By Jayde Levesque

If all goes well, football players at Westport’s Staples High School will be playing on synthetic turf in the fall.
The Board of Selectmen Wednesday night approved two contracts for synthetic turf fields. Shown are (l-r) (seated) Selectmen Shelly Kassen, Gordon Joseloff, and John Izzo, and (standing) Verne Sedlaceck, Westport Field of Dreams Committee, amd Lee De Freitas, Eastern regional manager, Sportexe. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dan Gelman for WestportNow.com

The Board of Selectmen Wednesday night approved two contracts that will make that possible.

One contract is with the Sportexe, a synthetic turf firm with U.S. headquarters in Round Rock, Texas. The other is with the Westport Football Association of Connecticut, acting on behalf of the Field of Dreams Committee.

The committee has agreed to raise the $1.5 million needed to complete two fields – and the town agreed to front the funds.

The Westport Police Athletic League (PAL) Faculty All Stars will take the court Friday, March 31 against the comedy basketball team Court Jesters. The 7 p.m. event at Staples High School is a major fund-raiser for PAL. Tickets, which will be sold only at the door, are $10 for adults and $8 for children. Each Westport school will be represented by several teacher players. “Rainbow” Montaqin, one of the Court Jesters, is pictured visiting a third grade class at Coleytown Elementary School. Known as the “King of Comedy Basketball,” he has been in show basketball for 25 years. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Neil Katz for WestportNow.com

The wrestling team at Westport’s Staples High School honored members Sunday night at its year-end banquet. Among those receiving recognition were (l-r) seniors Max Brown, Andrew Gau, Peter Menchaca, Tom O’Day, Evan James and Ed Mattoon. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Hundreds of young soccer players converged on Westport’s Staples High School and Bedford Middle School today for the first of two days of the 26th annual Westport Indoor Soccer Tournament. The event, sponsored by the Westport Soccer Association, benefits the Scott Coleman Foundation which grants scholarships to local players as they continue their education at the collegiate level. Pictured are Westport’s Under 10s warming up for a match against Fairfield. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Soccer fans gathered at Westport’s Staples High School today for the 26th Westport Indoor Soccer Tournament.  (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Members of the Westport Soccer Association prepared goody bags for this weekend’s 26th annual Westport Indoor Soccer Tournament at Staples High School. The event benefits the Scott Coleman Foundation which grants scholarships to local players as they continue their education at the collegiate level. More than 1,000 players from Westport and surrounding communities will take part. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Frank Deford: Sunrise guest. File photoSportswriter Frank Deford will be featured guest Friday at Westport Sunrise Rotary’s St. Patrick’s Day meeting. The 7:30 a.m. event will be held at the Peppermill Restaurant, 1700 Post Road East.

Deford, a Westporter, will discuss his latest book “The Old Ball Game—How Christy Matthewson and John McGraw and The New York Giants Created Modern Baseball.” Early reviews have made the book one of the most anticipated sports tomes in years.

According to Kirkus Reviews, “Mathewson and McGraw may be the star attractions, but it’s Deford’s reach of baseball knowledge, its color and historical circumstance that sets this one apart.”

Deford’s work has appeared in virtually every medium. Author of 15 books, he is senior contributing writer for Sports Illustrated where his byline first appeared in 1962. He is a regular correspondent for HBO’s “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel” and NPR’s “Morning Edition.”

Anyone who would like to attend as a guest should contact a Sunrise Rotary member or call (203)454-6446. 

Colin Nangle. WN photo
Ross McGibney. WN photoRoss McGibney and Colin Nangle, co-captains of the 2005 Staples High School boys’ soccer teams, have announced their college choices.

McGibney has accepted a full athletic scholarship to Division I Quinnipiac College, while Nangle will attend Division III powerhouse Middlebury College. 

The two Wreckers will join more than 250 Staples players who have played college soccer since the Staples program began 48 years ago. More than 50 have become college captains.

McGibney, who recently returned from California, where he competed with the Olympic Development Program’s Region I team, will be the first Stapleite to play at Quinnipiac.

The Staples Boys 4×800 placed fifth at the New England Indoor Track and Field Championships Friday night in Boston. The team was the top finisher for all Connecticut 4×800 relays. Their fully automated time of 8:05.91 ties the 16-year-old hand held school record of 8:05.7. They plan to compete again this coming weekend at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships. Pictured (l-r) are: Brendon Cristobal, Will Caffrey, Jason Hanrahan, and Henry Kaplan. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

The Westport Basketball Association fifth grade wrapped up its season with a round robin tournament and exhibition at Saugatuck Elementary today. Pictured are winners of the individual skills tournament with Commissioner Rady Johnson. They are (l-r): Blake Radner, knock out winner, Morgan DiDonato, free throws, and Kerry Manion, lay ups. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo