MONROE - By TOM EVANS - Hour Staff Writer

For nearly 22 minutes Saturday night at Strong Gymnasium, it didn't look as if the Norwalk High boys basketball team was going to be around to defend its championship at the Masuk Holiday Tournament.

A tough Bunnell squad had extended a seven-point halftime lead to 42-32 with 6:20 remaining in the third quarter, and it appeared as if the Bears would have to settle for playing in the consolation game Tuesday night at Masuk High School.

But a re-emphasis on baseline-to-baseline defense propelled Norwalk to a 60-55 victory. Norwalk (2-1) will face the winner of Saturday's late game between Masuk and Shelton Tuesday at 8 p.m.

Junior guard Evan Kelley scored a game-high 21 points to go along with six rebounds, three steals and three assists. Senior forward Jeremy Dickens added 14 points and eight rebounds and point guard Che McCoy had 11 points, four assists and four steals.

"The key to the comeback was just our making layups, exerting defensive pressure and getting steals," Norwalk head coach Bobby Trimboli said. "We were able to convert steal into points in the second half, and we fed off the defensive energy. The whole team got motivated by our defense."

A nice pass from center Terrell Coward to forward Andrew Burke pushed Bunnell's advantage to 10 points in the third quarter, setting up the Norwalk rally.

McCoy forced a turnover, then set up Kelley for an easy basket. A 3-pointer from Burke put Bunnell (1-2) up 45-36, before McCoy assisted on an inside bucket from Dickens.

The teams traded misses before Kelley made a steal and found Dickens for a fastbreak layup that cut the deficit to five.

A 3-pointer by freshman guard Andrew Sawyer pulled Norwalk within 45-43, and Kelley got his team a point closer with a free throw as the third-quarter clock went under three minutes.

Back-to-back steals and assists on layups from Kelley in a seven-second span put Norwalk ahead to stay at 48-45. Kelley stayed involved in all facets of the game despite getting saddled with two first-half fouls.

"I had two early fouls, but I had to keep the pressure up," Kelley said. "We were more confident in the second half because we're more of a second-half team. We wanted to repeat as (tournament) champions. We wanted a first championship on our resume."

Bunnell refused to go away quietly, as inside baskets from Coward and forward Pete Lasecki got the Bulldogs within 52-51 at the 6:12 mark of the fourth quarter.

A McCoy theft produced a Sawyer layup that pushed Norwalk up by three. The final minutes were more stressful than necessary because the Bears made just four of 11 foul shots in the final 2:40.

"We picked up our defensive intensity and I knew we needed to get steals," McCoy said. "Our shots started falling, and we kept up the pressure. We lost our first game to New Canaan, so it was big to get this win here to have confidence for the rest of the season."

Bunnell didn't help themselves over that span. The Bulldogs missed six of their final nine field goal attempts, and a pair of free throws, preventing them from getting any closer than four points down the stretch.

"This was a good test, but we lost our composure in the last five minutes," Bunnell head coach Pat Yerina said. "Norwalk did a good job defensively, but we took a few not-great shots, didn't get to the free throw line, didn't get the ball inside. You name it, we didn't do it late. We played hard, but we need to work on end-of-game situations."

Forward Shawnelle Philo had eight rebounds and two assists, a steal and a blocked shot. Sawyer collected three steals and two assists.


< Agate Football Stats>BUNNELL (55)

< Agate Football Stats>Andrew Burke 5 1-2 12, Pete Lasecki 1 2-4 4, Chris Rosario 2 0-0 4, Jon Dinihanian 2 0-0 4, Mike Groves 4 2-2 12, Clint Wallace 3 0-0 6, Terrell Coward 6 1-5 13. Totals: 23 6-13 55.

< Agate Football Stats>NORWALK (60)

< Agate Football Stats>Evan Kelley 7 5-9 21, Jeremy Dickens 7 0-2 14, Shawnelle Philo 2 1-2 5, Che McCoy 5 1-5 11, Chris Hines 0 1-2 1, Andrew Sawyer 3 1-2 8, Darchell Clark 0 0-0 0, Mike Newton 0 0-0 0, Jeff Frederick 0 0-0 0. Totals: 24 9-22 60.

< Agate Football Stats>

< Agate Football Stats>Bunnell 18 18 11 8 -- 55

< Agate Football Stats>Norwalk 16 13 23 8 -- 60

< Agate Football Stats>3-pointers: B- Groves 2, Burke; N-Kelley 2, Sawyer. Technical fouls: B-Head coach Pat Yerina.

