HIGHLIGHTS

7th Grade Wins Final Tourney of Fall Season

7th Grade has won their final tournament of the Fall AAU Season by sweeping all 4 of their games in Newtown and Trumbull. The path to the championship included bracket play victories over ACC, CT Blazers and New Haven Heat. They then faced the New Haven Heat for the 'belt' with everything on the line and pulled it out 45-29!

Fierce’s Own Scott Lipow Hired as New Coach for Fairfield Woods Middle School

THREE Fierce Teams Win Tournament Titles

In one of our best weekends in recent memory, THREE Fierce teams brought home the championship! 5th Grade had a thrilling team victory over ACC by a final score of 39-33. 6th Grade delivered a 42-36 comeback win over PHD on the road to their title. 7th grade cruised to a third consecutive tournament championship of their own. Congrats to our families for the hard work paying off!

Fierce Alum Drafted by Kansas City Royals in MLB Draft

Fierce Alum Hiro Wyatt has been selected in the third round of the MLB Draft, 75th overall, by the Kansas City Royals!

6th Grade Finishes Runner-up at Boston Nationals

Congratulations to 6th grade for their fantastic run to the Championship game this weekend at Boston Nationals. We swept Division play with 3 consecutive wins, including a 41-31 victory over XL Thunder in which forward Dylan Lender led the charge in the second half. In bracket play, we snuck out a 53-51 thriller over Central Mass Swarm in a game for the ages. Landon Nash had an offensive rebound put back with time expiring! A memory for a lifetime as the boys went wild. We then defeated TNE CT by a final score of 36-30 to advance to the Championship, ultimately falling short to Central Flight 55-44.

Hiro Wyatt Wins Gatorade Connecticut Baseball Player of the Year

Congratulations to Fierce Alum Hiro Wyatt for being named 2023 Gatorade Connecticut Baseball Player of the Year! Hiro will be playing baseball next year at the University of Southern California.

8th Grade Rolls to CT State Championship

Another great spring weekend for the Fierce. 8th grade defeated PHD-Carothers in two consecutive games to win the CT State Championship. 6th grade traveled for an overnight trip to Massachusetts for tons of fun and two big wins. 5th grade pulled out an exciting victory in their opener by a final score of 32-24.

4th and 6th Grades Win Championships

What a weekend for the Fierce! 4th Grade won all 4 of their games on the way to the tournament title! They defeated CT PHD by a final score of 20-5 in the Championship Game. 5th Grade split their 4 games, which included a thrilling 33-32 victory over CT Northstars. Dylan Seckler made the game winning three point shot with only seconds remaining! 6th grade dominated all of their games on the way to their second consecutive tournament crown! The smallest margin of victory was by 13 points in the Championship Game. 8th Grade played extremely tough, winning 2 out of 3 games. They defeated Apex by 30 points and DTX by 20 points. Great job by all Fierce teams this weekend!

6th Grade Captures the Battle Royale

6th grade wins 5 in a row to capture this weekend's Battle Royale! They defeated High Rise in the Championship by a final score of 43-39. It was a complete effort. 4th grade won 2 thrilling games by 2 points each over Stamford Peace and Connecticut Elite. Ben Forgione hit the game-tying free throws and then go-ahead basket in a span of 30 seconds. 8th grade advanced to their championship game with wins over For the Talented and Stamford Peace. 5th grade fought hard in 3 straight games that came down to the wire. Great weekend Fierce!

8th Grade Wins Fairfield County Basketball League Championship

Congratulations to our 8th grade boys for winning the Fairfield County Basketball League Championship on Saturday! They came back from 10 points down to defeat Westport by a final score of 50-41. Andrew Levens led the way with 14 points. Timmy O'Neill led the defensive charge in the second half with steals everywhere and made clutch baskets, finishing with 7 points. Gavin Mertz had a timely floater in the final quarter, along with making all four of his free throws to seal the game. Carlo Noecker was a work horse inside drawing double teams on every possession. Tyler Geriak was scoring from both outside and inside. Jayden Wang and Mason Neely both contributed baskets of their own at key moments in the game. They defeated Wilton 62-47 and Darien 51-49 to set up the Championship match-up with Westport.

Jack Plesser Tops Off Amazing Career with FCIAC Player of the Year Award

In his latest and most noteworthy accolade, long-time Fierce player and Fairfield Warde's Jack Plesser has won the award for FCIAC Player of the Year. This highly coveted award is only given to one player each season. It is amazing to see how far Jack has come. Jack was passed on by another local program in 6th grade, only to become the perfect fit from the start with Fierce. Jack has always had the right attitude and work ethic to keep improving, and each year that went by he became a more competitive basketball player in the area. This honor is the pinnacle of all of that dedication, and the gateway to his next chaper as a collegiate student athlete. Congratulations Jack, we are proud to have watched you grow and receive this well-deserved recognition.

Fierce Alumni Dominate All-FCIAC Honors

There are many familiar names on the 2022-2023 All-FCIAC Boys Basketball teams. Long-time Fierce legend Jack Plesser took home the highly-coveted Player of the Year award. This accolade goes to only one player each season, and Jack was voted most outstanding in a league full of talented student athletes. Jack also was included on the All-FCIAC First Team along with Trumbull's Sean Racette, who played with Fierce in 7th grade. Evan Kozdeba of Ridgefield High School doubled down with All-FCIAC Second Team AND All-Defensive Team honors. Evan was a Fierce standout in 6th grade. David Melson of Fairfield Warde received well-deserved All-FCIAC Second Team honors as well. David was a shooting star for Fierce in 5th grade. Luca Antonio of Trumbull played with Fierce in 7th grade and you can find his name on the All-FCIAC Third Team. Oh, and Jordan Katz of Ridgefield (and their team captain) was listed as a "Top Player" in CT Insider's 2023 FCIAC Boys Basketball Tournament Outlook. Proud of all of our Fierce alum for how far they have come!

Nolan McKenna-Hansen Commits to University of New England

Congratulations to Fierce Alum and Jonathan Law's Nolan McKenna-Hansen on his commitment to play college basketball next year at the University of New England! Nolan started with Fierce in 6th grade and dedicated himself to improving his skills each season.

Jack Plesser Nominated to McDonald’s All-American Games

Congratulations to Jack Plesser on his nomination to the McDonald's All-American Games. Jack started with Fierce in 6th grade and we've enjoyed watching his growth into a 3 year starter and All-FCIAC standout at Fairfield Warde High School.

6th Grade Wins Metropolitan Grand Opener

Congratulations to our 6th grade boys for winning the Metropolitan Grand Opener! Tough competition all the way to the title game. They defeated Northeast Elite in the championship by a final score of 39-35. 5th grade capped off their weekend with a thrilling 20 point unanswered run to come back and beat Fenom Fire. Noah Clark scored 16 points, Ben Spring had 10 points and Jonah Montalvo dominated the inside. 8th grade (Redding) closed out with a hard-fought two point win of their own over New Rochelle Kings.

4th Grade Wins Final Spring Tournament

4th grade won their final tournament of the season with a 22-16 victory in the championship game!All Fierce teams closed out their springs strong. Thank you to all of our hard working players and families for another amazing season of Fierce basketball!

9th Grade Pulls out a Classic in Triple Overtime

An unbelievable weekend from our boys up in New Haven. 7th grade won their third consecutive tournament with a 49-33 victory over CBA! 9th grade pulled out an instant classic in the THIRD OVERTIME to defeat MA Havoc by a final score of 66-63. It was one of the most thrilling championship games in recent memory.

7th Grade Wins the Connecticut State Championship

Congratulations to our 7th grade team - led by Coach John Redding - for winning the CT State Championship this past weekend. The road to the title included wins over Stamford Peace and Connecticut Elite. In the championship game, Fierce defeated CT PHD by a final score of 54-46. Austin Heyer led the way with 20 points.

CT SuperCup Comes Home with the Fierce

Great weekend for all Fierce teams in the CT SuperCup. 5th grade won the championship with a balanced scoring attack in wins over DTX, New Haven and High Rise. 7th grade captured their tournament title by pushing the pace in wins over DTX, New Haven, Harrison Heat and then Tri-State Stampede (77-62) in the final game. Congrats to all of our players and families!

5th Grade Opens Spring on Top

5th grade went 5-0 this weekend in their first tournament of the spring to capture the Spring Slam championship up in Hamden! It was a balanced team effort with hard-fought wins over CT Wildcats, ACC and CBA. 7th grade came out strong as well, with a 58-37 win over PHD and also cruising in a blowout over Hoop Haven. 9th grade played three tightly contested games and pulled out their opener against United Youth.Great opening weekend!

7th Grade Travel Makes it to the Semi-Finals

Proud of our 7th grade winter travel team. They came together this season and -- through great teamwork and unselfishness -- made it to the semi-finals of the Fairfield County Basketball League "A" bracket.

Fierce Alumni Shine in FCIAC

Congratulations to Fierce alumni Jack Plesser, Justyn Davis, Kevin Hyzy and Cooper Dailey for their All-FCIAC League selections! Jack Plesser (Fairfield Warde) earned second team honors as a junior in a campaign that included over 20 points scored against Ridgefield in the FCIAC semi-final game. Jack played many years for Fierce starting at a young age. After earning second team honors as a sophomore, Justyn Davis (Fairfield Warde) climbed up to the first team in his senior year. He was a player of the year candidate all season. Justyn was a member of Fierce's 2017-18 travel team that captured the Fairfield County Basketball League (FCBL) "AA" Championship. Kevin Hyzy (Wilton) also earned first team honors as a senior. Kevin led the Warriors in scoring and, along with his brother Craig, also happens to have been a member of the first ever Fierce team all the way back as a 6th grader. Cooper Dailey (Fairfield Ludlowe) earned third team honors in his senior year, while also setting the all time school single game scoring record with 38 points against Maloney. We are also proud to congratulate Fierce alumni Jordan Katz, Evan Kozdeba, Jack Michalowski and Liam Shea for their FCIAC Championship as members of the Ridgefield varsity basketball team. Ridgefield defeated Wilton in the FCIAC Championship Game. Evan Kozdeba hit a huge 3 toward the end of the game to seal the victory.

5th Grade Finishes Fall with Another Title

All of our teams finished their fall seasons in style today. 4th grade won two 1-point thrillers over Greenwich Stars and Level Up LI. Dylan Seckler's heroics struck again with a running three point shot to win it at the buzzer. 5th grade defeated PHD-Hickey, PHD-Black and DTX on the way to their second tournament championship! 6th grade rolled thru CT PHD and DTX before falling by only 1 point to High Rise. Chase Gallant led the way all weekend, with contributions from Mateo Riera, Connor Duarte and Jayden Harvey. Coach John Redding's 7th grade squad capped off their excellent season in style today with a 60-43 blowout of PHD-Seawright.Thank you everyone for another fantastic season of Fierce Basketball!

10th Grade Rolls to the Title

What a Halloween weekend for the Fierce. 10th grade rolled to the title with convincing wins over East Hartford, Connecticut Elite, Hoop Haven and New England Blue Chips. Axel Fine ran the point to perfection, Liam Yin dominated large stretches of each game, Justyn Capellan was an unstoppable force and Ben Simon lifted everyone with rebounding and precision passing. 3/4th grade, otherwise known as the "cardiac kids", pulled out three consecutive nail-biters before coming up just short in the championship game. The boys showed tremendous grit and perseverance all weekend. 5th grade reached their championship game as well, continuing their stellar season. They have reached the championship in every tournament this fall.

5th Grade Wins Opening Fall AAU Tournament

Fairfield Fierce's 5th grade Fall AAU team ran the table to win all three of their games in this weekend's opening tournament. In the Championship Game, Treyson Bennett tallied 15 points and 7 steals. Trey was also dropping dimes to his teammates for easy scores all weekend. Aiden Kardos was sparking the team defensively, Dylan Lender and Luke Bhojwani were dominating with rebounds and easy baskets, and Mason Mpuku was running the floor for transition layups. Austin Kaufman, Brady Schachter and Ethan Perez contributed timely outside shooting.

Tate Mahoney’s 26 points Leads Freshmen to the Title

Tate Mahoney was on fire for 9th grade against the New York Lightning in this afternoon's championship game. Tate was draining three pointers all over the court, including a 4 point play, on his way to 26 total points. In the morning game, Liam Yin and Timothy Boyd were taking steals coast to coach for easy layups, while Axel Fine and Gabe Bernard brought active defense and rebounding.

