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With the season around the corner, the Staples Boys tennis team looks to defend their 2011 State title, and finally take the FCIAC championship that has avoided them since 2001. However, they’ll have to do so without the help of Danny Hirschberg, who currently plays tennis at Brown University.

For the last 3 years, Danny Hirschberg has played #1 singles for Staples, and his contribution during his senior year earned him an All-American award. Some of Danny’s other accomplishments include the 2010 and 2011 Class LL Singles Champion, undefeated regular and post seasons during his last two years of high school, and the 2011 State Open singles champion.

Along with Danny, Staples lost some other key members, including Justin Kleiner (Brown University), Jesse Heussner (Dartmouth University), Jehangir Hafiz (Boston University), and Josh Kaseff (Dickinson College).

Some leadership has evaporated with the loss of the seniors, but newly appointed captains Steve Thomson and Graham Hyman are ready to step up to the challenge. “Although we lost some key members of the team, everybody has improved and we’re confident that we can do just as well as last year, if not better”, said Steve.

After the year Staples had last year, that’s easier said than done.

Led by Danny, the team swept through the regular season, and after a thrilling 4-3 victory over New Canaan, finished with a 17-0 record, the second year in a row without a loss before the playoffs. After sweeping Fairfield Ludlowe and squeaking out another tight one against New Canaan, they faced Greenwich in the FCIAC finals, and finished runner-up for the second straight year.

In the CIAC Tournament, Jake Hirschberg and Graham Hyman made it to the doubles final, and Danny Hirschberg’s 6-2, 6-3 win over Tyler Kratky of Greenwich in the final of the singles tournament gave Staples the Class LL title by a point, their first since 1988.

It’ll be tough, but hopefully the Wreckers can get it done again in 2012.

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We all need to get back into shape. I went to the Wonderland of Ice public skate and I skated for 2 hours. Anybody else up for it. Sunday’s are 2-4 and 7:30-10 and on Saturday’s 2:30-4:30 and 7:30-10. Let me know if you’re going.

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Just want to remind everybody that we are doing spring hockey in Shelton if you haven’t signed up already get with it. If you don’t play come watch.

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Enjoy the World Famous Court Jesters against the Westport Faculty All Stars while supporting PAL Basketball - fun for the whole family!

The Annual PAL Basketball fundraiser is here!  This basketball event features the World Famous Court Jesters against the Westport Faculty All Stars.  Great fun for the whole family!  All ages welcome…

Date:    Fri, March 30, 2012

Time:   7 p.m.  Doors open at 6:15 p.m.

Place:  Staples High School

Cost:    $12 Per Person

Tickets can be purchased at the Westport Parks and Rec offices, JR’s Hot Dog or from Westport PAL basketball players.

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The 2011-2012 FCBL Girls B division champions from Westport: (Standing L-R) Coach Erin Shaw, Virginia Gehrig, Grace McGinley, Julia Brower, Morgan McWhirter, Ashley Constantino, Claire Meehan and Coach Ashley DelVecchio; (seated L-R) Amelia Hunt, Rachel Seideman, Charlotte Rossi and Olivia Troy

The Westport PAL 7^th-grade girls team seized the league title from last-year’s winner Fairfield Mercury in a highly energized game on Saturday, March 10, winning the B bracket of the Fairfield County Basketball League tournament. 

Westport jumped ahead early, posting a 12-5 lead at the end of the first quarter.  Amelia Hunt sank two three-pointers and Julia Brower, Claire Meehan and Rachel Seideman made valuable contributions on offense.

Westport 7G's Amelia Hunt (#5) lines up 1 of her 2 first period three-point bombs in last weekend's championship victory over Fairfield Mercury.

Things tightened up in the second period, with Fairfield pulling ahead.  The teams battled hard for jump balls and Westport’s strong defense forced several Fairfield turnovers.  Charlotte Rossi’s back-to-back breakaway layups moved Westport ahead before the half, which closed with Westport leading 16-14.

Westport continued its tough defense in the second half, with Grace McGinley and Virginia Gerig helping to neutralize Fairfield under the hoop.  Morgan McWhirter and Ashley Constantino pressured Fairfield’s offense, leading to several turnovers.  Westport capitalized on them with strong shooting from Olivia Troy, Brower and Rossi, putting Westport ahead by a seven-point margin, 26-19, at the end of the third quarter.

