Ridgefield Boys Basketball Routs Staples To Reach Class LL Quarterfinals For First Time In School History

The Ridgefield boys basketball team reached another milestone in its record-breaking season tonight.

Bryan Galvin scored 22 points Wednesday as the fifth-seeded Tigers routed FCIAC rival Staples 67-48 to reach the quarterfinals of the CIAC Class LL state tournament for the first time in school history.

Ridgefield, which had never won more than 15 games in a season prior to this one, improved to 20-3 and will play at No. 4 Holy Cross of Waterbury in the quarterfinals on Friday.

Ridgefield has never been known as a basketball school, but the Tigers were spurred on by a large and enthusiastic crowd Wednesday.

"When have you ever seen a crowd like this for a Ridgefield basketball game? Never," Tigers coach Carl Charles said.  "This is great. I am really proud of these kids." 

Chris Esemplare contributed 12 points for the Tigers while Seth Von Kuhn and Steidl added 10 points apiece.   

Wednesday marked the third time that Ridgefield has defeated Staples this season, but the two regular-season meetings were close affairs decided in the final minute.

"We know this (Staples) team like we know our own team," said Galvin, who hit four 3-pointers. "Chris and I have been playing these guys since sixth grade. They always give us trouble. They hustle all game long and did today, despite the score.

"We knew it was going to be a slugfest and we had played the whole game. It was a real team effort."

On Wednesday, the Tigers shut down Staples' leading scorer Gabe Seidman, who averages nearly 18 points per game.

"Earlier in the year when we played them, their typically good trapping defense gave us problems, but today we did not turn the ball over against them," Charles said.

Staples managed to keep the game close early behind the shooting of guard Jake Feldman, who had six points in the first quarter, when the Tigers only held a 12-11 lead.

However, Ridgefield extended to a 29-20 lead at halftime. Galvin had 14 points and Steidl eight in the first half. 

Galvin hit three of his four 3-pointers in the second quarter, when Ridgefield clamped down on defense and limited the Wreckers to only nine points.

In the third quarter, Ridgefield increased its lead to 48-34 as Esemplare found his range, hitting a mid-range jumper for Ridgefield's first basket of the second half and later adding two more 3-pointers. 

"Once I hit an easy one, I can see it and then it becomes automatic," Esemplare said.

Seidman scored 12 points and Feldman added 10 for the Wreckers, who finished the year at 16-7.

The Tigers now prepare for Holy Cross, one of the powers of the Naugatuck Valley League.

"We upset them two years ago in the first round and know how to play against them," Charles said. "It is a game we can win."