8th Grade Topples DTX and 3D Hoops on way to Title

8th grade takes home the tournament championship this weekend with a hard fought 45-34 win over 3D Hoops! Nick Brodsky averaged a double double on the weekend. He was scoring from both outside and inside, while grabbing every rebound that came his way. Danny Goldberger played bigger than his size with clutch shots and much needed ball control. Charlie Jones was drawing the defense in and then distributing for assist after assist. Kyle Dulak was a scoring threat with the deep ball as well off the dribble. Last but not least, Matt Goos brought his usual toughness and even added a crafty reverse layup and top of the key three pointer! It was a great team effort with excellent ball movement and aggressive, hard-nosed defense.

Parente scorches PHD Basketball on way to Championship

7th grade takes home the Battle for the Belt. Krish Dodani drilled the game winner against Share the Ball. Jhamal Jones received ZG Player of the Game honors against Greenwich Stars. Marco Parente poured in a career high 35 points in a blowout win over CT PHD. Great job boys!

Fierce teams dominate the opening spring tournament

This weekend Fairfield Fierce started off their spring seasons with a bang. 5th grade won 2 of 3 games. In the opener, it was back and forth until the final possession when Matty Raffaelli put in the game winner with 7 seconds remaining. On Sunday Chase Gallant and Liam Nieves led the attack with great defense and scoring. 6th grade rode 3 consecutive wins to reach their championship game, including a hard fought victory over the Game Changers. Jayden Wang was all over court and poured in 20 points per game. Carlo Noecker was a beast under the basket with double doubles every time out. Johnny Stauss and Alex Perman delivered gritty defense and key scoring attacks of their own. 7th grade swept their Saturday games with two convincing wins over CT Elite and Greens Farms Westport. Krish Dodani, Marco Parente and Jhamal Jones led the scoring, and Nico Lucas was ripping down rebounds. 9th grade also reached their championship game behind a great team effort across the board. Dameer Phifer was causing chaos defensively. Tate Mahoney was up to his usual long range shooting tricks. Gabe Bernard was snatching rebounds and blocking shots. Liam Yin and Axel Fine provided much needed physicality and toughness on both sides of the ball. Timmy Boyd and Will Ford also came up with timely contributions. Great job Fierce!

5th Grade defeats CT PHD Basketball and DTX

The 5th grade fall fierce team won all 4 of their games this past weekend to win the Connecticut War on the Floor tournament! They started things out on Saturday with a 15 point victory over CT Blazers. Their defense was tenacious and the offense clicked with unselfish passing and ball movement. Liam Nieves, Ben Brown and Trey Bennett were getting steal after steal. The Fierce then beat up on CT PHD Basketball by winning every loose ball -- the final score was 40 to 19. Matty Raffaeli and Chase Gallant led the way in scoring and also brought great toughness to the game. On Sunday, the Fierce rolled over DTX Basketball to advance to the championship game against Born Leaders Basketball. In the final game, the Fierce were ready to go from the tip and won convincingly by a final score of 40 to 11. A great weekend for the young guys!

Staples JV Basketball Falls to Fairfield Fierce

Fairfield Fierce 10th grade came to play in a showdown with the Staples High School Junior Varsity team. After falling behind 7 - 2, the Fierce defense worked cohesively as a unit to shut down all easy paths to the basket. It was a stifling defensive performance for the Fierce on their way to victory by a final score of 35 - 27. Ty Levine was a "general" on the floor and controlled the pace of the game. In the second half Ty led an exciting run in which the Fierce pulled away for good. He was making three pointers and difficult transition lay ups in traffic. Colin Reilly was aggressive from the start and attacked the basket for crafty, timely scores. Jack Plesser used his length and skill to manufacture an assortment of scoring opportunities of his own. Luka Ljuboja, in his final weekend of play before moving back to Texas, dominated the paint with tough rebounding and defense. Down the stretch, the Fierce were making all of the hustle plays and winning every loose ball.

8th Grade Sweeps 4 Games

8th grade sweeps all 4 games this weekend to win their tourney in Trumbull. On Sunday, they beat a very tough Cap City squad with a game winner from Ryan Moore. Then, they shut down Westport PAL Basketball. Will Kane and Danny Goldberger delivered the ball control and outside shooting all weekend. Charlie Jones was a force defensively. Jack Cramer was drop stepping for layups all over the paint area. Justin Toothaker drilled clutch, timely three pointers. Matt Goos ripped in tough rebounds and Nick Brodsky was a shot blocking machine. Congrats boys!

8th and 10th Grades Win Summer Tournaments

The Fierce program is proud to bring home two tournament championships today. 10th grade defeated CT Knights who had beaten them convincingly just one day earlier. The Knights led by at least 6 points throughout the game, however down the stretch the Fierce put together an exciting comeback to take a small lead that they would ultimately hold. 8th grade was clicking on all cylinders with fun to watch passing and furious defense in a big title game win over Team Overtime. They were lighting it up from outside and also dominating the inside paint. Great job boys!

5th and 7th Grades Capture FCBL Division Titles

Congratulations to our 5th and 7th grade winter travel teams for capturing their regular season division titles in the Fairfield County Basketball League! On to the Playoffs! 5th grade clinched the 'A South' division yesterday with a hard fought victory over Mount Vernon. Luca Scalera went for 21 points and Krish Dodani scored 16 points including a clutch late 3 pointer. Jayden Wang and Johnny Stauss each chipped in 7 timely points of their own. Mac Mahoney had 4 points and a big time blocked shot. Alex Perman helped control the ball and locked in defensively. Sam Tymniak and Mason Neely battled all game with opponents almost twice their size. Brady Morison and Timmy O'Neill were away for this one -- however their contributions all season long were front and center -- with scoring, hustle plays everywhere and FIERCE defense. 7th grade -- the "cardiac kids" -- won the 'B South' division title with a victory over Fairfield. Aidan Shea continued his scoring streak with a 28 point performance. Danny Goldberger and Luke DiLillo provided the ball control and outside shooting, while Jack Cramer and Oliver Ljuboja together delivered an unstoppable inside presence. Justin Toothaker brought his defensive-first mentality and play-making abilities. Timmy Kelleher and Jonah Hourihan found their mid-range shooting, while Luke Stasko and Andrew Fraise helped space the floor from the outside. Image may contain: 2 people, basketball court and indoor

8th Grade Defeats Ralphola Taylor Center Basketball

5th grade takes out Greenwich 75-50 and then Bridgeport Caribe by a final of 58-28, holding Bridgeport to only 6 points in the second half of play. 6th grade brings the defense as well in a 32-23 win over Monroe. Devin Brenner was everywhere defensively, while also knocking down three 3-pointers. Cole Krollman and Caden Quigley each contributed key baskets of their own. 8th grade defeats Ralphola Taylor Center 58-48 led by a monster 26 points from Devin Julious, and the clutch shooting of Emmett Derby.

Fierce Travel Basketball Rolling into 2020

5th grade wins big over St. Mary's of Ridgefield and then Hamden. Smothering defense. Remains undefeated with a showdown versus Yonkers tomorrow. 6th grade also with two big wins over Fairfield and Wilton. Balanced scoring attack. 8th grade tops Madison 52 - 49 in an exciting game, extending their winning streak to 7. Emmett Derby with a standout defensive performance. Devin Julious and Gerald Jacobs with tough, game-winning plays at key moments.

Fierce Dominates Fairfield PAL on their Home Court

Fierce Winter Travel keeps rolling into 2020 with some more big wins. 5th grade took care of Bristol 59-21 and then ran past Fairfield PAL 52-21 in a crosstown rivalry game. 7th grade continued their undefeated season as well, with a 52-42 win over New Canaan. 8th grade extended their win streak to 6 games, holding off Wilton 46-38.

8th Grade Runs Past Wakeman Travel Basketball

Fierce Travel had an amazing weekend of action. 5th grade topped Norwalk Youth 55-51 with the help of a clutch late game three pointer from Krish Dodani. Jayden Wang was all over the court and Brady Morison really got it going in the second half of play. It was a team win with contributions from everyone. Alex Perman and Mason Neely both drained three pointers. 6th grade fell just short to the Westport Wolves in overtime. 7th grade pulled out two thrilling victories in tough away gym environments. On Saturday they found themselves in an early 16-2 hole to New Canaan, and climbed all the way back to win the game by a single point in the final second. Aidan Shea had the game winner with 0.9 seconds left on the clock and the boys went wild. Danny Goldberger was "unconscious" from long range draining 4 three pointers. Then on Sunday in a 65-61 win over Greenwich it was Luke DiLillo's smothering defense that led the way, with Jack Cramer and Oliver Ljuboja dominating the inside play. 8th grade extended their win streak to 4 games over the weekend. It started with a 64-37 blowout over Wakeman-Southport in which Tate Mahoney was lights out with 21 points. Then they kept their composure for an intense victory over Hamden -- it was a frantic crowd. Gerald Jacobs rose to the occasion and took over the second half with scoring, steals and crowd silencing blocked shots. Devin Julious dominated the final game of the weekend with steals that he took to the house for easy layups. Gabe Bernard and Emmett Derby made big time winning plays in each and every game. Jake Medor and Pedro Espada contributed timely baskets of their own. All of our groups are playing team basketball and improving!

5th Grade Cruises by Westport PAL Basketball

This weekend in Fierce Travel... 8th grade outlasted New Canaan today by a final of 46-44. Tate Mahoney was aggressive from the opening tip, finishing with 15 points including the go-ahead basket with 20 ticks left on the clock. Tate drove to the rim, missed, but followed up his shot with an offensive rebound put back to give Fierce a two point lead. Fierce then locked down defensively and Gerald Jacobs secured the defensive rebound to close out the game as time expired. Devin Julious was making clutch "rainbow" three pointers throughout the second half. Jake Medor drained a long ball of his own from the corner just before the end of the third quarter, and that may have been the difference in the game. 5th grade took care of Westport Pal 51-41. Luca Scalera was buzzing around everywhere on his way to a game high 23 points. He was making all of his outside shots, floaters and lay-ups, while also finding open teammates for shots of their own. Krish Dodani scored 13 points, with Brady Morison contributing 6 points and 10 rebounds as is now routine for the big guy. 6th grade defeated Kings Kids of Bridgeport but then fell short to Guilford. Caden Quigley was the star of the Saturday game and Devin Brenner shined on Sunday. Zach Magner put together two strong performances on the weekend. 7th grade beat Trumbull. Aidan Shea was right at his season scoring average with 13 points. Justin Toothaker drained 2 three pointers. Strong overall showing by all teams!

5th and 7th Grade Take Home Milford Tip Off Trophies!

Congratulations to our 5th and 7th grade teams for winning the Milford Tip Off Tournament! On "Championship Sunday", 5th grade defeated the Orange Wolverines and then Milford Knights. 7th grade won over Connecticut Dynasty and then Milford. Great job boys!!

Scorching Start to Winter Travel Season

A fantastic opening weekend of play for the Fierce travel teams. 5th grade won both of their games with overwhelming pressure defense. They defeated CBA in a 46-18 rout and then Milford Knights 36-28 in a tightly contested game. 6th grade won both of their games as well, with a 47-14 masterpiece over Trumbull Travel and then a 35-24 hard fought victory against North Haven. 7th grade overcame a tough loss on Saturday to pull out a thrilling win on Sunday by a final score of 54-52 over the Orange Wolverines. Great start to the winter season!

5th and 7th Grade Teams Win Championships

Congratulations to 5th grade and 7th grade this weekend for winning their tournaments in Woodbridge, CT! Benjamin Brown, Matty Raffaeli, Jayden Wang and Eliah Pierre-Louis all starred for 5th grade. Ben Brown was all over the court forcing turnovers, grabbing rebounds and making good passes to teammates. They defeated Amity Heat 34-26, and CT Wildcats 38-22 and then 27-12 on their path to the championship. 7th grade had to beat a pesky CBA team twice in two days to take home the title. Ryan Moore was sensational in the Championship when he scored a career-high 38 points -- everything he put up was going in.

