Hans Horland ’17 and Sam Stuart ’18 each won Western New England Independent School Wrestling Association championships on Saturday.

For Forland, wrestling for the second straight year at 120 pounds, it was his fourth straight WNEISWA championship. He is the sixth person in the history of the tournament to secure that feat and GFA’s first-ever four-time FAA and four-time WNEISWA champ.

Stuart won his title at 106 pounds after winning his second FAA crown two weeks ago.

Forland opened the day with the first-round bye.

In his quarterfinal match, he recorded a 17-2 technical fall over Chase Harper of Taft.

In the semifinals, he pinned Avon’s Chris Duwan in 1:40.

In the championship match, Forland eked out a 4-0 win over Trinity Pawling’s Dave Bancroft.

For Stuart, he had a bye through the quarterfinals. In the semis, he pinned Robert Debarardino of Hopkins in 1:34. Then, in the championship match, Stuart notched a 3-0 decision over Nathan Winter of Marvelwood.

A total of five wrestlers placed at this year’s WNEISWA championship meet.

Nick Atttai took third at 132 pounds, JC Foster took fifth at 138, and Arman Ozgen was fifth at 113.

The Dragons advance to next weekend’s New England Prep School championship matches at Hyde-Woodstock.

Forland will be gunning for his fourth straight New England title in that meet.

Hans Forland (Wilton) and Sam Stuart (Westport) each won Western New England Independent School Wrestling Association championships on Saturday.

For Forland, wrestling for the second straight year at 120 pounds, it was his fourth straight WNEISWA championship. He is the sixth person in the history of the tournament to secure that feat and GFA’s first-ever four-time FAA and four-time WNEISWA champ.

Stuart won his title at 106 pounds after winning his second FAA crown two weeks ago.

Forland opened the day with the first-round bye. In his quarterfinal match, he recorded a 17-2 technical fall win and, in the semifinals, he pinned his opponent in 1:40. In the championship match, Forland eked out a 4-0 decision for the title.

Stuart had a bye through the quarterfinals. In the semis, he pinned his opponent in 1:34. Then, in the championship match, Stuart notched a 3-0 decision to clinch the title.

A total of five wrestlers placed at this year’s WNEISWA championship meet.

Nick Atttai (Bridgeport) took third at 132 pounds, JC Foster (Darien) took fifth at 138, and Arman Ozgen (Weston) was fifth at 113.

The Dragons advance to next weekend’s New England Prep School championship matches at Hyde-Woodstock.

Forland will be gunning for his fourth straight New England title in that meet.

SQUASH

The GFA boys squash team’s hopes for a national title were squashed, if you will, by the Taft JV team, which bested the Dragons 5-2 in their Division V quarterfinals on Saturday at the at the 2017 HEAD U.S. High School National Team Championship Tournament.

Duda Voldman (Stamford) and John Selkowitz (Norwalk) both notched 3-0 victories to earn GFA its only points in the match. Voldman coasted to an 11-6, 11-4, 11-3 win while Selkowitz won 11-7, 11-3, 11-7.

Jack Soper (Southport) fell 11-6, 12-10, 4-11, 6-11, 11-7 and Marshall Bessey (Darien) was defeated 11-2, 5-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-4, both heart-wrenching five-setters.

Giani Panariello (Westport) fell 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-5), Jeb Rooney (Darien) was defeated 3-0 (11-6, 11-4, 14-12) and Andy McIlvaine (Darien) fell 3-0 (11-5, 11-2, 12-10).

With the loss, GFA slipped into the Classic Plate Consolation Semifinals, where they lost 5-2 to University School of Hunting Valley, Ohio.

Voldman (11-5, 11-7, 11-3) and Panariello (11-9, 7-11, 11-5, 8-11, 12-10) earned wins for the Dragons.

