Izzy Lee: Senior Golf Team Captain

By Kate Fitzmaurice

Senior Golf Team captain Izzy Lee has been golfing on the Darien High School team since her freshmen year. “This season is going really well,” Lee said. The team did not graduate any seniors from last year and has also taken on a lot of new and younger talent.

Darien’s two golfing rivals are Greenwich and Staples who hold the number one and two spots for FCIACS. Darien is not far behind as number three in line. “We’re looking on making FCIACS and states, and right now it looks like we will make it” Lee said. Lee has also set personally goals for herself, “I’d like to break 40 more often” Lee said.

Outside of weekly practice with the team, Lee usually practices on her own as well. “I like to go to the range for a couple hours on the weekends” Lee said. She claims Woodway to be her favorite course, where she works over the summer, because of its well-kept greens.

Although drives can be a significant aspect to making par, Lee admits that short game, chipping and putting, is the most important skill for a golfer to have. “A 200 foot drive counts the same as a two foot putt” Lee said.

This is the second year Lee has played on the team with her younger sister, sophomore Julianna Lee. “My sister and I don’t play together [in matches] even though we hold the number one and two spots” Lee said, “Competing with each other is not good for both of us”

Lee plans on attending Harvard University next fall where she hopes to be able to continue her golfing hobby. “I really want to try out for my team at college,” Lee said. Lee also explained how the competition is steep since most of the Harvard golfers compete at the national level. But this is not something to stand in Lee’s way, “[Golfing] is definitely something I want to continue for the rest of my life” Lee said.

Darien High School Girls’ Lacrosse, ranked 7th in the nation, played Loomis Chafee last Saturday in a home game.

By Mac McDonough

The girls brought in a win against the private school team (18-2).

Highlights from the game include a 3 goal streak, for senior midfielder and Captain Kristy Gilbert in the first half, matched by senior attacker Captain Jenna Fritts 3 goals in the second half. 

Senior Vanessa Budd had a great game with several turnovers.

“It was a whole team effort, everyone got to play, and those are the best kinds of games,” Senior defender Lauren Pryor said after the game.  

SEAL Team 7 Dodges Their Way to Victory in Dodgeball Tournament

by Edward Pankowski

On the night of April 29, the annual dodgeball tournament was held at DHS. Thirty three teams attended the tournament, according to the facebook page of the tournament. The evening brought the promised display of intensity and skill that was promised, as DHS students assembled the kind of teams no gym teacher would allow, due to the balance being unfair.

As with the basketball tournament held in March, a variety of teams, players, and names were on display, as the creativity of the participants was matched only by their skill on the court. Teams like "Dirty Dan and the Pinhead Larries, Sponsored by Nike, Foam to Your Dome, and Dirty Mikes and the Boys" all competed to see who could come up with the most creative name. One crowd favorite was the "Manchester Dingos" or "Mandingos" for short. 

Uniforms matched the creativity of the names, as teams showed up in customized t-shirts, sports uniforms, and colored tunics. "Dirty Mike and the Boys" said that they selected their tunics based on their favorite teletubby, while the police officers wore sweatshirts and tunics with "Darien Police Association" written on them. 

As the tournament began, Mr. Buckley announced that the tournament would be single elimination. The announcement that elicited cheers from the audience, however, was "I am required to tell you that headshots are legal." After that, the teams dispersed, either to watch a friend's game or to compete themselves.

Being a single elimination tournament, the three gyms used for the tournament started off packed and gradually whittled down until only spectators and friends of the participants remained. The tournament had several upsets during the course of the night. First, the much hyped Darien Faculty team and the Darien Police team were both eliminated in the very first round. During the game in which the Darien PD lost, a spectator shouted, "they don't know how to throw!" In addition, "Team Fluffy Sheep," which consisted of several burly athletes, was defeated by "Team Gucci," a pack of girls field hockey players. 

One thing all the winning teams displayed was an emphasis on teamwork and working together to launch multiple, simultaneous shots against the other team. While size and strength were important in delivering the ball, the teams who showed an ability to work together usually held the advantage. 

After nearly two hours of dodgeball, the final game took form. The Manchester Dingos, clad in bicycle helmets and pitchers caps, went up against SEAL Team 7, wearing traditional athletic shorts and t-shirts. The game was exemplary of all the qualities every gym teacher looks for in a dodgeball prodigy. In the end, "SEAL Team 7" took the gold, while the "Mandingos" got second place, and "Dirty Mike and the Boys" came in 3rd. 

"SEAL Team 7" member Peter Gesualdi said, "We were cruising here tonight, and they thought they could get in our faces. But we showed them. Now I'm going to Disneyland!" Jack Bennett, another member, put a nice finisher on the event when he said, "I'm feeling great. I can't wait to get the grand prize and put it on Ebay." 

Coordinator Rohit Datta said, " I thought the event was a big success and everyone was satisfied." In the face of such enthusiasm and praise by both participants and organizers of the event, it seems likely that DHS will hold another similar, if not grander, tournament next year dedicated to the ancient art of pegging people with foam balls alongside your closest friends and allies. 

