the Rams’ side for the beginning of the game making several blocked attempts on goal. "After about 10 or so minutes, we really get our heads in and focused on the game." Sophomore Megan Kristof said. Darien also missed a corner in the first 20 minutes but Heaney scored making the score 1-1. "We pulled together really well and that is what counts" Kristof said. Several more attempts on goal were made but they were blocked by the New Canaan goalie. The action stayed on the New Canaan side of the field for most of the game. “Our passing was really on and our forwards really stepped it up.” Heaney said. Darien made two more goals around the 20-minute mark and one around the 35 minute mark, all three made by Heaney. With the score in Darien’s favor, the half ended with a score of 4-1. The Blue Wave remained on the New Canaan side of the field for most of the second half of the game and played very well offensively. Sophomore Mary O’Boyle made a goal during the first five minutes of the second half and another by freshman Kyla Johns making the score 6-1. The final goal of the game was made by freshman Erika Osherow making the final score 7-1, Blue Wave. “We played really well,” coach Kari Johns said, “we had great teamwork and we moved the ball down the field nicely.”

Boys Basketball suffers Setback

By Matt "House" Brown - While the spotlight is on fall sports like football, field hockey, soccer and volleyball, it was hard for me not to peek towards to the winter season. The rebuilding process for Darien Boys Basketball was an extremely daunting task in a perfect world. However, this is not a perfect world, and blue wave basketball suffered a huge loss during fall league this past month. Senior captain Geoff Leeker was getting some offseason work in when around three weeks ago tragedy struck. Leeker tore his ACL and went under the knife a week ago. Geoff was going to be a big part of Coach Marian’s 2011-2012 campaign, snatching in rebounds and showing up defensively. This skillset is one that the team might need to kiss goodbye. “I am doing physical therapy twice a week for at least several months, but I am most likely out for the season,” said Leeker.
The program is by no means as strong as it needs to be, and one of the main display cases of this is depth. Leeker and senior Matt Lee were the only two captains on the team. Beyond that, they were the only two seniors. With Geoff most likely out for the year, this dwindles it down to just Lee.
Blue Wave Basketball is just now trying to get the ball rolling and maybe change the tide around here. This blow to the program is one that is unfortunate and simply a bummer to see. One can do little more than wish them good luck in overcoming this injury as well as a list of adversities.

Steinthal Scores on Senior Day

By Jay Alter - The Darien Boys Soccer team bounced back in style with two impressive wins after their embarrassing loss against Norwalk (10/17) with wins against Bassick and Stamford. On Senior Day (10/21), the wave faced a good Stamford team with a lot on the line and they capitalized capturing the FCIAC east crown for the second time in boys soccer history and clinched home field advantage in the FCIAC and State tournament. Their record is now 11 wins - 2 losses - 2 ties, keep in mind they had two wins last year, as they have only one game left against Trumbull next week. In the friday night game, senior day, against Stamford they relied on a senior to get the scoring stated. Senior, Kevin Steinthal answered the call as he put a wonder strike past the goalie to give the wave a 1-0 lead at the half. The wave kept their foot on the peddle in the second half and won the game 3-0.

In the Pool: Wave Defeats Warriors 100-86

By Rebecca Liu DHS’s Swim and Dive team triumphed against the Wilton Warriors yesterday (10/19), at the Darien Y. Going into the meet, Coach Marj Trifone, announced to her team that she predicted a tie. Fortunately, she was wrong. Blue Wave swimmers shocked spectators repeatedly with unexpected wins. One of the most memorable races occurred during the 200 Freestyle Relay. Sophomore Jessica Chen, senior captain Rebecca Liu, junior Francesca Milewski, and sophomore Amanda Beiler rose to the occasion as they raced Wilton to the wall. Incredibly, the two teams tied for 1st with a time of 1.45.40. Other notable swims include the 200 Medley Relay placing 2nd behind Wilton with junior Caroline Orem, senior captain Cammie Kirby, senior Caroline Kearney, and freshman Emily Nixon. Sophomore Amanda Bieler stepped up again in the 200 Freestyle, winning the event with a 1.59.48, with teammate sophomore Julia Stobbie placing 2nd. Senior swimmer Katie Southworth described the meet as “the most exciting wins of my high school career. Everyone swam with heart and we won it for each other. It feels the best to win when you do it for a team rather than just yourself, that's what made it so special.” Come celebrate Senior Day with the Swim and Dive team at the Darien YMCA with a meet against St. Joes next Wednesday, the 26th, at 3 pm.

