GOOD Morning Wilton features Wilton High School sports photos taken by Gretchen McMahon Photography, who shot all images unless otherwise noted. The WHS Athletic Department has provided results and updates, including write-ups from coaches, teams and boosters. Scores and results are also compiled from CIAC and FCIAC when available. Additional materials of interest can be submitted to GMW for consideration submitted via email.
The following report contains updates from the past two weeks (April 10-14 and April 16-22).
Message from the Athletic Director
Hello Warrior Nation!
April 10-14: We are about to finish the second week of the spring season and the Warriors are still going strong, improving the total varsity team record to 24-1. As we head into the upcoming Spring Break, our spring athletes will be hard at work competing at their chosen sport. Please come out and support our athletes. For those of you who are getting away for a few days, I wish you a safe and relaxing trip.
April 16-22: I hope everyone had a great week off. The weather is warming up and so are the Warriors. This coming week marks the halfway point of the season. Several of our teams are on the verge of qualifying for the CIAC tournament already. Let’s keep the positive energy going for our Warriors. The upcoming week will be a challenge for all our programs as we have a week full of other FCIAC teams. Please stay positive by not yelling at officials or the opposing team.
Go Warriors!
Here are our upcoming home games. Please remember these schedules are subject to change.
Wilton 2021-22 Athletic Events Schedule
Monday, April 25
- FR Baseball v. Stamford (Allen’s Meadow Baseball Diamond), 4 p.m.
- V Boys Tennis v. Danbury (WHS Tennis Courts), 4 p.m. Senior Day
- FR Girls Lacrosse v. Trumbull (Allen’s Meadow), 4 p.m.
- V Softball v. Stamford (Varsity Softball Field), 4:30 p.m.
- JV Softball v. Stamford (JV Softball Field), 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 26
- V Boys Tennis v. Bridgeport Central (WHS-Tennis Courts), 4 p.m.
- JV Girls Tennis v. St. Joseph (Middlebrook School Tennis Courts), 4 p.m.
- JV Boys Lacrosse v. Fairfield Ludlowe (Veterans Memorial Stadium), 4:30 p.m.
- V Boys Lacrosse v. Fairfield Ludlowe (Veterans Memorial Stadium), 7 p.m.
Wednesday, April 27
- V Boys Outdoor Track v. Fairfield Ludlowe (Veterans Memorial Stadium), 4 p.m.
- FR Girls Lacrosse v. New Canaan (Allen’s Meadow), 4 p.m.
- V Girls Outdoor Track v. Fairfield Ludlowe (Veterans Memorial Stadium), 4 p.m.
- V Baseball v. Staples (Varsity Baseball Field), 4:30 p.m.
- JV Baseball v. Staples (JV Baseball Field), 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 28
- JV Girls Golf v. Darien (Silvermine Golf Club), 3 p.m.
- JV Boys Tennis v. New Canaan (Middlebrook School Tennis Courts), 4 p.m.
- V Girls Tennis v. Westhill (WHS Tennis Courts), 4:30 p.m.
Friday, April 29
- FR Baseball v. Danbury (Allen’s Meadow Baseball Diamond), 4 p.m.
- V Softball v. Danbury (Wilton HS-Varsity Softball Field), 4 p.m.
Saturday, April 30
- JV Softball v. Danbury (JV Softball Field) 10 a.m.
- JV Boys Lacrosse v. Darien (Veterans Memorial Stadium), 4:30 p.m.
- V Boys Lacrosse v. Darien (Veterans Memorial Stadium), 7 p.m.
Baseball
Week of April 10-14
Friday, April 8: The Varsity team played Wright Tech at home. Freshman William Forgione threw a perfect game and gained the win over Wright Tech (11-0).
Saturday, April 9: Wilton 13, Pomperaug 2 — Tim Martin went all the way striking out eight. Cole Silvia had two hits including a double and a single. Sean Lengyel had an RBI double. Mike Fischetti had two hits including a triple and a single. Wilton goes to 3-0.
Monday, April 11: Wilton 8, Branford 3 — Silvia went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a single. Lengyel had a 3-RBI double. Fischetti had two hits including a double, a single and three RBIs. Lengyel got the win pitching six innings, striking out six. Max Jarvie pitched a scoreless seventh in relief. Wilton goes to 4-0.