Fierce Program Featured in Fairfield County Business Journal

The Fairfield Fierce is proud to have been featured in the Fairfield County Business Journal. Thank you to all of our dedicated players, families and coaches for making the Fierce program what it is today. Here is the full article -- Fairfield Fierce in Fairfield County Business Journal

8th Grade Wins 2nd Consecutive Tournament Crown

This weekend Fierce had 6 teams in action at the Zero Gravity Fall Opener. 8th grade took home their second consecutive tournament crown and have not lost this season! They defeated DTX Basketball 54-49 in overtime to win it all. 5th grade once again reached their championship game with a 40-33 win over CT PHD. They could not get past a tough Queens Defenders squad. 7th grade Lipow went 2-1 on the weekend but the road ended against High Rise Elite. 7th grade Dinihanian pulled out a hard-earned 38-31 win over CT PHD in their Sunday morning game. Another great weekend by the Fairfield Fierce.

8th Grade Defeats CT Dream for the Championship

Fierce had 5 teams in action this weekend in New Haven. 8th grade came home with the championship with wins over Game Changers, 3D Hoops and CT Dream. Alex Llach was on fire all weekend from outside, but also delivered high level defense. Speaking of defense, Dameer Phifer was locking down at key moments, while also controlling the ball within the offense. Josh Daniels and Liam Yin brought a huge impact to the game on both sides of the floor. Tate Mahoney was up to his usual tricks with clutch 3 pointers from way downtown, and Luca Fusco helped with ball control and timely buckets. Nicolas Alvarez came up big in the title game with rebounds and mid-range jumpers, while Chris Bellantoni, Jaxon Ganchou and Ben Feinstein made the most of their opportunities off the bench. 5th grade almost went all the way in their tournament as well. After two huge wins on Saturday, they met a tough Amity Heat squad in the championship game. Down 12 points with 5 minutes remaining, the Fierce stormed back behind the clutch play of Jayden Wang, Matty Raffaeli and Eliah Pierre-Louis. In the end, they came up just short by a final score of 38-37. Throughout the weekend, Jack Pizzano was spraying in buckets from all over the court, with the rest of the gang hustling everywhere to bring great defense and energy. 9th grade won 2 out of 3 including back-to-back exciting games over CBA. Ty Levine scored 39 points on the weekend and distributed to teammates as well. Julian Marottolo used his speed to impact the game on both ends of the floor. Jack Plesser showed off his improved outside shooting along with some impressive floaters through the lane. Anthony Gambuzza also impressed with nifty scoring moves, and locked in defensively. Luka Ljuboja was a rebounding machine. In three close games, 6th grade was powered by the scoring of Krish Dodani and Gavin Mertz. Cole Krollman was aggressive on both sides of the ball. Matty Corrigan was attacking the basket in the Sunday game, while Caden Quigley and Mitch DeBernardo put in some 3 pointers to keep the game close. Carson Dodder played tough inside. 7th grade Dinihanian put things together for a win against Game Changers. Justin Toothaker, Luke Stasko, Timmy Kelleher, Jack McClane and Kyle Dulak were all sinking 3 pointers throughout the weekend. Oliver Ljuboja was a force inside defensively, and Charlie McLean was gobbling up the rebounds. Great job Fierce!

6th Grade Finishes 2nd Place in Boston Nationals!

We are extremely proud of our 6th grade team that competed in Boston Nationals this weekend -- finishing in 2nd place out of a huge field of 36 total teams. We won 6 straight games to make it all the way to the National Championship Game, where we fell just short 58-56. However we walked away champions because of the life-long bonds and memories formed. Congratulations boys. Below is the tournament summary by game: Fairfield Fierce - 48, Ballin' Bulldogs - 41 (player of game: Justin Wang) Fairfield Fierce - 56, Westchester Athletics - 50 (player of game: Matt Goos) Fairfield Fierce - 42, Worcester Sting - 37 (player of game: Charlie Jones) Fairfield Fierce - 42, Metro West Swarm - 29 (player of game: Matty Kleinman) QUARTERFINALS, Fairfield Fierce - 46, Rochester Bobcats - 43 (player of game: Ryan Moore) SEMI-FINALS, Fairfield Fierce - 40, Greenwich Stars - 36 (player of game: Nick Brodsky) FINALS, Fairfield Fierce - 56, Avon Aviators - 58 (player of game: Beck Simunovic)

Freshmen Win 2 of 3 in the Summer Slam

This weekend in the Vertical Hoops Summer Slam, the Fierce Freshmen Team played three close games -- and pulled out two of them. In the opener against the CT Stallions, they trailed by 12 points at half time -- received a pep talk from Coach Judah -- and came back to win by 3 points over the CT Stallions. Timmy Bristol was pouring in points in all game long, and it was Caiden Clayton who made the go ahead bucket with under 30 seconds remaining. On Sunday, it was the opposite story against the CT Comets, as the Fierce found themselves up by 12 points only to relinquish the lead and trail by 4 points with one minute remaining. However they refused to allow the game to get away from them, as Matt Vivona sunk a huge three-pointer from NBA range to jump back ahead 52-51. Then Ryan Noble delivered the defensive play of the game with a steal that he took the length of the floor for a foul and visit to the free throw line. The CT Comets had one final chance with 8 seconds remaining but missed a three pointer to recapture the lead. Ny Wade secured the defensive rebound for the win.

Success at the CT SuperCup

In this weekend's CT SuperCup, the Fierce 4th, 6th and 9th grade teams all advanced to their Championship Games! It was a drama filled tournament. 4th grade won both of their Saturday games due to their high pressure full court defense that has been there for them all season. 6th grade played elite level competition all weekend and won 4 out of the 5 games. On Saturday, they won their two games by a combined 3 points, which included Nick Brodsky's buzzer beater vs the Avon Aviators. On Sunday, they overwhelmed Mig's Team and New England Rivals with fun to watch team ball movement and defensive energy. Charlie Jones was wowing the crowd with his fast break moves to the basket. Matt Goos was a monster with at least 10 rebounds every game. Justin Wang, Matty Kleinman and Danny Goldberger flew around the court turning steals into instant offense. Finbar Malloy was distributing assists, rebounding and blocking shots. Kyle Dulak was draining open 3's and Josh Stewart-Jones contributed tough defense and rebounding. 9th grade overcame their size disadvantage to play all the way to the final seconds of the Championship. JT Shapiro controlled the ball as point guard, Timmy Bristol was doing a lot of everything (including scoring), Ryan Noble and Dillon Mannix lit it up with their outside shooting, Andre Mead won every loose ball, and Caiden Clayton made big plays on both ends of the floor.

Coach Matt Becomes a Federal Correctional Officer

We would like to extend a big congratulations to long-time Fierce Coach Matt Bindner for graduating from the Federal Officer Training Academy this week. Matt is now a Federal Correctional Officer!

6th Grade Wins Back to Back Tournaments

This weekend the 6th grade Fierce squad captured their second consecutive tournament title by winning the Connecticut Classic! On Saturday, they defeated CT PHD by a final score of 44-27. Alex Kingan was bruising down low for offensive rebound put backs, while Josh Stewart-Jones was getting his signature floater from the wing to go all game. They then pulled out a 41-39 win over Hamden Regional in a game which saw a wacky wild finish. Down 39-38 with 17 seconds remaining, the Fierce called a timeout to set up a baseline inbounds play. However upon returning to the court, the official controversially called '5 seconds' on the inbounder. The Fierce kept their cool and stole the ball back, and were then fouled in a bonus situation, which sent Matty Kleinman to the free throw line for a "1 and 1". Matty came up clutch by sinking the first free throw to tie the game. He missed the second but got his own rebound and passed the ball out to Justin Wang who drove to the hoop and was fouled on the shot attempt. Justin did not feel the pressure of the moment either, as he drained both free throws to help the Fierce win the game. On Sunday, the boys played beautiful team basketball on their way to a 30 point blowout over ACC Basketball. Ryan Grooms and Callum McLean were knocking down outside shots, and Mark Kingan was bodying up down low. The win set up an anticipated re-match with Hamden Regional in the championship game, but the Fierce were ready and set the tone with an early 19-0 lead. Justin Wang and Matty Kleinman forced turnover after turnover, and Charlie Jones was finishing his attacks to the rim. Nick Brodsky continued his stellar play from both the inside and outside -- filling up the stat sheet with points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. Nick is averaging close to a triple double on the season! Matt Goos has been leading the team in rebounds and this weekend was no different, averaging 15 boards per game. However Matt has also been contributing more offensively, averaging nearly 10 points per game and even knocking down some mid-range jump shots. Congratulations again to 6th grade!

6th Grade Wins the Connecticut States

This weekend the 6th grade Fierce team took home the championship trophy in the Connecticut States tournament! On Saturday, their ferocious defense was on full display as they turned back the clock and looked like the old 'bad boy' Detroit Pistons. Three players were blocking the same shot. The defense was scrambling and rotating all over the court to put pressure on the ball. Between TWO games, opponents scored a TOTAL of 22 points -- 13 points in the first game and only 9 points in the second game. Charlie Jones was cutting off the passing lanes and then going coast to coast on his way to a season high 22 points. Finbar Malloy was like a "swiss army knife" -- providing a little bit of everything -- scoring, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. Kyle Dulak shot lights out with 4 three pointers. Joshua Stewart-Jones and Ryan Grooms contributed timely buckets as well. On Sunday, the competition got tougher but the Fierce stepped up their level play another notch. In a 31-20 morning win over the Newtown Monarchs, Danny Goldberger controlled the offense as point guard and also caused chaos with his pressure defense. The victory advanced the Fierce to the 4pm Championship Game at Insports, where they had a showdown with 3D Basketball. Everything came together for an all-around 52-42 team win for the state title. Nick Brodsky received MVP honors as he recorded the first triple double in Fierce program history -- with approx 15 points, 11 rebounds and 10 blocks. Justin Wang led all scorers with 16 points. Matt Goos was tremendous in the paint with 10 points and 14 rebounds. Congratulations 6th grade!

Freshmen Sweep 2 Games on Opening Day

Freshmen win both games in their opening day together. They came out of the gates with great passing in a 56-26 blowout over My Brothers Keeper and followed that with a gritty 51-44 victory over NY Pride.

Multiple Tournament Championships for the Fierce

WOW what a weekend of hoops for the Fierce. 4th grade won all 3 of their games convincingly to capture the Vertical Hoops Spring Tip-Off Crown. Led by Coaches Andy and Sam, the boys passed the ball beautifully and ran the floor as if they've been playing together for years. The defensive energy turned into quick and easy scoring chances. Shortly after, 5th grade led by Coach Judah pulled out the Championship as well! They too delivered relentless defensive pressure and unselfish ball movement. In the semi-final game, they had to overcome the CBA team that had defeated them just one day earlier, and they rose to the challenge. 6th grade played an excellent first game where they held their opponent to only two points in the second half to win 46-22. They then faced a tough CBA squad in 2 straight games, and competed all the way until the end in both. 7th grade grew tremendously together in their 2nd weekend. On Saturday they locked in for impressive victories over two strong teams, including an overtime thriller vs CT Spartans. Then on Sunday after a quarterfinal win over North Stars, the Fierce found a way to out-muscle a bigger, faster opponent by a final score of 65-57 to advance to the Championship. They fought hard vs Elm City Elite in the Finals but came up just short by 5 points. 8th grade had a fantastic weekend as well, winning 2 out of their 3 games including a cohesive 45-32 win over CBA in the early Sunday game. Coach Rob has those boys clicking. Congrats to all of our Fierce teams this weekend!

Fierce Tip Off Spring AAU

In the first day of Spring AAU action, all Fierce teams had an impressive debut. 4th grade won both of their games including a 30-26 nail-biting victory to tip off their season. Matty Raffaeli and Landon Gartner led the offensive attack with strong drives to the rim. But the team received contributions across the board. 5th grade found themselves behind by 12 points in the second half of their opening game, but stormed all the way back to pull it out by a final score of 41-37. Their ball movement was fun to watch. Luca Scalera was flying around everywhere on his jet pack. Blake Watkins and Roderick Hill Jr. were relentless on defense. Mitch DeBernardo and Carson Dodder gobbled up rebound after rebound. Krish Dodani and Devin Brenner were knocking down their open outside shots. 6th grade held their own against a high level Heat Elite squad, only trailing by 1 point in the second half. Justin Wang flashed around the court like a bolt of lightning. Danny Goldberger and Matty Kleinman controlled the ball, while Mark Kingan and Matt Goos controlled the paint. Finbar Malloy was aggressive attacking from the wing. 7th grade split their two close games and looked terrific doing it. Gerald Jacobs, Devin Julious, Bobby Welch, Liam Yin and Luca Fusco all highlighted the day. 8th grade also split their games and were powered by Nolan Hansen, Jack Plesser, Anthony Gambuzza... and everyone else. A phenomenal opening day to the spring season!