Rivalry Renewed as Wave Baseball Beats Trinity Catholic, 11-3

By Zachary Basu

            Last Friday in FCIAC baseball saw Darien’s own Blue Wave, currently tied for 10th place in the league, take on the 16^th place Trinity Catholic Crusaders. In a matchup fueled by bitter hostility, both teams looked to wipe the diamond with their FCIAC foes.

            The Trinity-Darien rivalry apparently dates back to last November, when the Blue Wave football team defeated the Crusaders on a last-ditch Hail Mary touchdown pass caught by junior Nick Lombardo. Friday’s game was said to have been a continuation of the conflict, as tensions supposedly ran high between the two teams all game long.

            According to junior second-baseman Brendan Donohue, “emotions rose to a breaking point after the Trinity catcher spat on senior outfielder Nick Petitte”. The 6^th inning saw a near-brawl erupt, with players from both sides having to be restrained by coaches and other team personnel.

            Darien luckily managed to get their revenge the very next inning, rallying to score 6 runs in the 7^th. Donohue racked up a hit, two walks, and a stolen base at the plate, raising his On-Base Percentage to a team-high .489 this season. Junior Cameron Smith had three hits and three RBIs while junior Andrew Nault pitched an absolute gem on the mound, capping off his third complete game this year with another win.

            Come check out Blue Wave Baseball take on their next opponent Danbury High School at home on May 1^st at 4:00!

Caption: Mackenzie Glavin has been just one Darien’s lights-out pitchers this season.

Athlete Profile: Lexie Perticone

By Cammie Lattimer

The Darien High School Girls Lacrosse Team is currently 8-1. Senior player Lexie Perticone has been on Varsity since post season her freshman year. She plays high attack and is a force to be reckoned with when she races towards goal. Lexie is attending Colby College in the fall where she will be playing lacrosse and field hockey. The BWSB took a closer look into the laxer lifestyle of Lexie Perticone.

BWSB: When did you first start playing lacrosse?

Lexie: I started playing lacrosse in elementary school, I think in 5^th grade.

BWSB: What is your favorite part about being on the Darien Girls Lax Team?

Lexie: I love having the opportunity to become friends with people in all different grades that I may not have met without lacrosse.

BWSB: What does a typical practice at DHS consist of?

Lexie: We start off practice by running a warm up lap and stretching. Then we usually move in to line drills (shuttles). After this we will do some field drills. Typically double teams, crease rolls, 3 v 2's, and clears from the goalie. After these drills we do set up offense and defense. And to end practice we will do free position shots and draw controls if it is the day before a game, and if not we will do some sort of conditioning.

BWSB: What made you decide you wanted to continue playing lacrosse at Colby?

Lexie: Well I always knew that I wanted to play lacrosse in college, and that I wanted to pick a school because of the school itself and not just the lacrosse team, and Colby was a perfect fit in all aspects. I love that it is a small liberal arts school in a competitive athletic conference. To top it off it is all the better that I have the opportunity to play the two sports that I love; field hockey and lacrosse, and I will not be forced to pick just one.

BWSB: What did you like about Colby’s lacrosse program?

Lexie: When I first went to visit Colby and I met with the lacrosse coach I left the meeting thinking to myself that this is the kind of coach that I would love to play for and this is the kind of team that I aspired to be on. Not only are the girls on the team people that I would love to be friends with, but they share the same love for the sport and desire to win as I do. Colby has yet to win a Division III national Championship, but every year they have been getting closer and closer, and I would love to be a part of the first Colby Women's Lacrosse team that wins a national title.

BWSB: What are your hopes for your last season at DHS?

Lexie: I hope that we win FCIACS and States!!!

The next DHS Girls Lacrosse game will be home on Tuesday April 30^th vs. Trumbull at 4pm.

Photo Caption: Lexie is decked out in blue wave lax attire as she warms up before a game.

Photo Credit: Darien Times/ Steven Buono photo

Athlete Profile: Caylee Waters

By Bailey Swiggett

Senior Caylee Waters has been the starting goalie for Darien’s Varsity Girl’s Lacrosse Team all four years of her high school career.  She started playing lacrosse in 6^th grade and made the switch to goalie in 7^th grade. When asked how she chose the position of goalie Caylee said, “I became goalie in 7^th grade after Mr. Hardison and other coaches persuaded me to take a try at it.”

When asked how her lacrosse career has been Caylee said, “Awesome! I’ve had a great experiences, there's been some ups and downs with wins and losses but overall I’ve enjoyed playing for the Darien”

The girls are off to a great start with an 8-1 record. “I think this has been our best season yet in my past three years, we’ve only had one loss to Garden City and we just came off of the big win from New Canaan which is huge and we are looking forward to continuing this momentum in order to win FCIAC and states.”

Next year Caylee will be playing goalie at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Caylee said that her expectations for the next year are, “to have a great time and make the best out of this opportunity as a Tar Heel!”  