Week of April 16-22
Monday, April 18: The Varsity baseball team visited the Norwalk Bears. Wilton 3, Norwalk 10 — Fischetti had two hits for Wilton. Lengyel took the loss for the Warriors.
Wednesday, April 20: Wilton 1, New Canaan 11 — Frischetti had two hits for Wilton. Jarvie took the loss for Wilton.
Thursday, April 21: The Warriors fell to Fairfield Warde, 1-2.
Friday, April 22: Wilton defeated Brien McMahon, 9-8.
Softball
Week of April 10-14
Taking the field for the first time in nearly a week due to rainouts, Warriors softball defeated New Fairfield 6-3 on Tuesday, April 12 to improve their record to 4-0. Sophomore pitchers Sadie Klyver and Grace DiBuono-Krafick combined for 11 strikeouts in the win. On offense, junior Jenna Soltis had a hit, two stolen bases, and a run scored; junior Avery Samai drew two walks and a run scored, and DiBuono-Krafick had three stolen bases and two runs scored.
Week of April 16-22
Thursday, April 14: Wilton Warriors softball traveled to Fairfield Warde for the opening game of the FCIAC schedule. Klyver and DiBuono-Krafick combined for seven strikeouts and allowed only one earned run, but the Warriors came up short by a score of 0-3.
Saturday, April 16: The Warriors traveled to DeLuca Field for the final non-conference game of the season against Stratford, winning 16-1. Samai led the offense with three hits and two home runs, including a grand slam, and nine runs batted in. Senior Brooke Bohacs also homered and had three RBIs on the day.
Monday, April 18: The Warriors lost 0-5 to Norwalk. Klyver gave up one run on three hits over five innings as the starting pitcher.
Wednesday, April 20: The Warriors lost to New Canaan 0-3. Again making the start for Wilton, Klyver gave up no earned runs in the loss and had 11 strikeouts, scattering three hits over seven innings.
Friday, April 22: Wilton traveled to Norwalk for a game against Brien McMahon, finishing 4-7.
Boys Lacrosse
Week of April 10-14
The Boys varsity lacrosse team brought a “W” home from its first away game against Fairfield Prep on Saturday, April 9. After falling behind 0-2 early in the first quarter, Wilton rallied with three unanswered goals and ended the first quarter ahead 4-3. The Warriors kept the pressure on the Jesuits and controlled most of the second quarter and entered halftime up 7-4. After swapping goals in the third, the boys in Blue and White won the fourth quarter for a final score of 11-7.
Offensively, Wilton was led by Ben Calabrese, who pumped in five goals. Colin Lenskold came up big in the net, especially in the second half during multiple man-down situations, and ended the game with 17 saves. Wilton fans traveled well and showed up in huge numbers at Fairfield University and provided some great energy for the team.
Wilton logged its third win of the season on Tuesday, April 12, at home with a 15-0 victory against Stamford.
The Boys JV lacrosse team started off the season 2-1. In a monsoon on Thursday, April 7, the Warriors were able to jump out to a quick lead against Fordham Prep, winning with a final of 12-2. Over the weekend, on Saturday, April 9, the JV team lost a heartbreaker to Fairfield Prep. Unable to hold onto a halftime lead of 4-2, the Warriors lost 5-6 allowing two late fourth-quarter goals that put Fairfield Prep ahead and sealed the loss. On offense Mac McGovern and Ryan Smith each scored two goals with Charlie Clune scoring one goal. Evan Blankenship and Quinn Silva played outstanding in the net despite the loss. The Warriors were able to bounce back on Tuesday, April 12, winning 14-1 against a young Stamford team.
The Wilton freshmen boys lacrosse team opened the season with a 2-1 record. In the season opener on Friday, April 8, Darien defeated Wilton 4-15. The opening loss was followed up with a pair of victories: Wilton defeated Staples in a defensive battle, 4-2 on Monday, April 11, and then defeated Greenwich, 15-2, two days later.
Week of April 16-22
Saturday, April 16: The Boys varsity lacrosse team beat Ridgefield at home under the lights of Wilton Veterans Memorial Stadium 15-12 in an early FCIAC matchup. Both teams were short-handed, playing without usual starters. Wilton was without the services of senior captain midfielder Grant Masterson. Many stepped up to fill the void, however junior middie Caleb Rath gave the Warriors a huge lift with six goals and three assists.
