Wreckers ‘Ballers On A Roll!
Staples Wreckers basketball continues to roll over the competition, with both boys and girls dominating Brien McMahon of Norwalk on Friday night.
Photos by J.C. Martin for WestportLocalPress
Staples boys handily defeat Brien McMahon 81-41 on Friday night in their FCIAC home opener.
Photos by J.C. Martin, story by Jake Sullivan. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Friday night marked the 2026 home-opening game for the Staples Wreckers boys basketball team as they welcomed the Brien McMahon Senators to their home court, which is known as "The Junkyard." McMahon drew first blood to start the game on a contested layup from senior Calvin Talbert (4 points). Staples responded quickly with a plethora of dazzling baskets, most of which were assisted. Senior Mason Tobias (17 points, 9 rebounds) put on a show early with his craftiness in the paint, and McMahon burned their first timeout after Tobias tipped in his own rebound as score was 12-4 after 5 minutes in favor of the Wreckers. After a couple made free throws, fan-favorite senior Matty Corrigan (13 points, 4 rebounds) burned a corner three that was met with roaring cheers from the Staples fans, and the Wreckers led 18-8 after the first quarter.
Senior Matty Corrigan crosses the half court mark with 2 seconds left on the clock ending the half and nails a 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded, to the jubilation of the team.
The second quarter was quite similar to the first, with the Wreckers intense man-to-man defense fueling their fast-paced offense. A quick three-pointer on the right wing by junior Dhilan Lowman (12 points, 4 rebounds) was then followed by another transition layup from Tobias. Senior superstar Sam Clachko (17 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists) also found his shooting touch in the second quarter, burying a three-pointer on the left wing right in front of the McMahon bench. Matty Corrigan drove right baseline and made a smooth left-handed reverse layup that was followed up with joyous approval from the Staples faithful, and the Wreckers were comfortably up 32-12 with 3:40 left in the first half. Senior Jared Sale (2 points, 2 assists, 1 steal) fired up a half-court shot that hit front rim as the buzzer sounded, and the Wreckers were up 36-16 at the half.
Photos by J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Coming out of the locker room, the Staples firepower continued a la first half, but the defense took a slight dip. As McMahon senior Tavaris Tweedie found his groove, scoring 8 of his 10 points in the third quarter, Staples coach David Goldshore burned a timeout to get the Staples defensive train back on track. Junior Austin Heyer (11 points, 2 assists) continued to put pressure on the McMahon defense by being a blur in transition, one time stopping on a dime to finish a fundamental layup early in the third. Lowman also caught fire in the third quarter from deep, draining 3 three-pointers in a span of less than 4 minutes to increase the lead substantially. Senior Jack Jacob (1 point, 7 rebounds, 2 assists,1 block) was a spark off the bench all night long, as well as senior Drew Hill (3 points, 1 steal). Perhaps the highlight of the game was when Tobias hit a running halfcourt-shot as the end of third quarter ended to put the Wreckers up 64-34 over the Senators.
Above left, Wreckers faithful, Staples “6th man” shows the boys some love as the half ends. Photos by J.C. Martin. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The fourth quarter was a delightful display of the depth of this Staples boys basketball team. Sophomore Henry Veissid (2 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block) was a steady force in the fourth quarter, anchoring the paint. Every rostered varsity player got into the game, and the reserves did much more than merely holding the ship afloat, rather, they extended the lead to culminate in a 40-point win (81-41) over McMahon. Staples advances to 5-0 as they welcome Norwalk High School next Tuesday, January 13 to the Junkyard."
Photos by J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Halftime was a great show as always, starting off with an excellent performance by the Staples Dance Team.
Photos by J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Not to be outdone, Staples’ superb cheerleaders show the packed house their stuff and keep the crowd psyched for the second half.
Photos by J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Next on the halftime entertainment menu was a scrimmage by Westport PAL 6th graders, who showed they are their way to become another generation of Wreckers.
Photos by J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Meanwhile, In Norwalk, Lady Wreckers Crush Brien McMahon
Photos by J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The Staples Lady Wreckers shook off a slow start to defeat Brien McMahon with the score of 60-37. After leading by 10 at the half, the Lady Wreckers opened up the 2nd half by scoring 29 points in the third quarter to take a 31 point lead. Junior forward Chloe Smith, #10 finished with 17 points, 9 rebounds , 2 steals and 2 blocks. Senior guard Freya Harvey, #4, and #11 Sophomore guard Addie Talbott both finished with 9 points.
Talbott added 10 steals. Emma Asiel, #30 senior guard and #12 center Marley Belzer, a senior tallied 5 points to go with their great defense throughout the game. Center #15 Riley Caney, a junior scored 7 points. #14 junior guard Samantha Selig scored 4 points and had 4 rebounds.
While the stand may have been sparsely attended, Junior Varsity sophomore Moni Mazaheri made sure the girls great plays received very enthusiastic recognition, including what we suspect is that 6-7 thing that pops up here and there in the student generation.
The Lady Wreckers relentless team defense has been holding teams to an average of 34.8 points per game. On the offensive end, the Wreckers are averaging around 65 points per game.
