Wreckers Prevail in Tourney Semi-Final: Next Stop, FCIAC Final!
Wreckers defeat Fairfield Ludlowe 56-46 in thrilling FCIAC semi-final in Wilton on Monday.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Above: Wreckers are introduced and face the flag for the National Anthem.
In a meeting of contrasting paces, the Ludlowe Falcons found themselves down 8-4 to the Staples Wreckers after the first quarter, despite the slow-tempo favoring the Falcons. Staples Junior Mason Tobias got it going in the second quarter, scoring 6 of his 13 points off of crafty post moves as well as poised free throws. Still the Ludlowe Falcons tilted the game to their pace, with the low halftime score of Staples 16 Ludlowe 14.
Coming out of halftime, Junior Matty Corrigan (15 points) found his rhythm offensively ,scoring 11 points in the third quarter, right after he picked up his third foul. Corrigan found himself primarily in transition, scoring an up and under layup that wowed the Staples faithful before drilling his lone three pointer of the game. As the pace of the game started to pick-up and tilt more towards the fast-pace that the Staples Wreckers desired, the Ludlowe Falcons weren’t done yet. Senior Charlie Mahoney (13 points) hit all 3 of his three pointers in the second half, most of which were well contested by the Staples defense. Senior Ryan Torello also found himself, scoring 10 of his 19 points in the third quarter.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Early in the fourth quarter, the score was Staples 41 Ludlowe 39 when sophomore Dhilan Lowman (6 points) drilled his second trey from the top of the key to give the Staples Wreckers some breathing room. It was all Staples from there, led mostly by senior point guard Adam Udell who scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half. The final score was Staples 56 Ludlowe 46.
As always, Staples Cheerleading brught their “A” game, keeping the energy in the stands at the maximum.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
As the clock’s final minutes wound down, the Wreckers bench showed their appreciation. Staples Principal Stafford Thomas is joined by Matt Jacowlefff , Staples Special Education teacher and Associate Head Football Coach and Staples Assistant Principal Jim Farnen. At right, a young Wreckers basketball fan looks admiringly with good reason at Head Coach David Goldshore as Dave puts his arm around him. The youngster is Justin Goldshore, Coach’s son.
As the team heads to the bench after the buzzer, there are congrats and high-fives all around. Head Coach Goldshore takes a moment to share some thoughts with Ludlowe’s Head Coach John Dailey, then enjoys the sweet victory with an FCIAC official.
The Staples Wreckers find themselves back in the FCIAC championship game for the third year in a row as they travel to the Mahoney Arena on the campus of Fairfield University this Wednesday, February 26 at 7:30 PM. This time, they will be taking on the #1 seeded Ridgefield Tigers, whom Staples defeated in the last regular season meeting just 5 days ago 81-69. The Staples Wreckers lost last year’s FCIAC championship game to Trumbull in overtime, and in 2023, Staples lost to Danbury. This is definitely one you won’t want to miss!
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
We were able to corral a few of the Wreckers for a photo before they joined the rest of the team to celebrate the hard-fought victory.
We felt it was important to recognize this Ridgefield Tiger player who, in a moment of true sportsmanship, consoles A Fairfield Warde player whom the Tigers had just defeated in the first semi-final match-up.. We would like to commend that player for a display of empathy and class which is unfortunately not a common occurrence. Well done young man!