Each week, GOOD Morning Wilton will run news of weekend results and scores from Wilton Youth sports teams. Please send all stories and updates, along with a photo to editor@goodmorningwilton.com by noon on Monday of each week. Stories received after the deadline may not be included. Results write-ups will be grouped by sport and published in the order they are received.
Wilton Hoops
Wilton Basketball 4th Grade Boys Future Warriors Persevere Over Guilford, 25-23 and Weston, 29-12
After a sluggish start, the Wilton 4th Grade Boys Future Warriors, sponsored by Diamond Deli, came up big when it mattered most to defeat a skilled Guilford team 25-23. Liam Murphy (8 points, 13 rebounds) was a monster on the boards, with Luke Ginsburg (7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists) and Grady Kaliski (7 points, 2 assists) controlling the floor. Cael Dexter (3 points, 4 rebounds), Patrick Lillis (2 steals), Matt Garcia (2 rebounds, 1 steal) and Nathaniel Kalter (1 rebound, 2 steals) kept the pressure on Guilford the entire game. After trailing by seven in the fourth quarter, the hard work paid off with timely steals by Lillis and Murphy and a big 3-pointer by Ginsburg to complete a stirring comeback victory.
The boys defeated Weston at Middlebrook Gym the following day, 29-12. The offense was led by Jack Schwartz (10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 blocked shot). Liam McKiernan (4 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block, 2 assists), Ryan Luchetta (4 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 assists) and Luke Perna (2 points) showed off their ball handling skills against a tough zone defense. Charlie Keller (6 points, 1 rebound, 1 block) proved to be unstoppable inside the paint. Dexter (2 points, 1 block) sank a nice baseline jumper and Mason Andrews (1 free throw, 3 rebounds) rounded out the scoring. The warriors defense held Weston to just 5 points in the second half. Schwartz was tenacious with 6 steals and Mckiernan, Luchetta, Perna and Keller each had 3 steals. Henry Soojian had 4 defensive rebounds.
Wilton 8th Grade Girls Knock Out Two Wins, Defeating Darien and Redding
The Wilton 8th Grade Girls Travel Basketball team played Darien on Saturday, Jan. 28. Riley Eaton cheered her team on from the bench while still sidelined with a back injury. Caitlin Greeff led Wilton with 6 points. Guards Meghan Koziolkowsky and Christina O’Sullivan kept the ball moving on offense to allow Wilton the lead the entire game. Both Alexis Castaldi and Lily Umphred helped the team with 2 points each and strong defensive play. Fiona O’Brien added 4 points, while Grace Cahill hit a beautiful 3-point shot. MaryGrace DelliSanti played strong defense with a couple of steals and key rebounds. Callie Judelson added 4 points to solidify the victory for Wilton with a final score of 21-6.
On Sunday, Jan. 29, the girls played home against Redding. Eaton cheered from the bench still nursing a back injury. O’Sullivan led the team with 8 points. O’Brien and Greeff both had strong offensive performances with 6 points each. Cahill played great defense while also having a number of assists on the offensive end of the court. Castaldi had a great 3-point shot to put Wilton up by two at the half. Umphred and Koziolkowsky each added 2 points and numerous assists and rebounds. Judelson had 3 points and a couple of assists. DelliSanti helped to solidify the win for Wilton with great offensive play and 4 points as Wilton defeated Redding with a final score of 34-30.
Wilton 6th Grade Girls Blue Go 2-For-3 in Busy Weekend Action
The Wilton 6th Grade Girls Blue team had an action-packed weekend going 2-for-3 with all players putting points on the board. First up was New Canaan where the Warriors bested them 31-17. Kelly Holmgren led the way with 11 points. Lucy Corry and Ava Fasano each had 4 points and Mary Scally had 6.
Saturday Wilton faced a tough Norwalk team who outscored the girls 15-22. The girls had a strong fourth quarter, posting 8 points to Norwalk’s 1 point with powerful offense by Molly Snow and Heather Plowright.
Sunday at home the Warriors topped St. Marks 31-6. Kendall Scholz was dominant under the basket with 14 points. Sawyer Pendergast and Emerson Patillo each had 2 points and Charlotte Casiraghi rounded out the effort with 4 points.
Wilton 7th Grade Girls Victorious Over New Canaan and Greenwich Select
The 7th Grade Wilton Girl’s team, sponsored by Pinocchio’s Pizza, was victorious over both teams they faced last weekend. Not only that, but Wilton’s scoring surpassed each team by double digits. The Warriors dominated the court–on defense, playing with heart, and most importantly, together.
Wilton’s first game was against New Canaan. Wilton dominated the first half 18-8, thanks to Katie Umphred and Ellie Copley each netting multiple baskets. Amelia Hughes, Gracie Kaplan and Catherine Dineen each added a basket. Erynn Floyd and Dineen had key defensive plays that shut out major opposition, including one block by Floyd that awed the crowd. Grace Williams had two steals against a very athletic team. Leah Martins and Umphred both had multiple assists to keep the scoring ablaze. Bella Andjelkovic and Ellie Coffey were strong defenders, preventing anyone from driving to the basket. The game concluded with a 26-10 win for Wilton.