Come watch Waters in action at the team's next scheduled home game tomorrow at 4 p.m. vs. Trumbull. 

Darien Varsity Tennis Beats New Canaan

By Juliette Dixon and Maeve Tierney

For the first time in five years, the Darien High School Girls’ Varsity Tennis team beat its rival, New Canaan. 

The No 1. player, and captain, DHS Senior Jenna Murray dominated, winning 6-3 and 6-1. Fellow captain and Senior Sarah Alptekin played doubles with Catherine Hatfield and won 6-1, 6-2.

The Darien Times reported coach Davin Gebauer saying, “(it’s) more important for our two seniors, It’s been a long time since beating NC!”

For these seniors, it was their teams first time beating the Rams. The girls previously lost to Wilton and Greenwich, so this win is huge.

The team's next match is tomorrow against Trinity Catholic at 3 p.m. at Scalzi Park.

Photo Caption: Senior Jenna Murray in focus. Photo Credit: Darien Times.

Girls JV Tennis Takes on New Canaan

The girls played a tough game, but could not pull out a win over New Canaan

By Caroline McKay

 On Thursday, April 25^th at 3:30 pm the Girls JV Tennis team had a match against New Canaan at Cherry Lawn Park in Darien. The Darien girls played hard, but were unable to beat New Canaan, a strong team. Sophomore Morgan Savage says, “We all gave it our best, and played well considering we haven’t practiced since before break.” Come support the Girls Varsity Tennis team play Stamford High School Monday, April 29^th at 4:00 pm at Stamford High School.

Photo caption: Sophomores Charlotte Pik, Madeleine Dostal, Cate Connery, freshman Abbie Meuller, and sophomore Morgan Savage enjoy a break between matches.

Cardinals Hold Off Wave, But Tide Rising

By Matt Brown

               This past Wednesday April 25^th Blue Wave Baseball battled the Greenwich Cardinals and fell to them three runs to none. The loss is the team’s second consecutive, but is a fairly positive sign in comparison to the squad’s Monday loss to the New Canaan Rams, in which the Rams walked up and over the Wave to finish with a 16 to 2 victory. The Wave is now 4-6 looking to stride towards and above .500.

               Wednesday’s loss for the Wave was the polar opposite of their Monday defeat. On Monday the story was fielding incompetence, while Wednesday was a testament to the skill level of Greenwich. In particular, the star of the show was Cardinal ace senior Ryan Marks. Marks was, as they say in the dish washing world, filthy. He threw a complete game shut out from the rubber with great command of his fastball and a changeup that looked like he was throwing a wiffleball. He epitomized efficiency, but to little fault of the Darien batters.

Blue Wave hitters like juniors Bobby Fitzpatrick and Cameron Smith were able to work 10 plus pitch at bats against Marks but he remained unshaken. When Darien got runs on base, Marks threw the pitches to get himself out of the jam. He finished throwing only 86 pitches through 7 innings.

For Darien, senior Liam Naughton answered Marks’ bell and threw a gem right back at Greenwich. After getting touched up for 3 runs in the first inning Naughton settled in to put up donuts for the next 6 innings. The significance of this start for both Naughton and Blue Wave cannot be overstated, the Greenwich Cardinals have one of the most experienced and powerful lineups in the FCIAC and to hold them to just three runs means to have given a tremendous effort.

Unfortunately for the Blue Wave, Naughton’s performance was slightly outmatched by Marks’. The Wave mustered up two hits from Nick Pettit and Daly Hebert. Hopefully, the boys can built of off this pitching duel and grab a win this Friday at Trinity Catholic.

Girls Softball "Heals Teal" with a Big Win

Darien softball takes a win over Trinity Catholic to benefit ovarian cancer

By Sarah Cattano

On Friday, April 26, Darien Softball hosted their "Heal Teal" benefit game. The team collected money during school throughout the day for the Cancer Research Fund. Junior Julia Domiziano was eager to discuss the cause and encouraged students to attend the game, saying, "we'll be 'passing the hat' around at the game if anyone wants to place donations in while we play." Domiziano and the softball team as a whole is enthusiastic about the game and their season, saying, "We've had a solid season so far. Erika Osherow has been an amazing pitcher and we're really excited about what's to come."

Blue Wave Softball took a big win over Trinity Catholic in the Friday game, with a score of 10-0. Come support the girls this coming Monday, April 29th at their game against Staples in Westport!

Photo caption: The team is all smiles in teal after their dominating win

Blue Wave Softball: Darien 3, New Canaan 0

By Juliette Dixon and Maeve Tierney 

The Girls Softball Team took on New Canaan Monday (4/22) at Darien’s Softball field. The Darien versus New Canaan softball game was highly anticipated and both schools have been preparing for it. The rivalry between the two schools is very heated and this game was nothing short of it! The two teams had great pitching with Darien’s sophomore Erika Osherow. Osherow was able to beat Cydney Ventura of New Canaan. Osherow was able to not let any of the New Canaan Rams score. She also hit a home run, which gave the Darien girls their first point.

