Darien Scores and Standings, Oct. 28

UPDATES

• Field hockey: Because of Saturday's forecast, which calls for the possibility of snow, the FCIAC has pushed back the start of the field hockey playoffs for 24 hours. The quarterfinals now will be played on Sunday at McMahon. Here is the revised scheduled:

No. 5 Stamford (8-4-1-0) vs. No. 5 Staples (7-2-3-1), 1 p.m

No. 6 New Canaan (8-4-1-0) vs. No. 3 Norwalk (10-2-1-0), 3 p.m.

No. 7 Fairfield Ludlowe (5-6-1-1) vs. No. 2 Wilton (11-2-0-0), 5 p.m

No. 9 Westhill (5-7-1-0) vs. No. 1 Darien (13-0-0-0), 7 p.m.

The semifinals are set for Wednesday at 5 and 7 p.m. with the highest remaining seed playing in the second game. The finals are back at McMahon on Friday at 4 p.m.  

Girls soccer: The Darien girls soccer team clinched a berth in the FCIAC playoffs with a 2-0 victory over Wilton on Thursday.

Needing only a tie to get in, the Blue Wave secured the No. 5 seed and will play at No. 4 seed Greenwich (10-2-4) in the quarterfinals on Saturday. Wilton had alreay clinched a playoff spot.

That contest has been moved to a 10:30 start on Saturday while the other three quarterfinals have been pushed back to Sunday.

Darien's win means that the school will be represented in the FCIAC playoffs in all four of the fall team sports (girls and boys soccer, field hockey and girls volleyball). Marieke Bravo and Caity Cee scored for the Blue Wave.

Trumbull tied Westhill 1-1 and Fairfield Warde defeated Trinity Catholic 3-0 Thursday to secure the other remaining spots still up for grabs.

The Eagles (7-3-6) snared the No. 8 seed and will visit top seed St. Joseph (14-1-1) in an all-Trumbull quarterfinal.

Fairfield Warde (9-5-2) grabbed the No. 7 seed and will head to No. 2 seed New Canaan (12-2-2).  In the other quarterfinal, No. 3 Westhill (11-1-4) hosts No. 6 seed Wilton (8-3-5).

Wilton and Fairfield Warde tied for sixth, but the Warriors earned the higher seed based on their regular-season win over the Mustangs.

• Football: While this is only week seven, Saturday's battle of unbeatens between Darien (6-0) and Staples (5-0) is shaping up as a de facto playoff game.

With New Canaan (6-0) and Greenwich (5-0) also unbeaten in FCIAC play, the loser of Saturday's clash could be knocked out of contention for the conference title game Nov. 18 at Trumbull's McDougall Stadium.

The clash of heavyweights has an early starting time as kickoff is set for 10:30 a.m. at Staples.

While Rob Trifone has restored the winning tradition to the Darien program, guiding the Blue Wave to their first FCIAC title since 1998 last season, Staples has been one of the league's marquee programs for years under veteran coach Marce Petroccio.

Darien did not face Staples en route to its FCIAC crown last year. Due to the FCIAC's rotating schedule, the teams have been played each other since 2008, when the Blue Wave posted a 12-0 victory in Westport.

Darien barely made it to Saturday's showdown undefeated as it needed double overtime to hold off Wilton 35-34 last week. Staples is coming off a 38-16 win at Trumbull.

The key for Darien may be how well it can contain Staples' rushing attack, which is averaging 240 yards per game.

Staples has three capable threats in the backfield in Joey Zelkowitz (team highs of 594 yards rushing and seven touchdowns on 66 carries), Nick Kelly (37-291, 6TDs), and John Heil (21-157, 2 TDs).

Another key for the Blue Wave may be how junior quarterback Henry Baldwin, who has played well in his first year as Darien's starter, handles the Wreckers' pressure as Staples boasts plenty of speed on defense.

For the season, Baldwin has completed 73-of-120 passes for 14 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He threw a pair of TD passes last week.

