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.
OLF Girls Varsity Falcons Win All Saints Christmas Tournament Championship
Sunday night, in the girls varsity championship game at the All Saints Christmas Classic Tournament, Our Lady of Fatima Falcons (pictured above) defeated St. Mary’s of Milford 37-35 in a hard-fought back-and-forth battle.
Lauren Davis and Molly McLaughlin each scored 15 points and Liliana Benanti scored 7 with 8 rebounds. Mary Kate Doyle had 7 assists and Anais Salageneau had 4 steals and Amelia Fleming and Sofia Pace each had 3 rebounds.
Wilton Youth Travel Basketball
Wilton 5th Grade Girls Fight Hard, but Fall Just Short to Ridgefield, 19-24
The Wilton Hoops 5th Grade Girls played their best game yet on Saturday in Ridgefield, overcoming a rough first quarter to outscore the Tigers the rest of the way in an eventual 19-24 loss. After Ridgefield opened a 9-0 lead, Wilton roared back at the end of the first quarter, sparked by Ella Loughran, who got the team on the board with an assist from Rory Kepner. The Warriors carried the momentum into the second quarter, with Lilliana Finn making a layup in traffic and Maya Andjelkovic hitting an impressive jump shot for two of her four points. Carolina Bonita also kept up the pressure with a key steal and Josie Silva with a crucial block, while Rose Bilella weaved through the defenders with ease. After trailing by eight at halftime, the Warriors took over in the second half, when they outscored Ridgefield 13-10. Arwen Garcia started the scoring with a bucket off the glass early in the third quarter, and Ellie Smith dominated the game after that, scoring seven points down the stretch with a dazzling array of bank shots and floaters. Kokona Layne got the Warriors close by scoring off an inbound pass late in the fourth, but the comeback fell just short as Ridgefield held on.
8th Grade Boys Split Weekend, with Satisfying Defeat of Westport on Sunday
The 8th Grade Wilton Boys team played two games this past weekend. The first on Saturday against Fairfield was a hard-fought game which saw the game tied at 28-28 at the end of the third. Multiple lead changes in the fourth proved these two teams always fight to the end. Ultimately Fairfield prevailed 35-43.
The second game of the weekend had Wilton facing a very strong Westport team. Wilton’s previous match ups against Westport over the past years have always ended in tough losses, but this Sunday in Wilton’s gym, things felt different. The Wilton boys played with tremendous grit, tenacity and spirt. Wilton was down 13-14 in the first quarter but rallied to have a 25-21 lead at halftime. Bailey Finn and Tommy McKiernan set the scoring pace with 16 and 12 points respectively. Dominant rebounding by Nick Walden (12 points), Alexander Reyes and Will McCormack kept Wilton in control. Additional scoring by Spencer Liston (10 pts), Ryan Preisano (5 pts) and Jeff Mitchell (2pts) helped Wilton push the pace in the second half. Stifling defense by Mike Byrnes and Tommy Walsh helped make the difference and saw Wilton post an inspiring win with a final score of 57-43.
5th Grade Boys Go 1-for-3 in Building Week
The 5th Grade Boys used their first of three games this week on Thursday, Dec. 6 as a true learning experience, traveling to Norwalk and facing a solid Roton team. Led by Charlie Roy with 10 points, including two 3-point shots, and a pair of free throws by Jake Padilla and Craig O’Neill, Wilton did their best to hang in against Roton. Where Wilton truly excelled was on rebounding, with a total of 33 boards–Joey Aversano led the team with 6, followed by Theo Satrazemis with 5. Defensive pressure helped cap the Roton team in the fourth quarter as Wilton forced 13 turnovers, led by Curtis Jackson with 3 steals. Blake Ongley, Alan Osta, Grant Stein and Will Byrnes made some great defensive plays in a truly one-sided game. The zone defense seemed to work best at trying to stop Roton, which ultimately emerged victorious with a final 16-28 score. The Wilton boys look forward to a revenge game later in the season.
Two days later, Wilton faced another formidable foe, and came much closer to a win, ultimately losing a tight, overtime 25-27 final against Trumbull DTX. The game came down to the wire, and Wilton missed a few opportunities in the final seconds to force overtime. The game started out fast paced–in the first quarter Osta made a steal and finished with a fast break layup to end the quarter up by 3. Second quarter Satrazemis had an amazing 3-point play followed quickly by another jump shot. Roy, Stein and O’Neill all played amazing defense and each had blocked shots and several other defensive stops. Defense was the name of the game for the Wilton boys. They ended up by one point to close the third quarter, thanks to an O’Neill 3-pointer and steals by Jackson, Aversano, and Padilla. Byrnes and Ongley passed the ball around well and both made great assists. The game was intense and the closest one yet for the Wilton Boys. It came down to the wire with Wilton in possession but unfortunately missing a few good looks to tie the game. The team was clearly exhausted at the end of regulation and truly gave it their all.
