Freshmen Football Beats NC

By Ford Thompson
On Thursday November 20, freshman football won their final game of the season making them the first frosh ball team in five years to go undefeated! "It felt great!" said cornerback Lucas Thompson, "even though it's frosh ball and not many people care about it, it meant something to us."

The game started off with The Rams receiving the ball first, but on the fourth play of the game, Ethan Dewbrey intercepted the ball on a pass. Darien was then stuck at a certain point in the field until Nick Green launched a big pass to Tanner Strub and put Wave in a scoring position.
Max Grant scored the first two touchdowns and Andrew Darby scored the third right before half time.  The game was one to remember because of the team’s new record; giving this freshman team a sense of notoriety and pride. Congrats Boys!

The offense in a huddle.

The Plaque is Back: Blue Wave Field Hockey Wins Class L State Title for Third Year in a Row

By Mary Brown
On Saturday November 15th, the Blue Wave Field Hockey team fought hard through a double overtime battle to tie Glastonbury, the number one seed and walk away as co-champions. The CIAC rules state that if the score is a tie after the sixty minute regulation time, the teams continue on to a ten minute sudden death overtime when the first team to score wins the game. If the score is still a tie after the first overtime the game continues on to a second ten minute overtime. If the game is still a tie after the second overtime, the game remains a tie and the teams are co-champions, and that was the circumstance this past Saturday.

Most people who attended the game can agree that the score does not at all reflect the game that was played. Darien dominated most of the game, rarely letting it into their defensive half. At halftime, the score remained 0-0 and it was not until a few minutes into the second half when Glastonbury was able to score on a corner.

The Wave did not let up, and senior Kyla Johns was able to put one in on a corner to tie the game at 1-1. This was the first goal scored on Glastonbury all season, an amazing achievement for Darien. “Although it ended as a tie, the fact that we scored the first and only goal on them all season made it feel like more of a win for us” said junior Georgia Cassidy.

Through the total twenty minutes of overtime, the Blue Wave truly gave it all they had and left it all on the field. Junior Marissa Baker had a phenomenal game and was incredibly close to making a sliding tip assisted by Cassidy in the final seconds, but it just did not go their way.

The team is more than excited to bring the plaque back, making this the third Class L title in a row. The girls had an amazing season and with a final record of 15-4-1, they are nothing but proud of their final results.  

The team celebrates their championship title after the game. 

North Haven Leaves In A Trail of Tears

By Bridget Hannigan
Although the FCIAC Championship title hopes lay elsewhere in the state, Darien still had to win in order to qualify.  It was thought the other game would be a distraction, but the Blue Wave had only one thing in mind, and that was dominating the Indians.  This game was considered to be a state game, as both teams needed the win to advance to the state tourney.  Junior Shelby Grant opened up the game with a 78 yard run to make the score 7-0.  After a quick 3 and out by North Haven, Darien pounded the ball down the field, as Junior Timmy Graham connected with Junior Hudson Hammill for a 9 yard touchdown.  At the beginning of the second half, Senior Timmy Lochtefeld ran in for a two yard touchdown.  To add the the Indians pain, Junior Bobby Trifone intercepted North Haven for an 80 yard pick six.  The final score ended as 31-0, as the Darien's defense rarely allowed North Haven to advance into their territory.  Senior Timmy Lochtefeld said after the game, "A lot of people thought that we would be distracted by the St. Joe's and Brein McMahon game since that game determined weather or not we went went to the FCIAC Championship, but our minds were solely focused on North Haven, and the scoreline reflects that."

Junior Shelby Grant splits the North Haven defense.  ©DAF

Girls Cross Country Captains Announced for Next Year

By Caroline McKay
On November 12th, the Girls Cross Country team held its 39th end-of-season banquet. After one final pasta dinner and a smile-filled slideshow, the captains gave their speeches and the coaches handed out hard-earned awards. Finally, the 2015 season captains were announced. They are four are juniors who ran varsity this year: Kristen Mayhew, Sarah LeHan, Sammee Mazzone, and Nicole Caputo. The previous captains were completely unaware of who was voted until they were handed a slip of paper with the names on it to be read out loud.

"Our captains are always a surprise for us as well, and when I heard who they were I was thrilled. I think they really represent BWXC. They are motivated, passionate, committed, and willing to do what it takes to be successful. I'll definitely be keeping up to date with their season next year and I expect big things!" senior Anne Johnston, previous captain of the Cross Country team and captain of the Outdoor Track team, said. Senior Sam Savage, also a captain this past season, added, “All of them have awesome attitudes towards the team and they're all really dedicated which they showed through this season through their training and by being good teammates.”