5th Grade Wins Winter League Championship

Tonight 5th grade, led by Coaches Judah and Scott, captured the Winter League Championship! They defeated North Haven 48 - 36. This group came together as a team from start to finish, ending the season on a 4 game winning streak to celebrate the league title. Their improvement together was tremendous and fun to watch. Congratulations boys.... what it's all about!

5th and 7th Grade On To Championship Games

Today both 5th and 7th grade advanced to their winter league Championship Games! 5th grade fell behind early 13-3 but used their full court pressure to rally and never look back. They pulled away with a 46 - 27 victory over Guilford. 7th grade advanced with a gritty 48 - 43 win over Stratford PAL, a team that had beaten them twice during the regular season. Congrats and good luck to both teams!

6th Grade Almost Pulls off the Major Upset

This morning 6th grade made us all proud in their Playoff game. Against all odds, these boys made a game of it against top-seeded Milford -- they were in it to the end giving them a big-time scare. This team beat us by over 20 points earlier in the season. Our group has come a long way and improved tremendously led by Coach Judah.

5th and 7th Grade Advance to Semi-Finals in Milford

It's playoff time and Fierce Travel is ready. 5th grade got the day started with an overpowering win over Milford. Their man to man defense and hustle was the catalyst to their offensive outburst. In the evening, 7th grade also played Milford and passed the ball beautifully to find the best shot every possession. They worked together all game for a decisive 20 point victory. Both teams advance to semi-finals next weekend. Congrats boys!

Defense On Our Minds

Fierce Travel kept rolling thru January with a pair of impressive wins by 6th and 7th grade. 6th grade put together a defensive masterpiece in a blowout victory over North Haven, and 7th grade topped West Haven in a great defensive showing of their own. Gerald Jacobs followed up his career high 25 point game yesterday with another 20 points today!

New Year, Same Fierce

The Fierce started off 2019 where they left off 2018.... playing high-level team basketball. 6th grade got the day started with a big blowout win over Guilford. Jack Cramer enjoyed a breakout game with 14 points. 5th grade competed hard but came up 6 points short against a physical St. Theresas club. 7th grade rallied in the second half to pull away from Milford by a final score of 46-29. Bring on 2019!

Fierce Legends Reunite

A pair of Fierce legends -- Max Andrews and Jack Petrafesa -- reunite for a 53-48 win in tonight's final 9th-grade scrimmage of the winter.

Smiling into the Holidays

Heading into the Holiday Season, Fierce winter travel has a lot to smile about. 6th grade got today started with a great team performance, getting contributions from everyone. Then, 7th grade pulled out a tight victory over St. Theresa 44-39 and 5th grade topped North Haven by a final score of 30-18. Great job boys and Happy Holidays!

Fierce Forward

In another weekend of Fierce Travel Hoops, 6th grade put the press on Beacon Falls to enjoy a 41-17 win. Their scrappy defense helped them jump out to the early lead and they never looked back. Danny Goldberger had his best all-around game of the season as he out-hustled bigger opponents and used crafty moves to finish at the rim. Justin Wang used unmatched speed and crafty finishes of his own to tally up the points. Anthony Le continued to be aggressive offensively. 5th grade almost pulled off a major upset vs Milford Blue. They fell behind early 13-1 but stormed all the way back to take the lead in the 4th quarter, ultimately falling just short. They were aggressive and in attack mode. Jaylen Jacobs had a breakout game with 14 points and strong defensive hustle. Devin Brenner was making it rain from outside. 7th grade fought hard but came up short in their two games against New Canaan and Stratford PAL. Devin Julious continued to impact the game from all over court -- contributing points, rebounds, assists and steals.

Weather Colder, Season Older

Fairfield Fierce Winter Travel Basketball continued itself into the second weekend of December with some more great action. 7th Grade pulled out two impressive wins over East Haven and CT Dynasty, while 5th and 6th grades fought their way to the final buzzers. It was good times all around with pre-game meals at the Diner and post-game pizza parties at Colony Pizza in Fairfield.

Fierce Winter Travel Sweeps League Openers

The Fierce winter travel program swept all 3 of our opening league games today! 6th grade got the day started with a gritty come from behind 31-27 victory over Waterbury. 5th grade followed that act with a complete game 45-23 win over Guilford. 7th grade finished the sweep with a decisive 40 point blowout of the Milford Knights. Great job boys!

Winter Pick-up Games: Week 2

Week 2 of the Winter Scrimmages In 9th grade, Team Cleveland outlasted Team Judah 67-59 in a highlight filled, up tempo game. Braden Moore's spin moves were out of control and he was sinking everything from the outside as well. Andrew Soltis and Matt Vivona each had approximately 20 points each. Ryan Noble turned it on big time with spins and reverses all over the court. Dillon Mannix single-handedly broke down full court pressure, and Keith Dulak got hot from long range. In 8th grade, Team Cleveland fell 1 point short to Team Judah. Lenny Ialeggio and Colin Sherman attacked the basket. Luca Fusco dictated the offense. Dameer Phifer scrapped his way all over the court. Colin Reilly and Dylan Guth crashed the boards.

Winter Pick-up Games: Week 1

In the winter's first 8th grade scrimmage, Team Judah defeats Team Cleveland behind the hot outside shooting of Tate Mahoney and the all around attack mode of Jamie Fonseca. In the 9th grade scrimmage, the boys got after it, but Team Cleveland had a tough time dealing with the balanced attack of Team Judah. Andrew Soltis anchored the defense - while Matt Vivona, Braden Moore and Jack Balsano spaced the floor offensively.

Milford Basketball Tip-Off Champions

All three Fierce basketball teams participated in the Milford Knights Tip-Off Tournament this November. 7th grade won the championship! 7th grade was focused from the opening tip as they jumped out to a 24 - 0 lead in their first game against CT Dynasty of Danbury. They then defeated St. Theresa's. In their second weekend, 7th grade came up just short in overtime to Trumbull Travel Basketball. However the basketball gods scheduled these two even teams against each other once again in the Sunday semi-finals. In that game, it was the Fierce that pulled it out on a buzzer beating steal and layup by Luca Fusco. They kept it going in the Championship Game with a 45 - 38 win over a tough West Hartford squad. Devin Julious scored 21 points including three 3 pointers. Tate Mahoney also had it going from long range. Congrats Boys! 6th grade had themselves a great tournament as well. They won 2 of their 3 games to advance to Championship Sunday, with a 35-26 victory over St. Mark of Stratford and a nail-biting 24-23 victory over the Orange Wolverines. In their semi-final game, 6th grade found themselves in a 14 point hole against Seymour, and stormed all the way back to take the lead. However four Fierce players fouled out of the game in the fourth quarter of action and the tournament run came to an end. 5th grade performed well in their opening game with a 35-33 win over Guilford. They were then eliminated from the tournament with two consecutive losses including one to the eventual champion. They played hard all tournament and continued to show improvement. Fantastic start to the season for all of our travel teams.

Fierce Finish Fall Strong

The Fierce finished off the fall season this weekend in strong fashion! 5th grade ran off three straight hard fought victories to advance to the championship game. Then as a heavy underdog, they almost pulled out a major upset against the Fenom Fire, missing a three pointer at the buzzer that would have sent the game into overtime. Their teamwork together vs Day 1 of the season was night and day. 6th grade John also ran off three straight wins against High Rise Elite, CT PHD and 3D Basketball before coming up short in their championship. The boys grew stronger together as the season went on. 6th grade Sam experienced a story book ending to their resilient season. In a fall where wins were hard to come by, and then trailing by as much as 14 points in their final game, magic happened and they stormed back to win the game in the final moments. The boys were on cloud 9. 7th grade pulled out magic of their own with two separate amazing comebacks. They were down by double digits to 3D basketball and then clicked on all cylinders in the 2nd half to steal the game back. Then they did the same again in the late 8pm game vs the Dragons, winning by 5 after falling behind early by 9 points. 8th grade also put on a show with 3 straight wins, including a thrilling 59-55 victory over a tough CSA Velocity squad. The ball movement, team defense and outside shooting all came together. These boys had a balanced attack all season and shared fun team chemistry both on and off the court. And of course 9th grade fought all weekend and all season. They pushed themselves to compete against elite competition, and rose to the occasion. As the Fierce program's oldest team and most tenured Fierce players, these boys continued to lead the way for all of the younger guys looking up to them. We are proud of all of our players for their hard work!

Happy 25th Birthday to Coach Judah!

Today is Coach Judah Seawright's 25th birthday. For many seasons Judah has dedicated all of himself to the kids of the Fierce program, and for that we are all lucky and grateful. There have been many great memories with more to come. Have a good one Judah!

7th Grade Takes Home First Tournament

After coming close several times this fall... 7th grade has captured their first tournament title! Congrats boys! 8th grade and 9th grade both advanced to their championship games, with great weekends of their own.

Fierce Top DTX Basketball

It was another fantastic all-around weekend for the Fierce. 9th grade, 7th grade and 5th grade all advanced to their Championship Games. 9th grade ran by the Queens Pythons, DTX Basketball and then pulled out a nail-biting 2 point win over a favored Team Austin. 7th grade topped DTX Basketball and Newtown Monarchs. 5th grade put together 3 straight wins over Greenwich Stars, Tri State Hornets and High Rise Elite. Their passing and teamwork was on full display. Back to work in practice!

8th Grade Wins It All in Ardsley

This weekend, 8th grade took center stage, as the "cardiac kids" (led by Coach Matt) squeaked out a pair of 1 point victories on Sunday to win their tournament! In the morning game, they stormed all the way back from a 20 point deficit to pull it out. Then in the championship, they held off the late surge of a relentless opponent. Congrats boys! 6th grade also took a trip to the title game with wins over DTX and 3D Basketball. All teams competed hard, as always!

Freshmen Team Puts On A Show

Congratulations to our Freshman team for winning the Vertical Hoops Fall Tip-Off Tournament this weekend! Coach Judah and Coach Cleveland led them to 4 straight defensive masterpieces. We are proud to have grown up with this group and welcomed some new faces into the mix. 7th grade took their Championship Game into overtime against a team that had defeated them by 11 points the day before. 5th, 6th and 8th grades all competed hard. A great weekend by all Fierce teams!

Summer Pick-up Games: Week 9

The intensity level was at its highest of the summer today in the final pick-up games. In the 5/6th grade game, Team Sam rode the dynamic performance of Hayden Banner who was doing everything -- scoring, rebounds, assists, steals you name it. Jack McClane was draining his outside shots and Devin Crowley was running the floor. Team John came back in the second half due to the point guard play of Krish Dodani and non-stop hustle of Charlie Jones. In the 7/8th grade game, Lenny Ialeggio and Alonso Alphonse led Team John to victory. Lenny was ferocious on defense with steals and blocks, and then putting in buckets on offense. Alonso was controlling the paint area, sinking his free throws and blocking shots. Bobby Welch was trusting his outside shot and also running the floor for the finish. For Team Sam, Luke Fortin was always ahead of the pack on the fast break and finding open teammates. Jack Plesser was in attack mode from the start. Anthony Gambuzza had his shooting game going. Thank you everyone for a great 2018 Summer Pick-up Games!

Summer Pick-up Games: Week 8

Week 8 of the Summer Games was played with high emotion and passion. In the 5/6th grade game, Team Matt was lifted to victory by Charlie Jones and his "baller" cousin Wes. Luke DiLillo made the biggest shot of the game when he sunk a 3-pointer from the top of the key. That shot broke the 31 - 31 tie with under 1 minute remaining. Caden Quigley played a balanced inside outside game. For Team John, Ryan Moore delivered another dominant performance and he was helped by the strong guard play of Emmett Crotty and EJ Johnson. Alec Mertz was a rebounding machine, as usual. In the 7/8th grade game, Team John was led by the athletic guard combination of Luca Fusco and Luke Fortin. Chase Curran sunk his first two shots from outside the arc. For Team Matt, Kyle Defonce was aggressive to lead the squad in scoring. Anthony Gambuzza was hustling all over the floor and getting to his spots offensively. Lenny Ialeggio and Luis Lozada both contributed with tough defense and rebounds. One more week to go!