Girls Soccer Defeated narrowly by Greenwich

By Melanie Tzenova

            The Darien Girls Soccer Team was narrowly defeated by the Greenwich Cardinals on Thursday afternoon at a home game (10/20).  The loss was disappointing, as the team was coming off some good momentum - tying 4-4 with top-ranked St. Joe’s this week.

            Greenwich made two goals in the first half, and none in the second. The first was a lucky goal and the second came in from a lead scorer committed to a D1 college, who won a header and moved through two defenders, then forced a one on one with the keeper, scoring a goal in the bottom right corner. In the second half, Darien stepped it up, not allowing any goals in and keeping good defense throughout, even though they couldn’t get a shot through. Star players in this game were junior Vanessa Budd who played wide mid and put in a lot of effort, made good crosses, and gave lots of opportunities for passes and goals, and senior Captain Marieke Bravo, a center mid who kept her position well.       

            Sophomore goalie throughout the game, Phoebe Taylor, said, “Our team never gave up and although after the first two Greenwich goals we had our heads down, we never gave up and we ended up getting many shots on goal. We’re not satisfied with the results since Greenwich is our rival but we’re continuing to work hard like we have done so far this season.”

            The girls need to win only another game or two to qualify for FCIACS. After this unfortunate loss, go and show your support for the Blue Wave Girls soccer team at their home game against Norwalk High this Saturday (10/22) at 4 pm!

Caption: #14 Senior Captain Marieke Bravo getting the ball past the other team

BWFH Defeats Wilton 4-1 on a Rainy Senior Day

By Jessica DeMaio On a wet and windy Wednesday afternoon (10/19) the Girls Varsity Field Hockey Team attracted a surprisingly good crowd as it celebrated the seniors’ last home game of the regular season against an opponent who had the potential to be one of the toughest FCIAC contenders, the Wilton Warriors. The girls pulled out a 4-1 win over the Warriors after a slow start to the game, with all their goals coming during the second half. The Blue Wave honored six seniors this afternoon of their dedication to the sport for the past four years with posters, chants, flowers, and hugs before the game began. Each of the six field hockey seniors, which included Haley Clifford, Megan Archey, Mimi Morgan, Julia Cobb, Lilly Cassidy, and Galen Rohn, was announced to the crowd and stood on the field with her parent to receive flowers and hugs from teammates. “The juniors did a great job planning and despite the rain, the posters, flowers, and ceremony could not have been nicer,” senior Julia Cobb said. “It was exciting for all of the seniors to get to have such a big game like Wilton for our final home game of the regular season and senior day really just added to the excitement,” Cobb added. Senior Haley Clifford said that “it was very surreal knowing this is the last time we will play on our home turf.” The Warriors scored on the Blue Wave early, only nine minutes into the game, but that was all sophomore goalie Danika Hornick would allow for the rest of the game. Other than this one blemish, Darien played nearly flawless defense for the rest of the game, led by outstanding performances from seniors Mimi Morgan and Julia Cobb and sophomore Jackie Brokaw. After multiple corners on both sides and an early on high sticking penalty called against Wilton, the first half ended with the Blue Wave losing 1-0. At half-time the girls seemed to get motivated by Coach Mo’s speech, and came out firing in the second half. Clifford said that halftime was that moment when the team decided not to fall to pressure or become the mediocre team everyone predicted they be at the beginning of the season. “Instead we rose to the occasion and preserved,” Clifford said. Junior Sam Wright tied the score with the Wave’s first goal of the day seven minutes into the 2nd half. This seemed to be just the spark the Wave needed as sophomore Hollis Perticone broke open the game only four minutes later with her goal amidst a trampled goalie to put the Wave ahead 2-1. Nearly one minute later senior Lilly Cassidy scored, followed by a goal from junior Lexie Perticone later in the half to give the Wave a 4-1 victory over Wilton. Midfielders senior Galen Rohn, junior Kat Huber, and sophomore Sloane Bessey also helped to spur Darien’s offense today as well as forwards junior Cammie Lattimer and sophomore Claire Culliton. Hornick said the team knew going into today that this game was going to be tough. “It’s the game we’ve all been preparing for since the beginning of the season—they’re (Wilton) our biggest rivals,” Hornick said. Cobb added that “Wilton always had athletic talent.” The Girls Field Hockey team’s next game is next Tuesday (10/25) when they take on the Greenwich Cardinals at Greenwich High School at 4pm and it will be the last game of the regular season. Photo Caption: The Girls Varsity Field Hockey Team huddles up before taking the field against Wilton on Wednesday (10/19).

