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.