Then sophomore Keli Reyes hit an RBI double that earned Darien another point leading 2-0, Darien.  Senior captain, Brittany Osborne's also hit an RBI double. Osherow only allowed one hit while striking out 12!

Check out their next game at on Friday, April 26^th at DHS at 4! Varsity will be playing against Trinity Catholic. 

Caption: Osherow really stepped up this game; only allowed one hit while striking out 12 batters!

Taylor Cockrill: Boys Volleyball Team Manager

By Katrina Vassell

As co-manager of the Boys Volleyball team senior Taylor Cockrill does much more than record stats during games and practice. Cockrill plays against the team in preparation for games as a way to help the boys practice. She also feels that her encouragement and dedication to the team is a great way to thank coach Ms. Laurie LaRusso for teaching her how to play on the Girls Varsity Volleyball team. While Cockrill feels a great deal of responsibility for the boys' triumphs and struggles, she feels that helping the team rebuild for the season is extremely rewarding. "I really hope I fan help the boys get to where they want to go for a successful season," Cockrill said. Caption: Taylor Cockrill thinking of plays for the game

DHS Students Prepare for Annual Dodgeball Tournament - Bring It!!!

By Edward Pankowski

DHS students have recently become informed about the dodgeball tournament, to be held on Monday the 29th at DHS, and many are excited about the opportunity to compete in one of the most played sports in high schools throughout the country. Junior Jake Price said, “I really like the idea of a dodge ball tournament.” Junior Julia Hodenfield said, “I think everyone who participates will have a good time, and who doesn’t like dodge ball, really?” Excitement abounded for the event as students organized teams and competed for the top athletes in the school. Colton Appleby, coordinator of dodge ball tournament, said he believed the tournament would be a significant boon for the community council, which organizes the event. “We have a police officer team, and we may have a team of teachers. I just wish more people knew about it so they could participate.” The winners of the tournament will receive free tickets, courtesy of the community council, to the Skate and Surf Festival featuring Timeflies. The opportunity to compete against your friends is sure to draw further intrigue and participation as we get closer to the Friday, April 26th signup date and the tournament itself on Monday, April 29th.

Pictured: Are you the best dodgeball player in the school? Many teams are expected to compete for Skate and Surf tickets and other prizes this coming Monday. Not a player?  Come watch the controlled mayhem and cheer them on!

Coach Brameier’s Reflection

By Marielle Ravosa

The Darien Boys Lacrosse team lost to Yorktown (11-5) this past Saturday (4/20) on Darien High School’s stadium turf. Unfortunately, this made the team’s record fifty-fifty as the team has now lost four games and won four games. The boys previously lost to New Canaan (9-4) as well as Manhasset (10-9) and Niskayuna (14-9).

Darien’s varsity lacrosse coach, Jeff Brameier, shared his feelings regarding the team’s performance. "Our program has been on such a run since 2005. We are expected year in and year out to compete and win these type of games," he told the Stamford Advocate. "It's been a long time to look at this point on the calendar and see four losses in our record. I'm not used to it. The kids aren't used to it. The town isn't used to it. With reputation comes pressure. We always get our opponent's best effort."

Brameier later alluded to positioning issues. "We made crucial mistakes. This year our lineup has questions. We have two sets of attackmen and two sets of midlines we're looking at. We're playing a freshman on defense. This group is still searching for its niche,” he said.

All in all, sports are a learning process. "Our staff needs to teach more. We need to make adjustments. We have to keep working. We will get the chance to right the ship," Brameier said.

Be sure to watch the boys play Staples at 5:30 pm on Tuesday (4/23) at Staples Stadium.

Caption: Coach Brameier is upset by the loss.

Best MLB Performances to Start this Season

By Stephen Barston

The Major League Baseball season may have just gotten underway, but there are certain players who have begun on a hot streak (to say the least). Here’s my list of the top performances to start the baseball season, with some key stats as well.

**ALL STATS ARE AS OF MONDAY**

John Buck (Mets): Buck has been hitting at a torrid pace so far, coming out of nowhere this year. He is hitting 54 points above his career average (currently at .290). He also has 7 homeruns in 17 games, on pace to destroy last season’s total of 12 homeruns in 106 games. Buck has been one of the key reasons that the Mets are (surprisingly) above .500 and only 3.5 games behind the scorching Braves for first place in the NL East standings

Chris Davis (Orioles): Davis performed incredibly well last season, but amazingly enough, he might outdo himself this year. He is currently tied for second in the MLB with 21 RBIs and is only one back of the lead. Most surprisingly, though, is Davis’ incredible .403 batting average, second-highest for any player in the majors with more than 50 at-bats. The Orioles need production from all of their players in order to win the AL East, but Davis has single-handedly catapulted Baltimore into third in the standings, only 2 games behind the Red Sox for first.

