DHS Basketball: What the Fans Think

by Sam Meyjes

The Boys basketball team has always taken a back seat to the hockey team in terms of a student fan base. Part of it may have been the team’s reputation. Part of it may be their record. Part of it may be the hockey team’s success. But preliminary reports for this season are much better than they have been in years. So does this mean that basketball become one of the more popular sports for students to watch at the school? 

Here’s what some students had to say about the upcoming season.

Junior Rudy Blosio: “I think that they’ll go 500. Which is good, compared to their previous records. I’m excited for that. It won’t replace hockey as a spectator sport, but people will go.”

Junior Nick Lombardo: “They’re gonna win!”                 

                    Senior John Thomas Fucigna: “I’m optimistic about this season and hope that they will win a lot of games.” Junior Patrick “the show” Nelson: “I feel confident that the team will see great improvement this season.” Junior Christian Cochran: “I see a lot of talent, and with great coaching I think that they can make it an above 500 season”

Caption: The team last year getting ready for a game

With New Changes, Darien Squash Looks Forward to a Successful Season

By Holly Gordon

            As Darien High School’s athletic winter season quickly approaches, DHS’s very own squash team anxiously awaits. Among one of the newer sports to be offered at DHS, squash may not receive the yearly hype of Boys Hockey or Girls Basketball. However, with over 60 students trying out for the team this year, there is definitely something to be excited about. Since its existence, DHS squash has shown impressive growth, each year with more players and greater strength. The once 12-person team has now grown five times the size in a span of seven years. For all DHS squash players, this season includes some new changes and even greater opportunities.

            Due to limited court space, members of the squash team do not practice in unison, but are rather split up into practice groups who practice at different times. In previous years, the squash team has solely practiced at Squash Alley, a Stamford squash facility with 3 courts. However, this year, practice groups are split between two facilities, Squash Alley and Chelsea Piers in Stamford, a facility with far more courts than Squash Alley. With an additional practice facility, players will now be able to practice about a third more time than players last year. With significantly more practice time, players are looking to greatly improve their skills and lead the team to a successful season.

            DHS squash also welcomes a new addition to the team: Simon Little, the new official coach. This will be the first year DHS has had an official squash coach. In addition to coaching provided by fellow players and parents experienced with the game, players will be coached by Mr. Little at away games.

“I am so excited to finish my final season knowing there is a great legacy behind me,” said senior and Girls Squash captain Althea Perley.

            The team has already held one week of tryouts prior to Thanksgiving break and is now in the midst of another tryout week. Come cheer on the team at their first competition, the Fairwest Jamboree, held at Yale on December 15^th at 9:00AM!

Photo Caption: 2011 Girls Squash team at the biggest tournament of the year, High School Nationals. 

Darien Girls Volleyball State Champions

 By Kate Fitzmaurice

Yesterday (11/17) Darien Girls Volleyball once again became State Champions! This is their first State Championship win since 2009. This year, the team had an undefeated regular season and are FCIAC co-champions as well. They played Cheshire in East Haven coming out with one final win in a short three games. The first game ended with a score of 25-14, the second 25-18, and the third 25-21.

Seniors Kelly Kosnick and Riley Sousa both played aggressively by making crucial hits and serves. The entire team fought their way to the championship where finally all their hard work paid off. "We really stuck together as a team," said senior  captain and the game's MVP Riley Sousa. Congratulations to the entire team for their championship win! 

Above: Darien celebrates after a hard-fought point. 

Wave Puck Wins in Semi-Finals Against Greenwich

By Ryan Filipone

Entering Wednesday, November 14^th, Darien High School Boys Hockey was undefeated and looking to advance to the finals if they beat Greenwich in the FCIAC Fall League Semi-Finals.  DHS Hockey got on the scoreboard first with a goal by junior Jack Massie, 2 minutes and 51 seconds into the game.  It only got worst for Greenwich.  At the end of the first period the game was 4-0 and Greenwich only registered one shot.  DHS dominated the possession of the puck.  Darien continued their lock down defense by not letting a single goal through the second period with the help of senior Goalie Michael Collins, senior Captain Defenseman Dana Wensberg, and junior Defenseman Nick Allam.  They ended the second period 9-0.  

Heading into the third period, DHS let their kids from last year’s varsity team rest and junior Goalie Michael Colon came in.  DHS still continued to play a solid defense, only letting one goal on a one-man break away.  The offense also added a goal, making it 11-1. That was it for the scoring that day.

Senior Captain Brendan Hathaway said “It felt good to beat Greenwich, but it is a fall league game and we need to come out with the same intensity during the season.”

In the end, here are the goals scored by Darien: Hathaway had a Hat trick, Senior Captain Dana Wensberg had 2, junior Robbie Juterbock had one, junior Jack Massie also had one. DHS also had help from underclassmen  by sophomore stud Jack Pardue who also had a hat trick (three goals) and sophomore Brendan Ferguson who also put one past the goalie.

