Three senior captains were celebrated on Feb. 8 during a home game against Trumbull: Aviva Ross, Poppy Harrington and Ella Harrington. For them, it wasn’t just another game; it was the culmination of four years of hard work, dedication and commitment.
Senior night for the girls was highly anticipated. The crowd members consisted of family members, friends of the teammates and students from Staples and Green Farms Academy.
“It was really exciting to watch all of the girls play because they are very skilled athletically, and they clearly have a good drive,” Clementine Kirt, a junior at Green Farms Academy, said. “They are very passionate about what they do, and it was great to see them on the court.”
While the Wreckers lost 57-50, they did not go down without a fight. Marley Belzer ’26 posted up 13 points – a career high. Freya Harvey ’26 also had a career high with 11 points.
“I think today’s game went really well because we all had a lot of effort; everyone that got in the game contributed,” Belzer said. “Even though it was a tough matchup, all of our passes mixed with our team chemistry worked really well.”
Trumbull was up 27-23 at halftime, and at one point Staples faced a 10-point deficit but managed to chip away at the gap in the second half with more aggression.
“We have to be tougher on the board, and boxing people out,” Belzer said. “But we also just have to move better on defense, like knowing when to switch and when to stay.”
Staples scored 20 points in the third quarter, giving them the lead of 43-42 before the start of the fourth quarter. With the bleachers packed and a tight score, the tensions rose in the gym.
Trumbull ended up winning; however, the season is not yet over for these seniors. Coming up, the Wreckers face Danbury on Tuesday Feb. 11 at 7 p.m.
“This season has been the best season we’ve played in the past four years,” Ross said. “It’s fun to do it alongside Ella and Poppy, and I feel like we are just going to continue to do well and hopefully get to FCIACs and states.”