Girls Soccer Ties Undefeated St. Joes

By Sara Shaker - Girls soccer tied 4-4 against St. Joe’s yesterday (10/18). St. Joe’s was previously undefeated. Junior Vanessa Budd (pictured) scored a few minutes into the first half off a cross from junior Kristy Gilbert. St. Joe’s scored next but Darien came back quickly with two goals from sophomores Kelly Karczewski and Dillon Schoen. In the second half, Schoen scored another goal off a pass from sophomore Julia Black. St. Joe’s came back with three goals, one of which was a penalty kick. Although it was upsetting to some to have not come out with a win, the team is optimistic. “Coming off a rough week last week, our performance against St. Joes was really uplifting,” senior captain Marieke Bravo said. “They were 12-0 coming into this week, so to tie them was a really good feeling.” The team needs a lot of support for its game against Greenwich tomorrow (10/20) at home at 4PM.

BWFH Smooth Sailing

By Danno R. - This past Friday (October 14th) the blue wave field hockey team recorded another win, remaining undefeated. The team played Danbury and won 7-0. Recent call up junior Lydia Ruhlin was able to have an impact on the scoreline with a goal. Senior captain Lily Cassidy said, “We did a great job at passing and connecting with each other and were able to get the ball around them and into the net several times. Overall, it was a great win and a good team effort, everyone was able to contribute.”
The Wave also beat Fairfield Ludlowe 8-0 and Wilton 4-1 as they continue their amazing season.

A Hard loss for FCIAC title

By Lizzy Steinborn

Monday night’s boys soccer game was a disheartening game to watch. The boys played the Norwalk Bears at Norwalk. Had the boys won the game they would have been ranked number one in the FCIAC title. However, after Monday night’s game at Norwalk High School, the estimated second ranked team, it was clear who was number one. The Darien Boys Soccer team had 29 points, one more than Norwalk’s 28 points, and was thought to win. However, it wasn’t long into the game until the Norwalk team scored two goals discouraging the boys. The Norwalk team was quick to the ball and had good, connected plays that the Darien boys were not accustomed to. Junior, Brennan Branca was again strong on the field and gave some hope for the team Also, junior, Marcus Iqbal defended the team against Norwalk in the second half. Iqbal came in strong in the second half to only let in one goal and saved many attempts. Darien boys had eight shots at goal and Norwalk had eleven scoring four goals.
By the end of the first half, Norwalk was leading by four points and it was clear who was going to win. The boys played a good game and were strong against Norwalk through the goals with prominent coaching. Jon Bradley held the team together through the hard loss. This was the soccer team’s second loss but they are prepared to take on more challenging teams to show their rights for FCIAC title.
Come support the boys soccer team this Wednesday (10/19) against Bassick High School on Darien’s second turf.
Photo: The boys gather after a hard loss.

Editor's Corner: Awful...Just Awful...