Selkowitz fell in five (7-11, 2-11, 11-8, 11-5, 14-12), Rooney in four (10-12,12-10, 11-7, 11-5) and Soper (12-10, 11-9, 11-4), Bessey (11-5, 11-9, 11-8) and McIlvane (11-2, 12-10, 11-4) in three

The Dragons eked out a 4-3 win over Friends Central on Friday to advance to the quarterfinals against the Taft JV team. Selkowitz earned a 3-0 (11-1, 11-6, 11-4) win in the third match while Bessey, Giani Panariello and Piero Panariello (Westport) all notched wins, as well.

Bessey (12-10, 11-5, 11-4) and Piero Panariello (11-5, 11-9, 11-5) both won in three games while Giani Panariello (11-5, 4-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6) went five games to allow the Dragons to clinch the match. At No. 1, Voldman fell in four games (13-11, 11-2, 8-11, 11-9) while Soper lost a five-game heartbreaker (5-11, 11-6, 2-11, 16-14, 11-6) at No. 2. Rooney (3-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-6, 12-10) also lost in five games at No. 4.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

The Dragons are 2-0 since Lexi Kimball’s return to the court, posting a 65-50 win over Ethel Walker School on Saturday afternoon.

Kimball (Easton) scored 34 points while sophomore point guard Katherine Marcus (New Canaan) netted 23, including a 17-for-19 effort from the foul line.

Sarah Peltier (Stamford) added eight points for the Dragons, who improved to 11-8.

Kimball grabbed nine rebounds to go with four steals and two assists while Marcus had seven rebounds, eight steals and four assists.

Kimball’s first time back on the court, after missing two games, was a resounding success as the senior standout poured in 26 points to lead Greens Farms Academy to a 70-39 win over The Harvey School on Wednesday.

Lexi Kimball also grabbed four rebounds, dished out three assists, made two steals and blocked a pair of shots. Marcus added 19 points for the Dragons along with 11 steals, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Kozdeba chipped in seven points, Peltier added five and Elyse Kimball had four as GFA snapped a three-game losing streak. Alex Wagner (Southport) had three points while Modzelewsi , Litt, and Houston had two points apiece. Modzelewski had nine rebounds while Peltier had six. Kozdeba dished out four assists while Modzelewski had three. Litt also had four rebounds and four steals.

The team started the week, falling to Greenwich Academy 50-29. Marcus scored 16 points to pace the Dragons. Hannah Kozdeba (Shelton) added five while Peltier, Kristiana Modzelewski (Westport), and Elyse Kimball (Easton) had two each. Single points were scored by Kaly Houston (Norwalk) and Bella Litt (Darien)

Litt had six rebounds and five steals, Houston grabbed six boards and Marcus had five rebounds to go with two steals and two blocks.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Playing its second road game in as many nights, and coming off the heels of a draining, intense game against FAA rival St. Luke’s, the Dragons dropped a second straight game with a 63-56 loss at Choate on Saturday.

Cole Prowitt-Smith (Fairfield) led GFA with 19 points. Sunday Okeke (Darien) added 11 to go with 11 rebounds and six block. Evan Roteman (Fairfield) and Greg Lawrence (Fairfield) netted nine each while Henry Holzinger (Norwalk) scored eight. Lawrence also had 10 rebounds while Prowitt-Smith had nine assists.

Holzinger, while only a junior, is now the boys school record holder in made 3-point shots, breaking the single season mark held by Jim Djema. Holzinger has currently made 50 3-pointers this season.

For the second time this season, Greens Farms Academy’s game against St. Luke’s came down to the final seconds and for the second time it was the Storm escaping with the win, 73-72.

GFA had a three-point lead with 2:09 left to play and had three possessions to build upon the lead, but failed to score while dropping to 15-4 on the season, 9-3 in the FAA.

Okeke and Holzinger netted 18 points each while Roteman and Lawernce added 13 points apiece. Prowitt-Smith added 10 points. Okeke had 14 rebounds, Lawrence had 12 and Roteman dished out five assists for GFA.

The one win GFA did get last week was a 67-50 victory over King on Monday

Holzinger tossed in 22 points, draining six 3-pointers. Okeke added 14 points and 12 rebounds while Roteman had 10 points. Lawrence had eight points and gathered in 13 rebounds for the Dragons. Prowitt-Smith dished out nine assists to go with six points.

