The West Haven football team may be young, but it proved it is not going to back down from anyone. Traveling to Westport to face seventh-ranked Staples, the Westies came within a kick of pulling off the upset.
A 38-yard field goal off the foot of Staples kicker Mickey Ross as time expired sent the Wreckers to a 34-33 victory over the Westies in Westport Friday evening. West Haven fell to 2-1 with the loss.
Trailing 31-27, West Haven took a 33-31 fourth quarter lead when quarterback Mason Wright hit Aaron Johnson for a 15-yard scoring strike.
Staples jumped out of the gates quickly with a 10-0 lead after one quarter, but West Haven battled back and trailed just 17-14 at the half.
Wright ran in from one yard out and Amir Daniley scored on a 2-yard run for a 14-10 lead, before Staples scored before the half to send West Haven to the half down 17-14.
The Wreckers opened the second half with a 90-yard kickoff return for a 24-14 lead, but seconds later, Daniley ran the ensuing kickoff back 99 yards to get the Westies within 24-21. Caimier Walker caught a 51-yard touchdown pass from Wright late in the third quarter to get West Haven within 31-27, setting up the fourth quarter dramatics.
West Haven had improved to 2-0 with a 21-10 victory over Shelton Friday evening in the home opener for the Westies.
West Haven’s defense was the story of the game with four interceptions and two fumble recoveries in the win.
Daniley, Trew Kitson and Walker and sophomore Charles Sutton each had an interception, while juniors Cordell Barrow and Darryl Small each had fumble recoveries for an opportunistic West Haven defense.
On the offensive side, West Haven counted on the legs of Daniley, who ran for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Trailing 3-0, Daniley used a 25-yard touchdown run to give West Haven a 7-3 lead after one quarter. West Haven never trailed again.
Wright connected with Aaron Johnson for an 8-yard touchdown pass and a 14-3 halftime lead.
Leading 14-10, West Haven got some breathing room on special teams. Daniley fielded a punt at his own 16-yard line, got through the first waves of tacklers, and did the rest for a 21-10 advantage with just under eight minutes left in the contest.
The West Haven volleyball team improved to 6-1 with a 3-0 victory at Career. The Westies were in control from the start in the 25-15, 25-8, 25-23 win.
Jen Ngo ran the offense with 18 assists, while also adding two kills and two aces. Sam Close had seven kills and five aces, Marley Wilson and Gulianna Ruggerio each had four kills, and Dominique Fidalgo finished with three kills and five aces.
West Haven won its fifth straight match and improved to 7-1 with a 25-13, 25-21, 25-23 victory over Hand-Madison.
The Westies had a solid defensive effort as Amani Dumbuya led the way with nine digs, Mia Roman had eight digs, Ruggerio had seven digs, and Ngo added five digs.
Ngo also had 19 assists, Wilson added eight kills, Gabby Hines had seven assists, Close had six kills, and Chloe Payne added five kills.
The Westies won their sixth straight match, improved to 8-1, and qualified for the postseason with a 25-13, 25-8, 25-6 win over Hillhouse.
Ngo led the way with 23 assists, Close and Payne each had six aces, Wilson had 10 kills, Hines added seven kills, and Ruggerio and Elena Curtis each had four digs.
West Haven defeated Cross 3-1 to improve to 9-2 on the season. Ngo led a host of players who had stellar games with 34 assists, 12 digs, and four kills.
Fidalgo led the defensive charges with 13 digs, Roman had 11 digs, and Dumbuys finished with six digs. Offensively, Payne led the way with 15 kills, and Wilson added 11 kills.
The Westies won their second straight and improved to 10-2 with a 3-1 victory over Wilbur Cross. Ngo had 14 assists, Wilson had seven kills, Fidalgo added five digs, and Close chipped in with four kills and four aces.
The West Haven girls soccer team picked up its first victory of the season and improved to 1-3 with a 3-2 victory over Lyman Hall.
Junior Amiyah Jones came up big for the Westies with a pair of goals, while freshman Luciana Cappetta also scored in the win.
West Haven won its third straight match and improved to 3-3 with a 6-1 victory over North Branford. Naomi Shubin scored twice, while Cappetta, Jones, and freshmen Stella Porto and Celeste Dinallo, each scored once in the victory.
West Haven improved to 4-0-1 in a five-game stretch with a 2-1 victory over East Haven. With the victory, the Westies improved to 4-3-1 on the year.
The contest was scoreless until the final minute of the opening half when Jones took a perfect lead from Cappetta and scored with 12 seconds remaining in the first half.
After a scoring opportunity by Kylie Gibbons was turned aside 15 minutes into the second half, Jones gave West Haven a 2-0 lead with 14:18 remaining off an assist from Gibbons.
Lulu Sebas made two saves down the stretch for West Haven as the Westies held off East Haven after a goal with 1:16 remaining got the Easties within a goal.
The West Haven girls swim team fell to 0-4 with an 83-77 road loss against Mercy. The Westies placed second in to 200 medley relay with a team of Arianna Rose, Sophia DeLauri, Isobel Roche, and Emily Falanga in 2 minutes, 14.19 seconds, and third with a team of Brooklynn Loehfelm, Haleigh McCarthy, Margarita Buren, and Victoria Buenano in 2:43.50
McCarthy was third in the 200 freestyle in 2:47.34, Rose won the 200 IM in 2:36.33, Falanga won the 500 freestyle in 29.24 seconds, while Buren was third in 32.16. In the 100 fly, DeLauri placed second in 1:16.41, while Roche was third in 1:26.52.
Falanga won the 100 freestyle in 1:05.98, Rose was second in the 500 freestyle in 6:20.26, Natalia Lowe won the 100 back in 1:20.22, while Roche placed second in 1:22.51, and DeLauri was third in the 100 breast in 1:21.33.
West Haven placed second in the 200 free relay with a team of Lowe, Roche, McCarthy, Loehfelm in 2:09.48.