According to senior Erica Osherow, who led the team this year, the girls are “not only amazing runners but also just great girls to lead the team.” Senior Kate Halabi highly approves of the girls who are taking over her position. “Although this year was Sammee Mazzone’s first season of XC, she brought speed and enthusiasm from Indoor and Outdoor Track,” Halabi said. “Sarah LeHan was a top 7 varsity runner this year, and competed in New England’s.” Nicole Caputo “improved a ton this season” and “brings energy to the team.” Kristen Mayhew was unable to run for most of the season, “but is a formidable track athlete,” Halabi said.

“I'm really excited to get to know some of the underclassmen better next year because we have some great potential. Everyone is so enthusiastic about the sport and that's what makes every practice worth going to! Next year is going to be another record breaking season for BWXC,” junior Kristen Mayhew said. Junior Sarah LeHan said she is “honored to be chosen as a leader of such a truly magnificent team.” Cross Country is a sport like no other in its sense of community. The fact that we so welcome everyone and create an environment that inspires both hard work and spontaneity attracts not only some of the nicest people but also the most fun.” On continuing the legacy, LeHan says she is “ecstatic” and “can’t wait to see what new—and newly improved returning—faces will add to our team.” She added, “we have high expectations” and “the training starts now!”
Best of luck to the Girls Cross Country team next season!

Seniors (left to right) Kate Halabi, Lindsey Holek, Erica Osherow, Sam Savage, and Anne Johnston stand with next year’s captains, (left to right) Nicole Caputo, Kristen Mayhew, Sammee Mazzone, and Sarah LeHan.

Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive and Dodge: DHS Dodgeball Tournament a Success

By Claire Borecki
On November 14th, the DHS student council held its annual dodge ball tournament, with solid attendance by many teams of all classes and genders. The enthusiasm of the teams was palpable, with whoops and cheers of support during every game. There were also many heated arguments with Mr. Buckley over false starts and mistakes in timing the games. Mr. Buckley always had the final say, but it was clear these teams were not going to accept losses too easily.

Team names were surprisingly creative, including but not limited to The Freshman Girls (who were all senior guys) R Kelly, White Goodman’s Leadership Academy, Auntie Fee’s Sweet Treats, Average Daddies (a pun on one of the team member’s nickname) and Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Costumes were spectacular (and intimidating), with spider-man outfits, all black muscle tees, all black with classy pink bandanas, and even Christmas-themed attire.

In the semifinals, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch played the Average Daddies while Auntie Fee’s played R Kelly. It was easy to see who dominated in these games, however, and it was no surprise when the finals came down to the Average Daddies vs. Auntie Fee’s. The final game was all male, with the Average Daddies all sophomores and Auntie Fee’s all upperclassmen. Maybe it was added age, testosterone or just plain talent, but Auntie Fee’s played their way (with several spectacular synchronized throws) to a victory. Senior and student council rep Katy Murphy commented, “It was a really great turnout with a lot of enthusiasm- and I hope Auntie Fee’s enjoys their concert tickets!”

One of the teams in action.

Historic Season Comes to an End for Boys Varsity Soccer

By Kyra Hammer
On Tuesday, November 11, the Boys Varsity Soccer team traveled to West Haven to take on Glastonbury. The Blue Wave started out really strong in the first half and the beginning of the second but started to lose steam after that. There were three goals throughout the whole game and they all belonged to Glastonbury. The goals were spaced out pretty evenly with the first goal being scored in the first half, the second at the beginning of the second half, and the third scored right at the end of the game. Junior and goalie Liam Rischmann was determined during the game and saved a lot of shots, however, three got past him. The boys did not give up and continued to fight to the end. Juniors Andrew Matthew and Hunter Kooyman, as well as seniors John Mackie and Henrik Stockinger were stand outs during this important game. Senior Kai Bjornstad, a key player for the team, was not able to play due to a last minute injury. The team has worked very hard this season and it has been reflected in their accomplishments. “The game doesn’t reflect the brilliant season we had. We broke records and made history and nothing and no one can take that away from us. I hope we earned the respect that the soccer program deserves. The team, managers, and fans were amazing and all played a big role in this season’s success”, said senior captain Henrik Stockinger.

A big shout out goes to the students who took the hour-long journey and attended the game. They came loud and proud with their homemade posters.  Unfortunately, Glastonbury won 3-0 and advances on to the Class LL finals. The boys definitely made Darien High School proud with an outstanding season. Good job boys!

