Westporter Mel Yemma, 17, a senior at Staples High School and an accomplished freestyle skier, practices her techniques Saturday at a “rail jam” hosted by the Outdoor Sports Center in Wilton to promote the ski season. Yemma has skied competitively on a freestyle team at Stratton Mountain in Vermont.  At Staples she is participating in a three-year science research project in which she has designed and built her own skis made out of bamboo, which she is testing as a possibly more flexible and more environmentally sustainable type of ski material. About two dozen young skiers and snowboarders participated in the event. The Outdoor Sports Center brought in several truckloads of “Zamboni shavings” from area ice rinks to provide the snow. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Andy Yemma for WestportNow.com

Staples senior Robert Toole (44) looks for daylight in today’s 21-20 Wrecker loss to New Canaan at home. Staples, with a 5-1 overall record, was the underdog going into the game against the undefeated Rams. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

Staples senior Josh Henry (23) runs into a Ram roadblock during today’s 21-20 loss to New Canaan at home.  (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

The Staples girls swimming and diving team beat New Canaan Friday at its last swim meet of the dual-meet season. The win, which gave the Lady Wreckers a 9-3 record, was all the sweeter since it occurred at home while the team celebrated Senior Day. Coach Mike Laux joined in celebrating. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Ronald Wimer for Staplesswimming.com

Drew McNair (r) rounds the corner today against Darien, as Brendan Lesch lends support. The Staples boys soccer team won 4-2 in the quarterfinals of the FCIAC tournament at Loeffler Field. The win advances them into the semifinals against Norwalk—the only team to blemish the Wreckers’ 16-1 record this year. The semis are set for 7 p.m. Monday at Fairfield Ludlowe High School. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Carl McNair for WestportNow.com

Greg Gudis (with ball) scored the first goal in Staples’ 2-0 boys soccer win today over Central. The victory was the 15th for Staples in 16 games. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lisa Krosse for WestportNow.com

Drew McNair (r) had one goal and one assist as Staples stopped Fairfield Warde 2-0 today at Fairfield. The win boosted the Wreckers’ record to 14-1. Their final regular season game is Wednesday (home, 4 p.m. vs. Central).  The FCIAC tournament begins Friday, also at home. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lisa Krosse for WestportNow.com

Westport was well represented by many rowers from the Saugatuck Rowing Club this weekend at the 44th annual Head of the Charles Regatta in Cambridge, Mass. Coxswain Gaby Hammond is pictured with her crew of “Master Men’s Eights” after finishing their race against 30 other boats. Massachusetts State Police estimated that 255,000 people attended the two-day regatta, which attracted 1,786 boats and 8,478 rowers from 17 countries ranging in age from 14 to 84. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

UPDATE Making their longest road trip ever, the Staples varsity football Wreckers tonight rolled over the Knights of North Andover, Mass. 23-8 to improve to 5-1 on the season.

The three-hour bus ride to the school 24 miles north of Boston on the Merrimack River not far from the New Hampshire border did not seem to bother the Wreckers. They scored less than two minutes into the game on a 98-yard touchdown run by Tae Dangerfield.

A 52-yard run by quarterback Brandon Pacilio in the second quarter put Staples up 13-0 at the half. A 28-yard field goal by Kevin Clark in the third quarter and a three-yard touchdown run by Pacilio in the fourth quarter completed the Staples scoring.

After Staples pulled its varsity players with four minutes to go, North Andover (2-4) scored its lone touchdown on a five-yard run with five seconds remaining in the game and made the two-point conversion. The Wreckers next host New Canaan on Saturday, Oct. 25.