On Sunday, Wilton took on Greenwich Select at home, in a game of great Warrior scoring. Copley, Andjelkovic, Martins and Hughes each had multiple baskets. Umphred, Coffey and Floyd had two baskets apiece. Williams and Kaplan each had one basket. The game ended with a 45-8 win for Wilton.
Wilton 7th/8th Grade Boys Fall to Ridgefield but Rebound to Clinch Norwalk Nailbiter
The Wilton 7th/8th Grade Boys’ team, sponsored by Abercrombie, Burns, McKiernan & Company Insurance, Inc., had two very exciting games over the weekend. On Saturday, the team faced Ridgefield. Wilton jumped out to an early lead, paced by good ball-handling from Ben Weiner and Jimmy McKiernan and swarming defense from Jermaine Vincent. Ridgefield took the lead in the second quarter on a barrage of hot shooting, and held a comfortable lead well into the fourth quarter. Wilton refused to go away quietly, however, and buckets by Davis Cote and Vincent kept the game within reach for a furious rally in the final minute. Wilton trailed by six with one minute to go. Several steals and a couple of clutch 3-pointers from Sam Strazza gave Wilton a chance to tie late, but Ridgefield was able to hold off a game Wilton team, 43-47.
On Sunday, Wilton tried to bounce back against Norwalk in a pivotal league game. Norwalk jumped out to a quick lead by hitting three 3-pointers, and maintained a 7-point lead through halftime. By late in the third quarter, Norwalk had extended the lead to 10 before Wilton began to chip away. Cote, Weiner, and Jack Lynch hit consecutive baskets and Dylan Smith closed the period with a key 3-pointer to trim the lead to three. Lynch hit another basket to get Wilton within one early in the fourth, but Norwalk went on a run to re-establish a 7-point margin. After Wilton trimmed the lead to 4 points, Howie Long slipped free under the basket on an in-bounds play for a layup, cutting the lead to 2. Vincent canned a free throw and then gave Wilton its first lead of the day with 2 minutes to go on a fast-break layup assisted by Weiner. After two Norwalk baskets left Wilton on the brink of a winless weekend, the Warriors rallied one more time. Vincent fed Stanley for a layup to cut the lead to one with 20 seconds to go. Then, Stanley returned the favor, creating a steal in the backcourt that gave Wilton the ball back, a possession that ended with Vincent driving for a game-winning layup. Norwalk had one final opportunity to score, but Wilton’s defense held firm and the Warriors sealed a thrilling 53-52 victory.
Wilton 5th/6th Grade Girls Drop Two Close Games
Wilton 5th/6th grade girls basketball team dropped two close games over the weekend. On Saturday, New Fairfield pulled away in the fourth quarter to win 14-18. On Sunday, Wilton’s big fourth quarter comeback fell short and the Lady Warriors lost 18-20.
Over the weekend Wilton’s offense was led by Anna Joy, Hannah Fitzgerald, Georgia Russnok and Madison Ratcliffe. Defensively, Maddie Phelan, Anabelle Savarese and Mary Kate Doyle led the team in steals. Ella Mulfinger and Avery Schestag led the team in rebounds.
Wilton played short-handed this weekend as Ally Rappaport and Harper Judelson were out sick. Avery Sanai was out with a knee injury as well. Wilton will be back in action next Saturday against Southbury.
Wilton 5th Grade Girls Add Two More Wins to Season
The Wilton Warriors 5th Grade Girls Travel Team, sponsored by Wilton Sports Shop, added two more wins to their season this weekend.
The Lady Warriors earned a 20-13 victory in a non-league game against Trumbull on Saturday. Lauren Moe, Kaitlyn Sullivan, Marin Burke, Caroline Hage and Molly Hancock led a tight defense. Riley Fitzgerald and Siena McDermott used their speed and agility to drive the ball to the basket and put pressure on opposing players during the game. Anisa Burrows (2 points), Maddie Dineen (4 points) and Ashleigh Masterson (14 points) led the team in points scored.
In regular league play on Sunday, the 5th Grade Girls defeated Southbury Park & Rec with a 39-14 win. Once again the Warriors exemplified team unity with all players contributing toward the win. A high pressure offense and defense by guard McDermott and forwards Moe, Sullivan and Burke kept Southbury at bay and created many opportunities for steals, turnovers, blocks and rebounds. Dineen (13 points), Masterson (12 points), Hancock (6 points), Burrows (5 points), Fitzgerald (2 points) and Hage (2 points) all put points up on the scoreboard.
Led by coach Cricket Luke and assistant coach Dorian Melkonian, the 5G team are now 12-1 overall and 8-1 in league action.