Despite the Westport lead, the game remained tense as Fairfield came back in the final period, taking the lead by one point with less than two minutes to play.  Westport answered with a fast break by Meehan, followed by a Fairfield turnover, which Meehan grabbed, ran with and sank to put Westport ahead 34-31 with thirty seconds remaining.  Fairfield was unable to score again, and on its final possession, Westport held onto the ball as the clock ran down to zero.

Claire Meehan (#3) scores to help Westport PAL 7G regain the lead against Fairfield Mercury on the way to a hard-fought championship.

 Coaches Ashley Del Vecchio and Erin Shaw led a spirited team full of heart, which ended the season with a 14-10 record overall.

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March 10, 2012

The Staples All-American 1600m Medley Relay. Left-Right: Jon Heil, Max Hoberman, Zach Mitchell, Henry Wynne

Despite never having run together as a unit, the Staples Boys 1600m relay team ran faster than any Connecticut team in history, placing sixth at the U.S. Nationals at the Armory in New York City, and achieving All-American status in the process. The group was comprised of the three Senior sprint captains, Jon Heil, Max Hoberman, and Zach Mitchell, as well as Junior sensation Henry Wynne.

The Staples relay time of 3:29.40 shaved 1.08 seconds off the prior state record set by Danbury in 2008, and obliterated the Staples school record set last month by 9.15 seconds. It was also the sixth fastest time recorded in the US this year according to ESPN Dyestat.

The 1600m relay, also known as the sprint medley relay (“SMR”), features four runners covering, in order, distances of 200m/200m/400m/800m. Being run indoors, this means the first two runners go once around the track, the third runs around twice, and the fourth four times.

The Staples 1600m relay team reads their All-American certificates. Left-Right: Henry Wynne, Max Hoberman, Zach Mitchell, Jon Heil

On paper, the Staples boys team knew they had the ability to run a good time, but relays are unpredictable given the nature of having to pass a baton and run most of the race in traffic. With four of the 800m runners predicted to run anchor splits under the Connecticut state record, to medal by claiming the final two slots would require everyone shaving off as much time as possible.

The good news was that the committee seeded the team by their theoretical best time, and thus Staples was placed in the final and fastest heat. With six teams in the heat, placement did not matter as long as they ran faster than 3:32, the fastest time of the prior heats. And run they did, right into the record books.

As always, for more information about Staples Track & Field, including more photos and videos, please go to http://staplesrunning.com/.

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Westport PAL Basketball’s “All About Kids” Playoff Round-Up (3/7)

By: Contributing PAL parents

Following an exciting extended weekend of Fairfield County Basketball League playoff games, three of Westport PAL’s basketball teams have advanced to championship games to be held this Saturday and Sunday, March 10 and 11.

Westport PAL 5B

After finishing tied for fourth in the FCBL’s Boys 5A division, Westport PAL 5B began its playoff run with a victory over New Milford 5B on Saturday, March 3 in the opening round of the FCBL’s 5 Boys A North division playoffs.

With little time to savor its victory, 5B confronted Ridgefield on Sunday, March 4 in the semi-finals.  5B’s progress over the season was on display as it stayed close with Ridgefield 5B throughout, ultimately forced overtime and emerged victorious in a thrilling one-point overtime victory, 54-53.

On Sunday, March 11, 5B will go for a title in the championship game against Madison Black 5B in Darien.  The game tips at Saxe Middle School at 3 pm.

Westport PAL 7G

After an up and down regular season that had it finishing in the middle of the pack of the FCBL’s 7 Girls B division, Westport PAL 7G began its title run on Thursday evening, March 1 with a long trip to New Fairfield to meet Brookfield 7G.  After a see-saw first half that had each team inching ahead by not more than 4 points, the teams went to half-time tied.  The half-time adjustments and motivational words from coaches Ashley Delvecchio and Erin Shaw worked as 7G asserted its height and speed advantages in the second-half, putting together its best 16 minutes of basketball of the season to pull away for a 44-17 final score.

Westport PAL 7G's Virginia Gehrig (#21) looks to break Ridgefield's 1-3-1 trapping defense with a pass to point-guard Charlotte Rossi (#15) in last Sunday's semi-final victory

7G’s good feelings continued on Sunday, March 3 in Danbury against division powerhouse Ridgefield 7G.  After having fallen to Ridgefield by more than 10 points only two weeks ago, 7G came to Sunday’s semi-final with an impressive sense of purpose.  Once again, a see-saw first half that ended with 7G ahead by just one point was followed by an unrelenting second-half.  In a chippy second half, the defensive focus of Julia Brower, Morgan McWhirter and Olivia Troy, along with the strong rebounding from Virginia Gehrig, Claire Meehan and Grace McGinley and the scoring punch from Charlotte Rossi, Amelia Hunt and Rachel Seideman led to the upset, 35-24.

