Staples boys’ soccer defeated the Greenwich Cardinals 3-2 to win the FCIAC championship for the first time since 2010. The Wreckers’ 2010 title was the 3rd FCIAC championship in a row. The trophy is back where it belongs and where it’s been 27 other times: Staples High School.
Staples had previously lost to Greenwich 4-3 on Sept. 16. “We lost the battle when we played them in the [regular season]. We won the war today,” assistant coach Billy Babayo said.
The game was heated. It included a combined 24 fouls with 17 of them coming from the Wreckers. But they prevailed, going off three first half goals and fighting off a valiant second half effort from the Cardinals.
It only took 18 minutes for Staples to strike first with Adrian Rodriguez ’27 getting a foot on a cross from Gabe Duque ’26.
The Wreckers would go on to double their lead 17 minutes later after Brendan Allen ’26 put in the rebound off a corner from Gabe Hellmann ’26. However, Greenwich got one back quickly with a beautiful volley from Matheus Bongiolo.
But the Wreckers canceled that out with a third goal right before half as Rodriguez finished off another cross, this one from Hellman to give the Wreckers a commanding 3-1 lead going into the half.
The second half included a combined 17 fouls and 13 shots. The Wreckers had the first two shots of the half with Rodriguez and Lucas Alacron ’27 both having a go at goal in the 46th minute. But Greenwich went on to have the next 10 shots of the game. In spite of that barrage, the Wreckers made sure not one found the back of the net.
A brilliant play from Staples goalkeeper Jack D’Amore ‘27 was decisive in the win. In the 63rd minute, D’Amore had a dazzling fingertip save that kept the Wreckers’ two goal advantage secure until seven minutes later. With 9:44 left in the game, Greenwich senior captain Henry Davis headed a free kick just over D’Amore’s head to reduce the Wreckers’ lead to only one.
But Staples would hold on, and D’Amore had another class save with five minutes left and then that was that. Staples were the champs, and Greenwich was undefeated no more.
This win capped off a memorable year for the Wreckers that started off on July 2 when Liam Witham was announced as the sixth coach of the Staples boys’ soccer team. Witham brought in Billy Babayo to serve as assistant coach, and they set out on a season that would end with Staples soccer as FCIAC champions.
Winger Nico Reyna ’27 highlighted the fight in the team which led them to winning the title.
“I’m just so proud of the boys. So proud of the effort we put into this season on the bench, off the bench, on the field, off the field,” Reyna said. “There couldn’t be a more deserved team to win this.”