Wilton traveled to Long Island on Tuesday, April 19, and played in Chaminade’s Gold Star Stadium, which, similar to Wilton’s Memorial Stadium, is dedicated to Chaminade’s fallen alumni. Wilton suffered its first loss of the season to a very skilled and physical Chaminade team. According to Chaminade’s coach, his team put together its best performance of the season. Junior Michael Wall gave the Warriors a great effort against the Flyers, scoring two goals in the loss.
The Warriors got back in the win column on Thursday night, April 21, with a 15-2 victory against the Norwalk Bears. It was a total team effort, with senior attacker Andrew Black leading the way offensively with some skillful goals and assists.
The JV Boys Lacrosse team won two games this week and lost one. Over the weekend, the team won an OT thriller against the Tigers of Ridgefield on Saturday. Down by one, James Kane scored the tying goal as time ran out of regulation. In overtime after a huge save by goalie Silva, Kane scored the game-winner to beat the Tigers 8-7.
The Warriors traveled to Long Island losing a tough battle to the Flyers of Chaminade 5-13, but they bounced back against the Norwalk Bears, jumping out to an early lead and winning the game 14-0.
The Wilton freshmen boys lacrosse team defeated Westhill 15-0 on Monday, April 18 to improve its record to 3 -1.
Girls Lacrosse
Week of April 10-14
On Monday, April 11, the Freshmen started off the Warriors’ week to a strong start as they beat Staples 14-5. The girls were a force to be reckoned with and dominated all over the field. JV and Varsity faced New Canaan Wednesday night, April 13, and fell short. With minimal possessions, JV lost 0-12, while Varsity lost 6-14. They kept their heads high and are focused as they looked ahead to their next games.
Week of April 16-22
Spring Break for the Warriors started in Ridgefield’s Tiger Hollow on Saturday, April 16. Off to a slow start, the Warriors were down 5-7 at halftime, but came out fired up and ready to take down the Tigers in the second half. The Warriors played fast, aggressive, and smart, leading them to an 18-9 win. Defeating Ridgefield helped catapult the team into their next big win on Tuesday, April 19, against Sacred Heart, Hempstead (Long Island). The Warriors played a dominant, full 50 minutes of Wilton lacrosse, leading to no other option than a win, 16-4.
The JV team faced off against Ridgefield and took a similar approach as the varsity. The team competed hard at Tiger Hollow and came up with a 13-5 win. On Thursday night, April 21, both JV and varsity teams shut out the Norwalk Bears, winning 12-0 (JV) and 19-0 (Varsity).
Boys Tennis
Week of April 10-14
Boys tennis improved to 2-0.
Monday, April 11, on the road at Warde in the FCIAC league opener, the boys varsity tennis team came away with an impressive 6-1 victory.
- Senior Captain Dylan Koziol matched up at number one singles against last year’s State Champion Junior Petro Kuzmenok. The two All-State players battled for two hours, displaying some amazing tennis. In the end, Kuzmenok was too much for Koziol.
- At number two singles, sophomore sensation Akhil Vallabhajosula played some great tennis, winning in a close-fought battle 7-5, 6-4. His all-court game was a big problem for his opponent.
- At number three singles, junior Jackson Carbonier overpowered his opponent with a big serve and bigger forehand to a quick 6-0, 6-0 victory.
- At number four singles, junior Owen Dyer continued his winning ways with a convincing 8-5 win. (Match was decided so they played an eight-game pro set.)
- At number one doubles, senior Captain Sam Gioffre and junior Alex Reyes rolled 6-2, 6-1 with some dominating netplay. Both players served well and looked confident throughout.
- At number two doubles, the fans got a taste of some exciting FCIAC tennis. Juniors Nikolai Naydenov and Jonathan Yerrall started off slow, losing 1-6. They regrouped and played some unbelievable defense in the second set, winning 6-4. Showing great mental toughness and with the momentum on their side, they battled to take the third set 6-4.
- At number three doubles, juniors Harry Becraft and Aaron Leinberger handled their opponents 8-2. (Match was decided, so they played an eight-game pro set.)
Big groundstrokes and solid net play were on display, and the team was off to a good start.
On Tuesday, April 12, Wilton soundly defeated Norwalk, 7-0. Mother nature heated up and so did the Warriors.