By Jay Alter - The FCIAC standings entering Monday nights game (10/17) said that Darien was in first place with 29 points (9 wins, 2 ties, 1 loss) and Norwalk was in second with 28 points. All I can say is the FCIAC's scoring system must be flawed because the soccer game that was played tonight was an absolute landslide. Norwalk was faster, stronger, and more intelligent on the pitch and it led to a 5-0 slaughter of the blue wave. The blue wave were top of the FCIAC and were going for their 10th win, which would be the first time in the history of the boys soccer program a team has won 10 games, and they just did not show up to play. It was like they were moving in slow motion or at some points not moving at all. Norwalk was up 4-0 at halftime and at that point the game was over and I was questioning whether I was watching the 9-1-2 blue wave or the 2 win team that we have seen for the last couple of seasons. Obviously this one game does not ruin the season by any means, the team has overacheived with their first year coach Jon Bradley at the helm, but unless something changes, you will not be seeing the blue wave contend for any FCIAC title if they just don't preform in the big games against good teams. The one bright spot was juniors, Nick Vilter and Marcus Iqbal, two defenders who stepped up to play the second half excellently, only allowing one goal.

Girl’s Volleyball Takes Bridgeport 1 to 4

BWVB beats Bridgeport Central Friday

by Kylie Maier

Darien High School’s Girl’s Volleyball faced off Bridgeport Central High School Friday (Oct 14) at DHS. BWVB won in three sets, the first game (25-7), followed by (25-4) and the last game at (25-7). So, if we want to talk math, BW got 75 points, and Bridgeport Central got 18. That’s not even a point for every four points BWVB scored. The players that made this game happen included juniors Kelly Kosnik, Lauren Pryor, Callan Clasby, Brittany Osborn, and Riley Sousa and seniors Lexy Ashburne and Nina Preston.

Blue Wave Volleyball plays Norwalk at Brien McMahon High School Monday (Oct 17) at 4pm.

Photo: Senior Nina Preston helped BWVB in its victory to Bridgeport Central.

Homecoming Domination; Wave Football Wins Again

By Blake Lange - Blue Wave football faced off against the Trumbull Eagles this Saturday, October 15, in a rematch of last years FCIAC championship. The squad brought in an overwhelming 21-0 homecoming victory to keep its undefeated record of 5-0. The game proved to be very anticlimactic, considering Trumbull was supposed to be one of the Wave’s toughest opponents of the regular season.
Trumbull was suffering from injuries this week, including their starting quarterback. The offense lacked without its core player. Stellar defense also contributed to the shutout. Darien began the game forcing a 3-and-out on the first possession and intercepting the ball on Trumbull’s second possession. Junior Peter Gesualdi made the pick-off in the end zone to stop a powerful drive and shoot down a huge Eagle momentum movement. Another interception came in the 3rd quarter; a blunder right into the hands of junior linebacker Andrew Maley for a 10-yard return. Junior cornerback Brian Wiegand almost managed to pick one off, but couldn’t complete the full extension catch and the ball fell through his arms.
Scoring was delayed until the second quarter, when junior Henry Baldwin and fellow junior Matt Forelli put on a touchdown show. It started with a 16-yard TD reception and later a 19-yard end zone catch. Junior kicker Chris Smith completed both extra points to take a 14-0 halftime lead.
The second half also started out very calm with no scoring in the third quarter. The scoreboard finally changed once again when Baldwin completed another touchdown pass, this time to Gesualdi for 6 points and a 20-point shutout lead. Smith finished off the scoring drive with the PAT, the last point of the one-sided game.
Join Wave football next week, Saturday, October 22, at 2 p.m. at the home turf as they take on Wilton in hopes to extend their season record to 6-0.

