The high school fall sports season came to an end Saturday night, but before closing the book on the year we have one more item to settle here: Which team was the best in the FCIAC this fall?
It makes for an interesting debate, but we are going to let you decide with the vote for the Overtime Fall Team of the Year, sponsored by BlueStreak Sports Training, Garden Catering and The Stamford Advocate.
We have selected a field of five finalists, and you can pick the team you think was the most outstanding for the past three months. The winning team will receive a plaque and T-Shirts with its school logo and colors on the front.
Here are your choices:
THE DARIEN FIELD HOCKEY TEAM: The Blue Wave were one of the most dominant teams in any sport, finishing with a 22-0 mark and winning both the FCIAC and Class M state titles. They outscored their opponents by a remarkable 141-9 margin to improve the program’s mark to 74-0-1 in the last 75 games.
THE STAPLES BOYS SOCCER TEAM: The Wreckers built on a proud tradition by winning their 27th FCIAC title, going 15-0-1 after a 1-2 start. They advanced to the championship game of the Class LL Tournament before falling to Farmington, 2-1, to finish 20-3-1. Staples ended up with 12 shutouts.
THE NEW CANAAN GIRLS SWIMMING TEAM: The Rams produced one of the most stunning moments of the year when they won the FCIAC title for the first time since 1997, and did so in resounding fashion, finishing with 488 points, nearly 200 more than runner-up Greenwich. The Rams then went on to win the Class L title before being edged out by the Cardinals to finish second at the State Open.
THE GREENWICH GIRLS SOCCER TEAM: After losing to Darien in the second game of the regular season, the Cardinals went 14-0-3 during the rest of the conference schedule, climaxed by a hard-fought 1-0 double-overtime win over Westhill in the FCIAC final. Greenwich allowed just seven goals all year before falling to Hall on penalty kicks in the second round of the Class LL Tournament.
THE ST. JOSEPH FOOTBALL TEAM: The Cadets rebounded from a 1-2 start to win six of their final seven regular-season games to qualify for the Class S playoffs. They then turned into an offensive juggernaut, scoring at least 44 points in their three tournament games, climaxed by a 49-28 rout of Ansonia for their second straight state title.
A quick note about the field: we set up two rules. First, a team had to win at least a league or state title. Second, to give teams the best chance of winning, we decided to have just one team per school. That caused the hardest choices, two in particular: picking the Darien field hockey team ahead of the football team, and by far the decision we labored over most because they are virtual equals, selecting the Greenwich girls soccer team over the volleyball team.
So there are your five candidates. The voting will continue until noon on Friday, when we will announce the Overtime Fall Team of the Year.
Become a fan of the Overtime Facebook page.
Fair enough!
Absolutely. That’s why it was posted.
That may be your opinion and I am entitled to mine.
Sponsors trying to help recognize the accomplishments of high school athletes at a time when we too often hear about the bad things and not the many good things that high school students do. I’m not sure what the sponsors have to do with any bickering that may take place. The only thing questionable, I believe, is the logic behind the comment.
Maybe Bluestreak should not be promoting itself with these type of questionable awards. They have no real meaning and if it causes this type of bickering, etc they serve no real purpose other than the promotion of Bluestreak!
are you people really arguing about and putting down other children in an effort to win some online blog award that you’ll get a t-shirt for?? No offense to Dave and his blog at all, but some of these people are unreal. I understand supporting your team, but how can you put down other kids?
I love it when 16 year olds are wiser than adults. In high school sports, that is becoming more and more prevalent.
People: I am cutting off all comments on this post right now because the last several that have come in have been critical in an insulting way, and that is not what this blog is all about. St. Joseph and Darien are deserving winners. And if any of the other three teams had won, they would also have been deserving. In selecting the finalists, the question I asked was: “If this team won, is it worthy?” The answer is yes to all five. Which team was best is a fair debate, but not if readers just want to tear each other up.
If any future comments come in that are positive, or makes a point in a professional manner, I will be happy to post them. If you are just going to use this forum to insult and rip one another in insulting ways, don’t waste your time writing because you will never see the comment posted.