- Led by Koziol, all singles won in straight sets only dropping a combined six games.
- Doubles swept as well led by Gioffre and Reyes. All doubles teams won in straight sets without dropping a game.
Week of April 16-22
Thursday, April 14: The Warriors swept league rival New Canaan, 7-0.
- Number one singles Koziol was too much for the opponent winning 6-2, 6-0 with precision serves and forehands.
- Number two singles Vallabhajosula continued his solid play winning 6-2, 6-2
- Number three singles Carbonier made quick work of his opponent winning 6-0, 6-1.
- Number four singles Dyer prevailed 6-3, 6-3 using his superior groundstrokes and lobs.
- At number one doubles, Wilton fans got to see some amazing tennis displayed. Wilton’s duo of Gioffre and Reyes took control of the net and put away too many balls for New Canaan to handle, winning 6-3, 6-1.
- Number two doubles Naydenov and Yerrall won 6-3, 6-0. Each match they keep getting better and better, fun to watch, Coach Damone said.
- Number three doubles Becraft and Leinberger finished the sweep in a three-set battle, winning 6-3, 6-7(4),10-6.
The Warriors improved to 5-0 when Wilton visited McMahon on Monday, April 18 and came away with a 7-0 victory on a cold spring day.
- Number one singles Koziol was too consistent for the hard-hitting opponent, winning 6-0, 6-0.
- Same for number two singles Vallabhajosula, who won 6-0, 6-1. Both players’ all-court game was a big factor.
- Number three singles Carbonier defeated his opponent with big groundstrokes 6-3, 6-0.
- Number four singles Dyer continued his winning ways 6-0, 6-0.
- Number one doubles Becraft and Leinberger handled their opponents 6-1, 6-4 with some well-placed serves.
- Number two doubles Reyes and Saaransh Khanderwal won 6-1, 6-1 with a combination of shots.
- Number three doubles senior Pamir Canan and junior Lajos Csery paired up to win 6-0, 6-0 to finish the sweep.
Warrior boys tennis improved to 6-0 when Wilton defeated Stamford 7-0 on a cold Tuesday afternoon, April 19.
Singles: Captain Koziol won in straight sets 6-1, 6-3 with some amazing drop shots and netplay. Vallabhajosula won 6-1, 6-0 displaying his all-court game. Carbonier won 6-1, 6-0 with too much consistency for his opponent. Dyer won 6-1, 6-1 to sweep singles.
Doubles: Captain Gioffre and Reyes controlled the net and won 6-1, 6-1. Naydenov and Yerrall won quickly 6-0, 6-0 with superior consistency. Stamford forfeited number three doubles.
Girls Tennis
Week of April 10-14
The Wilton girls varsity tennis team started its season off strong on Monday, April 11, beating Fairfield Warde 6-1 overall. The singles lineup secured three wins:
- Freshman Olivia Koziol won 6-2 6-2.
- Senior Captain Rhea Raghavan won 6-2 6-2.
- Senior Faith Wang won the final match of the night in a tiebreaker 6-4, 1-6, 10-4.
The Doubles lineup also snagged three wins.
- Captains Olivia Newfield and Annie Caldwell debuted their partnership and won 6-2, 7-6.
- Mela Rutkowski and Charlotte Stapkowski also started their career off together on a good note, winning their match 6-3, 6-0.
- Lily Brown and Abbey Byrnes won 6-0, 6-2. The team took on Norwalk High School, on their home courts, and won 7-0.
Week of April 16-22
The girls varsity tennis team had a spring break full of matches, with Brian McMahon on Monday, April 18; Stamford on Tuesday, April 19; and a home match against Staples on Thursday, April 21. The team secured wins on all courts against Brian McMahon and Stamford.
The home match against Staples was one of the most anticipated matches of the season. After a strong fight, with three matches going into a close third set, the Warriors lost the match 3-4. Shoutout to Charlotte Stapkowski at fourth singles and Lily Abud and Abbey Byrnes at third doubles for their outstanding debut match and tough battle. Singles players Koziol and Raghavan, and doubles players Byrnes and Abud secured three wins for the team with scores of 6-3 6-4, 6-1 6-0, and 5-7, 6-0, 6-4. We hope to see them again in the FCIACs and win!
