Christian Bognar (No. 44) gains yardage at Trumbull on Friday night. (Photo Courtesy of Mark Maybell)
FOOTBALL
Wave coach Rob Trifone has come off like a prophet in Darien’s two losses this year.
“You are going to hear Trumbull roaring again,” said Trifone in preseason.
And you could hear that roar all the way back to Noroton Bay, up to NC, over to Westport, and right across the FCIAC, when the Eagles defeated Darien 39-26 in Trumbull on Friday night.
Wilton will cause problems for everyone.
— Rob Trifone
More wise words — to the wise — said back around Labor Day, are rarely spoken: “Trumbull had a rough year last year, and people are kind of counting them out,” said Trifone back then, adding, “and I’m telling you right now, don’t. They’re very motivated by their down season last year.”
So, Trifone told them.
Now it looks like only Trumbull was listening.
And so it was with the Wave dropping to 3-2 and the Eagles rising to 2-3 on the year.
And, with Darien playing Wilton next week — like St. Joseph, that the Wave has lost to, another team (not being the obvious Staples) that Trifone warned against — followed by games vs. the top two teams in the league in Staples and Trinity, the playoffs picture is becoming a little bit bleak.
Darien entered the game sixth in the FCIAC and eighth in Class L.
Trumbull edged DHS 14-13 in the first quarter, with the hosts doing the damage with a 12-0 second quarter to take the 26-13 halftime lead.
The visitors kept it all even the rest of the way, 0-0, 13-13, but the damage was done.
Nick Lombardo scored twice for the Wave, first on a three-quarters-length-of-the-field kick return and once on a 40-yard pass from Henry Baldwin.
Ian Vanderhorn (No. 28) on the rush at Trumbull on Friday. (Photo Courtesy of Mark Maybell)
Jackson Whiting scored on a short gain reception, while Christian Bognar ran half the distance of the stripes for another score. CJ Raia kicked two PAT.
For Trumbull Andrew Marino ran in a 30 yard TD on a blocked punt, Daniel Paolino got in on a 21 yards pass from Nick Roberts, Mike Williams scored on a field-length interception, Ryan Pearson scored three on runs.
It goes without saying, so it will be written here instead, that going the year so far, essentially, without 2011 Wave top scorer, twice ankle-injured senior Peter Gesualdi, has near capsized this season.
What now? With several teams still sitting ahead of Darien with single losses this season?
Beat undefeated Staples and Trinity — or at least one of them and hope for help.
This after, taking care of another team foretold to be a foe to fret over in the Warriors next week.
More words for the wise two months behind us: “Wilton will cause problems for everyone. They return a good wide out and an enormous line,” Trifone said in The Darien Times Fall Preview. “They have three kids over 300 pounds.”
Wave football is featured in The Darien Times on Thursday.