— Dave
Dear Parent
you just got in a fight with high-schoolers over a poll. Every team who was nominated was clearly deserving of the title. Its not supposed to be about who worked harder, who has more taste, or who has it tougher. And since all teams were successful, everyone had to put in hard work. Its just embarrassing that I am 16 and able to realize this. Congrats to all the teams on this poll for a spectacular fall season.
to – shut up darien – how rude and tasteless. Darien can say BWFH is the best because clearly it is. It doesn’t take a poll to prove that. Congrats to the NC Swim Team, I didn’t read anyone put them down as most of the NC comments have Darien – again, really shows true colors. That is the case in point. We don’t have to put others down, we compete with class and poise and it doesn’t end on the field. The Darien girls deserve this but even though the St Joes team won the poll (congrats boys!) nothing and no one can squash these girls. It’s just a shame that it’s an adult trying to do so. And yes, they do get up that early and train harder. I’ve yet to see a swimmer with a concussion, their muscles pulling away from their shin, their teeth knocked out of their mouths or their knee caps on the other side of their leg because of giving their all – and they never stop. Please don’t put down what you do not know. When the season ends, they begin training right away for the following season travelling to New Jersey, Penn, Mass, etc to better themselves. Getting up earlier and training harder to be the best. Good luck to all the sports teams next year! After all, it IS about the kids – right parents?????
Darien parents, stop saying these things. We don’t have our parents coming on here and fighting the battles for them. Of course you are going to say that your team is the best. Get over it. Honestly the New Canaan Swimming and Diving team really stepped it up this year and that is what this voting is about. These girls worked their BUTTS OFF every single day to go from the bottom to the absolute top. They beat the returning lass L, LL and M state champions and they built up a relationship that no other team can share. Fine, say you worked hard but you never had to train in a pool and on land everyday for 4 months. And I highly doubt that you guys got up a 4:45 in the morning because you didn’t. New Canaan deserves this title this year and you can not deny it. The swim team came in as the underdogs and left the champions…how can you say that they were not the Fall Team of the Year?? They proved themselves way more than these other teams and they deserve to be commemorated for that.
vote SJHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As the parent of one of the Darien field hockey players and a parent who had three other children play three varsity sports a year for their tenure in high school, I can honestly say that there is not a more unique and more deserving team out there than Darien Girls Field Hockey. As many have mentioned before, all of these athletes deserve much praise for all there hard work and dedication through out the season. But what makes Darien unique is what they do off the field on a day to day basis. Yes Darien has won FCAICS and States for the past four years and has been undefeated for the past three years but all of that is not what make these girls remarkable. Theses girls have had the honor to be led by the most amazing coach. She led by example and respected each girls for their unique talents. They were allowed to be themselves and never had their personalities crushed in the name of winning. Most importantly they were allowed to have fun out there every day. The end result was amazing, not the trophies but the confidence, poise and grace they all took home with them.
Wave field hockey only one undefeated and St. Joes lost to Darien football
hi im emily ackers and i just wanted to say that i love all sports
BWFH WADDUPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP VOTE FOR DARIEN FIELDHOCKEY THEY WERE UNDEATED UNLIKE ST.JOES FOOTBALL WHO LOST TO OUR FOOTBALL TEAM AT FCIACS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To the person who asked if the Darien Field Hockey Team had to get up at 4:45 in the morning and at 6 on Saturdays, the answer is yes – also to come back on the field one to two more times the same day in 100 degree weather -the answer is yes. To doubt that any team works hard is not fair to any of these young athletes. Swimming is a difficult sport, as is football, soccer – any sport has it’s challenges so don’t put anyone down because you think you work harder, it only shows weakness. The Darien Field Hockey Team works extremely hard and is a group of girls like no other. They are a family of sisters that sweat much blood and tears on the field, endure pain and injury to see every member of the team succeed and never give in to fatigue. Their success was not handed to them, it came only through hard work and dedication and although everyone blames them for a dynasty, it’s what they should be commended on, not torn down for. They are held to the highest standard and never falter – and that my friends, you can take to the bank!!
SWIMMING/DIVING….one of the toughest sports out there…no doubt. None of the other teams have mornings 4 times a week, plus afternoons. The nc swimmers also showed so much imporvement. They should win this!