Justin Upton (Braves): The Braves outfield looked to be a formidable force entering the year, but not many people felt like Justin Upton would be the star of the group. Upton has undoubtedly been the MVP of the short season thus far, always seeming to hit a bomb or drive in some runs when needed. He seems to be avenging his down year in 2012, batting .299 with 9 homers (league leader) and propelling the Braves into first place, as well as helping them attain the best record in the bigs.

Coco Crisp (PICTURED) (Athletics): For now, just ignore the fact that his name sounds like a delicious breakfast cereal. In all seriousness, Coco Crisp has been tearing it up so far for the A’s. Oakland is only a half-game out of first place in the AL West, mainly due to Crisp’s consistency at the plate and in the field. So far, he has 5 homers already and is batting a crisp (pardon the pun) .328. He is on pace to set new career highs in homeruns and RBIs and hasn’t made an error yet out in center field.

Photo Credit: codygoodwin.blogspot.com

Athlete profile: Christian Ostberg

by Annabel Schneider

Freshman Christian Ostberg has been playing golf since he was four or five and this year he is excited to be playing on Darien’s Boys Varsity Golf Team. When asked how he got into golf Christian said, “My dad played and it was just kind of a family activity.”

“I like golf because it is a challenge and it is very rewarding to succeed,” Ostberg said.

This year Christian’s personal goal is to shoot a couple of rounds under par. As a team he hopes to win the state championship.

Christian started off the season with an injury. He could not play for the first week but fortunately was able to play in the first match. “I slowly got back in and was ready for our first match. I was a little rusty in the beginning, but I got it back.” Christian shot a 37 and Darien won the match. Darien has had one other match and won that one as well. Blue Wave Golf has a busy week with a match today (4/22), Wednesday (4/24), and Thursday (4/25). Make sure to check out the sports blog to continue to follow Christian and the rest of the golf team.

Blue Wave Baseball: DHS defeats Central = two game winning streak

By Ahmed Mustafa

            After snapping its three game losing streak on Wednesday, with a decisive victory over Bassick  High School 18-0, Darien High School Baseball was primed to defeat another Bridgeport team, Central HIgh School.

On the mound was junior Andrew Nault. Nault hadn’t made a start in over 10 days when he threw a complete game shutout against Westhill, but he made a relief appearance on April 15th, when Darien lost to Trumbull.

Nault looked sharp at the very beginning, but on the top of the second inning Central scored on a controversial play. With two outs and two men on base, both runners stole bases. Catcher senior Jack Travers made an attempt to get the batter out, but the throw went to the outfield. Both runners ran, but LF senior Tommy Dimaurio threw the ball at  third base, getting the batter out, but the umpire said the runner scored before the play.

Now down 1-0, DHS had to get the offense going, and  junior Bobby Fitzpatrick came through with a clutch RBI double. In the bottom of the third, junior Brendan Donahue hit a big RBI triple, giving Darien the lead. That’s all Nault needed, pitching a complete game, giving up only 1 run, with 4 strikeouts. DHS defeated Central 3-1.  Nault was pleased with his start.

“Good, arm wasn’t sore at all, I felt loose, it was easy. My fastball was good, I was really pounding it in,”Nault said.

Captain senior Andrew Maley was very pleased with the team's performance. He also spoke about his offense's struggles at the plate and the transition to switching positions from 3B to 1B:

“Solid win all  the way around: (the team) played good defense, had clutch hits, put it together a little bit, (which resulted in a) good win." As for Maley's own prospects: "I’m probably going to end up playing more 1B to make the defense a little better," he said.

As mentioned before, junior Brendan Donahue came up big with his clutch RBI triple to give DHS the lead. I asked him on his approach to the plate.

“I was just trying to take it the other way. He threw me a fastball - kind of middle of the zone outside  - I just took it where he pitched it,” Donahue said

Coach Mike Scott was overall very happy about the game.

“We beat a tough team. We beat a team that has beaten a couple of tough teams in this league. Great win for these boys, terrific team effort. Obviously we got a tremendous effort by Andrew on the mound, (he) threw a great game, and we backed him up with the defense, and that was the key in this game.”Coach Scott said.

Now Coach Scott’s team is on a two game winning streak and looks to take it from there with great pitching, improved defense, and solid offense.

Come catch the Blue Wave at its next game TODAY at 4 p.m. against New Canaan at Mead Park or 4 p.m. Wednesday at Greenwich. 

Pictured: Nault on the mound. Photo credit J. Gregory Raymond dariennewsonline

Baseball: Darien Loses to Top Seed

By Ahmed Mustafa

With students at Darien High School off to spring break, DHS had a big baseball game against the top seed in Fairfield County, Trumbull. On the mound was the ace of the staff, senior Mackenzie Glavin, who got unlucky last time, taking the loss against Ridgefield after going 5 innings 4 runs (1 run earned) and 4 strikeouts. How would Darien do against the top seed?

Glavin looked sharp in the first 2 innings, but then struggled in the top of the 3rd. With runners on 1st and 2nd, Glavin got a ground ball to end the inning, but an error was made, so the inning continued. Trumbull took advantage of the opportunity, and broke the game open scoring 4 runs.

