Each week, GOOD Morning Wilton will run news of weekend sports results from Wilton Youth Teams. Please send all stories and updates to editor@goodmorningwilton.com by noon on Monday of each week.
Wilton 3rd Grade wins FCFL 3rd Grade Championship, Beating Ridgefield 12-0 [FOOTBALL]
Wilton shut out Ridgefield 12-0, to win the FCFL 3rd Grade Championship.
The Warriors got on the board early, scoring on their first possession of the game. Luke Ginsburg, Connor Burns, Ray Ferranti, Nate Jackson, and Charlie Keller got the ground game rolling behind solid blocking from Liam McKiernan, Cole Siegel, Connor Boland, Maja Driscoll, Cole Johnson, and Liam Murphy. Jack Schwartz finished off the drive with a 15-yd. touchdown run.
On their second possession, terrific blocking from Will Cristini, Phineas Wayland, Matt Garcia, Austin White, CJ Young and Jack Huntley paved the way for Jake Burns to scamper 57 yds. for a touchdown.
Wilton’s defense, which has been tough all year, held Ridgefield scoreless for the remainder of the game. Great tackling by Liam Snyder, Cael Dexter, Cole Galante, Luke Perna, Ryan Stocker, and Jaxon Thomas kept the Ridgefield offense at bay all day. Ryan Luchetta had a critical interception on Ridgefield’s final drive to seal the win. The 3rd grade team finished the year undefeated with a 7-0-2 record.
Wilton 6-White 21, Darien 6-Wave 12 [FOOTBALL]
Football is a game of momentum…just ask cornerback Mikey Longo and Wilton 6-White. Longo sparked an electric comeback from a 0-6 deficit, with a 72-yd. interception return for a touchdown. This put Wilton on the board for the first time midway through the 3rd quarter and completely changed the mood at Fujitani Field. Grant Masterson kicked the extra point to put Wilton up 7-6 and there was no looking back.
After Wilton’s defense stuffed Darien on the next series behind the tenacious defensive line play of Kieran O’Neill, Joe Schiavone, Tyler Hough, Brennan MacGregor and Matthew Giller, Wilton got the ball back at the Darien 40-yd. line. The offense kicked it in high gear when Dominic Roberts, William Ryan, Andrew Pellicano, Michael Breen, Chris McCann, Ryan Jackson, Eddie Keller, Ryan Farrar, Sean Wiseman, O’Neill and Giller started punching sizeable holes in the Darien defense. This helped QB Masterson carry the ball a series of times, leading to a 15-yd. Masterson touchdown run and extra point kick, putting Wilton ahead 14-6.
Defensively, a midgame adjustment by Wilton created a new landmark named “Sean Wiseman Island,” which, when combined with Longo and Ryan, shut down Darien’s biggest threat. From there, linebackers Masterson, Roberts and Keller, as well as lineman Ryan Keenan, Quinton Kiss, Charlie Fisher and Ben Pond, gave Darien little room to run. Defensive lineman O’Neill was particularly effective at shutting down Darien’s dangerous counter offense.
Wilton’s offense was not to be outdone by the defense. A new offensive wrinkle called the “Pondo Special” on 3rd-and-long unleashed a Masterson-to-Giller pass play resulting in Giller racing 57 yds., American Pharaoh-style, to score the final TD. Masterson’s kick was good, ending the game with a 21-12 victory.
Wilton plays Westport in the FCFL 6th Grade Championship game next weekend.
Two Wilton Youth Football 5th Grade Teams are FCFL 5th Grade Co-Champions [FOOTBALL]
Wilton 5-Blue 31, New Canaan Red 12
Wilton 5-Blue capped off their undefeated season with their best performance of the year, soundly beating New Canaan Red and securing their spot as FCFL 5th Grade Co-Champions along with Wilton 5-White, who also put a sound beating on their New Canaan opponent in the second game of the Wilton/New Canaan 5th grade double header this past weekend.
Wilton started out with the ball and after a 12-yd. run by Spencer Liston, punted the ball to New Canaan. Wilton’s first defensive play of the afternoon set the tone for what was to come when Lorcan Garcia blasted up the middle beating a double-team block and crushing the New Canaan ball carrier for a 3-yd. sack. A tackle by Luke Totten in the backfield and an incomplete pass forced New Canaan to punt.
Starting on their own 43 yd. line, Wilton’s pounding ground attack behind the offensive line of Tristan Burke, Totten, Griffin Turner, Jake Enman, Jamie Cristini, Andrew Kress and Colin Randol went to work. A first down run by Liston and a 17-yd. run by Christopher Capone moved the ball into New Canaan territory. However, after a broken play and Wilton finding itself with a 3rd-and-22, Andrew Acosta-Rua was able to connect with Turner for a 20-yd. pass reception. A first down blast by Quinn Stengrim, a run by Capone, and a keeper by Acosta-Rua, capped off Wilton’s 14-play scoring drive. Acosta-Rua connected with Stengrim to add the 2-point conversion and go up 8-0.
New Canaan’s next drive was its most prolific of the afternoon although their ball carriers took many big hits. Play after play, Wilton’s defensive line of Nicholas Walden, Cristini, Garcia, Merrick Snyder, Michael Colavecchio, Jack Montanero and Burke pounded the New Canaan ball carriers while Wilton’s defensive ends, Randol and Kress, offered no escape. After Kress batted down a ball that was almost intercepted, New Canaan was eventually able to get the ball over the goal line, yet failed to convert on the extra point attempt.
