Staples Softball Beats Darien, Celebrates Seniors, in Last Regular Game of Season
The Staples High School Varsity Softball Team (L-R, Back): Assistant Coach Dana Seymour, Jill Backus, Gabby Lantier, Caroline Coffey, Ally Schwartz, Tash Taubenhiem, Jen Westphal, Coach Bob Olah; (L-R, Front) Kate McDonald, Grace Alfero, Oliva Bernard, Ava Vincini and Miranda RodriguezUnder the bright lights of the Greens Farm School field, the Staples Varsity Softball Team beat Darien 5-4, bringing their season to an exciting 14-3 record.
Photos and story by Colleen Coffey for The Westport Local Press. Last night’s game was the last regular game of their season, with families, friends, and community members in attendance to cheer on the team while celebrating the outgoing seniors. The warm Spring evening welcomed the small crowds to the school’s ball field, with some attending the game on Facetime.
Members of the Staples Wreckers Softball team high five seniors Jill Backus.The graduating teammates were able to finish their high school softball career on a high note after losing last year’s season. Class of 2021 members include Jill Backus, Olivia Bernard, and Miranda Rodriguez
A close score marks a hard-fought win for the Wreckers. Backus and Junior Ava Vincini scored big by hitting two triples during the game, while Junior Pitcher Tasha Taubenhiem threw nine strikeouts against the Blue Wave.
The team will begin their FCIAC matches (Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference) tomorrow at 4:00 PM at the Wakeman Field on Cross Highway.
Celebrating the Class of 2021
Staples Rugby Team Ranked #20 in Nation; Heading to National Championships with the Help of Donors
The Staples High School Rugby Team celebrated on Tuesday with congratulations from community leaders. The team is flanked by First Selectman Jim Marpe and Staples High School Athletic Director Marty Lisevick (left) and Superintendent of Westport Public Schools Thomas Scarice, and Staples High School Principal Stafford Thomas (right). Contributed photo. For the first time in its history, the Staples High School Rugby Team will be heading to the National Championships in Kansas City, Missouri this June as the #20 team in the country. The team is actively seeking donations to fund the trip to the championship matches so they can compete.
Founded in 2003, the team has grown significantly in the past five years alone - going from 30 players in 2016, to 85 boys and 25 girls on the roster today. This is not just the case in Westport.
Nationally, the contact sport has grown in numbers with USA Rugby claiming 110,000 registered players as of this past Summer, and “at high school level, there are over 26,000 people participating, eight times more than there was a decade ago” according to Sport 306’s Senior Editor Niall McCague. Staples High School head coach Dave Lyme says the current number of youth and high school players is currently over 40,000 members.
While rugby grows, Forbes reports that youth football participation has dropped by over 30% since 2009’s peak seasons, and “It seems almost certain that 2020 or 2021 will see overall high school participation in tackle football drop to below 1 million players, a level of participation not seen since 1998.” (Roger Pielke).
To those unfamiliar with the sport - rugby is not seen as a pillar for safety and grace, however players and coaches describe their technique as their brain’s saving grace when it comes to taking down an opponent - leading with parts of the body such as the shoulder instead of their head, and using body mechanics that protect them from injury while attempting to gain possession of the ball - especially during stereotypical scrums.
The Staples High School Rugby Team is lead by Head Coach Dave Lyme. Lyme is not a stranger to championship matches, In 2016 he took a men’s team to the USA Rugby National Championship as head coach for the Fairfield Yankee’s; they won against a Texas opponent. Lyme also serves as Head Coach for the Westport PAL rugby team, and the Sacred Heart University rugby team. The Australian native has been involved in the sport for 45 years.
This year’s Staples Rugby Team captains are Staples Seniors Felix Pollmann, Ben LaFontan, Sam Seideman, and Dylan Garra - all of whom joined their teammates in losing an entire season due to COVID-19.
