The Staples High School coed water polo team captured the state public high school Class L Championship Thursday night with a 11-7 victory over East Lyme at Staples.  The match was intense as Staples took an early lead and East Lyme closed the gap in the fourth quarter. About 100 spectators enjoyed the first home water polo game in Staples history.The team is shown with Coach Mike Laux afer the game. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Guests at a fund-raiser tonight to install artificial turf on town ballfields listen as Staples (and UConn) football great Sean Mulcahy, with Bill Mitchell at his side, welcomes them to the event at Mitchells of Westport. The Staples Gridiron Club’s “Field of Dreams Gala” was held to provide seed money for a community project to install the turf for football, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey and rugby teams. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

Among Staples scholar-athletes honored tonight at a Norwalk banquet was Jordana Kozel, 17. The senior, who starred in soccer and lacrosse, stands behind her parents, Ellen and David Kozel, as Principal John Dodig asked the honorees to stand beside their parents to honor them for supporting them through their athletic career. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

Staples scholar-athletes listen tonight as Staples soccer coach Dan Woog introduced them at the Staples Scholar-Athlete Banquet at Continental Manor in Norwalk. UConn head football coach Randy Esdall was guest speaker, introduced by Sean Mulcahy, a 2000 Staples grad who played for the Huskies. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

Staples senior J.J. Skutnik buries his signature spike to score against Trumbull High School�s Golden Eagles during the second game of today�s CIAC volleyball quarter-finals. Staples lost to Trumbull 3-1, ending a 58-game Wrecker winning streak. No. 2-ranked Staples won only one game out of four against No. 8 Trumbull, eliminating the Wreckers from the state open playoffs. Last week, the team won the Fairfield County FCIAC championship against Fairfield (See WestportNow May 25, 2005). (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Laux for WestportNow.com

There were glum and frustrated faces on the Staples bench today as the Wreckers lost the CIAC volleyball quarter-finals to Trumbull before a loud, stomping, standing-room only crowd at home. Trumbull won the first two games 25-18 and 25-19. The Wreckers’ close 25-23 win of the third game gave the team hope that it could come back to win the three out of five games needed to advance to the semi-finals. The fourth game was an excruciatingly close loss for Staples, 25-21. Staples had defeated Trumbull twice during the regular season by scores of 3-0. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Laux for WestportNow.com

Staples supporters cheer on the team during today’s CIAC quarter-finals. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Laux for WestportNow.com

The Wrecker bench exploded with cheers tonight as Staples defeated Fairfield 3-0 to win the FCIAC volleyball title for the third year in a row. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Galen Bluementhal for WestportNow.com

The Staples High School volleyball team won it third straight FCIAC title tonight by defeating Fairfield 3-0 at Fairfield. Coach Bruce Betts contains the emotions of his players in a time out just one point away from victory. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Galen Bluementhal for WestportNow.com

Senior Co-Captain Nick Corona sends the serve over to Fairfield in tonight’s 3-0 Staples FCIAC championship victory. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Galen Bluementhal for WestportNow.com