Junior Liam Richmann saves a goal attempt in the semifinal game.  © The Stamford Advocate

Darien High School’s Girls Varsity Swim Team Wins the Class L State Championship

By Erinn Ravosa
Yesterday, November 12th, the Darien High School Girls Varsity Swim team took home the highest honor at their meet, which took place at Southern Connecticut State University. The Wave had to beat many other teams in order to achieve the win, such as New Canaan, Cheshire, Pomeraug, and Wilton. However, none of these competitors came close to the Wave’s overall score of 815.5 points. New Canaan came in second place with 570 points, Cheshire in third with 547 points, and Wilton in fourth with 477 points. These points show that the Wave clearly dominated the Class L Tournament, even it had 13 seniors graduate last year.

Reflecting back on the event, senior Courtney Ferreira said, “Going into the meet, we knew we were up against some really tough competition. Class L has a lot of really strong teams like New Canaan and Wilton, so we knew it wasn’t going to be an easy meet. Everyone swam really well last Saturday at trials, so we were just hoping to either stay on our times or improve them. Everyone did such a phenomenal job and our underclassmen really stepped up to the plate. One person who specifically had a really great swim was my co-captain Mackenzie Coughlin who went a 58 in the 100 butterfly.”

Come support DHS’ Girls Varsity Swim team at their next meet this Saturday, November 15th. It will take place at the Yale University pool at 7:30pm.

Captain: Captain Courtney Ferreira competes against a Wilton swimmer in the 500 yard freestyle event during the Class L girls swimming championship.

Captain Courtney Ferreira competes against a Wilton swimmer in the 500 yard freestyle event during the Class L girls swimming championship.   ©The Stamford Advocate

Blue Wave Field Hockey Rolls Into State Finals

By Mary Brown
On Tuesday, November 11th, the Blue Wave Field Hockey team took on New Milford in the battle of the waves: the Green Wave versus the Blue Wave. The Blue Wave came out on top, continuing onto the State Championship after a 1-0 win.

Eager to start the game off strong, the girls got three offensive corners in the first two minutes, but were unfortunately unable to capitalize. Without letting up, the offense kept attacking until junior Marissa Baker sent a ball to junior Hannah Mclane for the tip with five minutes to go in the first half.

Defensively, the Blue Wave was a wall all around the field and adapted quickly to New Milford’s “big ball” hitting game. Senior Kyla Johns did a great job getting her stick on the ball on the left side and not letting anything past her.

In the last thirty seconds of the game, New Milford was able to draw a corner, which, for those who are unfamiliar with the sport, is to be played out until the ball exits the circle regardless of whether or not the clock hits zero. Time ran out before the Green Wave even inserted the ball, leaving Darien with one final task of getting the ball out of the circle in order to walk off the field victoriously. The defensive corner unit including Baker, Johns, senior Kyra Fitzpatrick, sophomore Gabby Noto and junior goalie Kaeleigh Morrill cleared the ball out strong allowing the Blue Wave to advance to the final two.

“Everyone played a great game” said sophomore Kallie Coughlin. “If we play like this on Saturday, I have complete faith that we can win it all.”

Come support Darien, the seventh seed in the State Championship on Saturday, November 15th in Wethersfield (time TBA) as they take on Glastonbury, the number one seed for the Class L State title.

Sophmore Gabby Noto sends the ball into the circle.

Darien Football Beats Warren Harding To Remain Undefeated

By Britton Barthold
The Darien High School football team moved to 9-0 on the season after beating the Warren Harding Presidents by a score of 42-14. The two late touchdowns came at the hands of Darien’s backups, which mean the Darien defense has shutout both Wilton and Harding the past two weeks. The run game for the Blue Wave starred in this game, as both junior Shelby Grant (14 carries for 105 yards) and senior Peter Archey (15 carries for 135 yards and a touchdown) combined for 241 yards. Senior George Reed also served a big role in the offense; as he scored two touchdowns, adding his total to seven touchdowns in four games, with his longest carry being seven yards. Junior quarterback Tim Graham continued to improve, throwing for 157 yards while tossing three touchdowns. The stingy passing attack relied on short; quick passes, as the longest pass of the game went for 16 yards. Harding could not figure out how to combat the quick passing and hard running from the Blue Wave, which resulted in this high scoring affair. Junior standout Mark Evanchick led the way on defense, as he led the team in both total tackles and sacks (19 total sacks through the year). The Darien secondary shut down the Harding passing attack, as senior Charlie Travers picked one ball off while junior Tyler Grant grabbed his sixth interception of the day. With the win, Darien finished the season undefeated in FCIAC play, with the hopes of playing in the championship game, pending on the result between Brien McMahon and Saint Josephs. If Saint Joes is to win, Darien will play New Canaan for the FCIAC Championship on thanksgiving morning. Darien’s next game is Saturday, November 15th against state powerhouse North Haven in a rematch of last year’s classic win for the Blue Wave.

