Wilton Scores and Standings, Oct. 24

Editor's Note: Send any write-ups on youth or recreational games in your town to michaeld+sports@patch.com.]

Wilton White Fourth Grade Undefeated In Regular Season

The Wilton White fourth grade football team rallied to defeat New Canaan 20-14 Saturday night in a battle of unbeatens at New Canaan High School and complete an 8-0 regular season.

New Canaan struck early with a 65-yard touchdown run on the game’s second play. The two-point conversion was good, leaving the stunned Warriors down 8-0 just two minutes into the contest.

Cheered on by a raucous  Wilton crowd, including many players and families representing the other Wilton fourth grade team, the Warriors responded by establishing a running game and grinding out yardage.

Running behind the offensive line of D.J. DiCostanzo, Stephen Kendra, Trent Hollings, Cooper Heinemann, Dean Griffin, Erik Lebek and Patrick Coulter, halfback Drew Phillips and fullback Austin Andersen, the Warriors drove 59 yards in 15 plays. However, they were stopped on fourth down at the one-foot line.

Wilton’s defense tightened up as the line of Patrick Coulter, Nick Sheehan, Jack Santomero, Erik Lebek, Trent Hollings and Tate Falta, backed up by Cole Stephenson, Matt LaManna, Camilo Galeano, Oliver Shulman and Dominick Caratazzolo, dominated New Canaan. Cooper Heinemann’s tackle for a 5-yard loss was the key play of the defensive stand.

Taking over on their own 36 after a punt, Phillips burst through the line following blocks by Andersen and Niko Kouvaris and raced upfield for a 34-yard gain. Two plays later, Phillips took a pitch from Ryan Healey, cut back upfield and dove over the goal line for Wilton’s first score, closing the gap to 8-6 at halftime.

After a rousing speach by coach Steve Phillips, Drew Phillips got things going with a 21-yard scamper on the second play of the half. On the ninth play of the drive, Kouvaris broke hard from his wingback position on a reverse, and aided by great blocks from Cooper Heinemann and Erik Lebek, scored on a 10-yard run to put Wilton up, 12-8.

New Canaan regained the lead, 14-12, on a 65-yard touchdown run, but the Warriors showed their resiliency. Just three plays later, Wilton answered as Hollings threw a key block that sprung Phillips for a 38-yard touchdown run. Phillips strolled into the end zone on the two-point conversion to make it 20-14.

With time running down, New Canaan tried to mount an offensive attack from its 35-yard line, but Kouvaris nearly came up with an interception on a second-down pass.

On third down, Trent Hollings, Ben Leung and Patrick Coulter combined to bring down a shifty New Canaan back who had made a nice cut toward the middle of the field.

Finally, on 4th-and 6, New Canaan pitched the ball to the outside, but Kouvaris came up from his safety position and made the hit of the year to drive the runner out of bounds just short of the first down marker, forcing a turnover on downs.

Wilton was able to run out the clock to complete its perfect regular season and now looks forward to the playoffs.

Wilton White Third Grade Defeats Darien

The Wilton White third grade football team completed its regular season with a convincing 18-0 victory over Darien on Sunday.

It was the second shutout in as many weeks for Wilton White, which wrapped up a 5-1-1 regular season and claimed the No. 2 seed in the FCFL playoffs (the Wilton Blue team is the top seed with a 6-1 record).

A slow start by the offense did not bother the defense as the interior of the defensive line - Matt Gulbin, Blake Pagano-Walley, Michael Coffey and Henry Sell – stood the Darien runners up at the line of scrimmage. A hard team tackle by Gulbin and Coffey pried the ball loose on third down and defense end Joshua White recovered.

The Wilton offensive line – Daniel Gruseke, Charlie Hastings, Gulbin, Pagano-Walley, White, Sell and Austin Cameron - got into a groove on their second possession.

A crafty run on a reverse by wingback Alex Smith put the offense into a critical 3rd-and-short position. The line buckled down and created a hole in the middle for fullback Coffey to burst through and he gained nine yards for the first down. With the Darien defense on their heels, quarterback Everett Andersen offered a beautiful play fake to the right and took a naked bootleg left into the end zone for a 6 -0 lead.

The Wilton defense forced Darien into another three-and out, allowing the offense to keep its momentum. Following nice blocks by Jake Eagen, Logan Brady and Jack Fielden, running back Blake Pagano-Walley pounded the Darien defensive line for two first down runs. Then on 2nd-and-6, running back Sean Sullivan broke a tackle and beat the secondary to the corner of the end zone for a 12-0 lead. Running back Joshua White was stopped just short on the PAT.

On Darien’s next possession, the Wilton defensive ends – White and Cameron - got in on the action and made big hits on first and second down, respectively.

On third down, linebacker Quinn Wiseman made a hard tackle but Darien was awarded a first down on a penalty. That didn’t deter Wiseman and his linebacking mates – Sullivan and Luke O’Neill – who made three consecutive plays to stop the Darien drive.

With two minutes left in the first half, Wilton running back Pagano-Walley broke free and scored on a beautiful 30-yard run up the right sideline that seemed to take the spirit out of the Darien team. The PAT failed, leaving the score 18–0.

The second half of the contest featured more tough play by Wilton’s defense with Austin Cameron, Blake Pagano-Walley, Sean Sullivan, Joshua White and Matt Gulbin making several hard tackles. Michael Coffey forced another fumble that Henry Sell recovered. Jake Eagan was assisted by Spencer Dean on key hits while Connor Healey and Michael Gruseke continued to fill the gaps and punish the Darien runners.