Summer Pick-up Games: Week 7

Week 7 of the Summer Games was high intensity play every minute. In the 5/6th grade game, Ryan Moore and EJ Johnson led Team John to a decisive victory. Ryan poured in 26 points with 12 rebounds and EJ ran the floor to collect 9 points. Luke DiLillo came to play with 6 points and 6 rebounds. For Team Matt, Shane Hillis scored a summer-high 8 points. Hayden Banner and his non-stop motor were everywhere on the court with 15 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds and 6 steals. In the 7/8th grade game, Team Matt was anchored by Ty Levine who stole the show with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals. Lenny "Layup" Ialeggio contributed 8 points and Colin O'Reilly had the mid-range game going to tally 7 points and 6 rebounds. For Team John, Alonso Alphonse brought out all of his tricks on the way to 16 points and 12 rebounds. Brendan Devine played a strong all-around game with 5 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists. Spenser Szamatulski battled inside for 6 points and 6 rebounds of his own. On to Week 8!

Summer Pick-up Games: Week 6

Week 6 of the Summer Games was another dandy. In the 5/6th grade game, Hayden Banner and Charlie Jones worked together to lead Team Matt to a 40-36 win. Hayden delivered an excellent all-around game with drives to the hoop, unselfish assists to teammates and tenacious defense. Charlie continued his strong play with 10 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals. Grayson Nettle and Shane Hillis contributed 6 and 4 points, respectively. For Team John, Krish Dodani controlled the point with 9 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds. Ryan Luchetta sacrificed his body on the way to 10 points and 2 rebounds. Alec Mertz added 6 points and 3 rebounds. In the 7/8th grade game, Colin O'Reilly put Team Matt on his back with a 10 point, 11 rebound double-double game. Colin was sinking his free throws. Liam Yin came out of the gates hot and finished with a game-high 24 points to go along with 9 rebounds. Lenny Ialeggio caught fire in the 2nd half when he drained 2 rainbow three pointers. Team John ran their offense through Alonso Alphonse's 13 points and 14 rebounds. Alex Fieweger was not missing and tallied 17 total points. Roan Smith was a defensive specialist but also collected 6 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Aidan Crotty chipped in with 7 points of his own.

Summer Pick-up Games: Week 5

Week 5 of the Summer Games was filled with exciting action. In the 5/6th grade game, Charlie Jones and Krish Dodani led Team John to a nail-biting 33 - 31 victory. Charlie collected his second consecutive double double and earned Player of the Game honors, finishing with a stat line of 12 points, 12 rebounds and 5 steals. Krish was slicing up the defense to find open teammates or to hit his spots for the pull-up jump shots (13 points). For Team Matt, Caden Quigley tallied 15 points and 4 rebounds and was asserting himself in the second half, using his dribble to create space. In the 7/8th grade game, Team Matt led most of the way as Alonso Alphonse went for 10 points and 10 rebounds, Jack Plesser scored 18 points with 5 rebounds, and Ryan Mollica had the hot hand with 21 points. The ball was moving around the offense for all to contribute. Team John hung around largely because of Bobby Welch's aggressiveness from the tip, as Bobby finished with 13 points and 3 rebounds. Can't wait until next week!

Summer Pick-Up Games: Week 4

Bodies were diving all over the court today in Week 4 of the Summer Games. For Team John in the 5/6th grade game, Ryan Moore dominated his way to Player of the Game with an overwhelming stat line of 26 points and 9 rebounds. Charlie Jones was dazzling the crowd with his speed and then creative finishes at the basket, Charlie's 14 points and 12 rebounds gave him the only "double double" of the day. Carter Hinze's jump shot was finding the bottom of the net. For Team Matt, Haydon Banner lit it up for 24 points, with plenty of scoring and rebounding contributions from Ryan Luchetta and Caden Quigley. Undersized Shane Hillis willed his way to 7 rebounds. The 7/8th grade came down to the final seconds but Team Matt could not get their final shots to go. Anthony Gambuzza had his fingerprints all over the final minute of action defensively, with a fierce will to win. Alonso Alphonse delivered a dominant performance in the paint area but it was his agility in transition that raised eyebrows. Kyle DeFonce came alive in the 2nd half when he went to his signature floater shot. For Team John, Devin Julious had an excellent all-around game with 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Jack Plesser brought out a full bag of tricks as he was rebounding, defending, using his lightning speed and sinking pull up jump shots. Bobby Welch had a very productive game with some clutch shots down the stretch, and finished with 14 points of his own. See everyone next week!

Summer Pick-Up Games: Week 2

It was an exciting Week 2 of the Summer Games. In the 5/6th grade game, for Team John, Hayden Banner was in attack mode and when he wasn't finishing he was finding teammates like Matty Corrigan for the score. However due to the heroics of Anthony Le it wasn't enough. With 7.3 seconds remaining in a tie game, Team Matt had the ball and it was Anthony that pulled up from the top of the key to drain the game winner just as the final horn went off. The crowd went wild. Caden Quigley and Alec Mertz were grabbing the rebounds for Team Matt, while Luke Sardinha and Carter Hinze were making their jump shots. In the 7/8th grade game, Jack Plesser dominated from the opening tip for Team John. Jack was not missing on his way to 21 total points, while also crashing the boards and finding shots for open teammates. Anthony Gambuzza also had the hot hand to tally 11 points with some smooth mid-range shooting. Devin Julious was staying aggressive for finishes or trips to the free throw line. For Team Matt it was Kyle DeFonce, Roan Smith and Mekaeel Geter spacing the floor with their shooting for big man Alonso Alphonse, who had himself a strong game in the paint area. Great job by all!

Connecticut Scholar Leader Award Goes to Fierce Players

We are very proud to announce that two of our Fierce kids were honored yesterday in Southington with the Scholar Leader Award. Connecticut recognizes one boy and one girl from every Middle School in the state, and this prestigious award was presented to Braden Moore from Tomlinson Middle School and Charlie Began from Ludlowe Middle School. Braden has played with the Fierce since last fall. Charlie has been with us since spring 2016... the first ever Fierce team. Congratulations to Braden and Charlie!

Summer Pick-Up Games: Week 1

The Summer Pick Up Games kicked off today with a bang! In the 5/6th grade game, Hayden Banner and Carter Hinze led Team John to victory with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Hayden showcased strong finishes to the hoop. Crew Davis was a monster on the glass with 18 rebounds, and Anthony Le contributed 9 strong boards of his own. For Team Matt, Ryan Luchetta and Caden Quigley anchored the offense with 10 points and 6 points. In the 7/8th grade game, Liam Yin went bonkers for Team John with 27 total points to go along with 7 rebounds. Alex Fieweger went for 13 points while Bobby Welch got himself 10 points and 4 rebounds. Team Matt overcame a slow start and began to use their big man Alonso Alphonse within the offense. Devin Julious collected 10 points and 4 rebounds including some dazzling finger roll finishes at the basket. Brendan Devine caught fire in the second half and finished with 16 points to go along with 5 rebounds. See everyone next week!

Fierce Finish Spring On Top

What a finish to the spring season for our Fairfield Fierce. 11u Redding won their THIRD consecutive tournament with contributions from everyone. Their help man to man defense was on point. That's a 12 game winning streak to close the season! 12u Radding snuck out a thrilling final game to their spring by a score of 44 - 41. They were moving the ball quickly, which made for open shots that they were sinking through the nets. 13u Lipow advanced to their Championship by overcoming a 6 point halftime deficit against the CT All Stars. They pulled it out with great energy, team chemistry and clutch shot making. 14u Seawright won both of their Saturday games because of tenacious defense and toughness. They were a hard-nosed gritty team all spring led by Coach Judah. Thank you to all Fierce families for making this spring our biggest, baddest season yet. Summer skills clinics and other programming already underway!

Fierce Meet UCONN Legend Rebecca Lobo and then Win Tournament

Another memorable Fierce weekend! 11u Redding steamrolled through their bracket to capture a second consecutive tournament championship. They've won 8 straight games in this impressive run. It's been a complete team effort by the boys on both sides of the ball, and steered by the great leadership of Coach John Redding. While up at their games in Harwinton, the squad met and took photos with UCONN legend Rebecca Lobo! 14u Seawright and 13u Lipow each one 2 of 3 games with contributions from across their entire rosters. 10u Bindner wrapped up their spring season with another victory over High Rise Elite.

Basketball Championship in Waterbury

This weekend at the CT SuperCup, 11u Redding won 4 straight games to take home the trophy! In the championship -- Ezra Fearon, Devin Julious and Bobby Welch led the Fierce to a 61 - 58 victory over CSA Velocity. 10u Bindner also had a great weekend. The boys built on a great day of Saturday hoops to pull out the "Miracle in Newtown".... topping High Rise Elite 33 - 13 with only 5 players. At one point in the game, the Fierce only had 4 players on the floor -- but they helped each other on defense and spaced the floor for clean open shots. Congratulations to both!

Fierce 11-U Rolls Past High Rise Elite and CT PHD Hoops

Two Fierce squads were in action this weekend: 11u Redding and 13u Lipow. And both teams advanced all the way to their Championship Games. 11u Redding rolled past High Rise Elite by 20 points and then CT PHD by 15 points to qualify for the championship. Their stifling defense held both Fairfield County challengers to only 23 points of offense. They eventually lost to the Marksmen. The passing and teamwork was excellent all-around. Devin Julious was carrying the scoring load. 13u Lipow ran off 4 straight wins before coming up 1 point short of the tournament crown, losing 48-47 in over-time. On their way, they defeated the Westchester Lightning, High Rise Elite, Open Court Wildcats and East Side Escalades. Jordan Katz and Julian Marottolo led the scoring charge. Luca Fusco played lock down defense vs the Open Court Wildcats -- earning him Player of the Game honors. Kyle DeFonce had a break-out performance vs High Rise Elite. Jack Michalowski and Caidon Clayton embraced the challenge of shutting down the go-to-scorer for the East Side Escalades. Jack Iacono crashed the boards and Harrison Pratt put in timely baskets. Nolan Hansen operated efficiently inside the paint area.

Fierce Win Tournament in Newtown

For the second consecutive weekend, two Fierce teams advanced to their Championship Games. 12u Radding did it again, and this time was joined by 14u Seawright. 12u Radding was spearheaded by the hot outside shooting of Brendan Devine, dominant inside play of Liam Yin and ferocious defense of Roan Smith. Alex Fieweger was beating the defense off the dribble -- as were Devin Kass, Devin Agah and Tyler Fleming. Nicolas Alvarez and Rami Hennawi were doing work in the paint area. 14u Seawright used a 2 point victory over High Rise Elite to advance. Ryan Goldberger was in all of the right spots. Andrew Soltis was tough down low as the lone big man. Dillon Mannix, Andre Mead and Chase Meyer all contributed strong perimeter play. Then in a remarkable turn of events, a completely out-sized 14u Seawright team showed the heart of a champion to bounce back from a 57-27 loss to CSA Velocity on Saturday... and defeat them just one day later 60-51 with all of the same players. The stakes were high -- it was for the tournament championship. JT Shapiro went ballistic with 16 points including two crucial And-1's. Ryan Goldber scored 13 points and played stifling defense. Dillon Mannix was raining three-pointers. Andrew Soltis fought through illness A LA the Michael Jordan flu game. We are so proud of these boys' resilience.

All Fierce Teams In Action at the Tri-State Opener

This weekend, the most ever Fierce teams (6) kicked off their spring AAU seasons at the Tri-State Grand Opener. The UNSUNG HERO performances were: Dillon Mannix and Ryan Goldberger of 14u Seawright showed that being undersized isn't necessarily a bad thing. They were quicker to the loose balls, faster down the court and money from 3 point land. Tyler Moody of 14u Moore used his athleticism to make an impact. Connor Gitman executed the game plan successfully. Julian Marottolo of 13u Lipow backed down from noone, making it clear that he was playing to compete every second regardless of opponent. Chris Gervasi of 12u Radding controlled the game tempo to keep the group in sync. Liam Yin and Nicolas Alvarez, the "twin towers", dominated the rebounds and defended the paint together all weekend long. Ezra Fearon of 11u Redding used his length and speed to make play after play. Ryan Moore was getting out on the break for easy buckets. Devin Julious was marveling the crowd with a variety of crafty moves. Finbar Malloy was crashing the boards, Will Kane draining shots from outside and Hayden Banner setting up offensive sets in the half court. Kyle Dulak of 10u Bindner broke the defensive pressure and distributed to teammates. Caden Quigley was impressive underneath the basket. Colin Ryan used his strength and speed to impact the game defensively. Krish Dodani, Aleko Vergakis and Dylan McCarthy all contributed scoring.