 

DARIEN

Staff reports

Junior Rachel Simpson scored on a putback with 10 seconds left in overtime to lift the Norwalk High girls basketball team to a dramatic 57-56 victory over Darien Saturday afternoon.

Darien's Leanne Stone hit an outside jumpshot with six seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime and Nicole Buch hit a 3-pointer late in the extra frame to give the Blue Wave a one-point lead. But Sawyer, who scored all four of her points in overtime, came down with a rebound off a missed shot by Katie Schmidt and connected on the putback to give the Bears the win.

Norwalk, which went with a young lineup with seniors Angie Umpierre, Nikki DiMeglio and Courtney Ellis all out with ankle injuries, improved to 2-2 overall and 2-2 in the FCIAC. Darien fell to 0-3 overall and 0-3 in the conference.

"This really fits what we were doing all last year. A lot of our games came down to the final quarter," Norwalk head coach Ricky Fuller said. "I really like the way our young kids toughed it out."

Sophomore forward Rottisha Lewis scored a career-high 19 points to lead the Bears while Katie Schmidt and Shayna Marko also hit double figures with 12 and 10 points, respectively.


< Agate Football Stats>NORWALK (57)

< Agate Football Stats>Kelcie O'Brien 4 1-2 9, Rottisha Lewis 6 7-7 19, Rachel Simpson 2 0-0 4, Jessica Schmidt 1 0-0 2, Shayna Marko 3 4-8 10, Katie Schmidt 3 6-7 12, Briana Ruffin 0 0-0 0, Alexis Noonan 0 1-2 1, Monika Carswell 0 0-0 0, Susan Hatchman 0 0-0 0. Totals: 19 19-26 57.

< Agate Football Stats>DARIEN (56)

< Agate Football Stats>Liz Calby 7 0-0 14, Leanne Stone 4 0-0 8, Anna -Rea Anderson 0 2-3 2, Taylor Wells 1 0-0 2, Katie Meehan 0 1-2 1, Caroline Boulton 1 0-0 2, Nicole Buch 6 11-13 25, Lauren Mazzoli 0 2-2 2. Totals: 19 16-20 56.

< Agate Football Stats>

< Agate Football Stats>Norwalk 9 19 11 12 6 -- 57

< Agate Football Stats>Darien 11 16 13 11 5 -- 56

< Agate Football Stats>3-pointers: D-Buch 2.


Ridgefield 43, McMahon 33

The Senators pulled to within four points with two minutes left against the taller Tigers, but Molly Welch went 4-for-4 at the foul line in the final minute to seal the victory Saturday afternoon at McMahon.

Emily Favorite scored all 10 of her team-high 10 points in the second half to lift Ridgefield, which improved to 3-1 overall and 3-1 in the FCIAC. McMahon fell to 0-4 overall and 0-4 in the FCIAC heading into Monday's game against Bridgeport Central.


< Agate Football Stats>RIDGEFIELD (43)

< Agate Football Stats>Abby Searfoss 1 0-0 2, Katherine Cholko 2 0-0 4, Kristen Anda 3 2-8 8, Michelle Gibbons 3 0-0 6, Emily Favorite 4 2-4 10, Kiara Mauro 0 0-0 0, Melanie Andrea 1 0-0 3, Molly Welch 0 4-4 4, Alicia Sodergren 1 0-2 2, Kelly Birch 2 0-0 4. Totals: 17 8-20 43.

< Agate Football Stats>McMAHON (33)

< Agate Football Stats>Kaitlin Whittington 2 2-4 6, Khea Gibbs 1 6-13 8, Tiara Hinton 1 0-0 2, Kay English 2 1-4 5, Angie Cruz 4 0-0 8, Vanessa Harris 1 0-0 2, Emily Sawyer 0 0-0 0, Mickey Volmar 1 0-0 2. Totals: 12 9-21 33.

< Agate Football Stats>

< Agate Football Stats>Ridgefield 9 8 12 14 -- 43

< Agate Football Stats>McMahon 13 7 8 5 -- 33

< Agate Football Stats>3-pointers: R-Andrea. Fouled out: M-Hinton.

< Agate Football Stats>

Staples 37, Westhill 36

Senior forward Eliza Howe hit a short jumper with 0.8 seconds left to lift the Wreckers to their thrilling victory over Westhill.

The Vikings appeared to have the game won when Ginny Lafauci hit a bucket with 10 seconds left to put the Stamford school in front 36-35.