From there on, Trumbull had the game, as Darien was quiet offensively. DHS had many opportunities to make the game close, but they failed, going 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position. DHS lost 5-1. However, one bright thing about the game was junior Andrew Nault coming in, pitching 2 scoreless innings. He was happy the way he pitched.

“ I felt good. I haven’t pitched in a week, so it felt good to come out” Nault said. Though senior captain Andrew Maley didn't comment, Glavin spoke to his dissatisfaction. After going 5 innings, 5 runs, (1 earned) he believes he can do better. “Tough loss; Trumbull is a good team though, so you have to give them credit. I felt pretty good, my stuff was there," said Glavin.

 Coach Scott still believes in his players. “ We played a pretty good team, but at the same time we were a play or 2 away from being in a one run ball game. You have to tip your cap to Trumbull, they had a couple big 2 out hits that scored 2 runs each, they put a couple of good at bats together and that was the difference in this ball game" said Scott.

Darien is now in a 3 game losing streak, and is now 2-4 right now in the regular season. Now, with the tough schedule gone, Darien has to start swinging the bat, in order to make this season matter.

Baseball: Glavin pitches Darien to first victory

By Ahmed Mustafa

The wait is over; Darien High School finally played their first game of baseball, a battle against New Fairfield on a cold Friday afternoon on April 5th. Senior Mackenzie Glavin took the mound after a year of experience in varsity last year going 2-3, ERA 1.86, striking out 28 batters. With the a lineup made up of 8 out of 9 players new to varsity this year, how would they do on their first game? 

The offense got hot at the very 1^st  inning, when DHS scored 2 runs, including an RBI single from Senior Nick Petit. In the bottom of the 2^nd, Junior Brendan Donahue hit an RBI single, giving Darien a 3-0 lead. Glavin got a little shaky in the top of the 4^th inning, giving up 2 runs, but then struck out 2 batters to get out of bases loaded threat. In the bottom of the 4^th, Petit came through again, hitting a 2 RBI double, scoring 2 runs, giving DHS a 5-2 lead. Glavin was done after the 5^th inning, going 5 innings, giving up 3 runs, striking out 4 batters. 

Junior Luke Mangan came in to make his varsity debut, going 2 innings, giving up 2 runs, but closed out the game, giving Darien its first victory of the season with a score of 7-4. Glavin was pleased over his start.

“It was good, nice to get the first win out of the way; the team came up big with clutch hits, so overall a great Win.”-Glavin Said

Mangan was a little shaky, but still very effective, and closed the game for DHS. He was still satisfied with his appearance.

“ I thought I was good, I was a little nervous and I was shaking because it was my varsity debut, but things slowly went my way, and I finished the game, which all that matters. Mack did really good, got the first Win and there is a reason why we call him captain” Mangan said.

The offense did come up big, led by Petit and his 3 RBIs. He was happy with the results.

“It was good, got some big and clutch hits to help the team win, Mack was really good, he led the team to victory today, he’s our ace," said Petit.

Overall, DHS baseball team is off to a good start winning in their home opener, and hopefully the team will  take off from here with more wins.

Best Dunks of the NBA Season

By Stephen Barston

The dunk may be one of the most exciting plays in all of sports. The sheer difficulty level alone makes it impressive, but when an unsuspecting defender gets put on a poster, it’s even better. As this NBA season draws to a close, we celebrate the year that has been jam-packed with nasty jams… here are some of my favorites (in no particular order):

Jeff Green Dunk on Chris Bosh

Absolutely incredible. Consider the fact that this man is one year removed from heart surgery and can still dunk all over perennial All-Star Chris Bosh; meanwhile, you and I can barely grab the net and pull ourselves up (if we’re lucky). By the way, you’ll probably be seeing a lot of Jeff Green on this list.

Jeff Green Dunk on Al Jefferson

I feel terrible for Al Jefferson here. When he sees Green going up, he tries to duck down and make sure he doesn’t make the highlight reel for all the wrong reasons. Jeff Green has none of it and makes sure every fan sitting at home feels the same embarrassment Al Jefferson just felt.

Byron Mullens Dunk on LaMarcus Aldridge

Not going to lie, I had no idea who Byron Mullens was before I saw this dunk. Honestly though, who cares? DID YOU SEE THAT DUNK? The rebound off the jumper turns into the full-speed slam on top of the innocent LaMarcus Aldridge (who was just trying to take a charge); it’s simply incredible.

DeMar Derozan Dunk on Timofey Mozgov

Timofey Mozgov is honestly hoping that something like this never, ever happens again. Why can’t we respect him already? The man has been through enough in his NBA career, so why don’t we just get off his back. No matter what, DeMar Derozan is a straight-up beast. His mind was on the basket the entire time and he didn’t even think twice about stuffing it right on top of Mozgov. I wish I could do that.