The team got its energy back by Sunday, to play a gritty game against Yonkers. With a large crowd watching, Wilton overcame a late deficit to force another overtime thanks to an amazing shot by Satrazemis with less than 15 seconds remaining in regulation. The entire game was intense and had fans on the edge of their seats as the Wilton boys played their hearts out. Roy and Stein continued to crash the boards, bringing down a combined 21 of the team’s 55 total rebounds. It was a close game throughout, as the Wilton boys were down one at the half. Padilla and Byrnes each had 2 steals, and Osta and Roy combined for over 10 defensive stops, pushing the ball up-court all game. Late clutch free throws from Aversano and O’Neill showed the boys could overcome noise from the visiting crowd. Ongley showed poise with his defense and kept calm on the free throw line. The Wilton boys used Yonkers’ foul trouble to take advantage and make over 10 trips to the foul line. Both regulation and overtime came down to the final shots. The team finished the weekend strong for its first FCBL league win, 33-31.
A Tale of Two Halves: Wilton 7th/8th Grade Girls Fall to Milford, 27-38
The Wilton 7th/8th Grade Girls Basketball team battled the Milford Knights 8th Grade Girls Basketball team on Saturday, Dec. 8 at Middlebrook. The game was a story of two halves, as Wilton was outscored by 16 points in the first half, but battled back in the second half to cut the lead and outscore the Milford team by five points. The girls really showed their heart in the second half.
The scoring effort was led by Georgia Russnok (12) and Aly Rappaport (7) with contributions from Marin Burke, Erin Getty, Shayla Kapoor and Avery Schestag. The second half turnaround was driven by a strong rebounding and defensive effort by Mary Kate Doyle and Caroline Luce.
Although the girls continue to search for their first win, they demonstrated the heart and progress that is to be expected as the team continues to learn to work together.
Wilton 8th Grade Girls Split Weekend, Losing to Ridgefield but Beating New Canaan
The Wilton 8th Grade Girls came away with a split this weekend, losing a hard fought battle to Ridgefield on Saturday, before bouncing back with a resounding 42-22 victory over New Canaan. Kelly Holmgren, Charlotte Casiraghi and Ava Fasano paced the weekend’s scoring with 18, 12 and 11 respectively. Kendall Scholz was chairman of the boards, clearing 7 rebounds and chipping in 5 points on Sunday, while Molly McLaughlin dropped countless assists over the weekend. Mary Scally and Heather Plowright lead the defense, generating at least 15 steals between them. Lucy Corry (7 pts), Maddie Ratcliffe (3 pts) and Anna Joy (3 pts) added additional scoring punch for the Warriors. The girls hope to use Sunday’s momentum to lead them to victory next weekend.
7th Grade Warrior Boys Suffer Two Losses
After starting the season with back-to-back wins, the Wilton 7th Grade Boys Travel Basketball team continued with losses against St. Marys in Ridgefield by a score of 46-51 and Monroe by a score of 38-48.
The Warriors started off strong against St. Mary’s and were leading 14-7 at the end of the first period. Solid play from the Warriors allowed them to maintain their lead 34-27 at the end of the first half with a buzzer beater by Todd Woodring. The Warriors were able to maintain the lead at the end of the third with a score of 41-36. Warrior problems began in the fourth quarter as baskets became increasing elusive with a final score of 46-51. Wyatt Jones (3 points), Will Fischer (4 points), Woodring (6 points), Luke DiRocco (5 points), Peter Reyes (4 points), Max Jarvie (9 points), Levi Kaplan (3 points) and Kyle Roesser (6 points) all contributed with baskets while Jack Minnich and Henry Roy added strong defensive play. The Warriors showed a lot of heart and never gave up.
The game against Monroe was very close through the first half with a score of 23-25 in Monroe’s favor. Unfortunately, Wilton’s shooting problems continued. By the end of the third Monroe extended their lead to 13 points with a score of 40-27. Wilton played hard and narrowed the gap to within six points halfway through the fourth quarter. In the end the effort was not enough and the Warriors lost the second game of the weekend 48-38. Minnich (4 points), Jones (7 points), Fischer (6 points), Woodring (3 points), Jarvie (6 points), Kaplan (6 points), Roesser (4 points) and Roy (2 points) all contributed with points. In addition, DiRocco had a steal, Reyes had two steals and one assist, Minnich had four steals and Jones had five steals.