But Staples chose not to call timeout and instead quickly pushed the ball up court. Howe worked her way in the lane, but missed a 10-footer. Maddy Krakowiak grabbed the rebound and fired a pass to Chelsea Salamone in the corner, but she also misfired.

Krakowiak came up with the offensive rebound again and fed Howe in the middle of the lane, and this time she hit a five-foot jumper to win it.

Howe finished with 19 points along with two assists, three steals and two blocked shots.

Jacqui Sugel added three assists and two steals, while Nicole Brill grabbed six rebounds.


< Agate Football Stats>STAPLES (36)

< Agate Football Stats>Eliza Howe 8 3-4 19, Maddy Krakowiak 1 0-0 2, Chelsea Salamone 2 0-0 4, Suvi Puritpatarrapan 1 4-7 6, Nicole Brill 2 0-0 4, Jess Coelho 1 0-0 2. Totals: 15 7-11 37.

< Agate Football Stats>WESTHILL (36)

< Agate Football Stats>Deven Cobbs 1 1-2 4, Suzanne Cohen 5 0-0 14, Ginny LaFauci 4 1-2 9, Lynette Martinez 1 1-2 3, Chyann Bowen 1 2-4 4, Kelsey Steen 0 2-4 2. Totals: 12 7-14 36.

< Agate Football Stats>3-pointers: W-Cobbs, Cohen 4.


BOYS BASKETBALL

Norwalk 72, Darien 55

Junior Evan Kelley fired in 20 points, including four 3-pointers, as the Bears bounced back from the season-opening loss to New Canaan to record their first win of the season.

Kelley was one of four NHS players in double figures as freshman Drew Sawyer scored 12 points, Che McCoy had 11, and Jeremy Dickens finished with 10 points. Shawnelle Philo, who added eight points, grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds, while Dickens pulled down eight and Sawyer handed out seven assists.

Darien, 0-2, managed to stay close for a half, trailing only 25-22 at the break, but Norwalk outscored the visitors 26-19 in the third quarter to open up a 10-point lead and gradually pull away.

"We played a little more team ball today and really stepped up intensity-wise," Norwalk head coach Bobby Trimboli said. "We got a lot of easy baskets that separated us from them in the third quarter."

Norwalk, now 1-1, didn't get its first win last season until the fourth game en route to a 7-13 record.

Saturday's game was played at Brien McMahon while the NHS gym floor is being refurbished.


< Agate Football Stats>DARIEN (55)

< Agate Football Stats>Mike Lee 3 3-8 10, Wes Blummer 1 2-2 4, John Foster 0 0-2 0, Brian Curtin 4 4-4 13, Brian Kosnik 7 1-1 15, Phillip Stvester 5 3-4 13. Totals: 20 13-22 55.

< Agate Football Stats>NORWALK (72)

< Agate Football Stats>Evan Kelley 7 2-2 20, Andrew Sawyer 5 2-4 12, Jeremy Dickens 4 2-6 10, Shawnelle Philo 3 2-5 8, Jeff Frederick 1 0-0 3, Che McCoy 4 2-4 12, Chris Hines 1 0-0 2, Mike Newton 2 0-0 5, Peter Stuart 0 1-2 1. Totals: 27 11-23 72.

< Agate Football Stats>

< Agate Football Stats>Darien 8 14 19 14 -- 55

< Agate Football Stats>Norwalk 14 11 26 19 -- 72

< Agate Football Stats>3-pointers: D-Lee, Curtin; N-Kelley 4, McCoy, Newton, Frederick. Fouled out: Curtin.


Staples 73, Westhill 56

Senior forward Andrei Oztemel scored 32 points, including one 3-pointer and a 6-for-7 effort from the foul line to lead Staples to its home victory Saturday. Senior guard John DiBartolomeo also hit double figures with 19 points and a game-high three 3-pointers.

The Wreckers (2-0 overall, 2-0 FCIAC) hit seven 3-pointers in the game. Oztemel finished seven points shy of his career high of 39 set last season against Newtown in the Holiday Tournament.


< Agate Football Stats>WESTHILL (56)

< Agate Football Stats>Lemoille 1 0-0 2, Horn 3 0-0 8, Esses 1 2-2 4, Hope 0 0-0 0, Enright 0 0-0 0, Kennedy 2 0-0 4, Ramirez 6 3-7 15, Simmons 0 0-0 0, Edwin 7 0-0 14, Reita 2 0-0 6, Powell 0 0-0 0, MacBeth 2 2-4 6. Totals: 24 7-13 56.