Go St. Joseph’s Football team worked so hard, they deserve the honor
VOTE NEW CANAAN SWIMMING&DIVING!!!! To these girls high school swimming is year round. They work hard all four season of the year to compete in short championship season in November. They won FCIACs by OVER 200 points, Defeating Darien and power house Greenwich in the process. In their short season they had to defeat the reigning Class M, Class L, and Class LL state champions to claim the title of State Champs. They came just shy of winning the trifecta (FCIACS, States, and State Opens), still finishing outstandingly in the Open meet. They are the hardest workers in the FCIAC. They deserve this SO much. Vote for them!!!!!!!!!!!!
Saint Joseph’s should definately get it. Our football team deserves it and they worked their butt off to get where they are today. Besides, Field Hockey over Football, that is crazy!
Ok, all of you Darien people here are talking about how the Field Hockey girls are sooooo dedicated. do you know what a swimmer has to go through to train?? exactly you dont because no one has the guts to swim. It is honestly one of the most physically tolling things that you can do. Did the field hockey girls have to get up at 4:45 3 mornings a week and at 6 in the morning on saturdays PLUS go to practice every day after school every day of the week?? I dont think so. AND did they work their butts off to go from the absolute underdogs to being the FCIAC champions and STATE champions? Exactly, the NCHS Swim Team deserves it the most and you all know it.
VOTE SJ! BEST TEAM ON THE POLLS.
As a Darien teacher I teach many of the students on our teams, and I can tell you that the Darien girls field hockey team is made up of very polite dedicated student-athletes whose accomplishment in field hockey is really astounding. I don’t live in Darien; I see and work with kids in other towns too like Bridgeport and Fairfield. These girls serve it I think. And don’t think that the rest of the school wasn’t horrified by what those 5 boys on the football team did. They are not representative of the students.
Vote Darien Field Hockey!! They deserve the award for all their hard work and successful season!!
How is Warde Boys Soccer not on this list?!
The New Canaan Girls’ Swimming and Diving team are made up of the most admirable girls in the county. They work all year round and support each other through thick and thin. They’ve been striving for their goals since coach Fine joined the team many years ago. This year, they defeated the reigning M, L, and LL class champs when they claimed the Class L State Championship title. As winners of the FCIAC meet and the State meet by a wide margin and runners-up in the Opens meet by a slim margin, the New Canaan Girls’ Swimming and Diving team is the most worthy of this award. They have improved immensely even over the short fall season.
VOTE NEW CANAAN SWIMMING AND DIVING!! We’re clearly the hottest team. psh
I think it Should be SJ. They started off the season 1-2 and then went on to defeat three 11 win teams in New Canaan, Valley Regional, and Ansonia. they also beat a very good greenwich team. They also won the state championship.
I am a resident of Darien without a child at the high school, but I can confidently say that these field hockey girls deserve every award they get. I see them training individually and in groups all summer long rain or shine. They are the hardest working, most dedicated, and polite young women. When my 3 year old grows up, I hope she can be just a fraction of the woman that these girls represent. I wish them all the best.
Don’t blame the Field Hockey team for the actions of a hand full of on the football team. THAT’S NOT FAIR!!! The Darien Field Hockey team has earned their day in the sun!!!
VOTE GHS GIRLS SOCCER!!!
This morning SJ was in dead last. They have a serious ground game going for voting they are closing in on second!
Vote GHS SOCCER!!!!!!!
Guess I feel like being active here today. What do the actions of five players on the football team have to do with the Darien field hockey team? Nothing. Poor reason not to vote for them if you think it is the most deserving.
dear “full disclosure”,
if this was a poll for the most conceded and worst towns in the fciac, then yes darien would make the most sense.
spray paint is not a toy hunny
VOTE NEW CANAAN SWIMMING!!!!!!!! LOTS OF LOVE!
This is just proof that as long as it is done appropriately, I will post even the most ignorant comments.
When you look at all the choices …Darien makes the most sense
Who plays field hockey?
I vote for SJHS in Trumbull– what a great school, and a fabulous football team!
I vote for Greenwich Girls Soccer !!!!!