Big Barks Is Back

By Matt Brown - The Blue Wave football has fired out to a 4-0 start with a recent victory over the Danbury Hatters. Despite the final score, the game brought more good news to Blue Wave faithful. Although junior Henry Baldwin has had little issues completing passes and putting points on the board, he now has a loveable target returning.
Senior Clay Barker was a a top performer for the Blue Wave as a junior. He boasted an impressive stat line as a key part of the 2010 team’s offensive attack. He had a team leading 5 touchdowns accompanied by an impressive 22 receptions that went for 429 yards. After such a dominant junior season, Barker broadcast himself as one of the best receivers in the FCIAC. The expectations for his final season were sky high.
Unfortunately, Barker’s outlook took a turn for the worse. During lacrosse season, he suffered a torn ACL. The idea of him returning to football at all was in question. The injury took place around three and a half months ago. The majority of the athlete population would still be sidelines. However, three months and two weeks after surgery on the knee Barker is back on the field for the Blue Wave.
This past week against Danbury, Clay was eased into things. He started the game, but certainly did not get the amount of plays that he would have if completely healthy. “Yeah they are really easing me back into things, I would probably say I’m about 95, 98 percent right now” said Barker, he did not have a catch, but that is fairly unimportant.
The fact that Clay has fought rigorously through endless physical therapy to remain ahead of schedule shows a pure love for the game of football. Whether he contributed to the offensive attack right away or not, seeing big number 80 back on the field is definitely a positive sight for any Blue Wave supporter. Look for him to get healthier and healthier while beginning to contribute more and more as the season progresses.

Boys Soccer Stuns Staples, 1-0 win

By Jay Alter - Eight wins. That is six more than the boys soccer team recorded last year as the wave continued their magical season with first year coach Jon Bradley. The blue wave currently sit in first place of the FCIAC and have a record of 8-1-2 as they handed Staples their first loss against Darien in "a long time" according to Coach Bradley. "We've played great soccer in every game except for one and that one they gave back to us," Bradley said at the end of the game referring to the forfeited win Darien received against Westhill. Darien was without senior captain, Matt Collier, but another captain, Elliott Helgans (pictured), put the team on his back with a remarkable game both defensively playing center defense, and also putting the only point on the scoreboard off a free kick assist from senior, captain Eric Kanigan. The wave certainly have made for a fun season and hope to record their ninth win against Trinity Catholic.

Girls Cross Country Breaks Winning Streak

By: Lily Boe

The Darien Girls Cross Country team suffered a tough loss on Tuesday (10/11) to Greenwich and Wilton. The team was previously undefeated. The 2.55 mile race, which included a stretch along the beach as well as a lengthy period in the woods, took place at Todd’s Point in Greenwich. Junior Grace Loh had another impressive race, as she finished first for the team and second overall with a time of 16:29. Junior Sarah Colon was close behind her, finishing fourth overall in 16:40. Also in the Darien’s top five this week were junior Ellen Bauer, who placed eleventh, senior McKinley Stauffer, who came in sixteenth, and junior Katie Farren, who placed twenty-first. Although the girls were disappointed to end their winning streak, they still have high hopes for the FCIAC race. “It was a tough course and our final result was not what we aimed for, but everybody did their best and now we have even more to work for in FCIACs. Hopefully we can bring it next week,” Farren said. This past meet was the final race of the regular season before FCIACs, which will take place next Thursday (10/20) at Waveny Park in New Canaan. Come support the team as it tries to claim the FCIAC victory!

Boys XC Finish Season Undefeated

The Boys Cross Country Team continued to defend its winning streak as Darien’s runners beat Greenwich, Fairfield Warde, and Wilton to the finish line. What allows this team to dominate the FCIAC, and even State league, is its ability to finish as a team rather than as individuals. Though Harry Warnick from Warde and Spencer Brown from Wilton took first and second place, Darien took three spots out of the top five finishers. Senior runners Charlie Baird and Michael Johnston finished together, coming in third overall, and they were followed closely by senior Michael Coe.

This was the last season meet for Darien Boy’s Cross Country for 2011. This is Coach Tyson’s first undefeated season out of the nine years that he has coached here at Darien High School-completing the season with a seventeen and zero record. “We were really happy. It’s weird to think that all the previous runners on our team that we looked up to didn’t make it here.” If you have missed their previous meets there is another local opportunity to see this team in action. Come cheer on this undefeated team to victory at Waveny Park in New Canaan next Thursday, October 20th, at 4:00p.m. as they compete in FCIAC’s.