< Agate Football Stats>STAPLES (73)

< Agate Football Stats>Andrei Oztemel 13 6-7 32, John DiBartolomeo 7 2-2 19, Jeff Arias 0 2-3 2, Alec Abed 2 0-0 6, Joe Kestenbaum 2 1-3 7, Frank Bergonzi 0 0-0 0, Grant Fenton 0 0-0 0, Brendan Rankowitz 0 0-0 0, Dan Jabick 2 0-0 6, Harry Stroebel 1 0-0 2. Totals: 27 11-14 73.

< Agate Football Stats>

< Agate Football Stats>Westhill 3 22 13 16 -- 56

< Agate Football Stats>Staples 20 18 23 12 -- 73

< Agate Football Stats>3-pointers: W-Horn 2, Reita 2; S-DiBartolomeo 3, Abed 2, Jabick 2, Oztemel.


VT Academy 100,

St. Luke's 83

Steve Johnston scored 25 points to go along with eight rebounds, five assists and four steals, but it wasn't enough to lift the Crusaders (4-2) at the Kingswood Invitational Saturday. Andrew Clark had 15 points and Brandon Yarborough had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

 

By MATTHEW DORAN

Hour Staff Writer

The Norwalk High School basketball team should probably be focusing on improvement as the 2008-09 season gets under way Wednesday. After all, it was just two years ago that the Bears went 1-19 overall, one of the lowest points in the history of this proud program.

"That was a pretty tough experience. We were forced to do a lot of learning that year," said senior co-captain Jeremy Dickens, a sophomore on the 2006-07 team. "No team should have to go through something like that. But it happens, and all you can do is play through it."

The Bears did just that, setting the foundation for a brighter future with a bounce-back season in 2007-08, finishing just one win shy of a berth to the state tournament with a 7-13 overall record.

Now that the team appears to be reloaded with a roster filled with talent and experience, including what should be a breakout season for 6-foot-2 junior shooting guard Evan Kelley, an All-Area pick who averaged a team-high 12 points and 30 three-pointers as a sophomore, and a powerful inside tandem comprised of Dickens, a 6-foot-2 forward, and 6-foot-4 senior forward Shawnelle Philo, the Bears should probably be thinking about keeping the momentum going and restoring some of the pride and respect that was lost two years ago.

"This school has a tradition of winning. The last couple of years we haven't been doing that, so we want to try to get it back," Kelley said. "We want to restore the tradition that belongs on this floor and this gym and this school."

Norwalk, which opens the season tonight at New Canaan, should probably be thinking about nothing more than taking the next step forward. But second-year head coach Bobby Trimboli won't let the Bears do that. Trimboli, who infused the team with a new sense of hope last season, as well as a much tougher work ethic, is thinking big instead.

Very big.

With seven players returning from last year's team and the addition of some key newcomers, including speedy junior point guard Che McCoy, a transfer from Dewitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, and promising freshman guard Andrew Sawyer, the son of former Norwalk standout Stacey Sawyer, Trimboli believes his team will not only be among the eight FCIAC playoff teams, but one of the contenders for the FCIAC title.

"The FCIAC will be tough, but I expect to be one of the top teams this year," said Trimboli, who played two years at Norwalk High and two years at Trinity Catholic before taking his talents to Southern Connecticut State University. "Collectively as a group, we will settle for nothing less. We want to be the best, and that's what I try to instill in our kids. We want to be the best team we can possibly be, and we want to win every game we play. We have to go into every game thinking we're going to win. That's the attitude we have to take."

Trimboli has already seen signs of what could be a very successful season after playing Wilbur Cross virtually even during a preseason scrimmage. Cross, which lost to Lyman Hall in the Class L quarterfinals last season, is expected to be one of the top teams in the state.

Now in their second season in Trimboli's system, the Bears should be much more comfortable with what they're expected to do on the court.

"We're looking to do more," Trimboli said. "Now that they've got a year under my belt, they understand what I want out of them in practice and the dedication they have to bring to the program in order to make it successful. I give them a lot of responsibility, on and off the court, and I think that will help them develop in the long run."

If Kelley lives up to his potential, he'll definitely help the Bears get to where they want to go. Kelley, who played as a freshman and started as a sophomore is not only one of the top outside shooters in the area, but someone who can drive the lane, make noise in the paint and cause trouble defensively. When the Bears need a big basket, Kelley is the one who will be counted on to deliver it.