Senior Jack Feeley surveys the field during Saturday’s action at DHS Stadium

JV Football Dominates Harding

By Sam Hickey
Last Monday November 10th, the Darien junior varsity football team took on Harding with a strong 21 to 6 victory over the team from Bridgeport.

The Blue Wave played a strong game with 3 touchdowns scored over the entirety of the game. The first two were scored in the first half came from a rushing touchdown from Junior Lou Sanchez and the second came from a passing touchdown thrown from sophomore quarterback Brian Peters to fellow sophomore Quinn Fay. The Blue Wave were successful in the two point conversion after the prior PAT was missed, which put Darien with a solid 14 to 0 lead going into the half.

After half time Harding put together a successful drive that culminated in their first and only touchdown, they would later fail to execute the two-point conversion. After that the Blue Wave got right back in it and were able to score again off another rushing touchdown from Lou Sanchez and sophomore Dillon Jones was able to kick a successful PAT. The game ended with a final score of 21 to 6 in favor of the Darien Blue Wave.

When asked how he felt about his team’s performance, sophomore Cord Fox had this to say “Overall I think we played well, we got kind of sloppy as the game went on which let our opponent stay in the game for too long”.

Come support the team at their next game in North Haven at 5 pm on November 17.    

Sophomore quarterback Brian Peters looks down field    

Girls XC Team Races at 80th New England Interscholastic XC Championship Alongside Ostberg and Noonan

By Amanda Percarpio
On Saturday, November 8th, the Girls Cross Country team, Alex Ostberg, and Armstrong Noonan traveled to the New England Championship located in Manchester, Connecticut to race at Wickham Park for the third straight week in a row. Anne Johnston, Alex Ostberg, and Armstrong Noonan all individually qualified to race, while the Girls Cross Country qualified as a team to race. In order to qualify, the team needs to place in the top 6 at State Opens. The girls team placed 5th, making it only the fourth time ever in Darien High School history for the team to make it all the way to New England's.

 “It was amazing to have the opportunity to run at New England’s with some of the best athletes in the country,” said senior captain Kate Halabi. “The atmosphere of the race was exciting, and spurred us all to race hard and make it memorable.” The Darien team placed 18th out of 30 schools. Johnston ran a competitive race and placed 25th, beating the 26th runner by just milliseconds and earning herself a medal and a spot in the top 25. She ran a time of 19:19, which is a 6:14 mile pace.

Ostberg kept up his extraordinary streak, placing 1st overall with a time of 15:07, which is 4:53 mile pace. He won by a large margin, with the 2nd place person coming in 32 seconds after him. Noonan stepped up to the plate and came in 8th overall with a time of 16:01, which is a 5:10 mile pace.

While it may be the end of the cross country season for the girls, both Ostberg and Noonan will be running in the Northeast Regional Meet for Footlocker Nationals on November 29th. The meet will be held in Van Cortlandt Park in Bronx, New York. Ostberg has a solid shot at winning the race and Noonan has a good chance of placing in the top 10, which would qualify him for nationals in San Diego. Nationals takes the top ten from each of the four regions in the country: Northeast, South, Midwest, and West. Good luck to Ostberg and Noonan!

The Girls XC team with Armstrong Noonan (left) and Alex Ostberg (right) in the center.

Wave Ball Defense dominates Wilton on Halloween

By Britton Barthold

The Blue Wave Football team rolled into Wilton on Halloween night in a game that gave the Wave a big push in the FCIAC race. The Wave soundly defeated Wilton by a score of 41-0, highlighted by big offensive plays and shutdown defense.

            Dariens junior quarterback Tim Graham played his best game of the season, completing 82% of his passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. The run game had a major role in the scoring for the offense, as junior Shelby Grant and seniors Pete Archey and George Reed all had rushing touchdowns. Senior captain Griffin Ross led the way for all receivers, hauling in eight catches for 76 yards. The two touchdown receptions came from junior Hudson Hamill and senior captain Tim Lochtefeld.

            Senior defensive tackle Jack Tyrrell led the team in total tackles with nine, while junior Mark Evanchick led the team with three sacks. The defense limited the Wilton passing attack to 46 yards while also only allowing 2.1 yards a carry to the Wreckers.