Blue Wave Field Hockey Continues Its Winning Streak, Now 10-0

by Reed Barthold

The Blue Wave Field Hockey team led by Mo Minicus cruised by their rival New Canaan on Friday afternoon with a 2-0 win to remain undefeated. Despite the fact that New Canaan's bench was almost double the size of the Blue Wave roster, the girls had little to no problem sealing the win throughout the game. The varsity team's season was predicted by many blogs and newspapers in the area to be a rough one due to the team losing 13 seniors to college last year. The underrating the team received seems to be the fuel to its fire as the girls have had little trouble beating any team in their path.
The first half of the game was a slow one as both teams fought for the lead before half time. Finally, with 52 seconds left in the first half, High Forward Hollis Perticone, a sophomore, scored for the Blue Wave with assistance from Kat Huber. New Canaan almost tied it up, but sophomore Goalie Danika Hornick made a stellar save to keep the lead. The Blue Wave capitalized on the save with Left Forward Sam Wright scoring 5 minutes into the second half, strengthening the lead by one. The Blue Wave was able to hold on to the lead to keep New Canaan to a lowly zero points.
Despite the press' thoughts early on in the season, the Blue Wave Field Hockey team seems to be having no issues with any team it has faced so far. The Girls face off against Westhill High school on Monday at 4 PM on the stadium turf at DHS.


Caption: Sophomore Hollis Perticone faces off against three New Canaan players.

NOTE: Special thanks to Libby Feingold for providing stats, positions, and numbers.

Boys Soccer Ties Undefeated Rivals

By Jay Alter - The Boys Soccer team tied New Canaan this afternoon (10/10/11) as they rebounded from their first loss of the season against Wilton last week. The rams got on the board early, scoring on a beautiful cross into the box, putting the blue wave in a 1-0 hole. Junior, Spencer McMullin got the Wave back in the game with some speed and fancy footwork to the tie the game up by halftime. Senior Captain, Matt Collier struggled due to a groin injury in the second half but was still able to lead the darien defense to a clean sheet in the second half. The Darien offense could not capitalize in the second half despite efforts from Senior Lewis Clarke and Juniors Ben Highton and Brennan Branca resulting in a 1-1 draw. The Wave now stand at 7-1-2 with 23 points and a top of the FCIAC as well as the FCIAC east division. They also forced a New Canaan defender into a red card, resulting in an ejection and a 1-game suspension. The wave will take on Staples later this week as their schedule becomes more difficult.

Pictured: Senior Captain Elliot Helgans soars through the air for a header.

DHS BOYS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM WINS 2011 WICKHAM INVITATIONAL

by Michael Coe

On Saturday, October 8th, the Darien Boy’s XC got to take home an enormous first place trophy from the Wickham Invitational. With 123 points, Darien beat out Xavier (130 points), Watertown (134) points, and 12 other teams vying for the title, in the Wickham Championship 5K Race. This is the first time in DHS history that Boys XC has won the championship race at the Wickham Invitational.
Coming in first for Darien was senior Michael Johnston (8th place) with a time of 16:59, followed by senior Charlie Baird (11th place) with a time of 17:04, senior Michael Coe (19th) with a time of 17:15, sophomore Marshall Huffman (41st place) with a time of 17:50, sophomore Peter Kreuch (49th place) with a time of 18:03, and senior Eli Converse (67th place) with a time of 18:23.
The meet had initially looked grim due to the inability of formidable varsity runner, freshman Alex Ostberg, to participate. But the team performed well enough with its limited squad to take first place. As of now, Darien Boy’s XC remains undefeated.
The meet was a highly exciting and emotional event for both current and former members of the team. Former XC captain and current freshman at Colby College David Watson, who showed up to watch the meet, said, “I was so proud to see the success of my former teammates. They have worked so hard for the past 3 years and it has paid off by their winning this year”. Senior captain Charlie Baird said of the meet, “It's really humbling to think that, after looking up to teams for the past 3 years like Fairfield Prep and Xavier, we are right up there with them. It feels great to be on a competitive level with the big guns, and we are here to stay!" Coach Tyson Kaczmarek simply stated, “"Amazing win. Absolutely amazing. This was a big victory for our program."
The team competes next Tuesday (10/11) at Todd’s Point against Greenwich, Warde, and Wilton.