"I expect him to be our go-to guy," Trimboli said. "I believe he has the type of basketball skills to do that. That's why I made him captain this year. I want him to carry the team on his back and make this his team, because he should have a very good year this year."

The arrival of McCoy, whose quickness allows him to get up and down the floor in a flash, gives Norwalk a true point guard, someone who will be able to get the ball into Kelley's hands and run the offense the way Trimboli wants it to be run.

"That's going to make my job easier," Kelley said. "I don't have to play the one and the two. I can focus on scoring and help the big guys get some good chances down low. I feel like we have a guy who can distribute the ball and some good players coming off the bench. We just have to keep bringing that heart and hustle to the game and we'll do fine."

Norwalk's depth isn't great -- Norwalk lost starters Cyprian Oyomba and Matt Iannazzo to graduation -- and the Bears lack overall height, but Philo and Dickens will take a back seat to no one when it comes to toughness and athleticism in the paint. Both were First-Team All-FCIAC picks in football and returning starters who got better and better as the basketball season wore on last winter.

Trimboli believes his inside tandem will be able to hang with anything the FCIAC throws at them.

"They're two tough players," Trimboli said. "They rebounds well. They're very strong, very athletic. We're looking for good things from them, but they have to understand their role. I just want them to keep doing what they did last year and what they've done so far this year."

Norwalk's supporting cast should also be solid with senior guard Daryl Dasent returning for his third season as a varsity player. Dasent will miss the first month of the season after injuring his knee during football season.

Senior guard Jeff Frederick, also a returning varsity player, will take over in the starting lineup while Dasent is gone. Senior Chris Hines, a three-sport athlete who led the Bears to a 7-3 record as an All-FCIAC and Class L All-State running back on the football team, is a tenacious defender who also played a substantial role as a junior.

Top newcomers will be 6-3 junior forward Shakeem Rice and Sawyer, a name Norwalk basketball supporters will probably be seeing a lot of over the next four years.

"I expect him to step right into our system and help out," Trimboli said. "I expect big things from him, to come in and not be a freshman, but a basketball player."

Norwalk has six players who were also on the football team, which lost their first two games due to overconfidence during the preseason. With expectations high again, perhaps that disappointment will help the Bears keep their focus on the basketball court.

"We always keep our focus because I make sure we keep our focus in practice," Trimboli said. "If we lose focus, we run. I make it a point to do everything like it's a game situation. I think we just need to stay humble and work hard. We need to prove to each other in practice that we're good, and then come out when the season starts and prove that we're the team we're supposed to be."


McMAHON

The Senators will take on a much different look this season following the graduation of standout sharp-shooter Sean Simmons, the 2007-08 All-Area MVP whose ability to put the ball in the net will definitely be missed.

Simmons, a First-Team All-FCIAC pick now playing at Herkimer (N.Y.) Junior College, led the conference in scoring with 23 points per game and nailed an area-best 72 three-pointers as McMahon went 9-12 overall and 7-11 in the FCIAC last season.

"I would be dishonest if I didn't admit that is a huge loss for us," said McMahon's second-year head coach Mo Tomlin, whose team will open the season Wednesday against perennial FCIAC powerhouse Trinity Catholic.

McMahon lost five players overall, including defensive stalwart James Shaw and multi-talented Aaron Stewart, and All-Area pick in 2007-08 who averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds per game.

That leaves the Senators with just four experienced varsity players -- 6-5 senior center Nick Ceme, 6-4 senior forward Dean McLeod, senior point guard Quan Edwards and junior guard Joey Tomberlin.

Looks like a rebuilding year on paper. But ask Tomlin and he'll tell you his team might actually be in a better position than it was this time last season.

The void left by Simmons, a player McMahon always deferred to when it came to scoring points last season, might force the remaining Senators to be more reliant on each other. Tomlin believes that could translate into some improvement.

"More than anything, they've surprised me how well they've been playing together during scrimmages," Tomlin said. "We move the ball very well, which always makes for easy baskets. If we can continue to grow as a team, I think we can make a little noise and maybe be a sleeper. On paper, it looks like we lost so much, but as a coach, I'm more comfortable with the balance. I'm excited to see what the balance will bring for us."

Ceme, McLeod and Edwards were all starters last season. The addition of some talented newcomers, including senior guard Travis Saltus, sophomore C.J. Langley, whom Tomlin described as the best point guard in the program, and senior guard Marquise Green, a transfer from Stamford, should give the Senators a solid nucleus to build around.