Girls Golf
Week of April 10-14
Spring and, most importantly, golf weather, is finally here! The Warriors entered the week 2-0 and were eager to get back out on the course after the early success seen in their first week of matches. The nice weather was not the only thing that the Warriors celebrated this past week but also the debuts of juniors Virginia Hastings (season) and Emma Porricelli (varsity), and sophomore Maddie Levi (varsity).
Wednesday, April 13: Win against Fairfield Ludlowe (197-201, +4 strokes, non-FCIAC). “The cutest match in the FCIAC” — For the first time of the 2022 season, Wilton sent six players to a match. However, the team was without the leadership and calming presence of senior Captain Samhita Kakarlapudi, who was scratched from the match due to an illness. The following players stepped up in order to fill the void left by her absence: junior Ella Christ, Hastings, junior Olivia Mannino, Porricelli, Levi and freshman Saanvi Karkarlapudi.
The four-stroke difference between the two programs was expected as there was much more on the line than a win — both teams were playing for the coveted “Waack Star,” a simple, yet meaningful trophy that gets awarded to the winning Waack at the conclusion of each match. For confused readers, Lindsay Waack, daughter of Wilton head coach Stuart Waack, is the head girls golf coach at Ludlowe. This family rivalry added to the tenacity in which the ladies from both programs competed. Scoring was tight between both squads, as indicated by the four-stroke differential, but Hastings proved to be the difference-maker for Wilton. Although she helped secure the third consecutive win for the Warriors — their first three-match win streak in program history, according to Coach Stuart Waack — her five teammates played key roles in helping their coach get one win away from evening up the all-time series, as Coach Lindsay Waack leads the father-daughter head-to-head matchup 5-4. The Warriors are looking to not only get their coach back to .500 against his daughter but also keep the “Waack Star” in his possession until next season when they travel to Ludlowe on May 17.
Week of April 16-22
April break is a lull in the season for the girls golf program, aside from the Trumbull match write-up that did not make the last newsletter.
Thursday, April 14: Loss against Trumbull (195-171, -24 strokes, non-FCIAC) — The Warriors’ non-FCIAC schedule and three-match winning streak came to an end against the Eagles of Trumbull. Senior Captain Samhita Kakarlapudi’s return to the lineup combined with continued solid play from the Warriors (only three strokes behind their season-best of 192, shot on April 5 against Darien) was no match for Trumbull. The Eagles have set the bar for the Warriors entering their FCIAC schedule.
A sincere thank you to head coach Waack and the Silvermine Golf Club staff for their generosity during the break. Coach Waack and his staff provided tee times for all members of the program who wanted one throughout April break — a luxury that few golf programs, if any, have in the state.
Boys/Girls Track & Field
Week of April 10-14
The boys and girls track teams christened their new 400-meter oval with dual wins over Stamford on Monday, April 11. The boys prevailed 114-23 while the girls’ winning margin was 118-22.
Individual winners for the boys were Luka Andjelkovic (110m hurdles), Garret Bouvier (100m), Michael Colbert (200m), Garrett Moe (400m and triple jump), Ryan Johnson (long jump), Malcolm McCormick (3200m), Tristan Burke (800m), Christian Furst (800m), Todd Woodring (discus, javelin and shot), and Andy Campbell (300m hurdles). All three relay teams were also victorious.
For the girls, individual winners were Marianna Lombardi (100m and 200m), Emily Mrakovcic (400m), Lia Lombardi (800m), Mya Salvino (1600m), Anna Labant (100m and 300m hurdles), Caroline Luce (discus), Sophia Viggiano (high jump), Vivien Latt (pole vault) and Leah Martins (long and triple jump). Both relays also won.
While most members of the Wilton girls track team spent the weekend before resting up for the home meet against Stamford, sophomore Lucy Prior took a more active approach, running 13.1 miles at the Cheshire Half Marathon on Sunday, April 10.
Prior entered the race in the winter when she was still planning to play softball in the spring. And although her longest run to date was nine miles, the additional distance didn’t prove much of a challenge as she covered the course in 1:52:11, and 8:34 per mile-pace — good for fourth in her age group, 51st female and 191st overall out of 623 finishers. Cognizant of her efforts, her Wilton coach gave Prior a relatively light assignment of running the 400m, where she placed fifth overall in 70.75.
Week of April 16-22
The Boys and Girls Track teams did not compete over the spring break. They will be back competing next week.