Jamal Crawford Alley-Oop to Blake Griffin

As incredible as this Blake Griffin dunk is, I honestly give most of the credit to Jamal Crawford here.  Through the legs, over the head, without looking… he prepared the toast and Blake applied the jam! Lob City remains the best team for dunks in the league, and this is the proof right here.

Harrison Barnes Dunk on Nikola Pekovic

Nikola Pekovic—why would you step in the way of a man running full-speed down the lane, ready to put you on a poster (ahem)? Harrison Barnes saw the open path to the basket on this back-door cut, and took it from there. Enough said.

LeBron James Dunk on Jason Terry

Jason Terry was pronounced dead at the scene. Plus, during the game, I’m almost positive that #RIPJasonTerry was trending on Twitter. The buildup to this dunk was tantalizing: no-look pass after no-look pass, Jason Terry tracking back and forth, never suspecting that the King would simply fly over him and throw down. Our prayers go out to the Terry family at this time.

DeAndre Jordan Dunk on Brandon Knight

So with this dunk, the word “knighted” officially became a basketball term. I think we all associate the high-flying Lob City with Blake Griffin, but with this jam, DeAndre Jordan made himself a contender for best dunker on the Clippers. The way he simply bumped Brandon Knight out of the way and the ferocity of the alley-oop—just amazing.

Caption: DeAndre Jordan shows us his dunkface

JV Girls Tennis Update

By Holly Gordon

Girls JV tennis team started the spring season with a match against Greenwich High School this past week on Wednesday, April 3^rd at Greenwich’s Binney Park at approximately 4:00pm. Overall, Darien lost 2-8. Conditions were not ideal for the girls’ match on Wednesday. Strong winds and slightly colder temperatures did not make play easy for both teams.

In Darien tennis history, Greenwich High School has been a very strong team and every year, both Darien boys and girls tennis teams have found them hard to beat. In the past, both girls varsity and junior varsity have rarely won against Greenwich High School.

Despite the poor conditions and difficult competition, Darien did well, winning two matches, against Greenwich. One of the two victorious Darien doubles teams was sophomore Elizabeth Moore and freshman Emma Weinberg.

“I think we did really well based on the weather. It was our first match and it was good start to the season,” Moore said.

In addition to Wednesday’s match, the girls JV team determined this year’s captains. The entire team voted junior Kiki Martin and sophomore Elizabeth Moore captains for this spring.

Support the JV girls tennis team and attend their next match on Monday, April 8^th at 4:00pm at Weed Beach in Darien!

Caption: Past DHS Girls Varsity player, Lonneke Eenkema van Dijk, competes against rival Greenwich High School. 

Girls Golf: Undefeated After Two

By: Courtney Kyritz

Last Wednesday (4/3), the Girls Varsity Golf Team had its first match of the season against Fairfield Ludlow. The girls started out the season with a bang, having one of their lowest differentials at the Smith Richardson public golf course in Fairfield. Senior Captain Izzy Lee led the team shooting a 46 in very tricky condition. The wind was brutal as well as the inconsistent greens, making it difficult for the girls to gauge just about everything. 

Although their scores were not ideal, the girls managed to start the season on a good note winning their math with a score of 206 (Darien) to 235 (Ludlow). Neirad talked with Lee about how they played she said, “Yesterday [the match] went well. It is nice to see that everyone has improved since last year and I am really looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish during the rest of the season.”

The girls continued their streak as they won their second math against Ridgefield last Thursday (4/4). They will face tough competition on Monday (4/8) as they battle Greenwich at Weeburn Country Club.

Caption: Sophomore Juliana Lee teeing off on the 6^th Hole. 

Vote for the Darien Girls Golf Team for Overtime Team of the Week!
http://blog.ctnews.com/overtime/2013/04/06/opening-8-vote-for-the-overtime-team-of-the-week/

Title: Athlete Profile: Ali Aparicio - Softball Captain

By Maeve Tierney

 The rigorous Girls Softball program at Darien High School produces incredible female athletes. This season Senior Ali Aparicio is one of the captains.

Her goal for the team this season is to prove a point: That they can succeed, even after losing many seniors. “We lost a lot of amazing players this year, and there have been rumors that our program won’t be as good this year. We’re hoping to show everyone that we’re still one of the best teams in the league!”

Aparicio described that the rewards and pros of being captain of the team outweigh the cons. “You have to relate to all the girls on the team and see all the sides to every problem; it’s difficult to be impartial sometimes, but you have to reserve judgement. The captains set the tone for the team, so we have to be very careful not to complain.”

Aparicio plays left field, which she started playing around fourth or fifth grade. Since then Aparicio has stuck with softball because of the friendships she made on her teams and the welcoming atmosphere of the softball program.

Her favorite part of the game is being in the outfield and catching fly balls. “It’s a part of the game that never gets old- making an amazing catch and hearing everyone cheer is a great feeling!” However Aparicio has always thought about trying to play catcher.

Next year Aparicio is off to Princeton University, where she will not be playing softball. She may play intramural or club though. Keeping up the sport there would be extremely time consuming as it is D1.