McMahon is small, but very quick and will look to stay in games on the strength of its defense. If Ceme and McLeod can keep the FCIAC's big boys from dominating the paint, the Senators might be able to surprise a few people.

"We have a lot of good shooters, and these guys compete," Tomlin said. "As long as we stay energized on defense, we'll be able to hang with anyone."


STAPLES

If Andrei Oztemel and John DiBartolomeo continue to perform the way they did last season, making up one of the most potent 1-2 scoring tandems in the FCIAC, the Wreckers should have no problem competing for a spot in the playoffs.

Oztemel, a 6-4 senior forward who has the skill to score down low and the touch to hit from the outside if needed, averaged 18 points and eight rebounds last season and led the area with a stellar .840 percentage from the foul line. Oztemel was also one of the most consistent players in the area as a junior, hitting double figures in 20 of 21 games.

DiBartolomeo, a 5-9 senior point guard, is a prolific outside shooter who averaged 16 points and nailed a team-high 63 three-pointers last year. DiBartolomeo has the potential to explode at any moment. During one three-game stretch last season, the Second-Team All-FCIAC pick averaged 30 points and hit 27 three-pointers.

The presence of Oztemel and DiBartolomeo alone has Staples looking forward to one of its best seasons in recent history.

"If a lot of other pieces fall into place, we'll be right in the thick of things," said second-year head coach Colin Devine, whose team will open the season Wednesday at Fairfield Warde. "It's not every year at Staples you can feel this type of excitement. The kids are really into it. They had a great offseason. We played in 30 summer games and 10 fall league games. The team went to camp together. The seniors really want to be good."

But Staples, which lost four seniors to graduation from a team that went 8-13 overall and 7-11 in the FCIAC, including starting forward Ari Sinay, will need a strong season out of its supporting cast if it hopes to reach the FCIAC playoffs for the first time since 2003-04, the final year of John Baumann's standout career.

Senior guard Alec Abed returns to the starting lineup. Joe Kestenbaum, a 6-4 senior center and a First-Team All-FCIAC pick as a defensive lineman in football, should give the Wreckers some muscle in the paint. Kestenbaum played in all 21 games last season. Athletic 6-1 junior swingman Brendan Rankowitz will also start after seeing spot time as a sophomore.

Staples will also have talent coming off the bench in seniors Dan Jabick and Dan Lounsbury, both guards.

"I think our success will depend on how well we rebound and how we play defense," said Devine, in his second season as head coach. "If we do those two things, who knows what will happen."


WILTON

The Warriors could be headed for a rebuilding season with the loss of five key players from last season's team, which went 6-14 overall and 6-12 in the FCIAC.

Most notable among the graduates is athletic guard Elijah Everett, an All-Area pick who averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds last season.

The Warriors, who open the season Wednesday at Trumbull, will rely heavily on senior point guard Bashar Nabulsi, the only returning starter.

"He's going to be huge for us," second-year head coach Tim Tallcouch said. "He's going to surprise some people this year. He's really stepped his game up to another level during our scrimmages."

The remainder of the starting lineup -- 6-3 junior center Jackson Wilbur, athletic 6-1 senior forward Jared Wyman, senior guard Alex Balitsos and junior guard Ryan Crane -- saw only limited action last season. The top players coming off the bench will be senior guard Kenny Farward and 6-3 junior forward Kurt Marut.

"This is the most unselfish team I've seen in my coaching career," Tallcouch said. "These guys love to share the basketball. We have to correct out 0-11 record on the road from last season if we want to make the states. That's the goal for us. We also want to gain some respectability in the FCIAC."

WESTON

The Trojans will have to work hard to reach the South-West Conference playoffs, or the state tournament following the loss of six players from last season's team, which went 3-17 overall and 1-12 in the conference.

The most notable loss to graduation is Jeff Ledwick, a two-time All-Area pick who led the Trojans in nearly every facet of the game last season, averaging a team-high 15 points and six rebounds while serving as the team's top defender, ball distributor and post player. Ledwick was an All-SWC selection last season and the last holdover from Weston's SWC and Class M state championship team of 2006-07. Weston will now have to find a number of players to fill in for Ledwick since he did so much for the team.

"Obviously, any time you lose an athlete like Jeff it has a big impact," said second-year head coach Ryan Errico, whose team opens Wednesday at Stonington. "We have some kids with good basketball talent who are going to fill Jeff's role on the team. But it's still a huge loss."

Weston suffered another hit when junior guard Dan Chase, one of the team's top scorers last season, transferred to prep school.