The Staples Rugby Team is seeking the community’s support as they embark on their journey to the national championships - with a fundraising goal of $50,000 through a GoFundMe campaign. Team members are looking forward to the match, which will also be attended by Connecticut’s Greenwich High School’s team as well as the Aspetuck Valley high school club. “These experiences increase player ability and opens larger opportunities for college recruitment as hundreds of college coaches and scouts will be in attendance” the club described in a release.
To learn more about the Staples High School Rugby Team, visit their website. To donate funds towards getting them to the National Championships this June, click here for their GoFundMe campaign.
edited 05/15/21
Night Ball
Andrew Garcia, Alex Martenson, and Nick Simpson made good use of the lights over the Compo Beach basketball courts tonight as they battled for the ball, with a clean throw snuck-in by Martenson.
Good Practice Hit for LoRusso as the Westport Adult Softball Season Begins
The Westport Softball League was in full swing this evening as the Slate Rock team practiced on the field at Compo Beach. Pictured is Joelle LoRusso as she made good contact with the ball during their team’s practice. The season was cancelled last year due to the pandemic, so team members were excited to get back onto the field this week to prepare for their games - which start in May. The Slate Rock Team reigned as champions in the 2019 season in a all-Westport league with ten other teams.
On the Fields Again: PAL Youth Lacrosse Season Begins over Weekend
The Westport Police Athletic League (PAL) youth lacrosse season began this past weekend with 5-8th graders hitting the fields for the 2021 tryouts. Grades 3-4 will begin next weekend, with 1-2 grades and kindergarten beginning in the weeks following, respectively. After the 2020 Spring season was scrapped due to the pandemic, many were excited to be back on the field - lax sticks in-hand.
The 2021 season will feature about 300 boys, according to PAL Boys Lacrosse President Dan Clark, with registration still open for all ages of boys who wish to join. Although tryouts are held, no boy will ever be “cut” from a team, but placed with the team that best meets their abilities, according to their website.
Westport PAL began in 1948 and offers several sports for local boys and girls, as well as scholarship opportunities and local community events. Westport Youth Lacrosse joined the WPAL umbrella over 20 years ago and has continued the tradition of lacrosse for generations of young Westporters.
To learn more about Westport PAL or to register for lacrosse, or other sports, visit their website westportpal.org
Library Presents Sunday Football Preview with Jeff Pegues & James Brown
From the Westport Public Library:
The Westport Library is delighted to welcome CBS News correspondent Jeff Pegues and host of The NFL Today, James Brown, to preview the championship game and get you ready for Super Sunday with exclusive insights and analysis.
This free, virtual program will be held on Wednesday, January 27 at 7:00 pm. To register go to https://westportlibrary.org/event/special-super-sunday-football-preview-with-nfl-today-host-james-brown/
“This has certainly been an atypical football season, but we won’t be denied Super Sunday!” said Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer. “A big shout out to our good friend Jeff Pegues for bringing yet another great program to the Library and the Westport community.”
James Brown is the current host of “The NFL Today” on CBS and "Inside The NFL" on Showtime. A three-time Emmy Award-winning network broadcaster, Brown, who was elected into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in August 2020, has hosted the Super Bowl a record-tying nine times including Super Bowl 53 on CBS. In 2010, SI.com named Brown the Best Studio Host of the Decade. Brown is a Special Correspondent for CBS News and contributes to programs such as “60 Minutes”, “CBS This Morning”, “CBS Evening News” and “48 Hours”. He is also a founding partner of Major League Baseball’s 2019 World Series Champion Washington Nationals.
Jeff Pegues is the CBS News chief justice and homeland security correspondent. He reports for all CBS News broadcasts and platforms including CBS This Morning and the CBS Evening News.
Since joining CBS News, Pegues has led the Network's coverage of some of the biggest stories of the last decade. He has provided extensive reporting on the conflict between the black community and police, and has authored a book on the issue, "Black and Blue: Inside the Divide Between Police and the Black Community." Pegues is the recipient of three Emmy Awards, numerous local and national Emmy Award nominations, the Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists, and in 2017 was part of the CBS News team that earned an Edward R. Murrow Award.
Pegues went to high school in Westport, Connecticut where he was an All-State sprinter and All-Conference running back on the football team.