By Andy Hutchison

WESTPORT — If all goes as planned, the Staples High School girls basketball team — perhaps after initial growing pains — will be competing in the post-season.

The Wreckers are a much different-looking group following the graduation of four starters from last year’s 10-9 squad. 

Despite the turnover, Coach Paco Fabian is optimistic his lineup will experience success. “Our goal is to qualify for the State Tournament and FCIAC Tournament,” Fabian said. “Since we are such a new group of varsity players, we hope to grow throughout the year and have peak performance at the end of the season. We are very excited to have a mix of seniors and a very young group of players that are new to the program.”

Scarlett Siegal, the lone returning starter, is a senior forward, vocal leader and the team captain. Other seniors are center Tori Emmert, forward Claire Sandhaus and guard Jaden Mello.

Sophomores are starting forward Sophia Martin, guard Ella Harrington and forward Poppy Harrington.

The Wreckers will feature a young guard tandem of freshmen Freya Havey and Sarah VonDohlen.

Top competition in the FCIAC includes the two Fairfield schools — Ludlowe and Warde — along with Stamford, Danbury and Ridgefield.

Staples begins the season Tuesday, Dec. 13, when non-conference team New Fairfield visits at 5:15 p.m. The first in-conference action for the Wreckers comes Thursday, Dec. 22, with a visit to St. Joseph of Trumbull at 7 o’clock. The Wreckers close out the calendar year with a noon Dec. 27 game against Warde.

Fabian and assistants Ryan Mitchell, Amanda Pfohl and Donnie Smith will look to get the most of out these Wreckers.

Andy Hutchison has been covering school sports — including Staples athletics — as well as news and feature stories in Fairfield County, since the 1990s. Learn more about us here.