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01/12/2019 11:00 PMBoys’ Basketball
The Branford boys’ basketball team notched its first win of the year by posting a 42-40 road victory over Foran on Jan. 9. The Hornets also took defeats against Guilford and Xavier in last week’s action.
Branford took a 68-38 home loss to Guilford in a Southern Connecticut Conference Quinnipiac Division game on Jan. 7. The Indians jumped out to a 21-7 lead after the first quarter and held a 31-14 halftime advantage on their way to the victory. Sophomore Justin Elpi scored 14 points for the Hornets. Junior Kevin Baxter and sophomore Kamryn Holmes had eight points apiece.
Then on Jan. 9, the Hornets traveled to Milford to take on Foran and came home with their first win by edging out the Lions 42-40. Branford was down 23-19 heading into halftime. However, the Hornets outscored Foran 10-4 during the third quarter to bring a 29-27 lead into the fourth and then hung on for the win. Baxter netted 17 points to lead Branford. Holmes had nine points, and Elpi added eight points for the Hornets.
Two nights later, Branford took a 65-30 defeat at divisional opponent Xavier. Baxter scored 13 points for the Hornets, who moved to 1-7 overall and 0-3 in the Quinnipiac Division.
Wrestling
The Hornets claimed a 70-12 road victory versus New Haven at Wilbur Cross High School on Jan. 8. Branford improved to 7-5 on the year with the win.
Sophomore Luke Volpe earned a win by pin in the 126-pound weight class against New Haven. Senior Brendan Shamas prevailed via pin in the 132-pound division. Sophomore AJ Robinson pinned his opponent in the 152-pound match, as did junior captain Cody McHenry in the 195 bout. McHenry is undefeated against SCC competition thus far this season. Freshman Joe Fanelli lost his varsity bout at 285, but picked up his first victory of the year by winning his JV match. Head Coach Jesse Hurlburt also noted a solid performance from sophomore Anthony LaFogg in a defeat in the 160-pound division.
Boys’ Ice Hockey
Branford claimed a 5-1 victory against Amity in a Southern Connecticut Conference/South-West Conference Division II matchup at Northford Ice Pavilion on Jan. 12. Branford improved to 5-1-2 and increased its unbeaten streak to seven consecutive games with the win.
The Hornets grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first period on an unassisted goal from junior Blake Kustra, followed by a goal from fellow junior Jack Manware that was assisted by senior Max Bunton. Amity scored a goal in the second to make it 2-1, but Branford iced the victory by scoring three times in the final frame. Manware netted an unassisted goal, senior Rob Lionetti scored from fellow senior Theo Kirby, and then junior Chris Donadio scored a goal to put a bow on the win. Senior Greg Lucente got the start in net and made 17 saves for the Hornets.
Girls’ Ice Hockey
The Branford-North Branford-Sheehan-Lyman Hall girls’ ice hockey team took a pair of defeats last week and now has a record of 4-6-1.
On Jan. 8, the Wings lost to Guilford by a 5-1 final at DiLungo Rink in East Haven. Sophomore Ashleen Keating scored the Wings’ goal on assists from junior Sophia Caturano and sophomore Molly Donegan.
Then on Jan. 12, B-NB-S-LH squared off against West Haven-Sacred Heart Academy at DiLungo Rink and dropped a 4-1 decision. Senior captain Brianna Raccio scored the Wings’ goal in the game.
Boys’ Swimming and Diving
The Branford-Guilford boys’ swimming and diving team traveled to Fairfield University for a meet against Fairfield Prep last week. The Hornets dropped a 98-61 decision against the Jesuits on Jan. 8.
Boys’ Indoor Track
Branford earned a pair of victories to go with another school-record performance when the Hornets competed at an SCC Developmental Meet No. 2 at Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven on Jan. 7. Senior Marzio Mastroianni took first place in the 1,600-meter run and also ran with fellow seniors Aidan Kropiwnicki and Matt Alexander and junior Nolan Scott on Branford’s victorious 4x400 relay that broke their own school record at the meet.
Mastroianni posted a time of 4:28.13 to finish ahead of runner-up Edward Tristine of Fairfield Prep (4:29.15) and claim first place in the 1,600. Then in the 4x400 relay, the Hornets’ quartet ran a time of 3:35.20 to place ahead of Wilbur Cross (3:36.32) for first place and also top their school-record mark of 3:39.54 that they had set at the Rhode Island Track Classic on Dec. 27.