Wilton’s ensuing offensive series began with several power runs from Liston and Capone setting up a 40-yd. pass from Acosta-Rua to Stengrim. A 28-yd. cutback run by Charlie Guglielmo behind key blocks by Montanero and Totten moved the ball to the New Canaan 4-yd. line where Xander Petrides would blast it in for Wilton’s second score of the day. A Stengrim run up the middle would add one more. New Canaan’s next offensive series was another decisive 3-and-out with a Montanero tackle and a Colavecchio sack ending the first half at 15-6.
New Canaan started the second half with the ball but was forced into a quick 3-and-out after crushing tackles by Petrides and Cristini and excellent pass coverage. Wilton started on their own 40-yd. line and moved the ball downfield with a Liston 10-yd. run. After Capone’s 16-yd. run was called back for holding, he then ran a counter play for 20 yds. to the 8-yd. line behind textbook blocking. A Stengrim 8-yd. blast up the middle for Wilton’s 3rd touchdown of the afternoon and an Acosta-Rua kick would bring the score to 23-6.
Although New Canaan would score on their next drive, they would come up short on the 2 point conversion because of a goal line tackle by Stengrim. Wilton’s offense went to work one more time doing what is has been able to do all year, chewing yardage and clock. A 22-yd. pass by Acosta-Rua to Turner added Wilton’s 4th touchdown of the afternoon. Acosta-Rua added the kick bring the score to 31-6. Wilton’s defense would come back in one more time to mop up and finish out the game and the championship season.
Girls U13 White Wins League Championship [SOCCER]
Every once in a while in sports, a team gets on a magical run that carries them all the way to a championship. For the Wilton Warriors Girls U13 White squad, that magic began midway through the fall campaign and didn’t stop until they came home with the league title this weekend.
After starting the season with three losses and a tie and finding themselves in last place, something clicked for this team as they never lost again the rest of the season. Led by their coach Felipe Villa, the team recorded four shutouts in their last five games, including a 1-0 shutout of previously unbeaten New Canaan in the semi-finals of the playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 14, and then a 1-0 win over Fairfield in the finals on Sunday, Nov. 15. The defense led by goalie Mary Grace Dellisanti and defenders Sammy Castano, Grace Beck, Sophia Savage, Carly Morris and Lily Umphred, allowed only nine goals all season in 10 matches.
The offense was led throughout by Izzy Cronin, Sarah Allam, Alexa Michael and Sydney Feldman. Cronin scored the only goal of the game in the semifinals and it was Allam with the only goal in the finals. Both goals came early in each contest and then Wilton went to work stifling their opponents offense.
Midfielders Maddie Pfeiffer, Emmy Castano, Jordan Smith, Katie McMorris, Kaila Scally and Erin McMorris completely neutralized the center of the field. In the finals, Fairfield had very few offensive opportunities and much of that was due to Wilton’s midfield dominating the middle of the pitch. As time ran out, emotions poured out on the field for the players and Coach Villa, with the realization that they had completed this magical run and were champions of the league.
Wilton Boys Celebrate Successful Soccer Season with Everton [SOCCER]
Four Wilton boys are celebrating their soccer team’s unbeaten run in the fall season of a top New York league.
Oliver Dahlen, Jerred Beaver, Owen Steckel, and Ahrav Soi (pictured left, L-R) all play for Everton America’s 03 Blue NPL team, which enjoyed an eight game unbeaten run in the National Premier League U12 Blue league. The team won seven games, amassed 22 points, scored 30 goals and conceded only 12 goals against teams from Brooklyn, Long Island and further afield.
“I’m delighted with the progress of this team,” said Paul Hennessey, director of Everton America’s U7-U14 boys program. “Coach Johannes Lindström worked hard to ensure that every player – and the team as a whole – developed over the fall. I can’t wait to see what they’ll do in the spring season.”
In their penultimate game of the season, the Everton America team travelled to New Jersey and overcame a nationally ranked STA Soccer team 3-2. Everton America’s 03 Blues were the only unbeaten team in their division.
Wilton 8-White 28, Fairfield 8-Black 22 [FOOTBALL]
Grit is defined as courage and resolve, and strength of character.
Grit is the defining characteristic of the 20 young men who make up the Wilton 8th Grade White football team.
The young Warriors continued their march to the championship game with a hard fought 28-22 victory over a very talented Fairfield team. These young men have come together as a team in a way that is rarely seen at this age.
Wilton scored first as QB Jake Zeyher handed off to Drew Phillips who scampered for a 45-yd. touchdown. During this touchdown run Phillips broke no fewer than five tackles.
Fairfield got the ball back and tied the score at seven apiece as time ran out in the first quarter.
After a couple of very strong runs by Jack Dirocco and Matt Dooley, QB Luke Mercer threaded the needle with a pass between three Fairfield defenders and found Phillips, who caught the pass and ran for another touchdown. Wilton scored yet again in the closing minutes of the first half when Phillips broke a series of tackles for another touchdown.
In the 3rd quarter, Fairfield scored a second touchdown and went for a 2-point PAT making the score Wilton 21, Fairfield 15. In the fourth quarter, Phillips ran for yet another touchdown to make the score 28-15. Fairfield scored on a fumble recovery deep in Wilton territory to make the score 28-22 which became the final score.
The strength of Wilton’s running game is well known, however the receiver corps comprised of R2 Dirocco, Niko Kouvaris, Tucker Walden, Ryan Kauffman and Nish Wangneo are an ever present threat. Wilton’s linemen led by Steven Kendra, Griffin Morris, Jack Santomero, Patrick Burke, Jake Kauffman, Cole Snyder and Barrett Brown controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Injured players James Wright, Ciaran Smith and Camilo Galeano supported their teammates from the sidelines.
Wilton will play Darien for the championship next weekend.