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.

Wilton Youth Basketball

6th Grade Boys

The Wilton 6th Grade boys team, sponsored by Pinocchio Pizza, finished an epic basketball weekend 3-0, to move to 14-4 overall.

Wilton prevailed 41-26 over St. Theresa’s on Saturday, Jan. 30, with Zarius Eusebe leading the charge (10 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists and 2 steals). Max Andrews (7 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block) and Grant Masterson (12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal) kept St. Theresa’s off the glass, while Matthew Giller (6 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal) and Craig Hyzy (6 points, 5 rebounds) hit timely shots. The Wilton defense was led by Parker Woodring (2 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal), Dillon Mannix (1 rebound) and Max Silva (4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal). Big man Jack Lynch (2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks) kept St. Theresa’s out of the middle and Kevin Hyzy was everywhere on the floor with 2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

On Sunday, Jan. 31, Wilton faced off against previously unbeaten Mt. Vernon, in a battle for first place in their division, coming away with a memorable 55-53 victory. Having lost to Mt. Vernon twice earlier in the season, Wilton came out on fire led by Kevin Hyzy’s clutch play (14 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals). Giller’s smooth touch was evident (9 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists and 2 steals), as was Eusebe’s will to win (8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals). Andrews was a force (9 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal), in tandem with Lynch (4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal). Masterson (2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block), Silva (2 points, 1 rebound) and Mannix (1 rebound) played aggressively on defense to slow the vaunted Mt. Vernon offense. Craig Hyzy was solid (2 points and 3 rebounds), while Woodring used his athleticism to tally 5 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Despite Wilton being up by 13 in the 3rd quarter, Mt. Vernon stormed back to tie the game with less than a minute left. Eusebe was fouled chasing a loose ball and sealed the victory with 2 pressure packed free throws.

In the final game of the weekend, Wilton fought back from a 14-point second half deficit to beat Greenwich Black Select 53-48. The comeback was spurred by Kevin Hyzy’s tremendous 18-point, 3-rebound effort combined with Giller’s huge 3-pointer that tied the game with six seconds remaining. Craig Hyzy’s (9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist) free throws were the difference in overtime. The Warriors’ other key offensive players were Woodring (4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals), Giller (6 points, 1 rebound), and Eusebe (6 points, 2 assists, 3 steals). Andrews’ presence was felt in the middle (6 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal) while Silva (2 points, 1 rebound), Mannix (1 rebound), Lynch (3 rebounds, 1 steal) and Masterson (2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal) added much needed energy.

7th/8th Grade Boys

The Wilton 7th/8th grade boys team, sponsored by GOOD Morning Wilton, played one home and one away game this weekend but while showing great improvement, they could not come away with a win.

The first game against Weston found the boys again trailing at halftime, and although they picked up their games in the second half, they could not overcome the deficit. Led by Davis Cote’s 8 pts. and 4 rebounds, Maden Herve added 6 pts. and 9 strong rebounds. Balanced scoring featured Andrew Travers with 5 pts. and 2 assists, John McMahon 4 pts., Sean Sullivan 4 pts., Jermaine Vincent 4 pts. and 3 boards and Ben Wiener added 2 assists and 2 steals. The game ended with Wilton losing 37-58.

The second game was a rematch against a very strong Wakeman Fairfield team. The Warriors came out of the gate strong as Josh White played a high tempo offense and drove the ball into the paint. Putting up a game high 12 pts. with 5 boards, White spent much of his night at the foul line. Herve added 7 pts. and 7 boards along with 3 steals. Outside shooting specialist  Sam Strazza hit an early 3-pointer and point guard Wiener added to his assist total, getting the ball to Travers, who hit multiple 3’s adding 10 pts.. Niko Kouvaris, Sullivan, EJ Fasano and McMahon aided the team effort with key rebounds and steals. Vincent added 6 pts. while Ryan Kaufmann added late energy and an assist. While losing to a much bigger Fairfield team 72-44, the offense is beginning to take shape and coach Kevin Hand got to celebrate his birthday weekend knowing that his team is heading in the right direction.

6th Grade Girls—White Team

The Wilton 6th grade girls White team, sponsored by Servco Oil, had a great weekend winning all three of their games and moving into 2nd place in their division.

In the first game of the weekend, the team beat a stunned Milford team 27-13. In the second game Wilton held off a second half surge by the higher ranked Weston team 22-19. In the final game of the weekend, Wilton decisively beat Weston for the second time 22-14 and moved ahead of them in the standings.

