The Staples boys’ basketball team cruised to a 23-point victory, 73-50, over Fairfield Warde in an FCIAC duel on Jan. 28. The highly anticipated match up between two of the FCIAC’s strongest teams turned out to be a statement win for Staples and a heavy blow to Warde, who entered with one loss in FCIAC play. It was an extra special win for Staples’ Matthew Corrigan ’26, who was playing against his former teammates having transferred from Fairfield Warde to Staples this year.
As per usual, Staples’ Sam Clachko ’26 spearheaded Staples’ offense – scoring 19 points, including a half-court buzzer beater at halftime to put the Wreckers up 25 points heading into the break.
“As a team we knew that if we started off really strong they were going to quit early,” Clachko said. “I was really focused on doing my part in getting us out to a big lead early – the buzzer beater at the end of the first capped off a huge half.”
Captain Adam Udell ’25 also put in a stellar performance, recording the first triple double of his Staples career. His 10 assists and 10 rebounds were both game-highs.
“We knew this was a big game and our coaches had us well prepared,” Udell said. “We all played very hard and it helped us execute at a high level and win the game.”
Despite the loss, Warde’s Jack Cramer provided a spark for the Mustangs throughout the entirety of the game. With 18 points, he used his size to give Staples trouble in the paint.
“We know that we’re an undersized team, but that doesn’t affect our mentality,” Charlie Bowman ’25 said. “When playing against taller players, we have to make shots as difficult as possible for them while working our hardest to clean up the glass. I thought we did a good job of rebounding against Warde, but we could have been stronger defensively in the paint.”
This defensive tenacity will be important to Staples for the rest of the season, as they are eyeing another deep postseason run. The Wreckers will be looking to carry this momentum into a crucial Feb. 4, matchup against Fairfield Ludlowe. A win for either team would secure second position in the FCIAC, only behind undefeated Ridgefield.