Come check out the team tonight, Monday November 13^th, as they battle Trinity Catholic in the FCIAC Fall League Finals.

Cross Country Flies High in Year to Come

By Cameron Wong

After a first place finish in States and a third place finish at FCIACS, the Darien Cross Country looks forward to next year.  The promising team will be led by the newly selected captains pictured above: (from left to right) junior and 2012 captain Marshall Huffman, junior and 2012 captain Brian Davey, junior and 2012 captain Peter Kreuch, junior Colten Appleby, and junior Ben Olsen.  This is one of the strongest and youngest team in Darien’s history.  “We are looking for a stronger, fully returning varsity team,” said Olsen.  This strong team, which was ranked in the state’s top five teams, will come back next year with the same varsity team.

                “We have high expectations for next year and we are really excited,” said captain Huffman.  This team will not disappoint next year.  After finishing the season with a 17-1 record and ranked 4^th in the state, it is not doubt that this team will come back strong next year.  However, slight changes will be made in practicing to ensure that this team will stay strong for years to come.  “We need to have more focused practicing and less goofing off,” said Huffman.  Be sure to follow this team next year as they will be sure to accomplish outstanding feats.

Pictured above are next year’s team captains who look forward to next year (Pictured from left to right: junior Marshall Huffman, junior Brian Davey, junior Peter Kreuch, junior Colten Appleby, and junior Ben Olsen).

Wave Drowns Rams

by Morgan Sawitsky

Darien High School Boys Varsity Soccer beat town rivals, New Canaan 4-0 in the first round of the State Tournament on Friday, November 2012.

Senior Captain, Spencer McMullin scored the first goal for Darien about 20 minutes into the first half.  And in the beginning of the second half, McMullin put away another goal for Darien making it a 2-0 lead.

With most of the game being played in New Canaan’s half, Senior Captain Ben Highton scored a header, with about thirty minutes to go in regular time. Soon after, Senior Marcus Iqbal scored, putting Wave up 4-0.

Senior Captain Jack Fisher played almost most of the game, keeping it a shut out before Senior Jeff Sload went in goal to finish the game off.

Darien had control over most of the game, and it was obvious with their 4-0 win. Their next game is on Monday, November 12 against Barlow in Redding Connecticut.

DHS Girls’ Varsity Soccer ended their season on a low note with their defeat against Glastonbury

Mac McDonough

In the first half Darien was trailing behind Glastonbury’s 2-0 lead in the quarter finals of states. Glastonbury was the number one seed heading into the quarter finals while the Darien girls’ team was 25^th, after the major upset against Ridgefield in the first round of states and Hamden in the second round the girls’ had already accomplished so much before heading into the quarter finals as the underdog team. Though the wave lost 4-0 against Glastonbury, an undefeated team who won states last year, they played very strong and kept their heads up despite the disappointing lost.

“Our season came to an end but we are more than just a team  we are a family,” junior Morgan Sawitsky said after the game.

Darien: Off to the L Class Finals

The Darien Field Hockey team went head to head with the varsity New Milford team on Wednesday afternoon at Weston High School. Both teams were vying to go on to the finals and a chance to be 2012’s State Champions. “We all wanted the win so badly,” said junior defenseman, Jackie Brokaw, and after 49 minutes of a scoreless game Darien had a chance to secure a goal on a penalty stroke.  Junior Hollis Perticone took the stroke and made the first and only goal of the night, securing their spot in the finals against Cheshire at Wethersfield High School this Saturday.  Come support the team this Saturday, November 2^nd at 10am in Wethersfield.

Pictured above: Senior Captain Kat Huber
(Photo Credit J. Gregory Raymond)

Girls XC Captains Announced

By Kat McKay

Last night, Wednesday November 14^th, the girls cross country team revealed next year’s captains. Pictured, left to right, are 2013 captains Barbara Bell, Grace Evanich, Kerry Donovan, and Alex Ford. Coming off the team’s second best season in 33 years, according to head coach Steve Norris, these juniors have a lot to work with.

“We hope to have another strong season, despite losing so many great seniors. We’re looking forward to it,” Bell said.

Blue Wave Sports Blog will continue to keep you updated as more captainships are announced.



Blue Wave Football Defeats the Undefeated

By Jenn O’Neill

Last Saturday, November 10^th, the Boys Varsity Football team defeated Trinity Catholic at the Crusaders’ field in Stamford.  This was arguably one of the most intense football games that have been played this season (perhaps that statement will be changed after Turkey Bowl). Trinity (who had previously been undefeated) held the lead going into half time at 7-6. They held the lead at 13-12 until the final play of the third quarter where Darien overtook them with a 63 yard pass from Junior Danny O’Leary.

