The West Haven football team fell to 2-4 with a 37-0 loss against top-ranked Hand of Madison Friday night. With plenty to play for as head coach Dave Mastroianni made his return from his battle with cancer, the Tigers turned to their senior leadership to roll to a victory over West Haven in a Southern Connecticut Conference Tier I contest in West Haven.
Quarterback Phoenix Billings was on the mark in the opening half, connecting on 13-of-15 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns, while fellow senior Austin Doyle spoiled any chance of a West Haven comeback with a key fumble recovery in the opening half. Billings finished 15-of-20 for 199 yards and three touchdowns.
Hand senior Jesse Lutz returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a score and an 8-0 lead just 14 seconds into the game.
The Tigers (7-0) wasted no time taking a 16-0 lead as an 11-play, 80-yard drive was capped when Billings hit Isaiah McNeilly with a 19-yard touchdown pass with 3 minutes, 47 seconds left in the opening quarter.
The Westies (2-4) had a golden opportunity to get back in the game when Hand fumbled on its next possession and James Parker recovered at the Hand 42. But, two plays later, Hand’s Doyle recovered a West Haven fumble to set up another Hand score.
Billings hit Ethan Haberman for 67 yards on the first play, and Lutz scored from five yards out two plays later for a 23-0 advantage with 2:50 gone by in the second quarter.
Hand put the game away with 57 seconds remaining in the half, capping a seven-play drive with a 2-yard toss from Billings to Seth Sweitzer.
The Tigers added the final touchdown of the game with 6:29 left in the third quarter as Billings hit Haberman for a 34-yard score.
Hand’s defense was equally impressive, holding West Haven to just one yard of offense in the third quarter and 39 total yards in the second half, which also included running time after Hand’s final touchdown. The Tigers held West Haven quarterback Andre Rentas to just 51 yards passing.
Winners of four of five contests, the West Haven volleyball team looked to close the regular season in style on Senior Night. Unfortunately for the Westies, Career had other ideas.
After battling the entire contest, West Haven could not pull out the victory in a 23-25, 25-21, 23-25, 25-15, 13-15 loss at West Haven High Monday evening.
After two-point losses in the first and third games, West Haven rebounded after each. The match came down to the final game and Career was able to hold off the Westies in the fifth and deciding game.
Giliana Santaniello ran the offense with 11 assists. Santaniello also added 11 digs defensively, while Thiana Baez had 10 digs and three aces. Noelle Noble played well defensively with 17 digs and added seven kills on offense, while Neve Krajcir also had 17 digs, and added five aces and three kills. Savannah Lopez also played well with eight assists and six kills, while Chekeenah Jeudi had four kills.
Winless in five straight contests, the West Haven boys soccer team needed a big win before postseason play. The Westies got that win Monday evening.
Facing East Haven on the road, the Westies got goals from five different players in a dominant 5-0 win over East Haven. With the victory, West Haven improved to 7-6-3 on the year.
Brian Carew needed to make just one save in the shutout, while Jovan Loja, Sebastian Navarro, and Mario Acevedo each had their first career varsity goals, and Tejean Campbell picked up his first varsity assist.
After a scoreless first half, Loja scored off an assist from Luis Lopez at the 49 minute, 25 second mark for a 1-0 lead. Aldo Barragan made it a 2-0 game off an assist from Kevin Morales 1:40 later.
The Westies continued to pour it on when Bernard Ocansey scored at the 53:44 mark.
Campbell set up Navarro at the 68:18 mark and Derick Meza set up Mario Acevedo at 77:38.
West Haven held a 32-2 shot advantage in the game.
The West Haven girls swimming team fell to East Haven / Cross 99-71 Monday afternoon. With the loss, West Haven dropped to 1-10 on the season.
The Westies had one first place finish as Victoria Acuna took home the top spot in the 100 free in 1 minute, 4.69 seconds.
West Haven had nine second place finishes in the meet. The 200 medley relay team of Madison Hobart, Molly Wilson, Acuna, and Kaelyn Falanga was second in 2:08.77, the 200 free relay team of Hobart, Eileen Barrington, Wilson, and Morgan Falanga placed second in 1:56.06, and the 400 free relay team of Acuna, Morgan Falanga, Alana Orecchio, and Kaelyn Falanga was second in 4:17.20.
The 200 free saw Morgan Falanga second in 2:18.81, the 50 free had Kaelyn Falanga second in 28.07 seconds, the 100 free saw Acuna second in 1:04.69, and the 500 free had Kaelyn Falanga second in 6:05.95.
Hobart was second in the 100 back in 1:13.75 and Wilson placed second in the 100 breast in 1:20.76.
The Westies fell to Guilford 97.5-85.5 Wednesday afternoon in West Haven. West Haven had a pair of first place finishes as the 200 medley relay team of Hobart, Wilson, Kaelyn Falanga, and Morgan Falanga won in 2 minutes, 4.53 seconds. The 1 meter diving had Kaylee Taulty win with 166.05 points.
West Haven also had 10 second place finishes. In the 200 IM, Orecchio was second in 2:38.79, while Kaelyn Falanga was second in the 50 free 27.86 seconds.
In one-meter diving, Eva Predom was second with 112.25 points, while the 100 fly had Hobart second in 1:12.69. The 100 free had Acuna second in 1:03.28, the 500 free saw Kaelyn Falanga second in 5:56.60. Hobart was also second in the 100 back 1:15.63, and Wilson was second in the 100 breast in 1:19.81.
The 200 free relay placed second with a team of Hobart, Acuna, Kaelyn Falanga, and Morgan Falanga in 1:53.70. The 400 free relay team of Orecchio, Acuna, McKenna Driver, and Sofia Shubin was second in 4:32.31.
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