Aparicio’s advice for young girls starting out playing softball or any female athletes is to, “Make sure you work during the offseason! I guarantee that your sport will have some opportunities for you to get in shape and stay active during times when you would otherwise be on the couch.  Softball, at least, goes full throttle right from the beginning of the regular season.”

Her own goals for this season entail staying healthy. Aparicio also plays basketball,  and as the season ends directly prior to softball beginning, it can hard. This back to back intensity can take a toll on any athlete, so Aparicio focuses on not getting run down or injured.

Support the girls softball team on April 10th as it takes on Ridgefield!

Photo Caption: Aparicio makes a catch out in left field.

            Credit: Stamford Advocate

March Madness Final Four: Power Rankings

By Justin Yang

After thrilling two weeks of unanticipated upsets, rise of Cinderella teams, and clutch three-pointers, it’s now down to the remaining four survivors.  Who will go to the championships and eventually take home the trophy?

Louisville Cardinals

As the only first seed remaining, the Cardinals are the favorite to advance to the championships knocking out Wichita State, but can they live up to the expectations? 

Strengths: The team’s key strength is its backcourt duo consisting of Peyton Siva, who is averaging 5 assists per game (second in the league), and Russ Smith, who is averaging 26 points per game (first in the league).  Both players have led their team on a rampage in which the Cardinals won by an average of 21.7 points over the four games.  With explosive center, Gorgui Deng added to this duo, it’s hard to see the Shockers with the ticket to the Georgia Dome.

Weaknesses: So far Louisville’s biggest weakness will be the loss of key player, Kevin Ware who has suffered a gruesome injury against the Blue Devils last Sunday.  Although the Cardinals lost one of its key players, the team was able to use their emotions to fuel themselves in their win against the Blue Devils.  If the Cardinals can use this emotional edge of trying to win a national title for Ware, they may be able to overcome this disadvantage.

Wichita State Shockers

The ninth seed Shockers are the Cinderella team of this year’s tournament, being able to surpass the first seed Gonzaga and the second seed Ohio State, but will they be able to shock the Cardinals?

Strengths: Led by Cleanthony Early and Malcolm Armstead (both averaging around 15 points per game), the Shockers will have to mainly rely on their tough defense to shut down the Cardinal duo and dominate the paint and glass.

Weaknesses: The Shockers’ biggest weakness would be scoring.  Although Armstead and Cleanthony are putting up some points, the team lacks a consistent go-to shooter.  For example, against Aaron Craft and the Buckeyes, Armstead shot only 6-of-21 and it won’t get any easier against Louisville.

Cardinals vs. Shockers

Overall, the Cardinals have the advantage as long as its players play up to their expectations and use the emotional edge of the loss of Ware to propel themselves.  Although there’s a high chance for the first seed to win, if the Shockers can slow down the Cardinal’s offense and block them from driving to the basket, it’s anybody’s ball game.  After all, this is the NCAA and anything can happen.

Michigan Wolverines

The fourth seed Wolverines go head-to-head with another fourth seed in their semi-finals game.  Will Trey Burke be able to lead the Wolverines to the championships?

Strengths: The Wolverines’ biggest strength is their star guard, Trey Burke who may be the best player in the NCAA as he averages 15.5 points per game (third in league) and 7.8 assists per game (first in league).  Backed up with key players such as Tim Hardaway Jr. and Mitch McGary, the Wolverines have a good chance of beating the Orange with their overwhelming offense. 

Weaknesses: Although the Wolverines may have a remarkable offense, the team lack in defense.  This team is missing an elite rim-protector, struggles with defensive rebounds, and lacks in perimeter defense.  Michigan is also notorious for its small lineup this year, which is the main reason why the defense isn’t sturdy.

Syracuse Orange

A match of two opposites, will the Oranges’ resilient defense be enough to overcome the Wolverine’s aggressive offense?

Strengths: The Orange will mostly rely on their defense as their 2-3 zone has been effective in hindering opponent shooters all throughout the tournament.  The Orange have only allowed an average of 45.7 points per game.

Weaknesses: The biggest downfall for the Orange will be their offensive guard play.  The two guards, Michael Carter-Williams and Brandon Triche are able to play at an elite level, which can make for a deadly combo, but the main problem is the consistency.  If these two can play to their full potential, they can win it all for Syracuse, but if they check out then bye-bye Orange.

Wolverines vs. Orange

This will be a very competitive matchup and one to look forward to.  With two teams both at the fourth seed and each team being complete opposites in their strengths and weaknesses.  It all comes down to which team can break down their opponent and if each team’s key players are checked in.  Burke will be the key to Michigan’s win, while Carter-Williams and Triche must lead the Cuse.  If I had to choose between the two, I would pick Syracuse since defense is usually the key to winning a game (to shut down Burke in this case), but both teams will be neck-to-neck and this will be a worthwhile game.  

Sources:

thescoresheet.wordpress.com, nunesmagician.com, straighthoops.com, tmblr.com