Brennan Branca wins Athlete of the Week (Male)

By Jay Alter - In Wavecast's first ever "Athlete of the Week" poll, boys soccer striker, Brennan Branca, won with 53% of the vote as he beat freshman cross country stud, Alex Ostberg, and junior football players, Peter Gesualdi and Henry Baldwin. Branca is part of a blue wave soccer team that has taken the FCIAC by storm so far, earning a record of 7-0-1 in their first 8 games.

GIRLS XC REMAINS UNDEFEATED

By Kat McKay - On Tuesday October 4th, the Girls Cross Country Team pulled in another win to maintain its undefeated season. The meet, which took place at Waveny Park in New Canaan, was against FCIAC competitors Fairfield Ludlowe, Harding, Westhill, Brien McMahon, and New Canaan. Darien junior Grace Loh came in first at the 4000 meter (2.5 miles) meet with an unofficial time of 15:52.
Coach Steve Norris said that “the meet wasn’t as close as it could have been” and commended the team’s ability to strategize and pace. Junior Sarah Colon came in second for the Wave and third overall with a time of 16:08. Senior McKinley Stauffer rounded out Darien’s top three, finishing in 17:02 to come in seventh overall.
Senior Captain Meredith Ott (pictured, center) said that “The team ran some pretty solid times and today’s performance continues to show that our depth will be one of our greatest assets as we move toward FCIACs.” The team is looking to continue to stand strong within the league until FCIACs, which take place on October 20th on the same Waveny course.
Rounding out Darien’s scoring runners were junior Ellen Bauer (7th place, 17:03), and junior Katie Farren (8th place, 17:11). Seniors Alex Pear (9th place, 17:16) and Ott (10th place, 17:22) also finished within the top ten.
“The meet went really well today,” said Loh. These girls (as well as the 60-odd others who compete on the team) can be proud of their performances as the season nears to a close.
The team competes again next Tuesday in Greenwich against Fairfield Warde, Wilton, and Greenwich. Fans are encouraged to come cheer them on in the final meet before FCIACs.
Special thanks to sophomores Grace Hildreth, Jackie Haranzo, and Gillian McKay for additional reporting.

Volleyball holds off Staples

By Kate Fitzmaurice - Darien girls Volleyball held its own last night (10/3) against Staples High School. A close call, they played all five games. The scores were 25-14, 23-25, 25-18, 26-28, 15-8. Darien won the first and third games, but gave away the second and fourth to Staples. Staples pushed Darien to it’s limit. It was the first time this season that the team was forced to play all five games. However, Darien pulled through and ended with another victory. “We definatly had our high points and low points in the game” junior Riley Sousa said.
Senior Katie Stueber aided the team with four blocks and multiple kills. Junior Kelly Kosnik and Senior Nina Preston also helped out both with amazing serves.
“But in the end we persevered, and were ready for any challenges in the future” Sousa said. Darien’s next game is tomorrow (10/5) away, against Fairfield Warde.

Speedy Sophomore Gets Defensive

by Reed Barthold
Many DHS students are capable of juggling two or more sports throughout the season, but few have the talent to play for multiple Varsity teams. John Reed, a sophomore at Darien High School, plays and gets many plays in for the Darien Football and Lacrosse teams. Reed is one of the football team’s defensive safeties and gets plays in at kick returner when needed, a position Peter Gesualdi and Corey Eppley have taken with storm. This football season Reed has certainly been turning heads while stuffing wide outs at the line, preventing any opposing offensive completions, and making interceptions with ease.
Reed believes he improves most throughout the off-season when he can focus on his individual needs and have time before the big season. “I do a lot of speed and agility camps over the summer to help improve my game for both football and lacrosse” Reed said. “It’s tough. Once football is over I jump right into training for [the] lacrosse season, and vice versa,” Reed said.
Reed is perfectly fit for his position as his height and speed help him keep up against some of the best wide receivers in the state. “I don’t start, but it’s still cool getting the chance to get some plays in each game,” Reed stated. The speedy sophomore hopes to continually improve throughout the season and he hopes to get a starting slot next year on the Blue Wave Varsity Football team.
The Darien Blue Wave faces off against Saint Joseph tomorrow (10/1) at 2PM in Trumbull. Be sure to attend one of the Blue Wave’s upcoming games to catch a glimpse of Reed and the rest of the team fight for a spot in the FCIAC post-season and maybe a shot at the FCIAC title.