FENCING

GFA boys varsity fencing competed against Morgan High School at GFA on February 8, and narrowly lost 13-14, despite starting the match with 12 losses by default, as the GFA team was four fencers short of a full team. 

It was a close match with strong fencing.  The GFA team won 13 out of the 15 bouts fenced.  

Boy's epee won 8-1. Senior and captain Luke Duffy (Wilton) went 3-0, scoring 15 points in total, and losing only two points across all three bouts.  Junior and junior captain Teddy Gartland (Darien) went 3-0 and scored 15 points. Sophomore Willem Schuddeboom (Darien) ended the round 2-1 with 13 points. 

Boy's foil lost 3-6 (6 losses by default). The GFA foil squad had only one fencer of the required three.  Zach Rothwell (Fairfield), a freshman, went undefeated, and finished the round 3-0 and scoring 15 points. 

Boy's saber lost 2-7 (6 losses by default). The GFA saber squad had only one fencer of the required three.  Sophomore Alex Galik (Darien) went 2-1 and scored 10 points.  

GFA girl's varsity fencing competed against Morgan High School at GFA and lost 3-24, including 21 bouts lost by default, as the GFA team was 7 fencers short of a full team. 

Women's epee did not fence and therefore lost 0-9 by default, as GFA does not have a women's epee squad.  

Women's foil lost 1-8, including 6 bouts lost by default.  Amy Petschek (Norwalk), a sophomore, went 1-2 and scored 7 points.  

Women's saber lost 2-7, including 6 bouts lost by default.  Senior and captain Shira Friedson (Trumbull) went 2-1 and scored 13 points. 

Greens Farms Academy center Sunday Okeke '17, who broke the 1,000 career point milestone earlier this season, became the school's all-time leading rebounder on Thursday.

Okeke pulled down 25 caroms, giving him 1,111 on his four-year career.

The mark eclipses Sean Obi '13 and his mark of 1,091.

Okeke is pictured above with head coach Doug Scott, right, and assistant coach Peter Deutsch.

If this seems like deja vu all over again, there's a reason for that.

After all, we don't mess around when it comes to celebrating success of our student-athletes.

Just weeks after Greens Farms Academy standout center Sunday Okeke '17 joined the 1,000 club by netting the 1,000th point of his Dragons career, a new banner celebrating the moment is already up and hanging over Coyle Gym.

He's also the second boys basketball player to haul down 1,000 rebounds, too, passing Sean Obi's school record with 1,111 in his career.

Congrats again, Sunday.

We don't mess around when it comes to celebrating success of our student-athletes.

Just weeks after the GFA Boys Third Team capped off an undefeated season with a win over Brunswick, up went the banner celebrating the perfect campaign.

The 2016-17 Boys Thirds Team at GFA included: Jack Beaumont, Jack Ramsay, Jack Brown, Tim Mira, Aaron Miller, Will Byrne, Charlie Benson, Jordan Liu, Mike Canning, Sean Hogan, Chris Glynn, Ethan Phan, Ian Brown, Miles McDonald, Andrew Chen, and Ian Epps.

It was coached by Pete Karlan.

Unlike many Greens Farms Academy student-athletes who pick up the sport of Fencing once they get here, Darien resident Teddy Gartland discovered it before ever arrived on campus.

He has his used his experience in the sport to become one of the team’s captains, even as a junior, and has helped the under-manned Dragons through a season of battles this season.

When he’s not between the lines fencing dodging, darting and, well, fencing, Gartland can also be found working for the school’s Robotics team and competing with the Math team.

Last week, following practice, he took time out to go have a Dragon Chat with the Dragon Nation Sports Blog.

Dragon Nation: How did you wind up coming to Greens Farms Academy?

Teddy Gartland: I just started looking around at schools in the area, close to me, and GFA was one that really attracted me. The fencing team did have something to do with that because I had done the sport before and wanted to continue it in high school. And my brother (Jack) went to GFA at that time and he talked to me about and I really liked what he said.

