Baldwin Throws Five Touchdowns as Darien Rolls Over Bassick, 35-8

Saturday may have been Senior Day for the Darien football team, but it was junior quarterback Henry Baldwin who stood out.

Baldwin accounted for all of Darien's offense as he threw five touchdown passes in the Blue Wave's 35-8 victory over winless Bassick.

Baldwin now has 24 touchdowns for the season, including nine in the last two games. He tossed four in last week's 49-21 win over Trinity Catholic.

Saturday's game improved the Blue Wave to 8-1, setting the stage for the Turkey Day clash against archrival New Canaan (also 8-1), where a berth in the CIAC Class L state playoffs will be on the line.

Darien, which did all its damage Saturday in the first half, needed less than two minutes to get on the board as Baldwin fired a 20-yard touchdown pass to Clay Barker with 10:02 left in the first quarter.

Bassick, which dropped to 0-9, kept it close for awhile, but Darien erupted for 28 points in the second period to open a 35-0 cushion at the intermission.

Seven seconds into the quarter, Baldwin found Peter Gesualdi for a 23-yard touchdown. Just over three minutes later, Harlan Smith hauled in a 16-yard reception for Darien's third score.

Baldwin tossed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Barthold with 3:41 left in the quarter and completed the first-half barrage with a 30-yard touchdown toss to Patrick McDonald with 1:31 remaining.

Bassick avoided the shutout on an 80-yard touchdown in the third quarter.