            With the win, Darien just needs to beat Harding this coming weekend to go undefeated in FCIAC play. However, they also need Brien McMahon to lose to either Ridgefield or St. Joes to play for the FCIAC Championship.

The team before the Halloween night game.

Girls Volleyball Advances to State Semis with Win over Ridgefield

By Amanda Sload

The Girls Volleyball team carried forward its undefeated record this Saturday (10/8) with an exciting win over Ridgefield in the State Quarterfinals, 3 sets to 1 (25-13, 20-25, 25-16, and 25-19).

The girls got off to a quick start in the first set, advancing 5-0 with impressive serving from junior Anna Barsanti. The Tigers could not catch back up, and the Wave took the set with ease.
Ridgefield, however, came out strong in the second set, taking a lead early on. Although the Blue Wave came back to within two points, Ridgefield edged them out and took the set 25-20, the first set that Darien has lost in conference play this year.

Darien demonstrated its composure in the third set and bounced back from the dropped set. Although the set was tied 9-9, Darien took off and dominated the second half of the set, eventually taking it 25-13.

The Blue Wave did not let up in the fourth set and put away the Tigers 25-19. Captains senior Claire Naughton and junior Izzy Taylor led the team offensively throughout the game with 15 and 22 kills respectively.

Senior captain Celia Martzolf was pleased with the team’s performance: “Ridgefield put up a good fight, they really came out strong especially in the second set but we kept our focus and didn't let anything get into our heads,” said Martzolf.

The State Semi-finals will take place at Shelton High School on Thursday, November 13th at 6 PM versus Fairfield Ludlowe, whom the Blue Wave beat out for the FCIAC championship. Ludlowe is undefeated this season except for its losses to Darien.

“We're playing Ludlowe for the third time so I'm hoping we'll play as well as we have the last two times and hopefully make it to state championships,” Martzolf says. Support the girls on Thursday in what will be an exciting and important game.

Taylor and the Blue Wave celebrate after a point won during the FCIAC finals. After beating Ridgefield, Darien hopes to repeat its performance in the FCIAC finals against Ludlowe and move on to the state finals. (Credit: Connecticut Post)

Girls Soccer Dominates Newington in Three-Goal Thriller

By James Fox
Darien High School Girls Varsity soccer took on Newington High School on Tuesday for the first round of the state playoffs, and shut out their opponents 3-0.

Blue Wave started off strong with a solid control of the game, maintaining a majority possession of the ball.  Darien’s robust offensive strategy allowed multiple scoring opportunities, and about midway through the first half junior captain Katie Cronin fired a shot in the back of the net.  Shortly after, freshman phenom Enora Brown scored another for the Wave, making it 2-0 before the end of the half.

The team continued their successful play in the second half.  About 20 minutes into the half, Katie Cronin scored again with an amazing free-kick goal.  It was late in the game when the Blue Wave fell into some trouble, as Darien gave up 3 penalty shots, but freshman goalie Christine Fiore saved two and Glastonbury missed the third.

When asked about the game, senior Elizabeth Fucigna said, “I think we played well as a unit and finished when given good opportunities.  Christine’s amazing individual effort in saving 2 penalties was also key in our victory.  This game showed our ability to stay focused and not let the opponent back into the game, something we’ve struggled with in the past.”

The girl's team will be taking on Glastonbury away in the next round of states, looking to continue their playoff run.

Freshmen goalie Christine Fiore punting the ball downfield

Wave Soccer Wins First Game of the CIAC Tourney

By Anthony Dimeglio

Before the last bell even rang on Monday afternoon, Darien Soccer had started their first round CIAC game against Stamford High.  Not even thirty seconds into the game, Darien found themselves up 1-0 over Stamford on a nice corner kick to Junior Andrew Mathew who put the ball in the net.

Near the end of the half, Stamford was able to capitalize on a breakaway making the game 1-1.but near the 75th minute, Senior Johann Nottebohm had a shot on goal, which bounced out to Senior Kai Bjornstad who found the bottom left corner, giving Darien a 2-1 lead.

“It’s a lot of fun to play with a team that has this much chemistry.  We know that if one of us doesn’t play well, or we mess up, another player will have our back; and that’s simply what’s so special about this team,” senior captain Michael Maccarone said.  

Darien soccer has had a lot of success this season, after a rough start, and a tough loss to Norwalk in FCIAC’s; they look to bounce back and rally in the State tournament.

Junior Andrew Mathew takes a free kick