Photos by J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
A VISIT TO CHRISTMASES PAST
Revisitng the magic of Rick & Joan Setti’s Spectacular Christmas Village which ran for 26 years nearby in Norwalk.
Each year for 26 years generations of families came to bask in the glow of the 150,000 lights of Rick & Joan Setti’s dazzling Christmas display which we hold dear in our memories.
We are re-running our story from last year about the magical Christmas House in Norwalk that was a must-see for so many in our area.
Merry Christmas from Westport Local Press!
For nearly three decades generations of people, young and old made their yearly pilgrimage to Norwalk each December to one the the greatest Christmas displays in Connecticut and actually one of the best in the country. That fact was established in 2014 when the nationally televised ABC show, “The Great Christmas Light Fight” airing for it’s second year awarded the Settis first place which came with a $50,000 prize.
Rick and Joan’s reaction was stunned amazement in a moment that is a must see, click here: The Great Christmas Light Fight
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
There are no doubt hundreds and hundreds of Westporters with fond memories of one day being children and teens brought by their parents to years later being parents brining their own little ones to find amazement and joy at the sight. Alone approached the families home they could see they were on the right road as the glow of the lights was visible even before you got to the house.
The family and friends would begin in September assembling their display, which included 150,000 lights and over 700 hand-made characters to get ready for each year’s big reveal the day after Thanksgiving Day.
That is when the City made their Midwood Road in Norwalk’s West Rocks section a one way street to try to manage the hundreds of cars which would arrive at dusk to marvel at the brilliant spectacle the Settis created. They added to their display over the years as Rick would create characters from across the spectrum of children’s entertainment in his wood shop and wife Joan would lovingly hand paint each figure. There was everything from early Disney films such as Snow White to the Peanuts Gang. There were scores of snowmen, Surfs galore, their North Pole Village and the scenes from the birth of Jesus. There were numerous room vignettes which the children would clamor into and pose for photos. The demand for electric service was so great CL&P, now Eversource had to install a dedicated transformer to handle the demand.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The biggest day for the Settis was in fact Christmas Eve. This was when, at “their invitation” Santa and Mrs. Clause would take up their positions and hand out a candy cane to every child who came to sit on Santa’s lap to answer the age old question, “And what would you like for Christmas this year?”, no doubt hoping their Christmas wish would be granted the next morning. This would easily be a four hour process and they were able to tally the number of children who each received one candy cane which sometimes numbers more than 800 children.
The great gift of the first place finish was a poignant one for the Setti’s, who were then in their 70’s and would be making their last Christmas Miracle that year. They told everyone they would hold a tag sale after their season was over so that the beautiful pieces that had been a part of so many people’s lives would then become part of those family’s Christmas decorations.
To truly understand what this meant to the Setti’s and their family and friends, enjoy the finale episode of Christmas Light Fight where they were awarded first place, Click Here: The Great Christmas Light Fight
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
2025 Westport Holiday Stroll Better Than Ever!
Dan Woog’s annual 06880 Holiday Stroll, the 5th year for this much anticipated holiday event had something for everyone to help get into the holiday spirit. Headlining the entertainment was the Staples Orphenians sharing their beautiful voices in multiple locations, including next to the new, old looking clock which was recently installed and was inspired by the famous Grand Central Station clock in NYC. Adorable pigs with antlers took their place in the center of it all to the amusement of many of the more than estimated 1500 or more attendees helping make the night a big success.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Folks gathered around a pair of fire pits not just to get warm, but to make the tasty Smores that everyone loves.
The Elm & Main shopping plaza, formerly known as Brooks Corner was the site of several fun stops for visitors with activities galore. A long line formed at the Photo Booth which was housed in a small trailer. The Clubhouse, on Post Road East provided a chance for competitors to channel their inner UConn Husky and see how many baskets they could sink in a set period of time. A pair of booths including Dunkin Donuts helped folks warm up with hot chocolate.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The Staples Orphenians drew a big crowd to Main St. near The Gap as they sang holiday favorites before they made other stops to entertain visitors.
Also at the plaza, excited children waited to give Santa their wish list for what they will find under the tree on Christmas morning. And of course, Yogi Bear, the Mayor Of Westport made sure he go in on the fun and grabbed another pic for his collection.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
One of the most fun and entertaining stops on the stroll, courtesy of Riverside Realty was a chance to get up close and personal with a pair of adorable and very friendly (if you had popcorn handy) pigs. One brave group of girls had a chance to take a turn at “pig yoga” with the pig’s owner sprinkling popcorn all over the girls which the eager pigs wasted no time in scarfing down.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
West Elm was a great place to visit to see their beautifully decorated Christmas Trees. Ten week old Poppy became a little tired from all the excitement and snuggled up with Dad, Mike. She perked up quickly when Mom Leona came back and the family took a moment to celebrate Poppy’s first Christmas event with a quick photo by the tree.
Savy & Grace made it much easier for kids to get their wish list for presents to Santa with a direct mail connection to the North Pole.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Downtown Westport Sparkles For The Holidays
Church Street looks especially warm and inviting despite the chilly temperatures.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge.
Main Street and Church Street are glowing more than usual with the holiday lights welcoming shoppers.
Saturday Westport will host Dan Woog’s 06880 Holiday Stroll once again this year, from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM.