The Wilton 7th grade Boys look to rebound next weekend with games against Redding/Easton and Wakeman Fairfield.
Wilton’s 6th Grade Girls Split Weekend Games
The Wilton 6th grade girls team defeated Darien by a score of 14-13 in a nail-biter Saturday afternoon. Darien was aggressive from the tip-off, jumping to an early lead before tenacious defense led by Abbey Byrnes, Riley Casey and Giuliana Scaturchio kept Darien at bay, and allowed the Wilton girls to mount an impressive second half comeback. Scoring was led by Kaitlyn Zizzadoro, Mia Sommer, Cosette Lepore and Scaturchio, while Abby Phelan, Grace Ratcliffe, Zizzadoro and Sommer dominated the boards and racked up numerous blocks. The game was decided in the last few seconds thanks to some clutch free throws and stellar team defense.
The second game of the weekend did not go as well for the Warriors, who ran into a tough Newtown club and lost 30-35. Wilton once again exhibited excellent defense, with Sommer, Lepore and Byrnes all accumulating multiple steals. Ratcliffe, Phelan and Sommer dominated the glass, collecting numerous rebounds. Wilton kept the game close throughout thanks to a scoring barrage from Scaturchio, Zizzadoro, Casey and Phelan before a late run by Newtown put the game out of reach.
5th Grade Girls Face Tough Monroe Team
The 5th Grade Girls Warriors basketball team had a tough game versus the Monroe Cyclones on Sunday. During the first half of the game, the Warriors could not organize their offense, only putting up two points from free throws by Josie Silva and Ellie Smith, even though the Warrior Girls had so many good plays, with Smith getting three steals and Arwen Garcia with four rebounds in the first half.
During the second half, the Warrior Girls started to get their offense together with buckets from Rose Bilella, Carolina Bonita, Liliana Finn, and Smith, including, free throws from Ella Loughran and Bilella. Finn and were controlling the paint with one block for Finn and two for Smith. Bilella, Bonita, Finn, Garcia and, Rory Kepner were getting tons of rebounds for the Warriors. Kokona Layne, Liliana Finn, and Bilella keep getting steals. Maia Andjelkovic had some good assists to Smith and Carolina Bonita. Even though the Warriors put up a fight they could not stop the Monroe Cyclones offensively, and the game ended with the final score at 14-31.
After Tough Loss Saturday, 6th Grade Boys Clinch 31-30 Thriller Against New Canaan
The Wilton 6th grade boys faced a very strong, sharp-shooting team in Norwalk on Saturday, falling 28-43. Norwalk jumped out to quick lead by hitting multiple shots from behind the 3-point arch. The Wilton boys battled back with excellent ball movement and tough defense. Cole Siegel led all scorers with 8 points and 8 rebounds, followed by Grady Kaliski, Jack Schwartz and Cael Dexter, each contributing 4 points. Liam McKiernan continued his wizardry at point guard, leading the team in assists while hitting key buckets to pull his team closer. Luke Perna displayed his trademark, unwavering hustle, leading the team in steals. Luke Ginsburg, Cole Galante, Liam Murphy (3 points) and Ryan Luchetta (3 points) flexed their collective muscles with stifling defense and domination on the boards. Although it was a tough loss to a very competitive Norwalk team, the outstanding coaching of Jose Torres and Kevin McKiernan will undoubtably yield success for the boys in the future.
On Sunday, after spotting New Canaan a double-digit lead, the Wilton 6th grade boys roared back to clinch a thrilling 31-30 win. Siegel put the team on his broad shoulders by scoring 14 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Murphy, Siegel’s twin tower, contributed 4 points and 6 rebounds. McKiernan and Perna were the spark plugs that energized the team while leading with assists and steals. The boys benefited from the continued, consistent play on both ends of the floor from Luchetta (3 points), Schwartz (2 points), Galante (2 points), Ginsburg (2 points), Kaliski (2 points) and Dexter. This hard fought, come-from-behind win against rival New Canaan exemplifies the spirit and attitude of this unique group of boys and coaches.
5th/6th Grade Girls’ 38-10 Win Over New Canaan Tops 3-Game Weekend
Wilton 5th/6th Grade Girls Basketball played competitively and fiercely under Coach Luke and Coach Melkonian, showing good sportsmanship throughout their three games this weekend. With a rocky start against Weston, Wilton players held ground against their opponent’s pressure. After significantly improving their play against Bethel, Wilton caught fire for the third game against New Canaan, finishing strong with a winning final score of 38-10. Grace Costa was a star shooter throughout all three games making a total of 17 baskets. Elizabeth Crocitto was a defensive powerhouse, and provided many assists and making a layup in the final game. Jordyn Ennis had smooth passing and never missed a ball even when catching it on the fly. Sophia Viggiano was fast and furious applying just the right amount aggression without ever fowling while also scoring a basket in the final game. Caitlyn Getty fought strong with pressure, never giving up and always managing to come up with the ball after a struggle. Annalise Lamanna always a step in front of the opponent never faltering in protecting the basket, snatching the ball midair and also scoring a basket during the Weston game. Maddie Smith showed the big girls that height didn’t matter by aggressively fighting for the ball using her speed against her opponents who couldn’t keep up with her. Sofia Samai consistently took risks shooting the ball in hard and difficult predicaments also scoring a basket during the Bethel game. Julia Munrow won four baskets for Wilton and at all times demonstrated exemplary teamwork throughout all three games. This team is professional, talented and persistent!
7th/8th Grade Wilton Boys Power through 4-Game Weekend and Bring Home Two Wins
The Wilton boys basketball 7/8 team split its’ four games this weekend, with wins against Greenwich Catholic and Brookfield, and losses against DTX and Fairfield Ludlowe.
Against Greenwich Catholic, the back and forth game came down to the final two minutes. With 1:57 on the clock and Wilton leading 30-29, Michael Wall came through with a big steal and Jackson Duncan was able to put the game away with three clutch free throws to make the final 33-29.
Against a very strong DTX team in Trumbull, the Warriors hung tough thanks to the strong rebounding of Andre Weist, Nick Bologna and Tim Martin. The DTX team hoisted 25 3-pointers in the game, connecting on 10 of them. Wilton was able to cut the lead to 7 points but DTX pulled away by hitting three 3s in a row to defeat the Warriors 34-50.
Against Bloomfield, the Warriors jumped on the visitors, racing out to a 14-2 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Warriors were able to spread the floor and get backdoor layups for Tucker Farrell and Patrick Heffernan while Bologna, Weist, Thomas Burkhart and Wall applied defensive pressure causing multiple turnovers all over the court. Wilton would go on to dominate in a 49-14 win.
Away against Ludlowe, the Warriors came out with defensive intensity led by Griffin Turner, Wall, and Martin. Turner scored 4 quick points off of steals followed by back-to-back 3-pointers by Luke Umphred and Declan Brokaw and the warriors were off and running. In the end, the game came down to the final two seconds, with a Ludlow player hitting a three to give the home team the win 45-46.
5th/6th Grade Boys Lose Pair of Games to Westport and Greenwich Boys and Girls Club
The Wilton Boys 56ers lost a pair of games this weekend to Westport and the Greenwich Boys and Girls Club. Against Westport, the Warriors battled hard but Westport simply had too much firepower. The Warriors were led by the great effort of Stefano Cross, Henry Soojian, Dylan Gallo, Liam Joy and Mason Andrews. All of the Warriors battled hard defensively including reserves Conor Toohill, Max Totten, Ryan Meenan, Patrick Lillis, Trevien Goldman, Matthew Garcia and Jake Brokaw. In the end, Westport won 9-41.
Against Greenwich Boys & Girls club the Warriors were able to find their groove offensively, putting 31 points on the board. Leading the way for the Warriors was Cross (9 points), Garcia (6 points), Joy (5 points) and Soojian (5 points). The Warriors showed great hustle and teamwork getting open shots for each other and doing their best rebounding against a taller team. In the end, Greenwich was simply too tough, shooting over 66% from the floor on their way to a 31-49 victory over Wilton.
7th Grade Girls Defeat Trumbull, 34-28
The Wilton 7th grade girls team won a League game on Saturday, defeating Trumbull, 34-28. Wilton recovered from a slow offensive start by playing tough player-to-player defense, led by Lauren Moe and Calie Hage, limiting Trumbull to three points in the second quarter. Wilton pulled away in the third quarter, outscoring its opponent 12-6. Ashleigh Masterson led the scoring with 8 points, followed by Riley Fitzgerald (7 points, including one 3-pointer), Ella Mulfinger (6 points) and Maddie Dineen (6 points). Anisa Burrows (3 points), Molly Hancock (2 points), Emma Kelly (2 points), and Maddie Phelan (1 point) rounded out the scoring for Wilton.