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.