Westport Girls Softball will hold a party for girls from kindergarten through fifth grade Saturday, March 11 at the Staples High School field house.

The two-hour event beginning at 1 p.m., with music and decorations, is intended to help youngsters discover the fun of the game, according to organizers.

Among those on hand will be professional coach Emily Robustelli of Integrated Sports Training in Norwalk as well as Westport Little League coaches certified by the National Youth Sports Coaches Association.

“Attendees will receive a free t-shirt and can win prizes in the simple, fun games like base running races that we will hold,” an announcement said. There also will be “mini-coaching clinics” to show girls the fundamentals of the game.

The cheerleading squad at Westport’s Staples High School competed in the FCIAC competition tonight at Westhill High School in Stamford. Emma Goss (l) and Mia Backon, both juniors, won All-FCIAC honors. The duo have been best friends since kindergarten at King’s Highway Elementary. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Staples hockey team beat New Fairfield 3-2 in Overtime Monday night in Danbury. Ben Goodman here is firing at the New Fairfield net. The Wreckers were down 2-1 midway through the third period when they tied the score forcing overtime. They sealed the comeback win in overtime. The team improved its record to 6-1 this season. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dag Muller for WestportNow.com

The Staples boys’ soccer program has donated $750 to Biloxi High School’s soccer team.

The Mississippi school, devastated by Hurricane Katrina, was the recipient earlier this fall of a backpack drive conducted at Staples High School. At that time the Wreckers donated used soccer equipment to Biloxi.

The Biloxi coaching staff told Staples head coach Dan Woog that the funds would go to provide important equipment for the team—in Mississippi, interscholastic soccer is played in the winter.

In addition, the coaches will disburse funds to individual players on an as-needed basis. Several players lost their homes in the hurricane.

Seven students from Staples were honored Wednesday night by the Connecticut Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association at the annual all state dinner. Selected as All State were captain Anna Smith and seniors Kellyn Loftus and Meghan Lally, junior Cydney Eldh, sophomores Molly Hennessy and Laura Scott and freshman Savitri Horrigan. Also, Coach Mike Laux was named Coach of the Year. Staples had a 10-1 record this year and finished a runner-up in the class L swim meet, losing to Newtown 593 to 571.5. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

By Dominic Mariani

They strut. They swagger. The Staples Wreckers football team trotted on the wind-swept, frigid field at Trumbull High School today to defend its Class L state championship title. And defend it they did, beating Monroe’s Panthers 31-6.

Ryan Bohling: he and Bryan Wrapp ran at will in the second half. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Betsey Lebow for WestportNow.com

Coach Marce Petroccio and the Big Blue Wrecking Crew threw everything but the kitchen sink at Monroe’s Masuk High School, and the Panthers had nothing to hurl back. Reporters on the sidelines almost unanimously had the Wreckers a two- to three-touchdown favorite.

But brows soon furrowed as the red-and-white clad visitors took the opening kickoff and marched 70 yards for a touchdown and a 6-0 advantage.

Quarterback Anthony Krize distributed the ball evenly between receivers Matt Allen and Ray Palmer as Masuk moved unimpedingly down the field. Running back Anthony Zaccarella bulled it over from the three-yard line.