The team dominated all three games with their defensive play. Ellie Coffey (8 points) started the weekend out with aggressive play, making steal after steal and keeping the opponents off balance. Morgan Lebek (6 points) had a great series of games picking off passes, coming up with rebounds and sending them right back up. Leah Martins (4 points) continued her strong season showing her basketball IQ with a series of great passes and numerous assists to her teammates. Erynn Floyd showed her defensive prowess, by picking off practically every pass on her side of the court and creating fast break opportunities. Amelia Hughes (12 points) came up big on both ends of the court putting pressure on the opposing teams and creating her own scoring opportunities. Gracie Kaplan proved to be a strong contributor with solid bounce passing and creating openings for her teammates with her pump fakes. Ellie Copley (13 points) had a solid showing in each of the games controlling the boards and sinking some sweet jump shots. Catherine Dineen (10 points) proved that getting open is the key to winning by making herself free under the basket and converting on her layups. Olivia Rossi (14 points) showed her dribbling skills by taking on the opponents with her drive to the hoop. Bella Andjelkovic (4 points) continued her tough play under boards blocking shot after shot and pulling down rebounds. With two league games remaining, the girls look forward to improving their standings and competing in the end of season tournament.

5th Grade Girls

The Wilton 5th grade girls team, sponsored by Little Pub, played three games this week. Wednesday they hosted Redding Easton, controlling the game. Mary Scally (6 points, 1 steal, 6 rebounds) and Ava Fasano (6 points, 1 steal, 5 rebounds) led the scoring, with Lucy Corry (3 steals, 3 rebounds) and Anna Joy (4 steals, 5 rebounds) holding firm in defense to seal the 24-6 win.

On Saturday, Jan. 30, the girls traveled to Monroe. Contributing to an early lead were Aly Rappaport  (4 points, 1 steal, 2 rebounds), Heather Plowright (2 points, 4 rebounds) and Isabel DiNanno (2 points, 2 steals, 2 rebounds). Wilton came out on top with a convincing 22-4 victory.

On Sunday, Jan. 31, the weekend closed with a hard fought game against New Canaan Black. Wilton came from behind to lead in the third quarter with Molly Snow (9 points, 3 steals, 2 rebounds) and Emerson Pattillo (3 points, 4 steals, 1 rebound) leading the charge.  Solid play from Kelly Holmgren (2 points, 4 steals, 2 rebounds) made it difficult for the hosts, but Wilton was unable to maintain the lead, with the game finishing 20-14 to New Canaan.

5th/6th Grade Boys

The Wilton 5th/6th Grade Boys team, sponsored by Tavern on 7, returned to the hard court after snow cancelled their previous weekend games. The 56ers faced an athletic Norwalk team who started the game playing fast and aggressive basketball until Conor Lillis (8 points) sparked the offense with a basket at the top of the second quarter. Dylan Smith (9 points) followed with multiple baskets and Ethan Jackson (6 points) also continued to post points for the 56ers. The 56ers came out stronger in the second half and Sean Wiseman’s fast paced plays and crisp passes continued to set up scoring opportunities with Colin Tsai and A.J. Preisano both sinking baskets. James Minnich, Jefferson Mitchell and Jimmy Luce played tenacious defense and grabbed several boards, while Connor Cummings asserted himself in the paint, hitting a basket and rebounding decisively. Andrew Zizzadoro and Shane Taubin helped direct the offense in the second half and contributed to the momentum. Despite a great team effort, the 56ers fell to Norwalk 33-46.

The team lost a tough game on Sunday, Jan. 31, 52-35, against the Darien YMCA. The Warriors kept it close at halftime, but Darien’s hot shooting allowed them to pull away in the second half. Cummins led the Warriors on offense (12 points, 17 rebounds), along with Preisano (7 points, 1 steal), Smith (7 points, 1 steal, 1 rebound), Jackson (4 points) and Zizzadoro (3 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal). Luce, Tsai, Taubin, Mitchell, Minnich and Wiseman also contributed on both offense and defense, combining for four steals and eight rebounds.

5th Grade Boys

The 5th grade boys Warriors travel basketball team, sponsored by Abercrombie, Burns, McKiernan & Company Insurance, Inc. played three games last weekend, going 2-1. The Warriors came out on top against both Trumbull’s CT Elite and Hartford’s YMCA team on Saturday, Jan. 30, and lost to a tough Westport PAL team on Sunday.