Weston does have seven players returning with varsity experience, including senior guards Ben Buffa and Charles Buffa and Ledwick's younger brother, senior guard Sean Ledwick, who started as a junior. Senior Ben Baskin wil move into the regular rotation after seeing spot time as a junior.

One thing Weston will have is height behind 6-6 junior center Dennis Levene, 6-4 senior center Josh Bombart, 6-3 junior forward Andrew Baron and 6-3 senior forward Pete Nielsen.

"We're going to be more versatile than last year," Errico said. "We have some height and a good mix of guards, so that will allow us to do a few things we couldn't do last season."

"Our main goal is to be playing after the regular season is over, however many wins it takes to get there," Errico said. "I think the kids learned a lot last season, and the kids coming back who were in the varsity program should be able to use that to their advantage."
 

NEW CANAAN

By MATTHEW DORAN

Hour Staff Writer

If the Norwalk High boys basketball team plays with the same type of intensity it brought to the floor during the second half of Wednesday night's game against New Canaan, the Bears should have no trouble making some noise in the rugged Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference.

The Bears just have to remember to start playing hard a little earlier.

Sparked by a stellar performance by freshman guard Drew Sawyer, who scored a team-high 19 points with a game-high four 3-pointers, the Bears found themselves well within striking distance of taking down what is expected to be one of the top teams in the FCIAC.

But Norwalk just couldn't make up for a very slow start and some early dominance by New Canaan's 6-foot-10 senior center Joe Sindelar, dropping a 68-52 decision in the season-opener for both teams.

Norwalk, coming off a 7-13 season but entertaining thoughts of challenging for a spot in the FCIAC playoffs, came out using a small lineup and a man-to-man defense. Sindelar, who has already signed to play at Division III Rochester University, posted a double-double in the first half with 16 points and 10 rebounds as New Canaan jumped out to a 34-22 halftime lead.

The Rams led by as many as 19 points in the third quarter when the Bears switched into the press, creating more consistent scoring chances for Norwalk. Sawyer, the only player in double figures for the Bears, scored 10 points over a three-minute span of the third, including consecutive 3-pointers with 2:40 left, to pull the Bears to within 49-39.

But Norwalk couldn't get any closer as senior forwards Shawnelle Philo (12 rebounds) and Jeremy Dickens (eight points, six rebounds) fouled out early in the fourth quarter, and despite struggling to connect, the Rams sealed the game by getting itself to the foul line in what turned out to be a physical ending, complete with a sideline confrontation between Norwalk head coach Bobby Trimboli and New Canaan's Jeff Bussey.

Despite the loss, Trimboli walked away feeling good about what his team was able to accomplish in the second half.

"I'm very happy," said Trimboli, starting his second season as head coach. "I was happy with what we did throughout the whole game. We know this is a tough place to play. Some calls didn't go our way. But I'm very proud of the kids. It's a long season, and they came a long way from two years ago. It's the same core group, so we just have to keep working."

New Canaan was just happy to survive with five players out with injuries. That included starting guards Jamie Pares (knee) and Scott O'Brien, who needed 10 stitches in his head after getting gashed in practice on Tuesday.

Kurt Ondash and Sean Simmons, stars on New Canaan's FCIAC and Class MM state football team, started instead.

Sindelar, who missed a number of easy inside baskets in the second half after getting noticeably tired, finished with 21 points and 20 rebounds while junior Ian Knechtle added 21 points and nine rebounds. Brian Faughnan also had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

"We've had so many injuries this year and I was so worried," Bussey said. "Without our two guards, we were concerned. But our kids hung in there."

But not before Norwalk earned Bussey's respect.

"Norwalk is so quick," Bussey said. "They played so well in the second half. I'm just shocked."

New Canaan jumped out to a 12-4 lead in the first quarter as Sindelar dominated with eight points and Norwalk struggled with its shooting. Norwalk junior Evan Kelley never got on track, scoring just five points on 2 of 15 from the floor and 0-for-7 from behind the 3-point arc.

The Rams led 34-22 at halftime then used an 8-0 run early in the third quarter to take a 40-23 lead. That's when Trimboli switched to the press, and things began turning around.

"I think they executed really well," Trimboli said. "They got into their offense in the first half, and that was my fault. We should have been pressuring them from the start."

But it was almost better late than never as Dickens converted two straight turnovers into easy inside baskets and Sawyer scored after stripping Sindelar in the paint to make it 46-31.

