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Sports

Darien Scores and Standings, Sept. 21

Patch's daily digest of Darien sports.

UPDATES

• Cross country: The Darien High School boys cross team posted a huge victory, defeating the Hatters of Danbury for the first time since 2004.

The Blue Wave runners also bested Staples and Norwalk in Tuesday's the meet in Westport. Darien is ranked 10th in the state and Danbury fourth.

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With the lowest score, the Darien squad defeated their conference rivals and perennial cross country powerhouse Danbury, 20-35.  The team also prevailed over Staples High, 20-41, and Norwalk, 15-49. The team’s record now stands at 5-0. 

The Blue Wave’s standout performance was marked by its top five runners crossing the finish line in under 17 minutes - with only a 23 second spread between them over the 5k course. 

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While Danbury and Westport runners finished first and second, Darien runners dominated the top 10 overall, finishing in third, fourth, fifth, six and seventh.

DHS head coach Tyson Kaczmarek was really pleased with the team’s effort.

“It was a solid win. Danbury’s No. 2 runner was coming off an injury last spring and we knew that. Still, they are a solid program and you can never underestimate them. We came to run today. I’m proud of our guys, but we have to get better. I know Danbury will."

• Boys soccer: It hasn't taken long for new coach Jon Bradley to make a favorable impact on the Darien boys soccer team, which defeated Fairfield Warde 3-1 on Tuesday to improve to 2-1.

After opening the season with a 7-1 loss to Westhill, the Blue Wave completed a sweep of the Fairfield schools, having defeated Ludlowe 2-0 on Friday.

With Tuesday's victory, Darien already has matched its win total from last season when it finished 2-6-7.

Brennan Branca scored two goals and Ben Highton added one for Darien, which jumped out to a 2-0 halftime lead. Jack Fisher recorded eight saves for the Blue Wave, giving up a second-half goal to Salvatore Siciliano.

After spending the previous five seasons as Darien's girls soccer coach, Bradley replaced Nicolae Piperea as the boys coach. Piperea stepped down on July 19.

• Golf: Mike Ballo Jr., who plays out of Darien's Woodway Country Club, tied for fourth last week in the PGA Tour's pre-qualification tournament in Florida.

That means that Ballo, who turned professional last year, made it to the first qualifying stage, which will take place at a site to be determined in October.  

Ballo, who posted a 54-hole total of 203, finished only one shot behind three players who tied for first. The top 40 players, plus ties, advanced to the initial qualifying stage. Ballo posted three rounds in the 60s.

His best result during the summer was a second-place showing at the Greater Bangor Open in Maine.

TUESDAY'S RESULTS

  • Boys soccer: Darien 3, Fairfield Warde 1
  • Field hockey: Darien 2, Stamford 0
  • Boys cross country: Darien 20, Danbury 35; Darien 15, Norwalk 49
  • Girls cross country: Darien 19, Staples 40; Darien 24, Danbury 31; Darien 15, Norwalk 50

WEDNESDAY'S SCHEDULE

  • Girls soccer: Darien at Westhhill, 4:30 p.m.
  • Girls volleyball: Ridgefield at Darien, 4 p.m.

THURSDAY'S SCHEDULE

  • Boys soccer: Darien at McMahon, 7 p.m.
  • Girls swimming: Darien at Trumbull, 4 p.m. (Hillcrest Middle School)

STANDINGS

  • Football
West Division FCIAC Record FCIAC Points F/A Overall Record Overall Points F/A Greenwich 1-0 16-3 1-0 16-3 Staples 1-0 21-7 1-0 21-7 Trumbull 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 Bridgeport Central 0-1 20-33 0-1 20-33 Danbury 0-1 14-20 0-1 14-20 Westhill 0-1 22-28 0-1 22-28 Central Division FCIAC Record
FCIAC Points F/A Overall Record
Overall Points F/A Stamford 1-0 43-0 1-0 43-0 Norwalk 1-0 20-14 1-0 20-14 McMahon
0-1 15-22 0-1 15-22 Fairfield Ludlowe 0-1 13-38 0-1 13-38 Ridgefield 0-1 3-16 0-1 3-16 Harding 0-1 0-43 0-1 0-43 East Division FCIAC Record
FCIAC Points F/A Overall Record
Overall Points F/A New Canaan 1-0 49-6 1-0 49-6 Darien
1-0 38-13 1-0 38-13 Fairfield Warde
1-0 22-15 1-0 22-15 Trinity Catholic 1-0 28-22 1-0 28-22 Wilton 1-0 33-20 0-0 33-20 St. Joseph 0-1 7-21 0-1 7-21

Bassick

0-1 6-49 0-1 6-49
  • Boys soccer
West Division FCIAC Record Points Staples 2-0 6 Trumbull 2-0 6 Westhill 2-1 6 Greenwich 1-0-2 5 Bridgeport Central 0-1-1 1 Danbury 0-0-1 1 Central Division FCIAC Record Points Norwalk 3-0 9 Fairfield Ludlowe 2-1 6 Stamford 1-1-1 4 Ridgefield 0-1-1 1 McMahon 0-1 0 Harding 0-2 0 East Division FCIAC Record Points Wilton 2-0-1 7 Darien 2-1 6 New Canaan 1-0-1 4 Fairfield Warde 1-1-1 4 Bassick
0-2-1 1 Trinity Catholic 0-2 0 St. Joseph 0-3 0
  • Girls soccer
West DivisionRecordPoints Greenwich 3-0-0 9 Westhill 2-0-0 6 Danbury 1-2 3 Trumbull 0-0-2 2 Central 0-3-0 0 Central DivisionRecordPoints Staples 2-1-0 6 Ridgefield 1-0-1 4 Norwalk 1-2-0 3 Fairfield Ludlowe 1-1-0 3 McMahon 0-3-0 0 Stamford 0-2-0 0 East DivisionRecordPoints St. Joseph 3-0-0 9 Darien 2-0-1 7 New Canaan 2-0 6 Fairfield Warde 2-1 6 Wilton 0-1 0 Trinity Catholic 0-3-0 0

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