Junior running back Peter Gesualdi, one of the few returning starters from last year's FCIAC championship team, is Darien's top rusher with 319 yards and seven touchdowns. He scored both of the Blue Wave's TDs in overtime against Wilton.

• Fairfield County Football League: The playoffs begin this weekend in the Fairfield County Football League. Below is the schedule for Darien teams:

Saturday (Darien High School)

• 8:00 a.m.: Junior fifth grade – DJFL White vs. Westport North 
• 9:30 a.m.: Junior sixth grade – DJFL Wave vs. New Canaan Black
• 11:00 a.m.: Junior sixth grade – DJFL Blue vs. New Canaan Red

Sunday (Darien High School)

• 10:00 a.m.: Bantam fourth grade – DJFL White vs. DJFL Blue
• 11:30 a.m.: Junior fifth grade – DJFL Blue vs. Westport South
• 1:00 p.m.: Junior sixth grade – DJFL White vs. Norwalk Green
• 2:30 p.m.: Bantam third grade – DJFL Blue vs. New Canaan Red

Sunday (Westport's Romano Field)

• 12:30 p.m.: Bantam fourth grade – Westport South vs. DJFL Wave

• FCIAC playoff races:

Boys soccer (final)

• 1. Norwalk 13-1-2 41*
• 2. Trumbull 11-1-4 37*
• 3. Darien 11-2-3 36*
• 4. Staples 10-2-4 34*
• 5. Greenwich 9-4-3 302*
• 6. Westhill 9-5-2 29*
• 7. Wilton 9-5-2 29* (beat New Canaan)
• 8. New Canaan 8-3-5 29*

Girls soccer (final)

• 1. St. Joseph 14-1-1 43*
• 2. New Canaan 12-2-2 38*
• 3. Westhill 11-1-4 37*
• 3. Greenwich 10-2-4 34*
• 5. Darien 9-4-3 30*
• 6. Wilton 8-3-5 29*
• 7. Fairfield Warde 9-5-2 29* 
• 8. Trumbull 7-3-6 27*

Girls volleyball (through Thursday)

• 1. Darien 17-0*
• 2. Ridgefield 15-2* (beat Staples)
• 3. Staples 15-2
• 4. New Canaan 14-4* (beat Greenwich)
• 5. Greenwich 13-4*
• 6. Stamford 11-6* (beat Danbury
• 7. Danbury 11-6
• 8. Fairfield Ludlowe 11-7 (beat Westhill) 
• 9. Westhill 11-7

Field hockey (final)

• 1. Darien 13-0-0-0 26*
• 2. Wilton 11-2-0-0 22*
• 3. Norwalk 10-2-1-0 21*
• 4. Staples 7-2-3-1 18*
• 5. Stamford 8-4-1-0 17* (beat New Canaan)
• 6. New Canaan 8-4-1-0 17*
• 7. Fairfield Ludlowe 5-6-1-1 12*
• 8. Westhill 5-7-1-0 11*

*clinched playoff spot

THURSDAY'S RESULTS

• Girls soccer: Darien 2, Wilton 0

FRIDAY'S SCHEDULE

• Boys soccer: Westhill at Darien, 3 p.m., FCIAC playoffs
• Girls volleyball: Trinity Catholic at Darien, 7 p.m.
• Girls swimming: Darien at New Canaan, 4 p.m. (New Canaan YMCA)

SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE

• Football: Darien at Staples, 10:30 p.m.
• Girls soccer: Darien at Greenwich, 10:30 a.m., FCIAC playoffs
• Field hockey: Darien vs. Westhill, 4, p.m., at McMahon (FCIAC playoffs), ppnd to Sunday, 7 p.m.

SUNDAY'S SCHEDULE

Field hockey

Darien vs. Westhill, 7 p.m., at McMahon (FCIAC playoffs)

STANDINGS

• Football

• Boys soccer

• Girls soccer

Field hockey

Girls volleyball