Staples Coach Marce Petroccio is all wet after his players gave him a dunking tonight in the closing moments of the Wrecker FCIAC 14-10 championship win over Bridgeport Central at Trumbull.  (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

Staples senior Brandon Rankowitz is in the clear as he scores the winning fourth quarter touchdown tonight in the Wreckers come from behind FCIAC championship 14-10 win over Bridgeport Central at Trumbull High School. His 66-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Keith Gelman came with 1:05 to play. It more than made up for his dropped, sure touchdown pass with two minutes to go. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

Staples teammates celebrate after Brandon Rankowitz (r) put the Wreckers out in front with 1:05 to go in the fourth quarter tonight of the FCIAC championship game against Bridgeport Central at Trumbull. The Wreckers won 14-10, their first FCIAC crown since 2003. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

In a come from behind game, the Staples Wreckers tonight defeated Bridgeport Central 14-10 to win the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference (FCIAC) football championship.

It was the sixth championship for Staples, the last coming in 2003.

The win came before a large Staples crowd which traveled to Trumbull High School for the game.

The Staples High School boys soccer team shoots for its 12th state championship Saturday at noon at Ridgefield High School’s Tiger Hollow complex.

The Wreckers—21-2-0, ranked No. 5 in the LL tournament—take on 20-2-0, No. 6 New Milford.

Staples is coming off a thrilling 3-2 victory Wednesday night over top-seeded Glastonbury. The Tomahawks were ranked No. 4 in the country before the Westporters upended them with a gritty performance.

New Milford reached the finals thanks to a 4-2 win against Guilford. The Blue Wave trailed 2-0 with 30 minutes to go, before erupting for four unanswered goals. Further details are available at www.StaplesSoccer.com.

UPDATE Revenge is sweet. Last year, Glastonbury scored twice in the final eight minutes, ousting Westport’s Staples High School in the Class LL semifinals of the state boys soccer tournament.
A jubilant Wreckers team celebrates Greg Gudis’s goal—the first of the night against Glastonbury. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Carl McNair for WestportNow.com

This year the two teams met again in the semifinal round with the Wreckers ending victorious in a wild, 3-2 affair in front of a large, boisterous crowd at West Haven High School. 

Staples earned the right to play for the 12th state championship in its 51-year history—and first since 1993. Staples meets New Milford Saturday at a time and site to be determined. It is the first state championship game for New Milford.

This will be Staples’ second championship appearance in four years. In 2006, they lost 2-1 to Simsbury in sudden-death overtime.

The Staples High School boys soccer team’s state LL tournament semifinal game will be played at West Haven High School Wednesday at 7 p.m.

The Wreckers (20-2, seeded No. 5) take on Glastonbury (19-0-1, seeded No. 1). The game is a rematch of last year’s semifinals when the Tomahawks scored two goals in the final eight minutes to defeat Staples 2-1.

This will be the Wreckers’ fourth state semifinal appearance in the last six years. 

They are shooting for their 12th state championship in history and first since 1993.

UPDATE The Staples High School boys soccer team dominated Amity today in the state LL quarterfinals. The 3-0 victory vaulted them into the state semifinals against Glastonbury Wednesday in a match at West Haven at 7 p.m.
Mikey Fitzgerald slams in the second Staples goal of the day today against Amity. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lisa Krosse for WestportNow.com

This is Staples’ fourth state semifinal appearance in six years, and it promises to be a great one. Glastonbury ousted the Wreckers in last year’s semis, scoring two goals in the final eight minutes for a 2-1 win.

The Westporters left nothing to chance today, on a beautiful fall afternoon at the Spartans’ large, wide field. The first goal came in the third minute. Greg Gudis’ corner kick to Mike White was launched into the penalty area. It bounced around, then in, for an electrifying sudden edge.

Staples had several more chances, thanks to inspired play by White, Gudis, and midfielders Brendan Lesch, Alan Reiter, Drew McNair and Mikey Scott. But the second tally came off the foot of defender Mikey Fitzgerald, following two straight corner kicks.

UPDATE The Friday night Staples vs Bridgeport Central Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference (FCIAC) varsity football championship game has been moved to Trumbull, conference officials announced today. 

It will be a return visit by Westport’s Wreckers who were 34-0 victors Friday night over Trumbull High School at Trumbull. The 7:30 p.m. championship game originally had been scheduled for Wilton High School.

FCIAC executive secretary John Kuczo announced the move to Trumbull’s McDougal Stadium. He said the FCIAC felt it could draw a bigger crowd at Trumbull, a location that is much more accessible from Westport and Bridgeport.

Wilton can hold 3,600 fans while Trumbull, which has hosted a number of state tournament games over recent years, can handle a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000. But FCIAC also felt it might lose ticket sales revenue because people could watch the game along a fence at Wilton, according to news reports.