Wilton won against Trumbull 37-15 as the Warriors got off to a fast start going on an 11-0 run to start the game. Point guard Tommy McKiernan led the attack with 11 points, including a 3-pointer, while Griffin Turner and Andre Wiest contributed with 6 points each. Guards Will Sullivan, Tommy Walsh and Spencer Liston pushed the ball up the court while forwards Peter Grandolfo and Ryan Preisano drove to the basket for uncontested layups. The frontline, comprised of Jackson Duncan, Alexander Reyes, Turner and Wiest, played tough defense crashing the boards and forcing turnovers that led to a number of fast break points.

Wilton also earned a victory against Hartford’s YMCA team, winning 47-23, leading wire to wire. McKiernan and Wiest (9 points and 8 points) led the scoring while Duncan, Preisano and Sullivan contributed with 5 points each. Grandolfo, Liston and Reyes (4 points each) and Walsh (3 points) rounded out the scoring. Turner (10 rebounds) was a force on the boards.  The Warriors next outing is an away game against rival Ridgefield.

8th Grade Girls

The Wilton 8th Grade Girls Basketball Team had a full weekend of games beginning Friday, Jan. 29, with a 29-25 win against Westport. It was a great team effort with a strong offensive performance led by Nancy Lynch (9 points), Grace Cahill (5 points) and Paula Perez (6 points), and tough defense led by Francesca Gonclaves (12 rebounds, 3 points).

Saturday night, Jan. 30, brought a nail-biter ending in a 29-33 loss to Danbury. Led by the impressive shooting of Sophie Sudano (16 points) and the play of Fiona O’Brien (5 points), the team also had another very tough defensive performance but could not hold on to the lead.

Sunday, Jan. 31, brought an amazing win over Milford, the number-one ranked team. The fast and aggressive game resulted in a 25-23 victory for Wilton. Solid play by every player with tenacious defense by Caitlin Greeff and Zara Weist helped secure the win.

7th Grade Boys

The Wilton 7th grade boys’ basketball team, sponsored by Ackerly and Ward, defeated St Theresa Trumbull 69-54 to win the McGivney Center Winter Classic Tournament on Monday night, Jan. 25. Wilton was led by a dominating performance from Matt Gulbin, with 19 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 assists. Other top scorers were Kyle Burns (16 points), Mack Kepner (12 points and 3 steals), Michael Coffey (10 points and 7 boards), Matt Murphy (6 points and 7 boards), and Trevor Martines (6 points and 2 assists). Chase Autore was an unselfish teammate, leading the team with 5 assists. Murphy and Gulbin were named to the All Tournament Team.

On Friday night, Jan. 29, Wilton had a strong game against first place New Canaan, winning a non-league game 75-42.  Wilton’s passing, ball movement and player movement were all spectacular, which led to high percentage shots on nearly every possession. Leading scorer was Burns with 15 points (and 4 assists), followed by Murphy with 14 points (and 3 blocked shots), Gulbin with 12 points (and 8 boards), Coffey with 12 points, Martines with 8 points (and 5 assists, 4 steals, 7 rebounds), Jimmy McKiernan with 5 points (and 3 assists), Kepner with 5 points (and 2 steals, 5 boards), and Owen Lillis and Autore, each with 2 points.

On Saturday, Jan. 30, Wilton defeated the Fairfield Hawks 60-28 in a league game. Wilton was led by the guard play of Martines (10 points, 4 assists, 2 steals), Lillis (6 points, 2 assists, 1 steal), Burns and Kepner (each with 7 points and 1 steal), and Autore (2 points, 2 assists).  Wilton controlled the boards, with Coffey collecting 12 rebounds (and 4 points), Murphy with 9 boards (and 10 points, 5 blocked shots), and Gulbin with 6 boards (and 14 points).

On Sunday, Jan. 31, Wilton prevailed in a very physical league game against Stamford Boys and Girls Club, 58-46.  Wilton got off to a 16-point halftime lead, only to see Stamford come back to within 6 points after three quarters. However, Wilton settled down, with its front line of Gulbin (14 points and 6 rebounds), Murphy (10 points, 10 boards, 3 blocked shots), and Coffey 10 points and 8 boards) scoring all 16 of the team’s points in a fourth quarter that featured tremendous interior passing. Wilton’s frontline was complemented by solid performances by Martines (7 points, 6 assists, 3 steals, 7 rebounds), Kepner (5 points, 7 assists), Burns (7 points), and McKiernan (5 points, 2 assists).

Wilton is now 24-4 overall and 9-3 in the FCBL A South Division.