Wave Football Improves to 3-0 with Win Over St. Joe’s

by Blake Lange
Rob Trifone and his stellar football team made a big mark at St. Joseph’s High School last Saturday, October 1, with a 31-7 victory. Wave offense in combination with outstanding defense was the key for maintaining its undefeated record in the FCIAC.
Darien was able to start with momentum by scoring on the first drive of the game thanks to a 21-yard run by junior Peter Gesualdi. The extra point attempt was blocked, keeping the Wave to just a 6 point lead. Although, the Cadets were able to answer with a touchdown of their own, and completing the extra point to take a 7-6 lead.
Soon after, Darien reclaimed the lead on a quick possession including a 55-yard touchdown catch by senior Corey Eppley. Junior quarterback Henry Baldwin then completed a pass to junior Matt Forelli for a 2-point conversion and a 14-7 lead. After this scoring drive, the Blue Wave refused to look back, yielding no further touchdowns and scoring a few of their own. Gesualdi capped off the first half with a second touchdown to give Darien a 21-7 halftime lead.
After the break, scoring slowed down. The only score in the third quarter was a 30-yard field goal by senior kicker Chris Smith. The scoring ended with a second touchdown for Eppley on a 15-yard connection from Baldwin.
The Blue Wave football team looks to continue their hot streak with a game against Danbury this Thursday, October 6. It will hope to impress with yet another win on the road in an exciting and successful season.

Girls Soccer Takes Down Trinity in Muddy Conditions

By Jessica DeMaio

On an overcast Friday afternoon (9/30) the Blue Wave Girls Soccer team defeated Trinity Catholic 9-1 in an away victory on rough field conditions. The combination of a grass field and the buckets of rain received in the last few weeks resulted in a slippery soccer ball and loss of footing all too often for members of both teams. Senior Marieke Bravo went for the hat trick with all three goals coming in the first half of the game. Senior Caity Dee also scored in the first half of the game, which gave Darien a 4-1 lead at halftime. It truly was a team effort win, with great contributions coming from both offense and defense and several different players. Sophomore goalie Phoebe Taylor had multiple impressive saves to keep Trinity to just one goal all game long. Seniors Amy Biggart, Sara Shaker, and Katie Maccarone combined for spectacular defense, as well as sophomore Ellis Bennett, who kept Trinity far away from the goal. Sophomores Dillon Schoen and Morgan Sawitsky, as well as junior Vanessa Budd and senior Emily Blosio each had one goal apiece to end Trinity’s hopes of a late game comeback. Great offensive was also played by junior Caity Lowden, sophomores Alexa Sheldon and Kelly Karczewski, junior Parker Hamill, and senior Elyssa Ganser. This win puts the team’s record at 4-1-2, with a big game against Fairfield Ludlowe home on the DHS turf next Wednesday (10/5).

BWVB Pulls in Another Win

The Girl’s Volleyball Team Comes Back After a Rough First Set
By Kylie Maier

The Girl’s Varsity Volleyball Team brought in yet another win this past Friday (9/30)when they faced Greenwich High School at home.
The Blue Wave Girls’ Volleyball Team remains undefeated with an 8-0 streak. However, Friday’s game was not the usual easy win. The game lasted four sets and Greenwich won the first set at (21-25).
Coach LaRusso changed the lineups after the first game, returning players to their usual position on the court. LaRusso made the right call, as BWVB won the next three games (25-19) (25-20) (25-12). However, many of the players were disappointed with the rough start. “[It was] not really a great game but we pulled through” said junior Brittany Osborn. Friday’s game was the first time this year BWVB “dropped” a set. Because the team lost the first game, they cannot match their 2009 record of 25-0, with no dropped sets.
Come see BWVB bring in another win at their next game, Monday, October 2nd, against Staples at DHS. Check out MaxPreps for the season stats.
Photo: Senior Katie Stueber goes for a spike