FCBL Basketball Playoffs in Full Force, or Fierce

This weekend, 8th grade ran away from East Hartford 90 - 47 in Torrington to advance to the "AA" FCBL Semi-Finals next Saturday. Charlie Began and Jack Petrafesa scored from everywhere to tally 21 points and 19 points, respectively. Jordyn Davis packaged together an excellent game defensively, to go along with 13 points. Justyn Davis got hot from long range in the 2nd half, pouring in 21 points of his own. Harrison Keith, Matt Vivona, Andre Mead and TJ Martere anchored the stifling defensive attack. JB Krasnow and Liam Ryan both put in timely buckets -- every Fierce player scored -- a rare occurrence for the FCBL Playoffs. 6th grade battled hard in an exciting game vs Greenwich Select but came up 1 point short. John Kleinbeck and Jon Morris dominated the boards. David Melson and Gavin McCarthy carried the scoring loads. It was a great season for 6th grade!

Fierce Stop Wakeman Basketball Again

Yesterday evening, 8th grade topped Wakeman Basketball for the 2nd time this season. The Fierce came out crisp and sharp with their passing and shooting. Wakeman fought hard to keep it close entering the 4th quarter, but the Fierce turned it up to finish the game and sweep the season "backyard rivalry" series. JB Krasnow and Andre Mead were draining three pointers, Harrison Keith was locking down defensively and Jack Petrafesa's passing was setting up his teammates. Justyn Davis had one of his strongest games of the season with an estimated stat line of 20 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Great job boys!

Fierce Defeat Norwalk Travel Basketball Teams

For the 2nd consecutive Sunday, the Fierce swept their home games! 8th grade took out United Youth (Norwalk) by a final score of 74 - 57. From the tip the Fierce were cohesive with their ball movement, energy and defensive tenacity. 6th grade put together an exact replica of last Sunday, as they used the final possession in a tie game to hold for a final shot -- and ended up on the free throw line. This week the hero was David Melson who calmly sunk both shots from the charity stripe. The final score was 49 - 47 over TMT Norwalk. 4th grade ran away froom Weston Basketball with a great all-around performance. Cole Krollman led all scorers with 16 points. Brennan Davis and Chase Mehta showed off the shooting touch as well. Crew Davis had an unofficial 10 steals which breaks the single game record for any 4th grader in Fierce history.

Fierce Topple Westport PAL Basketball

8th grade sends away Westport PAL basketball 74 - 54 in an intense League Game. The Fierce locked down defensively for all 32 minutes. Harrison Keith anchored the tenacious defense. Jordyn Davis, Charlie Began and Matt Vivona led the offensive attack. Jack Petrafesa sealed the game in the 4th quarter by knocking down 8 of 8 free throws. 6th grade escapes Darien 50 - 49. Luca Fusco was fouled on his buzzer-beating shot attempt, and won the game by sinking the first free throw. David Melson and Ben Davenport were hitting long-range shots from all over the court. John Kleinbeck was ripping down every rebound and finishing at the rim. 4th grade continued their great recent play with an impressive 20 - 13 win over Shelton. They followed that up with a down-to-the-wire 28 - 24 defeat at the hands of Bridgeport YMCA.

Fierce Sweep All 3 Home Games

A clean sweep by the Fierce in today's home games! 8th grade turned away a pesky Bridgeport YMCA squad 64 - 48. Jack Knott had himself a block party. 6th grade topped Westport PAL 39 - 37 in an intense nail-biter. Emmett Derby played a great game on both sides of the ball, and Gavin McCarthy sealed it from the free throw line. Westport had a chance to tie with 9 seconds remaining, but the Fierce locked down to pull it out. 4th grade came out rolling and never looked back in a 32 - 19 win over Bethel. Troy Spencer drilled a 3-pointer to close out the 1st quarter, which sparked the Fierce from there on out. Crew Davis was a monster with rebounds and steals everywhere. Hard to top 3 for 3!

Fierce Basketball Defeats Ridgefield and Wilton

The Fierce finished the weekend strong by taking 2 out of 3 at home on Sunday. 8th grade took care of Ridgefield 73 - 42 with high energy defense for all 32 minutes and a fun display of offensive unselfishness. 6th grade used great team defense of their own to defeat Wilton 32 - 22 and extend their impressive winning streak. 4th grade fought hard but couldn't overcome the size and physicality of a tough Brookfield squad. Great way to start the new year!

8th and 6th Grades Defeat Wilton

8th grade defeated Greenwich Select 64 - 39 on Saturday, and then Wilton 60 - 54 at home in a hard-fought game on Sunday. 6th Grade topped Wilton 33 - 26 on Saturday but came up short on Sunday against a big, athletic New Rochelle team. 4th grade rallied late but ran out of time vs Milford.

Fierce Top Wakeman Basketball

Despite the icy conditions, the Fierce were on fire today with all 3 teams winning at home. 8th grade got the morning started with a 70 - 46 victory over Wakeman-Southport in the "backyard" rivalry game. They used smothering defense, crisp ball movement and accurate long-range shooting to get the job done. 6th grade pulled out a high-intensity, back and forth win over Hamden Regional by a final score of 46 - 42. The ball movement and spacing opened up good shot selection for the Fierce. Roan Smith sealed the game from the free throw line with 10 seconds remaining. 4th grade capped off the day with the closest nail-biter of them all. They saw a half time lead diminish into a late game defecit, but were able to muster up just enough offense to pull out the W. Their ball movement was excellent as well. Chase Mehta stepped to the line up 1 with 3 seconds remaining and calmly put the game away.

Fierce Winter Travel Home Openers

The Fierce travel teams played their home openers today at Fairfield Country Day School, and it was a great day all-around. 8th grade topped New Canaan, 6th grade played down to the wire with a tough Ridgefield squad, and 4th grade debuted together with a cohesive, high energy victory over Weston.

8th Graders Runner-up in Milford

Fierce 8th grade won 4 out of 6 games to finish runner-ups at the pre-season Milford Tip Off tournament. Their two losses came to Bridgeport Curiale Middle School, the tournament champion. The Fierce squeaked out the opener vs the Holy Infant Orangemen by a final score of 48 - 43. The Orangemen were using their size and craftiness to keep things interesting, but ultimately it was the clutch shooting of JB Krasnow that got the job done for the Fierce. Next, the Fierce clicked on all cylinders in a dominating performance over the Waterbury Huskies and their 6'7 big man. Charlie Began embraced this tough defensive assignment and flourished with blocks and rebounds everywhere. Justyn Davis got things going for the Fierce with two early three-pointers and Matt Vivona was hot from outside as well. In the single elimination rounds of the tournament, the Fierce manufactured two exciting 4th quarter comebacks to survive and advance. Down by 8 late to Beacon Falls, the boys rallied to pull it out 46 - 43. After missing a free throw to seal the game, Charlie Began sprinted the floor to reject the potential game-trying three-pointer in what turned out to be the defensive play of the tournament. In the semifinal vs Stratford, everyone contributed in a highly entertaining 78 - 63 barn burner of a game. The Fierce outscored Stratford 28 to 9 in the final period. Jack Petrafesa was on a second half rampage finishing with 30 points, and perfection from the free throw line. Justyn and Jordyn Davis were everywhere defensively and putting their own defenders on skates with their dribble drives to the hoop. Jack Knott used his length to rebound and finish plays around the rim. The happy ride ended in the Championship at the hands of Bridgeport Curiale. It was a great pre-season experience to build on.

Fierce Step Up in New Haven

Today at the Vertical Rise Above Challenge, almost every game came down to the wire. 13-Under Lipow started off the day with a dramatic overtime win over CBA 45 to 43. Jack Petrafesa dominated the game on both sides of the ball, with steals everywhere and a "quiet" 30 points. The score was tied and the Fierce held for the final shot, when Jack attacked the rim to get fouled with only 1.6 seconds remaining. He swished the front-end of the 1-and-1 and the second free throw. Rory Tarsy then intercepted CBA's inbounds pass to end the game. JT Shapiro drilled two huge 2nd half three-pointers and Eamon Jones had one clutch three of his own. TJ Martere and Aston Martin fought down low against larger opponents. 13-Under Bindner split a pair of competitive games and received notable contributions across the board. Jack Bloomingdale, Jack Iacono and Tobey Sappern were forces inside. Andre Mead and Zarius Eusebe were pushing the pace together from the guard positions. 12-Under Seawright hung tough on the day as well. Jordan Katz controlled the offense, with Ryan Mollica and Gavin McCarthy running the floor and carrying the scoring load. Theo Mante continued his strong play inside. Chris Gervasi and Jake Medor contributed great hustle and timely baskets. 11-Under Seawright were bit by the injury bug but never gave up. Liam Ryan continued his monster season of rebounds and inside scoring. Devin Agah was scooting around the floor for every loose ball, and Owen Jacobson was earning himself visits to the charity stripe because of his physical play. Last but not least 10-Under Bindner had two great games of their own. Devin Kass and Aleko Vergakis delivered the shot-making, Grady Kaliski and Will Jacobs were in the mix for every rebound, and Charlie Scott and Felix Crawford were everywhere defensively. But the day belonged to Danny Goldberger -- Danny scored 25 points in the second game on a variety of lay-ups, fast breaks and three-pointers. One more day of fall tournament action to go!

Sticking Together in Trumbull, CT

Despite playing older, bigger teams at almost every turn this weekend -- the Fierce kept fighting together -- and never turned on each other. In this sense, it might have been our proudest weekend of the fall. 13-Under Lipow hung with the New England Playaz in two games with standout performances from Max Andrews and Jack Petrafesa. They were the dominating players on a court filled with year-round, high-flying hoopers. JT Shapiro controlled the offense at point guard. Dillon Mannix stretched the floor with long-range shooting. Jack Knott and TJ Martere crashed the boards. However, the most memorable play of the weekend -- and maybe fall season -- belonged to Rory Tarsy. As the Playaz big man attacked the rim in transition, Rory (half his size) met him upon lift off with the "stuff heard round the world". In their 46-30 win over CT Elite, Eamon Jones delivered the offensive firepower with corner 3's and drives to the basket. A great experience heading into our final fall tournament next weekend!

Fierce Deliver Highlights in Home of ESPN

Today in Bristol, CT all 5 Fierce teams were in action. 13-Under Lipow got the day started right with a hard fought 42-34 win over Avon. Dillon Mannix and Liam Ryan caught fire from long-range. TJ Martere had approximately 10 rebounds and 5 rejections. Jack Petrafesa lit it up with 18 points in the 2nd half to close out the game. The squad kept it going vs West Hartford thanks to more hot shooting from Liam Ryan and inside work from TJ Martere. But it was Aston Martin who flaunted his mid-range game, aggressive to the hoop with nifty passing to the cutters through the lane. 13-Under Bindner then rallied to also defeat West Hartford 43-35. Andre Mead continued his torrid play on both sides of the ball. Andre was defending, shooting, hitting the open man on the break, and mixing in some jaw-dropping moves to the basket. Jack Bloomingdale was making his presence known in the paint area. Miles Bradley, Gerard Roarty and Samuel Frank were knocking down their shots. The boys fell short in their 2nd game to Norwalk but not without a fight. Jake Fitzpatrick delivered a very impressive performance scoring 8 points and grabbing at least 8 rebounds, all while taking on the task of guarding the opposing center that was twice his size. 12-Under Seawright had their best day of the fall season. In a 36-29 victory over Norwalk, Kyle DeFonce was everywhere on the floor and playing with great assertiveness. Theodore Mante was a beast down low for the Fierce, finishing every possession strong to the rim. The team carried the momentum into the second game and were clicking on all cylinders. Jack Balsano was flying around the passing lanes and for the offensive rebounds. Jordan Katz and Ryan Mollica were a dynamic guard duo, working together all game with swarming defense and pace-pushing transition offense. Ryan scored an estimated 16 points and Jordan got his own while setting up teammates all day long. Jake and Jamar Medor was hustling everywhere and knocking down shots, and on one fast break Jake hit older brother Jamar right in stride for the score. 11-Under Seawright kept fighting in their 2 games with Finbar Malloy having himself a nice scoring day. Nate Moore and Michael Bernier were all over the glass as usual, and Ryan Moore was running through defenses as usual. Will Kane contributed some outside shooting. 10-Under Bindner also had a resilient day with good shooting from Matt Garcia, Danny Goldberger and Devin Kass, and defensive energy from Charlie Scott. Grady Kaliski had the highlight play with a fast break And-1 in the second game. Great day for the Fierce boys!