The Blue Wave was now up 20-13. Then the Crusaders came back with a touchdown, holding the score at an even 20-20. It was interesting that they did not attempt a two point conversion seeing as that would have given them a one point lead over the Blue Wave. Also of note was the fact that the Wave did not let the clock run out and go into overtime. But according to Coach Trifone, with a record like Darien’s this season, you have to put it all on the line. His original intention was to get within field goal range in hopes of scoring any kind of points to put the Wave ahead.  However, this tactic worked better than expected. The game winning touchdown (and most exciting moment of the game by far) was a 35 yard pass thrown by senior quarterback Henry Baldwin to junior Nick Lombardo who outleapt two of Trinity’s players with 7 seconds remaining in the game.

“This win was a critical one,” senior Kyle Blummer said. “The game has put us in a better position for States. It all comes down to the Turkey Bowl now.” Cheer on the Boys Football Team this Friday as it takes on Bassick here at DHS.

Photo Caption: Junior Nick Lombardo’s game winning catch

(photo creds: Lindsay Niegelberg)

Darien High School Girls Cross Country Team Finishes the Season Strong

By Kyra Conciatori

This past Saturday, November 10, 2012, seven girls from the Darien High 
School Cross Country team ran in the final meet of the year, the New 
England Interscholastic Cross Country Championships. The teams were 
 from six different states—Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, 
New Hampshire, and Connecticut. The meet marked the end of the 
cross-country season, and in order to have competed, athletes must have 
qualified either as a team, individually, or both, in State Opens.

This year, the location for the race was at the Twin Brook Recreation 
Center in Cumberland, Maine, and the seven runners from DHS were 
seniors Sarah Colon, Katie Farren, Ellen Bauer, Claire Walker, Sophie 
Long, Grace Loh, and sophomore Anne Johnston. (The alternate for the 
race was junior Grace Evanich.)

The course was a wet and muddy 5k, but Darien ran an admirable race, 
finishing 13th out of 30 teams, with a total time of 1:46:36.59. The 
team that won was Barrington High School, which finished with a total 
time of 1:39:26.32. Johnston finished 19th out of over 200 runners, 
with a time 19:48.53. Not far behind was senior Grace Loh, who finished 
67th with a time of 20:44.89.

The team was satisfied with its performance, but is sad to see the 
cross-country season end. “The course was probably the hardest one I 
have ever run but I am so proud of everything. We all finished with a 
strong race and as the best cross country team the school has seen in 
25 years, so we’re happy!” Long said. For the six seniors, this meet is 
the last high school cross-country race they will ever run. “I will 
definitely miss high school cross country and our small team atmosphere 
in the post season, but I’m excited to get to the track season!” Loh 
said.

Although the cross-country season has come to a close, the indoor track 
season is just beginning. Check the sports blog for the results on 
upcoming meets!

Caption: The girls show off their muddy legs after crossing the finish line.

Girls’ Indoor Track Aims High

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By Molly Bell

With a team roster nearly triple the size or more of the other DHS sports teams, the girls’ indoor track team has had a consistently talented roster of hurdlers, sprinters, throwers, pole vaulters, and distance runners. The 2012-2013 season is no exception, and with a stacked senior class, the girls have high hopes for another successful season. Led by senior captains Grace Loh, Sophie Long, Lizzie Heaney, and Eleanor Smith, they are a team to watch out for in the FCIAC conference as well as Class L.

At the beginning of the season, many sports team set postseason goals for themselves. According to captain Grace Loh, “We got second in both FCIACs and states during indoor last year so we're looking to better those results. We also won FCIACs in outdoor last year so we're hoping to carry that through to this season”. In a controversial decision two days after the Class L meet, the CIAC stripped the team of its class L title due to a scoring error which made opposing team Windsor the state champion by just one point. This heartbreaking loss has fueled the athletes to work harder to capture the Class L title they rightfully deserve.

The team also took 2^nd place in the highly competitive FCIAC conference, however, they are striving to win first place. The girls are the reigning FCIAC East champions, with a terrific performance in which they beat arch-rival New Canaan by a whopping 97 points. This year, indoor track has lots of upperclassmen and underclassmen talent. Sophomore Anne Johnston, coming off a record-breaking cross country season, is one of the team’s top distance runners ready to succeed in her second season of indoor track. Freshman standout Maddie Schneider is back and ready for the season after training with “F Track” (Fall Track). An extremely talented athlete, this hurdler, sprinter, and pole vaulter is coming off her first season in which she won the pole vault in the outdoor FCIAC championships, clearing 10 ft.