Rachel Seideman (#1) helps Westport PAL 7G earn a spot in this weekend's championship with a 3-point swish to push the lead in last Sunday's semi-final victory over Ridgefield

On Saturday, March 10, 7G will go for a title in a re-match of last season’s championship game against talented Fairfield PAL Mercury 7G.  The game tips at 3:30 pm at Weston High School.

Westport PAL 8G

Westport PAL 8G and coach Chris Scholz’s perseverance and persistence during an injury-filled regular season has produced a remarkably satisfying playoff run that culminates with a championship game in the FCBL’s 8 Girls B division.

8G began the magic with an opening round victory last Saturday, March 3, over New Canaan 8G.  Not satisfied with just an opening round victory, 8G put together its best effort of the season in Sunday’s semi-final, pulling away to defeat St. Mark-Stratford 8G, 32-19.

The FCBL’s 8 Girls B division championship game against Danbury PAL 8G will be played this Sunday, March 11, at Danbury High School and tips at 2 pm.

Westport PAL 5G

Westport PAL 5G’s season came to a premature end on Sunday, March 4 in New Fairfield as 5G was defeated by Newtown 5G in the semi-finals of the FCBL’s Girls 5 B division.

Earlier, in its playoff opener, 5G defeated St. Marys-Ridgefield in New Canaan.

Westport PAL 6G

Westport PAL 6G’s season ended with a hard-fought four-point loss to Newtown 6G in the semi-finals of the FCBL’s Girls 6 A division last Sunday, March 4, in Darien.

6G earned a place in the semi-finals having defeated Trumbull Travel 6G in its playoff opener on Friday, March 2, in Stratford.

Westport PAL 6B (By: Janet Rogers, PAL parent)

Westport PAL 6B players look for their defensive assignments in last weekend's hard-fought 3-point loss to Kings Kids-Bridgeport

Westport PAL 6B concluded its season with a loss last Thursday, March 1, to Kings Kids-Bridgeport in the opening round of the FCBL’s 6 Boys South division.

6B got off to a good start behind a basket and two made free throws from Ben Pearl.  Steven Frost, Brandon Luffman, and Drew Rogers all contributed with shooting on the perimeter.  Guards Jack Beck and Harris Levi controlled the ball and made key passes.  At halftime, the game was tied.  In the second half, 6B’s defensive intensity remained high, with hard work from Ben Stein, Zach Feinstein, and Ryan Quinn.  Evan Zinn and Brandon Adrian were powerhouses on the boards- including multiple offensive rebounds that led to second chance points.  Unfortunately, the talented squad from Bridgeport fought hard too and produced a 3 point victory that ended a thrilling and satisfying season for 6B.

Westport PAL 6B applies pressure to Kings Kids-Bridgeport in its FCBL playoff loss last weekend

Westport PAL 7B (By: Paul Muller, PAL parent)

Westport PAL 7B ended its season with a semi-final loss to regular season FCBL Boys 7A division champion Fairfield Hoops Red 7B, 34-42.

Seeded fourth in the competitive and tightly-bunched Boys 7A division, PAL 7B kicked off its playoff run on Saturday, March 3, with an early morning tilt against #5 seed New Canaan at Ridgefield High School.  Looking to reduce 7B’s speed advantage, New Canaan played a swarming 1-3-1 half-court trapping defense that required patience and strong ball movement.  A nip and tuck contest throughout, 7B eked out a 38-34 victory to earn a spot in the semi-finals against top-seeded Fairfield.  In the victory, Ben Casparius and Justin Seideman shared scoring honors, complemented by three-point sharp-shooting down the stretch from Fritz Schemel and Cayne Mandell.  Sean Prittchett did the dirty-work, holding New Canaan to single shots by cleaning the weak-side defensive glass, while also putting 7B ahead in the game for good off of a sweet high low pass from Mack Muller.  Strong defense against New Canaan’s terrific wing player by Brendan Massoud, Kenny Brill and Matty Fair, along with rebounding assistance on the offensive and defensive ends by Ryan Fitton earned 7B a hard fought victory.