Fierce Top PHD in DeSantis Opener

Fierce 13-Under Lipow came alive in the 2nd half of Monday's DeSantis Fall League opener to defeat PHD Basketball by a final score of 32 to 24. The half-time score was only 14 to 8, but the Fierce opened up the second session on a 14-0 run with a new pep in their step. They used swarming defensive pressure to breathe life into a slow offensive start. Jack Petrafesa led the charge, literally, crashing into scorers' tables and worrying the crowd. Jack caught fire in the 2nd half with his basket attacks and long range shooting. TJ Martere was a force on the glass and also contributed some intimidating rejections. Rory "the X factor" Tarsy came up huge in the clutch with a rainbow three-point swish from the wing, and a free throw in the 1-and-1 bonus situation.

Fierce Prove Grit in New Haven

The Fierce kept it going this weekend at the Vertical Fall Classic in the New Haven area. 10-Under Bindner split two tight games on Saturday and were led by the ferocious defense of Charlie Scott and Danny Goldberger, the inside rebounding of Grady Kaliski, Felix Crawford and Ryan Luchetta, and the outside shooting of William Jacobs, Devin Kass and Matt Garcia. Aleko Vergakis, Barrett Mullahy, Tommy Deems and George Targowski were doing all of the dirty work. 11-Under Seawright showed tremendous grit. After struggling in both of their Saturday games, they climbed uphill on Sunday to overcome Mobilio's Fitness in the final seconds. Coach Judah drew up a play that the boys executed to precision, with Will Kane assisting Ryan Moore for the go-ahead basket. And it may have been the Fierce's only lead of the game. Nate Moore continued his toughness around the hoop, Nicolas Hardiman was cutting off the passing lanes, and Brendan Mullahy got it going down the stretch. Michael Bernier was muscling for the rebounds. 12-Under Seawright played with great structure and tenacity in their 3-point Sunday loss to the New Haven Heat. Kyle DeFonce and Anthony Gambuzza came alive on both ends of the floor, especially with defense and rebounds. Theo Mante was a force inside and constantly finding himself at the free throw line. Jack Balsano followed up a Saturday shooting display with continued aggressive defensive play. Chris Gervasi was strong defensively and efficient on offense. 13-Under Lipow dropped a pair of competitive, close Saturday games vs CBA and United Youth, but bounced back Sunday with a 46-30 victory over AFK Renegades. Max Andrews was all over the court in all 3 games. Max was defending, rebounding and running the floor. JT Shapiro and Rory Tarsy brought high intensity defense and energy. Jack Petrafesa stayed on the attack. But it was Braden Moore that stole the show on Sunday. Braden hardly missed -- finishing with an estimated 15 points coming from a variety of spots on the floor. Great job boys. Keep it going!

Fierce 10-U Win Fall Opener

This weekend the Fairfield Fierce opened up the fall season at the Tri-State Tip-Off in Brewster, NY and New Milford, CT 10-Under Bindner came out of the gates blazing, going 3-0 and capturing the tournament championship over Fenom Fire (Westchester). They rode ferocious team defense and unselfish ball movement all the way. Ryan Luchetta was in charge in every aspect -- defense, rebounds and outside shooting. Grady Kaliski was a force in the block, Charlie Scott and Danny Goldberger were diving everywhere for loose balls, Devin Kass put on a dribbling display, Aleko Verkakis and Matt Garcia had the shooting stroke, and William Jacobs and Barrett Mullahy brought their toughness. 11-Under Seawright stuck together all weekend with unselfish teamwork of their own. They opened up with a gritty 30-23 win over CT-PHD and fought hard to the end in their other 2 games. They were led by the guard play of Ryan Moore, Nicolas Hardiman and Brendan Devine, the shot blocking presence of Nate Moore, and the inside games of Liam Yin and Brendan Mullahy. Roan Smith's non-stop defensive motor was also running as usual. 12-Under Seawright earned their way into the 4-team playoff bracket with a 2-1 record. There they fell short against the eventual champion. Guards Jordan Katz, Ryan Mollica and Gavin McCarthy worked together. Jack Balsano and Anthony Gambuzza never stopped fighting for boards, Jack Plesser never stopped running the break, and Theodore Mante flashed his inside dominance. Jack Gueterman, Chris Gervasi and Kyle DeFonce played smart games with scoring contributions. 13-Under Bindner struggled through their first 2 games but found some rhythm vs CT-PHD in the final game. They started working the ball inside to open up the offense, led by the tough play of Jack Iacono. Zarius Eusebe, Tyler Moody and Andre Mead were fast and athletic down the floor. Miles Bradley and Gerard Roarty contributed buckets. 13-Under Lipow started off with a thrilling back and forth OT victory over Bomb Squad. They followed that up with a goose egg Sunday morning against High Rise Elite, but bounced back with a proud underdog performance against Playaz Academy, keeping it interesting to the end. Jack Petrafesa scored 49 points between Bomb Squad and Playaz Academy... and importantly they were an efficient, unselfish 49 points. Jack P. was getting to the rim at will, drawing And-1's, draining 3's and dishing out to teammates. Jack Knott was a defensive force and wowed the crowd with his shot blocking against the Playaz, complimenting that with a pretty mid-range game. TJ Martere showed up to the party vs the Playaz with key rebounds and defensive plays of his own. Dillon Mannix made smart decisions from the point and used his speed to out-hustle much larger opponents. Eamon Jones and Brian Fullenbaum contributed timely 3-pointers and used fundamental box-outs to steal away rebounds. Thierry Thelismon brought tenacious defense into the mix. This was an exciting opening tournament for all 5 Fierce teams. Looking forward to next weekend!

Summer Pick-up Games: Week 5

Tonight the fifth and final week of the Fierce Pick-up Games finished off in exciting fashion. In the 5/6th grade session, Team Matt pulled away to a double digit victory and were led by the guard play of Ryan Mollica, Ben Davenport and Ryan Moore. Mollica was flying all over the court impacting the game on every possession. Davenport was showcasing his offensive repertoire, both shooting and on the attack. Moore was fighting for and winning every loose ball that was out there. On the inside, Liam Yin was cleaning up all of the offensive rebounds for easy put backs. Team Judah was led by the gritty tough play of Emmett Derby, Brendan Devine and Roan Smith. George Todorovich carried much of the scoring load, and Theo Mante dominated the paint. In the 7th grade session, it took overtime for Team Matt to pull out the most thrilling game of the season. Griffin Harding led the way with an estimated 30 points, scoring all over the court. Stephen Keating once again took ownership of the inside, and also made the biggest play of the game with 5 seconds remaining in regulation - cutting off the passing lane for a steal and quick layup to tie the score. Sean Donohue caught fire from outside, and Jack Balsano contributed key baskets as well. Team Judah was propelled by a jaw-dropping 45 points from Jack Petrafesa. Simply unstoppable down the stretch. This was facilitated by the great court vision of Liam Ryan, who was quietly an assist machine. Harrison Keith also showed off his play-making, with some impressive length of the court baseball passes. And Jack Knott again had a big time block party with at least 5 intimidating rejections. Thank you everyone for a fantastic inaugural Fierce Summmer Pick-up games!

Summer Pick-up Games: Week 4

In Week 4 of the Fierce Pick-up Games, it was up and down and back and forth. In the 5/6th grade session, Team Matt pulled out a close game and were led by an estimated 20 points from George Todorovich - he was an unstoppable scoring machine. In the 2nd half Liam Yin went bonkers on defense with rejections everywhere - must have been the headband. Reid Powning made a huge defensive stop in transition, and then Ryan Moore sealed the game with 2 clutch free throws. Ben Davenport made some nifty passes, Emmett Derby attacked the basket, and Matt Debes was finding his shooting stroke. Team Judah had big offensive perfomances from Jack Plesser and Nicolas Alvarez. Brendan Devine and Roan Smith both played excellent all-around games as well. Abdoulaye Ameganvi exhibited improved mid-range shooting. In the 7th grade session, Team Judah got the last laugh with a 2 point nail-biter victory. Eamon Jones came out aggressive with his shot making, but also made the right passes. Stephen Keating played a tough inside game. Gavin McCarthy was swirling around to find the passing angles. Liam Ryan and Tommy Schindler both got hot from long-range. Team Matt put up a fight as Jack Petrafesa dropped 19 points. Jack Knott flaunted a full array of skills, finishing with an estimated stat line of 8 points, 6 rebounds and 8 blocks! He was the human eraser on defense. Sean Donohue's long shooting range was on display. Jake Fitzpatrick showed again why he is a top defender - leading the game in proper box out technique. Dillon Mannix shot well from outside, and Sean Racette was running the floor ahead of everyone all game long. One more week to go!

Summer Pick-up Games: Week 3

In Week 3 of the Fierce Pick-up Games, there were bodies flying everywhere. In the 5/6th grade session, Team Judah narrowly escaped with a 2 point victory. Jack Plesser dominated on both ends of the court - he could not be stopped, finishing with approximately 30 points and 5 steals. Ryan Mollica was controlling the pace and attacking the basket. Liam Yin used a soft touch around the rim, Theodore Mante commanded the paint, and Abdoulaye Ameranvi turned steals into fast breaks. For Team Matt - George Todorovich, Emmett Derby and Ryan Luchetta led the offensive charge. Nicolas Alvarez and Brendan Devine were keeping things close with their intimidating defensive play. In the 7th grade session, Team Matt came out firing and never looked back. Jack Petrafesa scored 30 tenacious points. Charlie Began was unstoppable coast to coast - using his strength to attack the basket or kick-out to the open teammate. Jack Balsano and Sean Donohue were draining their shots. Liam Ryan and Jake Fitzpatrick were all defense all game long. Team Judah was led by the perimeter decision-making and shooting of Sean Racette, and inside play of Stephen Keating. Aston Martin and Thomas Schindler spaced the floor and were smartly taking what the defense gave. See you in Week 3!

Summer Pick-up Games: Week 2

In Week 2 of the Fierce Pick-up Games, the defense and hustle continued. In the 5/6th grade session, Coach Matt's team pulled out a hard contested game that was within reach for Coach Judah's crew until the end. George Todorovich starred for Team Matt with an excellent all-around performance. Ryan Mollica facilitated the offense as point guard, with smart decision-making. Ryan Moore and Martin Alvarez used great hustle to make key contributions down the stretch. For the 'Fighting Judahs'... Jack Plesser displayed impressive speed and athleticism. Ben Davenport and Nicolas Alvarez played strong on both offense and defense. In the 7th grade session, Coach Judah's troops squeaked out a dramatic 1 point victory that came down to the final buzzer. Jack Petrafesa scored a scoop lay-up with 15 seconds remaining to take the lead 51 to 50 -- the final score. Charlie Began animated the crowd with an assortment of chase down rejections reminiscent of Lebron James in the 2016 Finals (not 2017). Thomas Schindler put in 3 three-pointers from different spots on the floor. Coach Matt's group was led by a monstrous estimated 30 point 20 rebound performance from Stephen Keating. Jack Knott was stretching the floor with his distance shooting. Liam Ryan, Johnny McCain and Gavin McCarthy all made contributions of their own. On to Week 3!

Summer Pick-up Games: Week 1

In Week 1 of the Fierce Summer Pick-up Games... it was all defense and offensive ball movement. In the 5/6th grade session, Coach Matt's squad jumped out to a quick start and never looked back. They were led by the inside combination of Nicolas Alvarez and Theodore Mante and the fast break speed of Emmett Derby, Jack Plesser, Ryan Moore and George Todorovich. Coach Judah's team did everything they could to keep it close, led by the scoring punch of Ben Davenport and Ryan Mollica. And Liam Yin would not quit fighting for the rebounds. In the 7th grade session, the script flipped and Coach Judah's group got the last laugh. Jack Petrafesa, Eamon Jones, Liam Ryan and Johnny McCain led the perimeter attack. Stephen Keating was cleaning up the offensive boards for easy points, and Aston Martin was running the floor for easy baskets. For Coach Matt's team, Griffin Harding mixed up a variety of moves all the way to the final buzzer. Jack Knott showed off his developing long-range shooting. Gavin McCarthy dazzled the crowd with his hustle, ball-handling and scoring ability. Can't wait for Week 2!