Wilton 7th/8th Grade Girls Triumph in 2-of-3 Weekend Games
The Wilton 7th/8th grade girls’ team, sponsored by JoyRide, won two of their three games over the weekend. They went against some great competition and ultimately pulled away because of great defense. Kathryn Cronin, Abby Dolan and Katie McMorris had tremendous defense against Westport on Friday. On Saturday, Mairead Kehoe and Erin McMorris were tenacious on defense in the press against Waterbury. Morgan Lebek, Brooke Bohacs and Jamie Leventhal were very strong offensively in all three games. Caroline Harvey and Olivia Rossi were great play makers over the weekend when they would find Allie Giller and Kathleen Lamanna for breakaway offensive plays. Ultimately, Wilton won against Westport 25-12; lost against Waterbury 17-27, and won against Darien 28-14.
8th Grade Boys Win 2 in 3-Game Weekend, Including Defeat of Reigning FCBL Champion Trumbull Select, 55-52
Wilton 8th grade boys team, sponsored by Tavern on 7, defeated the defending FCBL champion Trumbull Select, 55-52. Wilton’s first half offense was jump-started by Sean Sullivan‘s 7 points, including a 3-pointer to open the game. Also scoring from downtown were Alex Cocoros (6 points on 2 treys) and Owen Lillis (4 points). Trevor Martines (4 assists) and Josh White both scored 12 points with strong drives to the basket. Michael Coffey cleaned the glass with 8 rebounds and Matt Murphy (3 assists) controlled the defensive paint with 5 blocked shots.
On Saturday night, rather than watch Kansas and Kentucky play above the rim on TV, Wilton traveled to play Bridgeport Cardinal Sheehan Center, where they lost 48-66 in a game that featured five dunks by the opposition’s star player. After trailing by 21 points at the half, Wilton settled into the game to play much more confidently in the second half. Matt Gulbin led scorers with 12 points where he was joined by Cocoros with 9 points (3 treys), Murphy with 7 points, and White with 7 points.
On Sunday Wilton played a league game against a talented Westport team and won 61-55. Wilton’s offense ran through its post players as it either scored on a post move or the ball kicked out to an open 3-point shooter. Wilton shot 9-for-19 beyond the arc. White (17 points) hit 4 treys, Cocoros (9 points) hit three, Lillis (6 points) made one, and Mack Kepner (5 points) nailed a 3-pointer at the third quarter buzzer. Gulbin (13 points) and Chase Autore ran a beautiful double “give and go” that led to a layup at the end of the first half. Coffey (8 points) and Murphy each had 3 blocked shots and Martines, White, and Kepner played shut down defense on Westport’s top scorers. Wilton is now 7-1 in league games and 18-4 overall.
Wilton YMCA Gymnastics
Wilton Y Gymnasts Compete in Trumbull Qualifier
On Sunday, Jan. 29, the Wilton YMCA Gymnastics Team competed in the Trumbull Qualifier. Short and sweet, the meet provided an opportunity for girls to practice their competition skills with great coaching and camaraderie.
Level 3
Jennifer Von Bartheld performed well on all four events, scoring 9.150 on bars (3rd), 9.20 on beam (4th), 9.250 on vault (5th), 9.0 on floor, and coming in 3rd All Around. Kaelyn Talisse placed 4th on vault with 9.30 and placed 5th on beam with 9.150. Cailyn Cruickshank placed 5th on floor with a score of 9.20 and scored 9.0 on beam. Ella Mancuso placed 5th on vault with a score of 9.250. Rounding out the strong performances on vault were Mckayla Iacoponi with 9.050, Teagan Stengrim with 9.0 and Isabella Silverstein with 9.10.
Level 4
Wilton girls dominated on beam, with Gemma Huck taking 1st (9.250), Isabella Giordano taking 2nd (9.20) and Alyssa Smeriglio coming in 3rd (9.150). Huck rounded off her meet with scores of 9.0 on floor (2nd) and vault. Giordano also took 5th on bars, and Smeriglio took 5th on floor. Alyssa Mariani placed 5th on floor, and 5th place on beam went to Samantha Bauer.
Level 5
Multiple team injuries led to a small playing field in the first session. Donna Stepnowsky stepped up to take 3rd on vault with 9.250, and placed 4th on floor. In the second session, Wilton’s Michaela Kane took 2nd, Ava Walker placed 3rd and Nika Sibley came in 4th in All Around. Kane took 1st on bars, 2nd on vault (9.0), and 3rd on beam and floor. Walker took home 1st on beam, 3rd on vault and bars, and 4th on floor. Sibley took 2nd on floor and 4th on vault, bars and beam.
Level 6
Emily D’Onofrio had her game face on, taking 2nd on vault (9.20), bars (9.0) and beam (9.20), scoring 9.050 on floor and taking 2nd All Around. Isabella Jureller claimed 1st on vault with 9.30 and 4th on floor with 9.150. Jenna Smeriglio scored 9.050 (5th) on beam and 9.0 on floor.
Level 7
Sarah Cross captured the All Around title with 1st on bars (9.1) and beam (9.450), 2nd on floor (9.4) and a 9.2 on vault. Olivia Mannino placed 5th All Around with 9.0 on beam (4th), 9.1 on vault, and 5th on bars. Emma Daugherty placed 3rd on floor (9.3) and scored 9.2 on vault. Mia Karlehag placed 1st on floor with 9.50, and scored 9.150 on vault. Sarah Collias rounded out the evening with 9.3 on vault.