Trumbull Boys Basketball Falls To Darien

Airball! Airball! Airball!

Chants from the Darien student body echoed throughout the Darien High School gymnasium Friday night as the Blue Wave boys' basketball team defeated the Trumbull Eagles, 49-42.

The student body was out in force, and their energy brought out the best in the home team which won its first FCIAC game in over a year. 

"We're disappointed with the loss," Trumbull head coach Buddy Bray.  "They out-hustled and out-played us tonight, and they made shots and we just didn't."

The beginning of the game saw Darien go up by double-digit points, but in the fourth quarter the Eagles were able to cut the lead down to four.  However, several missed 3-point shots ultimately led to a loss for Trumbull.

"Lots of poor shooting out there tonight," Bray said.  "We never really got into it.  We're young and we only have one returning senior, so there will be growing pains as the season continues."

The Trumbull players were certainly rattled by the chants coming from the Darien student body, as some players were seen yelling back at the crowd and not knowing what to do during some parts of the game.

"We got to talk to each other more," Trumbull senior David Klein said. "We have to communicate better and just vocalize what we're doing out there."

Despite the disappointment on the Trumbull side, the win for Darien signifies a polar shift from last year's losing ways.  First year head coach Kyle Marian has his boys playing hard and taking it one game at a time.

"I'm really excited for my seniors, my younger guys, and for the students who came out tonight to watch us," Marian said. "Before I'm a coach, I'm a fan, and before I'm a fan, I'm an alumnus, so I'm glad we were able to get this win for the program."

The Darien players were excited to be a part of a conference win, especially after struggling through a 1-19 record last season.

"It's awesome to finally get the win," Darien senior Chris Allam said.  "We all came together and said we have to take it one game at a time.  Every game is a one game season for us."

The seniors are happy to prove that they belong in this league and are hoping that other teams take notice that this is not an upset.

"We all worked hard and we played great help defense," senior Ian Sullivan said. "We know we're not the best team in a one-on-one scenario, but as a team we're very very talented."

The Darien players are looking to keep their winning streak alive versus next-door rival New Canaan, but it will be a difficult task, as the Blue Wave will have to prove that they can win on the road.

"We're looking and come into their court and shock them," Sullivan said.

As for the Eagles, an arduous road lies ahead as their schedule gets no easier against  Stamford in their next game.

"We have a very good Stamford team that we're facing next, that we have to prepare for," Bray said. 

But the team is certainly not shy about practicing harder for their next game.

"We have to practice everything," Klein said.  "Dribbling, shooting, passing, we realize that in order to get that win we have to work."