Dramatic Finishes to the Spring

The Fierce program finished the spring in dramatic fashion today all across the Tri-state area. In Bristol, CT -- 13-Under Lipow won all 3 of their games to capture a 2nd consecutive tournament. In their early game, it took every second to pull it out, as Jack Petrafesa drilled a buzzer beater from two feet beyond the top of the key to flip a 1-point deficit into a 2-point victory. Petrafesa used a strong down screen from Charlie Began and received a perfect pass from Max Andrews to find his groove. The group used the game winner as momentum for the remainder of the day. They played scrappy team defense and displayed unselfish ball movement. Griffin Harding went to another level defensively. Thomas Schindler and Dillon Mannix were spraying in shots from all over the court, Jack Knott found his shooting stroke as well and gathered in the boards, and Sean Racette was setting up teammates with precision passing. Congrats to the boys on another tournament title! Meanwhile in Ardsley, NY -- 13-Under Seawright split 2 games. But it was the way they capped off the season that counted. The group stuck together through adversity all spring, and in the final game, the stars aligned as they pulled out an overtime thriller. Liam Ryan scored the go-ahead basket. BSNY Metro then tied the game at 50 to 50, but Liam threw a baseball pass to Matt Vivona who was fouled with 2 seconds remaining. Matt made both free throws to seal the game for the Fierce. Jack Murphy ripped down 12 rebounds, while Aston Martin scored 8 points to go along with 10 rebounds, and Jack Balsano brought great all-around energy to the game. Finally in Brewster, NY -- 11-Under Binder also split 2 hard-fought games, for a strong finish to their season. The squad outlasted High Rise Basketball in an overtime thriller of their own, thanks to 2 clutch free throws by Emmett Derby with 4 seconds remaining. Gavin McCarthy and Ben Davenport led the way in scoring, Nicolas Alvarez contributed across the stat line, and Wyatt Dodge and Roan Smith played strong defense. Thank you to all Fierce families for a fantastic 2017 Spring Season. And a great way to wrap it up!

Fierce Win the Rose City Challenge

Today at the Rose City Basketball Challenge in East Hamption, CT... 13-Under Lipow got progressively stronger with each of their 3 games. The Fierce lost in overtime to New Haven Boys & Girls despite 14 points from Griffin Harding, but bounced back with a double digit win over RABC led by a tenacious 21 points from Jack Petrafesa and 10 efficient points from Sean Racette. Then to take the tournament trophy away from defending champ Team 10, Max Andrews stepped up with 14 points and a lock-down defensive performance on Team 10's go-to-scorer, Thomas Schindler drilled clutch timely shots to tally 8 points, and Stephen Keating took over in the paint. The Fierce came together for a complete team effort on both sides of the ball, and held a potent offense to only 35 points. Congratulations Fierce!

Fierce Top Stamford Peace

Today at the Connecticut State Championships, 13-Under Lipow topped Fairfield County foe Fairfield Peace Basketball 45-41, but fell to United Youth 60-51 in a hard fought game. Jack Petrafesa, Charlie Began and Griffin Harding led the scoring attack. Max Andrews and Stephen Keating worked together in the paint. Jack Knott and Dillon Mannix contributed rebounds and steals.

Fierce Leaving it All on the Courts

Today at the 2017 Roundball Classic, the Fierce program left it all out there. 13-Under Seawright won 2 of 3 to qualify for Sunday's Championship Game. The squad was led by the scoring of Matt Vivona, Sean Donohue, Eamon Jones and Liam Ryan... the rebounding of Tobey Sappern and Aston Martin... and the defense of Jack Balsano, Jack Murphy and Jake Fitzpatrick. 13-Under Lipow had its own pair of imposing victories over two teams from Rhode Island. In a 48 - 34 win in the first game - Charlie Began, Griffin Harding and Max Andrews went to work on both ends of the floor. In the second game, Jack Petrafesa opened up action "unconscious" with 4 consecutive three-pointers, and the Fierce never looked back. Thomas Schindler, Dillon Mannix and Sean Racette caught the shooting bug and sprayed in shots from around the perimeter. Jack Knott and Stephen Keating brought the interior defense in what turned out to be a 30 point victory. 11-Under Bindner put together two furious comebacks in their games today, but fell short. Gavin McCarthy and Ben Davenport handled the ball and made clutch plays. Jonathan Morris was ripping down the boards. Wyatt Dodge, Emmett Derby and Griffin Rothe all contributed key plays.

Fierce 11-U Split Easter Challenge

Today at the Brewster Easter Challenge, 11-Under Bindner split a pair of tough games vs the Kingston Komets and CT Roughriders. Gavin McCarthy led all scoring, with help from Ben Davenport and Griffin Rothe. Nicolas Alvarez gave the Fierce an inside presence down low with a big day of rebounding.

Fierce Pride at the Junior Tip Off

On Day 1 of the Jr. Tip Off tournament, the Fierce program came to play. 13-Under Lipow pulled away from CT Elite Basketball in a 58-36 win. Stephen Keating was pushed beyond his limits in a dominating performance down low. Charlie Began was in attack mode from the start, and Luke Brodsky was making smart plays off the bench. In their later 49-45 upset victory over the Wallingford Warriors, Jack Petrafesa refused to lose and stepped up with big plays all across the 2nd half of action. Charlie Began put the team on his back with 20 points, to go along with high energy defense and rebounding. Dillon Mannix was clutch down the stretch with his outside shooting, hustle to the loose balls, and protecting possessions as the Warriors were desperate to force a turnover. Jack Knott never left the game because of strong rebounding. Sean Racette made important contributions off the bench on both sides of the ball, and Thomas Schindler drilled perhaps the biggest 3-pointer of the game with under 4 minutes remaining. In their two games, 13-Under Seawright was led by Liam Ryan's shooting and scrappy defense. Jack Balsano also brought the defense and rebounding. Eamon Jones, Sean Donohue and Theo Vergakis carried much of the scoring load. They look to bounce back tomorrow morning vs CT Elite Basketball. 11-Under Bindner couldn't have asked for a better debut together. Their full-court press was too much for Connecticut Elite Basketball to handle on way to a 48-8 win. Then they played to the end against the always elite New York Rens. The Fierce had the game within 6 points at 4 minutes remaining but the Rens had too much size. Gavin McCarthy and Luca Antonio led the Fierce in scoring, with contributions from Wyatt Dodge. Ben Davenport helped control the game tempo and set up the offense with strong ball-handling for the Fierce.

Fierce at the 2017 Border Wars

On Day 1 of the ZG Border Wars, 13-Under Seawright fell just short to Dishin and Swishin and were led on both sides of the ball by Matt Vivona and Eamon Jones. Jack Balsano was all over the loose balls and offensive glass, and Sean Donohue brought toughness on defense. 13-Under Lipow came away with 49-27 and 48-31 victories over CT Hawks and Ballin Bulldogs. Stephen Keating and Max Andrews dominated the boards. Griffin Harding and Charlie Began anchored the defense. Dillon Mannix, Luke Brodsky and JT Shapiro all contributed timely baskets and assists.

Grand Open at the Grand Opening

13-Under Lipow tipped off the spring in style today with 2 gutsy wins. In a 38-31 win over Tri-State Thunder, a pair of Jacks led the attack... as Jack Petrafesa carried much of the scoring load and Jack Knott anchored the defense with at least 7 blocked shots to go along with 10 rebounds. JT Shapiro and Thomas Schindler contributed with key baskets and hustle plays down the stretch. Then in a 26-24 defensive masterpiece over CWB: Max Andrews dominated the boards, Sean Racette distributed some nifty passes, and Dillon Mannix found the bottom of the net on a clutch game changing 3-pointer from the corner.

Fierce at the Roundball Classic

On Day 1 of the 2016 Fall Roundball Classic, the short-handed Fierce competed to the end against older, bigger kids in all 3 games. In Game 1 Jack Petrafesa led the way with 11 points and 7 rebounds. Matthew Vivona chipped in with 8 points of his own. In Game 2 Max Andrews went off for 24 points and 7 rebounds. Beau Dehler contributed 3 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. In Game 3 Dillon Mannix took charge with 12 points and 4 rebounds, and Eamon Jones found his stroke for 9 points and 3 rebounds. On Day 2 and led by Coach Judah Seawright, Fierce 13-U finished the Under Armour Fall Roundball Classic with two impressive victories. In the morning game, Jack Petrafesa poured in 17 points and Eamon Jones tallied 9 of his own as the Fierce edged out CT Elite Basketball 35-32. In the afternoon game, a 55-26 win for the Fierce was led by a balanced scoring attack of 18 points from Max Andrews, 14 points from Jack Petrafesa and 11 points from Ethan Crawford.

Fierce 13-U Rally Past CWB & CT PHD

Today in the Battle at Brewster, the 13-U Fierce pulled off back-to-back nail-biting victories vs Chris Ward Basketball and CT PHD. In the 9am game, the Fierce took everything CWB threw at us and found a way to pull it out 52-51. Ethan Crawford was draining 3's from all over the court. In the 10am game, the Fierce were running on fumes but still dug deep to outlast CT PHD in an offensive barn burner... 74-70. Jack Petrafesa led the way with 23 points and 9 rebounds. Dillon Mannix contributed 13 points including three clutch 3-pointers. Max Andrews came up with the game-winning steal and free throws, to go along with 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Fierce finished the tournament as runner-up to the undefeated Wayne PAL (NJ).

Fierce Defeat CT-PHD 57-48

In Saturday's 57-48 win over CT-PHD, the Fierce used team ball movement and ferocious defense to overcome a 10 point first half-deficit. Griffin Harding came to play and finished with an estimated stat line of 20 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Craig Hyzy was marveling the crowd with his creative finishes at the basket. The Fierce played with purpose to take control of the game in the second half. Max Andrews & Charlie Began worked together to dominate the boards, and JT Shapiro went 4 for 4 from the FT Line in the final minutes to seal the game. The Fierce finished the Zero Gravity CT Showdown with a 2-1 record. In a 62-31 win over Wins 4 Life, Charlie Began was unstoppable with 18 efficient points. Hiro Wyatt contributed 10 points and Harrison Keith & Max Andrews each added 8 points. A short-handed Fierce squad wrapped up the weekend with a loss against the tough and hot shooting CT Blaze. Max Andrews scored 10 points for the Fierce, and Craig Hyzy put in 8 points. But we had no answer for #1 on the Blaze who caught fire with six 3-pointers.

Fierce 12-U Win the 2016 Jr. Tip Off!

Boys 12-U have won the first ever tournament for the Fierce! On Day 1 of the Junior Tip-Off, the Fierce won both games. In a big win over the CT Breakers -- Hiro Wyatt scored 8 points, with Spencer Levine and Brian Fullenbaum both adding 7 points of their own. In the 7:40pm night cap, Kevin Hyzy led the way with 12 points. It was Harrison Keith's 10 points, including three big 3-pointers from the corner, that thwarted off a pesky CSA Velocity squad by a final score of 44-35. On Day 2, the Fierce played our way into the Finals by holding CSA Velocity to 23 points. Benji Titlebaum set the tone from the start by going coast to coast for 4 quick points. Kevin Hyzy scored 9 points and Hiro Wyatt chipped in with 6 points and big rebounds. In the Championship vs a rested, talented and bigger Magic Time team -- the Fierce played team basketball for all 28 minutes, and pulled out a thriller by a final score of 52-50. The Hyzy brothers (Kevin and Craig) combined for 29 points. Harrison Keith and JT Shapiro contributed 9 and 7 points, respectively.

Fierce Place 2nd in Border Wars

Our Boys-12U team placed 2nd in this weekend's Zero Gravity Border Wars. In Sunday's early game, the Fierce played their way into the Championship with a 50-46 win over the AFK Renegades. Craig Hyzy was in rhythm and dropped 25 points. Griffin Harding chipped in with 8 of his own. In the Championship, the Fierce came up short against a tough CT Blaze squad. The Hyzy brothers (Craig and Kevin) combined for 21 points.

Fierce Win in Program’s Debut

Congrats to our Boys-12U team for defeating the Simsbury Spartans 43-28 and the New Britain Legacies 45-32 at today's Zero Gravity Easter Challenge. Griffin Harding led the way with 16 and 19 points. Max Andrews dominated the glass and anchored a Fierce team defense that never let up.