The Hornets also saw two runner-up performances at the SCC Developmental. Daley finished second in the 600-meter run with a time of 1:27.01, while Kropiwnicki took second in the pole vault by clearing 12 feet. Kropiwnicki also finished 11th in the 300-meter dash (37.75 seconds) and placed 12th in the 55-meter hurdles (9.41). Senior Brandon Perez finished sixth in the long jump with a distance of 19 feet and placed eighth in the high jump by clearing 5 feet-8 inches, qualifying for the Class M State Championship in the latter event. Branford’s 1,600 sprint medley relay of senior Carlos McCaay, freshman Chang Wu, Scott,and sophomore Matteo Nobile took eighth place with a time of 4:00.08.
Branford’s other competitors in the pole vault included senior Justin Dombrowski, who took ninth place with a state qualifying height of 10-0; along with junior Sean Jansen (12th, 9-0), sophomore Dillon Giordano (13th, 9-0), junior Chris Borst (19th, 8-0), junior Joe Youn (20th, 8-0), sophomore Julian DiLauro (24th, 7-6), and sophomore Ryan Hanniford (24th, 7-0). Senior Hunter Giordano took 16th place in the shot put while qualifying for states with a toss of 38-2.7.5. Alexander and junior Ayden Sahin finished tied for 19th in the high jump after both athletes cleared 5 feet.
In the 600, junior Andrew Betzig finished 22nd (1:33.18), and Scott placed 28th (1:33.67), with both athletes qualifying for states. Senior Derek Tratnyek finished in 34th (1:35.22), while freshman Wyatt Reynolds came in 43rd place (1:37.62). McCaay posted a time of 7.19 to finish 29th in the 55-meter dash. Hanniford placed 28th (10.11) in the 55-meter hurdles, and Dillon Giordano took 40th place (10.83) in the event. Hanniford also finished 29th (16-6.75) in the long jump and was followed by freshman Tyler Jarvis (16-2.5), Jansen (46th, 15-9.5), and Dombrowski (51st, 15-6.25). In the 300, Wu took 47th place by finishing in a time of 41.89.
The Hornets later competed at the Yale Track Classic on Jan. 12. Mastroianni finished second in the 1,000 by running a time of 2:32.69. Kropiwnicki took 15th place in the 300 (36.93) and finished 32nd in the 600 (1:28.49). Also competing in the 600 were Daley (13th, 1:25.19), Scott (72nd, 1:32.59), and Betzig (74th, 1:32.69). McCaay finished 129th in the 300 (40.45), while Tratnyek came in 170th place for the 3,000 at 9:53.21.
The Hornets will begin the postseason when they compete at the SCC West Sectional Championship this week. The meet takes place at Floyd Little Athletic Center at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 23.
Girls’ Indoor Track
The Hornets were represented by several athletes at the second SCC Developmental meet of the season at Floyd Little Athletic Center on Jan. 8.
Senior Liante Claude finished third in the 600-meter run with a time of 1:45.06 for Branford. Junior Rose Lockery took eighth place in the 300-meter dash at 45.36 seconds to go with a 16th-place finish in the 55-meter dash behind a time 7.98.
Freshman Bella Finta finished 29th in the 600-meter run (1:59.32) and also came in 30th place in the 1,600 (6:14.21) at the meet. Sophomore Nami Bolat placed 43rd in the 1,600 (6:31.47) and was 46th for the 600 (2:05.23). Junior Hailey Brunner took 47th place in the 55-meter hurdles by timing in at 12.34. In the 1,600 sprint medley relay, Branford’s team of Claude, Lockery, junior Maya Kyriakides, and freshman Alayna Boileau came in 24th place with a mark of 5:00.18.
Then on Jan. 12, Branford competed at the Yale Track Classic. Claude finished 29th in the 600 (1:45.35) and 34th in the 300 (43.98). Lockery came in 64th place for the 300 (45.27), while Finta finished 174th in the 3,000 (12:10.57). Branford’s 4x800 relay of Boileau, Bolat, Kyriakides, and Finta took 14th place with a time of 11:06.74.
Branford is competing at the SCC West Sectional Championship at Floyd Little Athletic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 4:30 p.m.