For the upperclassmen, Senior Grace Loh placed an excellent 24th^h place at the State Open cross country championships. A strong 2 mile runner, she also set a personal best with a 5:07 mile at the outdoor track State Opens. She is eager to improve in her final indoor track season for the Blue Wave. Junior Catherine Lacy, one of the many incredibly talented Blue Wave “trackies”, was a triple winner in the FCIAC East championships, winning the high jump, long jump, and 45 meter dash. Captain Eleanor Smith is also talented in the long jump, high jump, and pole vault, contributing to the great Darien success in these events. Captain Lizzie Heaney has been sprinting for the Blue Wave since freshman year and steadily improved each season. Junior thrower Taylor McDonald has also shown improvement in the shot put and comes in as one of Darien’s best throwers.

One of the greatest runners on the team, Captain Sophie Long runs mainly the 600 meter, and sometimes the 300 as well as the 4 by 400 and 4 by 800 relays. She is also in her fourth indoor and outdoor track season. When asked about the upcoming season, she remarked, “We have a very strong team returning because we lost only a couple of seniors from last year. We lost States by a point last year and are hoping to regain the title after a couple of years of coming in second. We have a lot of talented kids and are hoping everyone has a strong season!” All in all, the 2012- 2013 Girls’ Indoor Track team is a talented team and a strong contender for the FCIAC and Class L championships. Come by and watch the girls in action on Friday December 14 at 4:00 P.M. at the New Haven Invitational for the varsity runners and Saturday December 15 at 9:30 A.M. at the Reindeer Relays in Wilton. 

Caption: Senior captains (from left to right) Grace Loh, Lizzie Heaney, Sophie Long, and Eleanor Smith with coach Steve Norris.

Darien Soccer Trumps New Canaan in States

By Marielle Ravosa

 

On Friday (11/9) the Darien Boys Soccer team beat New Canaan 4-0 in the first round of the Class L state tournament at New Canaan High School. This was very exciting for Darien as New Canaan beat the team narrowly in early October.

 

Senior Spencer McMullin scored within the first twenty minutes and eventually gave Darien a 2-0 lead. With 27 minutes remaining, Darien took a 3-0 lead when Senior Ben Highton scored. Later, Senior Marcus Iqbal scored the team’s fourth and final goal.

Come support the boys this Monday (11/12) at 12:00pm in Redding, Connecticut where they will face Joel Barlow High School’s team.

Above: Seniors Spencer McMullin and Ben Highton celebrate a goal!

Girls Swim and Dive Team Beats Rams

by Juliette Dixon

Darien girls Swim & Dive team finished the regular season beating its opponent, New Canaan 110-76. The team'a meet was at the YMCA pool on Thursday and the only disappointment was its prior loss to Greenwich by only several points. The first place finishes consisted of: Courtney Ferriera in the 200 free in 1:57.10 and the 500 free in 5:15.36, Caroline Orem the 100 backstroke in 1:00.84, Olivia Leunis in the 200 IM in 2:09.98, and the 100 breaststroke in 1:07.43. Lauren Rutledge, Francesea Milewski, Ferreira, and Leunis the 200 free relay in 1:43.01. Come and see the Varsity girls face Hamden at Hamden High School on Thursday November 8th at 5:30!

Wave Football Falls to Staples

By Justin Yang

 The long awaited game had finally arrived on Saturday, October 27^th at 1:30 pm with Darien Blue Wave vs. Staples Wreckers.  People filled the stands at Darien High School, as the Blue Wave was ready to rise up to the challenge especially with the successful return of Senior Captain Peter Gesualdi in last week’s game where they dismantled Wilton with a score of 34-7.  Their spirits were high and the time was just right to face the undefeated Staples.  Will this be enough to overcome high-flying Staples?

   

During the first half of the game, Staples dominated.  They started off with a touchdown right off the bat and soon after three more followed.  Even though this would’ve discouraged any team, Darien kept fighting back and finally responded with a touchdown pass to Senior Captain Ian Vanderhorn.  This ended the first half with a score of 28-7 Staples.

Although Staples controlled the first half, Darien started to build up their momentum.  Senior Captain Henry Baldwin threw three successful touchdown passes, which included a pass to Vanderhorn, a 53-yard pass to Gesualdi, and a 49-yard pass to Junior Nick Lombardo, but was this enough to beat the undefeated Staples?  Unfortunately no.  It was already too late to catch up with the Wreckers who also gained 5 more touchdowns.  The game ended with an upsetting loss of 63-28 Staples.

Overall, the game wasn’t as competitive as everyone expected to be.  I believe that Darien hasn’t performed as well as they should have defensively and offensively.  There were many holes to the defense where many receivers slipped through and the offensive line could not hold back Staples’ defense thoroughly which led to some incomplete passes by the quarterback since he was rushed. 

Anyway, you have to make mistakes in order to succeed so better luck next time!

Photo Caption: Senior Captain Ian Vanderhorn runs with the ball after a 39-yard pass to score a touchdown.  Photo credit to MSG Varsity.