Unfortunately, the third time was not the charm as 7B’s terrific season came to a premature end in the semi-finals against Fairfield, 34-42.  Using rotating defenses that included a box and one, along with relentless rebounding and accurate three-point shooting, Fairfield demonstrated again why it was the most well rounded team that 7B faced during the season.  In the loss, everyone on 7B gave maximum effort, led in scoring and steals by point-guard Justin Seideman.  Ben Casparius led 7B in rebounds, blocked shots and deflections while demonstrating his tremendous athleticism and versatility, moving from guard to forward to center as needed.  Long-range assassin Fritz Schemel continued his hot playoff shooting, hitting a pair of threes, joined by Kenny Brill and Cayne Mandell, all helping to keep the game within reach at critical moments.  Mack Muller and Ryan Fitton worked hard in defending Fairfield’s powerful front court players, while Sean Pritchett, Brendan Massoud, and Matty Fair hustled to close out the perimeter against Fairfield’s sharp-shooting guards.

Congratulations to 7B for another terrific season and good luck to Fairfield and Darien in the FCBL 7A final this Saturday.

Westport PAL 8B

Westport PAL 8B’s season ended last Saturday, March 3, with a loss to Fairfield 8B in the opening round of the FCBL’s Boys 8A division.

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March 2, 2012

2012 New England Champs

The top track and field athletes from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont all gathered Friday evening at the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center in Boston. After a three and half hour bus ride, the Staples Boys Indoor Track team and a large contingent of parents sought out the group’s “usual” seats in the rear of the complex at the head of the back stretch. For this year’s squad, despite being the reigning CT State Open Champion, “usual” would be an understatement.

Relay races are never predictable. To post your best possible time requires the convergence of three elements: 1) running your fastest, 2) not allowing yourself to be boxed in or tripped, and 3) making perfect handoffs to keep your momentum going. First up was the 4×800 team of Patrick Nolan, Kyle Hoberman, Mikolaj Kulis and Walker Marsh, facing the daunting task of weaving in and out of thirteen other teams in their heat alone. They still placed a respectable twelfth overall.

Immediately following was the 4×200 team with Jon Heil leading off, followed by David Hoffman, Max Hoberman, and Zach Mitchell at anchor. Seeded fourteenth, they knew it would take breaking a 24 year old school record time to medal and achieve All-New England status, which meant finishing in the top six among the top teams of six states. And so they did, on both counts, energizing the Staples contingent.

2012 New England 4x200 Team

The electricity of the moment appeared to pass through Henry Wynne who proceeded to light up the crowd by destroying the field in the 1000m. His time of 2:28.30 not only broke his own Staples record, but was the eighth best time in the country for the event this season. Kulis then returned to the track to take eighteenth in the two mile.

2012 New England 1000m Champ Henry Wynne

Though defending champion in the 4×400, three-quarters of that team had graduated. At leadoff was Max Hoberman, followed by Marsh, Wynne and finally Jon Heil, the only returning member. Seeded fourth, once again it became imperative to break the school record to have any hope of winning the race. Hoberman, pacing himself in second, blew by the leader in the back stretch to give Staples the early lead which Marsh maintained throughout his leg. After the first of his two laps, the runner in second made an overzealous effort to jump in front of Wynne prior to the turn, causing the two to trip but fortunately not fall. Unfazed, Wynne waited until the back stretch to retake the lead in dramatic fashion, which he turned into a rout. Heil, leaving nothing to chance, quickly made the race a laugher by turning in his best split of the season. Not only did Staples repeat, but they did so in a time of 3:23.62, shattering the old school record by 1.32 seconds.

2012 New England 4x400 Team Celebrates Their Win

In all, six Staples runners achieved all-New England status (see below). Staples has now qualified all four of its relay teams for the U.S. Nationals, a subset of the nine total athletes who will be competing. The event will take place this Friday through Sunday at the Armory in New York City.

For more information, pictures, and video, please go to StaplesRunning.com.

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Area All-New England Track & Field

Boys
Danbury: Shane Chiaravalle, Patrick DeAngelo, Garin Mooney, Thomas Moore, Austin Winer
Fairfield Warde: Harry Warnick
Greenwich: Elijah Dume, Ryan Kelly, Marcus Motill, Nick Pulitano
Norwalk: Adam Robertino
Staples: Jonathan Heil, Maxwell Hoberman, David Hoffman, Walker Marsh, Zachary Mitchell, Henry Wynne
Trumbull: Keith Bond, Malcolm Connor, Tim Johnson, Joseph Matera

Girls
Darien: Grace Loh
Immaculate: Maggie Christie
Greenwich: Claire D’Etiveaud, Emily Johnson, Naomi Leeds, Abby Markowitz, Amanda Michaud