While on offense, Wilton settled into ball control mode with running backs Michael Gruseke, Daniel Gruseke and Connor Healey taking turns on tough runs into the teeth of the Darien defense to protect Wilton's lead.

The Wilton boys and girls cross country teams will compete in the FCIAC championships on Monday at New Canaan's Waveny Park. The meet originally was scheduled for Thursday, but was postponed due to Wednesday's torrential rains.

The Danbury boys and Wilton girls are the defending team champions while Fairfield Ludlowe's Heather Moriarty is the defending girls individual chammpion.

Leading the way for the Warriors, who were 14-3 during the regular season, will be Alosha Southern, Gabrielle House and Keiley Gaston.

Danbury won its sixth consecutive boys title last year, but Darien, which completed an undefeated regular season, is considered a major threat to the Hatters' reign.

The boys 5-kilometer race (3.1 miles)  is set to begin at 2:50 p.m. with the girls’ 4K race  scheduled to begin at 3:20 p.m. The day also includes freshmen and junior varsity races in each gender.

Individually, Fairfield Warde's Harry Warnick is considered the pre-race favorite and was the runner-up last to to Danbury’s Alex Levine, who has graduated.

Darien, which finished 17-0 in the regular season, is led by the senior quartet of Michael Johnston, Charlie Baird, Michael Coe and Eli Converse, along with sophomore Marhsall Huffman and freshman Alex Ostberg.

Danbury, which went 16-1 in the regular season, is paced by senior Thomas Moore and junior Nicholas Carlsen.

Among the favorites who could dethrone Moriarty in the girls race is Greenwich's Abby Markowitz, who is undefeated this year. Among the other contenders are Darien’s Grace Loh and Sarah Colon

Week eight games in Wilton in the Fairfield County Football League:

Saturday

Wilton High School

Bantam third grade -- Wilton Blue 8, New Canaan Black 0

Senior seventh grade -- Westport South 12, Wilton Blue 8

Senior seventh grade -- New Canaan Black 18, Wilton White 6

Sunday

Wilton High School

Bantam third grade -- Wilton White 18, DJFL White 0

Junior sixth grade -- DJFL Blue 14, Wilton Black 0

Updated FCIAC playoff races in boys and girls soccer, girls volleyball and field hockey:

BOYS SOCCER

1.Norwalk 12-1-1 37*
2.Darien 11-2-2 35*
2.Trumbull 10-1-3 33*
4 Staples 9-2-3 30
5.Greenwich 8-4-2 26
5 New Canaan 7-2-5 26
5.Westhill 8-5-2 26
5.Wilton 8-5-2 26
9. Danbury 6-2-6 24
10.Fairfield Warde 6-5-3 21
10.Ridgefield 6-6-3 21

GIRLS SOCCER

1.St. Joseph 12-1-1 37*
2.Greenwich 10-1-3 33*
3.Westhill 10-1-2 32*
3.New Canaan 10-2-2 32*
5.Fairfield Warde 8-4-2 26
6.Wilton 7-2-4 25
7.Darien 7-4-3 24
8.Trumbull 6-3-5 23
9.Staples 6-5-2 20
9.Fairfield Ludlowe 6-7-1 19

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

1.Darien 15-0*
2.Staples 14-1*
3.Ridgefield 13-2*
4.Greenwich 13-3*
5.New Canaan 12-3*
6.Danbury 10-4*
7.Westhill 9-6 (def. Stamford)
8.Stamford 9-6
9.Fairfield Ludlowe 8-7
9.Fairfield Warde 7-8

FIELD HOCKEY

1.Darien 12-0-0-0 24*
2.Norwalk 9-2-1-0 19*
3.Wilton 9-2-0-0 18*
4.Staples 7-2-2-1 17*
5.Stamford 7-4-1-0 15*
6.New Canaan 6-4-1-0 13
7.Greenwich 3-4-3-2 11
7.Westhill 5-5-1-0 11
9.McMahon 4-5-2-0 10
9.Fairfield Warde 3-6-2-1 9

* = clinched playoff spot

FRIDAY'S RESULTS

Boys soccer

Wilton 0, Danbury 0 -- Peter Como registered 14 saves for the Warriors (8-5-2)

Girls soccer

Wilton 3, Fairfield Ludlowe 0  -Jayne Maccio, Casey Pearsall and Lindsey Knutson scored for the Warriors (7-2-4), who are unbeaten in their last eight games (7-0-1)

Field hockey

Wilton at Trumbull

SATURDAY'S RESULTS

Football

Darien 35, Wilton 34 (2 OT)

MONDAY'S SCHEDULE

Boys soccer

McMahon at Wilton, 6:30 p.m.

Girls soccer

Staples at Wilton, 3:45 p.m.

Field hockey

Wilton at South Windsor, 4 p.m.

Girls volleyball

Wilton at Darien, 4:30 p.m.

Girls swimming

Wilton at Staples, 4 p.m.

Cross country

FCIAC championships, 2:15 p.m.

TUESDAY'S SCHEDULE

Girls soccer

Wilton at Bridgeport Central, 4 p.m.

Field hockey

Westhill at Wilton, 6:30 p.m.

STANDINGS

• Football

• Boys soccer

• Girls soccer

Field hockey

Girls volleyball