Photo credit: Christine Costello
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.
Wilton 4-Blue 12, Westport 7
Wilton 4-Blue enjoyed an exciting win over the Westport Wreckers on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 27, on our home turf. Although Westport scored seven points in the first quarter, Wilton Blue turned up the heat and shut them out the rest of the way.
The defensive play of Dillon Bhutani, Hunter Crowell, Jack Lauricella, Thomas McDonald, Jack Kelly, Cole Montanaro and Aiden Shaw kept Westport off balance all day. The offense then got to work behind the line of Will Fisher, Henry Roy, Eli Meltzer, George Papakosmas, Lorenzo Caratozzolo, Harry Polito and Jack Williams. This allowed QB Luke Dirocco to execute the offense moving up and down the field.
In the third quarter Todd Woodring had a 55-yard touchdown run to pull within one point. The defense came through again behind huge tackles by Williams, Roy and Carter Stephonson, all of whom had multiple outstanding plays. The offense then put together a 50-yd. drive behind the running of Woodring, Jack Costello, and Wyatt Jones. DiRocco capped off the drive with a one-yd. touchdown in the final quarter, pushing Wilton ahead.
Wilton’s defense allowed minimal yardage the rest of the way with DiRocco forcing two fumbles, both recovered by Stephenson to seal the win.
Overall this young team of great athletes understand at an early age of how teamwork brings success. Thank you to the Coaching Staff of John DiRocco, Tom Costello, Mimmo Caratozzolo, Jeff Woodring, and Craig Stephenson, who dedicate countless hours.
Wilton Teen Wins Fencing Bronze
Wilton High School senior Liam Smith placed third in the Junior (U20) Men’s Foil fencing event at the Regional Junior Cadet Circuit (RJCC) held in Long Island, NY on Saturday, Sept. 19. His performance earned him a place at the USFA Summer National Championships in Dallas, TX next July 2016.
Smith is coached by Jeremy Goun at Candlewood Fencing Center in Danbury.
Wilton 7-Blue 6, New Canaan Black 28
After a solid 2-0 start to the season, Wilton 7-Blue stumbled in a 28-6 loss to New Canaan Black on Saturday, Sept. 26 at Fujitani Field.
Wilton took the opening possession and moved the ball on the ground for a first down to their own 42 yd. line. Taking to the air, Everett Andersen’s pass went through his receiver’s hands directly to the New Canaan safety who returned the ball all the way to the Warrior 6-yd. line. Two plays later the Rams punched in their first touchdown, and with the two-point conversion, were out to an early 8-0 lead.
The Warriors’ second possession went no better. Facing a fierce rush, Andersen was again picked off. New Canaan then moved 25 yards in four plays for another touchdown and a 14-0 lead.
Showing a lot of mental toughness after falling behind two scores early, the Warrior offensive line of Will Jarvie, E.J. Fasano, Kyle Jordan, Robert Rios, Brian Cipri, Trey Dexter and Jack Carroll began to execute their blocks. Following a lead block from Jermaine Vincent, Wooder Thoby streaked 40 yards to the New Canaan 25-yd. line and later scored to close the gap to 14-6 early in the second quarter.
New Canaan kept the pressure on, quickly scoring twice more to take a 28-6 lead into the locker room at half time.
The second half was a scoreless, see-saw affair. The Warrior defense stiffened and the offense showed flashes of promise, but the Warriors could not break through, leaving the final score at 28-6.
Wilton 8-Blue 7, Westport North 14
For the second consecutive week, Wilton 8-Blue suffered a disappointing loss, this time dropping a heartbreaking 14-7 decision, in a game decided in the waning moments, to fall to 2-2 on the season.
The Warrior defense set the tone for the first half, smothering the Wreckers on their first possession. Consecutive tackles by blitzing linebacker Austin Andersen were followed by a spectacular play by defensive end Jimmy O’Brien, who threw down the Wrecker running back for a seven yard loss, forcing a punt.
Reilly Sullivan returned the punt to the Warrior 48-yd. line, where the Warriors put their smash mouth football skills to work, embarking on an 11-play drive that ate up most of the first quarter. The offensive line of Noah Levi, Steven Tuin, Dominick Polito, Maden Herve, Hunter Parks, Jack Lenz and Jack Savarese was dominant as the Warriors ground out yards with the rush. Running backs O’Brien, Sullivan and Andersen were too much for Westport to handle. Andersen’s two yard touchdown dive and Levi’s extra point kick put the Warriors up 7-0 as the quarter ended.
Westport mounted a drive on their next possession but Dominick Polito’s sack of the Wrecker quarterback ended the threat. The teams traded possessions again before the end of the half, which ended 7-0.
After a defensive stop, highlighted by another huge O’Brien tackle for loss, the Warriors got the ball with good field position at their own 46 yd. line, but could not move the ball forcing a punt.
Westport next took to the air, with good success. After moving deep into Wilton territory, a sack by O’Brien and Savarese for a big loss left the Wreckers with fourth and long. However, a pass interference penalty on the next play kept the drive alive. Six plays later, with 6:23 left in the contest, the Wreckers scored and with the extra point tied the game at 7-7.
A succession of penalties, on offense and defense, hurt the Warriors the rest of the way. Pinned in their own territory and forced to punt, the Warriors gave the ball over to Westport at the Warrior 30-yd. line with time running out. With just 10 seconds remaining on the clock, the Wrecker quarterback hit his receiver over the middle in the end zone for the winning score.
Wilton 7-White 21, New Canaan White 21
In their home opener, Wilton 7-White fought back from a 21-6 deficit at halftime to tie New Canaan White 21-21 and stay unbeaten on the season.
In the first quarter, Wilton established their dominance at the line of scrimmage enabling Sean Sullivan and John Stanley to rip off long runs. On defense, Matt Gulbin and Howie Long tore through the New Canaan line to register a joint sack that had the visitors pinned in their own end.
Wilton’s command of the game didn’t translate into points as untimely turnovers halted their momentum. By early in the second quarter, New Canaan led 14-0 and the pressure was on the home team to respond.
And respond they did. Trevor Martines’ strong running established the tone, and Wilton drove down the field. After Michael Coffey fought off two New Canaan defenders to pluck a long pass from Martines out of the air, then Stanley finished the job on a keeper to make the score 14-6.
Wilton had New Canaan on their heels as Ryan vanHeyst and Evan Kauh disrupted plays in the backfield. Then with 4.4 seconds left in the half, a 40-yd. catch and run put New Canaan up 21-6 at the half.
A fired-up Wilton team was flying all over the field to start the second half. Christian Theoharides, Brian Curley and Gulbin brought pressure from the line with Sullivan and Long delivering crunching tackles to stop any New Canaan progress. When the visitors did get into the open field. the secondary of Davis Cote, Brendan Quinn, Simon Alexander, and Connor Healey swarmed their opponents .
The offensive line kept pounding away and whether running left behind Connor Quinn, Kauh, and Michael Burton or right behind Long, Gulbin, and Coffey, Wilton was able to drive down the field. Sullivan scampered into the end zone, to make the score 21-13. Then it was Martines, running with power and dragging defenders, who put Wilton on the doorstep at the one yd. line for Stanley to finish and put Wilton within two points. Stanley refused to be denied on the two point conversion to tie the game.
A deep pass hauled in by Matt Goldstein gave Wilton one last chance, but time expired to end in a 21-21 tie, but the score was secondary to the fight and passion showed by a determined team. (photo credit: August Theoharides)