Sawyer turned another steal into points then hit back-to-back 3-pointers off kickout passes from speedy point guard Che McCoy to get Norwalk to within 47-37.

"He stepped right in. He's just a basketball player," Trimboli said of Sawyer, the son of former NHS standout Stacey Sawyer. "Forget his title of freshman. He's just a basketball player for us. He's going to go out there and play hard. He knows the game. I know I can play him as much as I want because he's a good player."

Norwalk's comeback hit a brick wall when Philo fouled out in the first minute of the fourth quarter and Dickens followed four minutes later. Sawyer went out with leg cramps with 3:15 left and also fouled out later in the fourth.

New Canaan went 9-for-21 from the line in the final quarter, including a hard intentional foul by Chris Hines on Ondash with 2:08 left that sparked a verbal confrontation at the scorer's table between coaches and players alike. But the mere act of going to the line so many times helped the Rams kill a ton of time, and eventually, the game.
 

NORWALK

By MIKE MADAR

Hour Correspondent

The Norwalk High girls basketball team opened its season with an easy 65-11 win over Bassick at home Wednesday night.

It was a nice start for a team that lost five players from last years 11-11 squad.

"We stayed on a certain level and didn't have too many lapses," Norwalk head coach Rick Fuller said. "We weren't sloppy or turned the ball over a lot. We maintained consistency and gave our young girls a lot of time."

Fuller used a 10-player rotation for the entire game and gave all 13 varsity players, 12 of which scored, significant minutes.

Katie Schmidt scored a game-high 12 points and Nikki DiMeglio (10 points) gave Norwalk scoring punch off the bench. Senior guard Kelcie O'Brien added 11 points for the Bears.

Norwalk put the game out of reach early with a 12-2 run over the opening five minutes.

The Bears never looked back, pushing its lead to 34-8 late in the second quarter and 50-10 early in the fourth.

Norwalk did not allow a point in the third quarter.

"A win is a win and in the FCIAC, which I think is the toughest league in the state. We're happy to get one against any team," Fuller said.

Norwalk ran its usual pressure defense early and forced plenty of Lions turnovers.

"In the first half we wanted to use our pressure defense to dictate what the other team does on offense," Fuller said. "We worked on some different schemes."

As usual and as planned those turnovers turned into points for the Bears.

"On offensive side we worked on our transition game and our offensive sets," Fuller said.

One negative for Norwalk was its inability to capitalize on many easy scoring opportunities.

"We have to improve our layups and foul shots," Fuller said.

The biggest positive for Bassick was its rebounding as Norwalk held a 43-38 advantage on the glass.

Wideline Guerrier was a force on the boards for Bassick as she grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds for the Lions.

"We have to find a way to box out because rebounding isn't something we want to have exploited," Fuller said.

Despite being clearly over-matched, Bassick played with a positive attitude and impressed Fuller with their hard work and coach ability.

"I spoke to (Bassick's coach Jerry Johnson) before the game and he told me they lost some players," Fuller said. "It's a tough situation when you're at a public school because you have your ups and downs. They have a few girls that can play and in a couple of years they'll be okay.

"I give them credit. They didn't give up, they play hard and they listen to their coach."

Norwalk will try for a 2-0 start Friday when it visits Danbury.

"They're a tough team with a legit (Division I) player," Fuller said of the Hatters. "We're going to have to come in and practice hard (Thursday)."


< Agate Football Stats>BASSICK (11)

< Agate Football Stats>Casey Williams 0 0-0 0, Blanca Rivera 0 0-0 0, Shantae Williams 0 0-0 0, Mildrey Samady 0 0-0 0, NaJera Roberson 3 0-0 6, Bernice Ocasio 0 0-0 0, Wideline Guerrier 1 0-0 2, Susan Simms 0 0-0 0, Stephanie Garcon 1 1-8 3. Totals: 5 1-8 11

< Agate Football Stats>NORWALK (65)

< Agate Football Stats>Kelcie O'Brien 5 0-0 11, Rottisha Lewis 3 2-5 8, Angie Umpierre 2 0-0 4, Courtney Ellis 2 1-2 7, Nikki DiMeglio 4 1-2 10, Rachel Simpson 1 1-3 3, Jessica Schmidt 1 0-0 2, Shayna Marko 1 0-0 2, Katie Schmidt 6 0-0 12, Briana Ruffin 1 0-0 2, Alexis Noonan 1 0-0 2, Patti Scigliampaglia 1 0-0 2, Mary Scigliampaglia 0 0-0 0. Totals: 28 5-12 65