DN: What’s the best thing about the school?

TG: The best thing? I’d say the community and the people you interact with through all the different sports, different clubs. I like every group that I’m in.

DN: If you could change one thing about the school, what would it be?

TG: I’m a little biased here, but I would give more priority to the fencing team, sports-wise. Sometimes we don’t get a lot of gym space and we’re forced to practice in the hallways and stuff. So I’d give us more gym space.

DN: What teacher or coach do you think has had the biggest impact on you so far in your career at GFA?

TG: Probably Dr. (Kurt) Mederer. I had him freshman year for Geometry, and he’ my advisor. He has a unique style of teaching and communicating with students that I think forces you to think in a unique and creative way, and you can come up with solutions by yourself. I like that.

DN: What drew you to the sport of fencing?

TG: To be honest, I’ve never really figured it out. I think one day I just decided I wanted to do something outside of school, something extra I could spend a lot of time on and work on and fencing seemed like a really interesting, unique sport, something strategy-based and not something you see every day.

DN: How old were you when you started?

TG: I fenced at the local YMCA and I was with the fencing coach at the school now, with Matt (Steinschneider) when I was eight or nine. It’s cool to have it come full circle and having him coach me again.

DN: What is your favorite type of fencing?

TG: Well, there is foil, epee and sabre. I started fencing foil, where the target area is only the torso and you can only hit with the tip of blade. Most beginners start out that way and that’s the way I fenced up until this year. It’ pretty strategy-based and it’s fast-actioned. You have to think quick on your feet. This winter, I tried epee. It’s like foil but instead of just torso you can hit hands, face, feet, anything. I like that, too. It’s a lot more fast-paced than foil and one more mistake is a lot more punishing than foil. You have to be really nuanced in all the moves.

DN: You wear the full masks and your face is shielded, but if you see that blade coming at you, isn’t it hard not to flinch?

TG: It definitely is a built-in reaction where you want to close your eyes and turn your head away, but after a while you start to lose (the urge) and it becomes very natural.

DN: What makes a good fencer?

TG: There is a physical element – speed, quickness, endurance -- but really most of it’s in the mind. You have to strategize about what actions you’re going to make and how you’re going to respond to actions your opponent might make.

DN: Is there a favorite swordsman you have, or somebody in the sport you look up to?

TG: Well, I don’t follow professional fencing very well, but in the high school scene there’s a fencer from Hopkins, his name is Aaron Kogan and he’s a very good epee fencer. He won states last year, and he’s one of the top fencers in the country.

DN: Let’s get away from the sports questions. What scares you?

TG: Probably stress. It’s just everything I have to do, it builds up. Sports, school, extracurriculars.

DN: If you could spend 24 hours with anybody in history, who would you pick and why?

TG: Alexander Hamilton. I saw the musical last fall and I became really interested in him, reading about him and researching him. I think he’s an interesting guy and I would love to sit down and talk with him.

DN: So you saw the original Broadway cast with Lin Manuel Miranda. Become a theater critic and tell us what you thought. Was it as good as everybody as says?

TG: It definitely was. I really liked it. I liked the singing, I liked the acting. The whole thing together was just great.

DN: What is your perfect breakfast?

TG: Cinnamon rice and French toast.

DN: Midnight snack?

TG: Ice cream.

DN: Home-cooked meal?

TG: Sloppy Joes.

DN: If you could have one do-over in your life, what would it be?

TG: One do-over? That’s a tough one. (Pauses). I’m not sure. I don’t have any big actions I regret. I’m pretty happy with all the choices I’ve made.

DN: You’re 16. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

TG: Probably doing something with computer science somewhere. I’m interested in that, so hopefully I’ll get a job in that field.

DN: Tell us about the robotics program here at GFA? What drew you to it?

TG: Like I said, I’m interested in computer science so the robotics teams offers me experience in that. I started with coding, but I switched over building. Each year we have a new task we have to do for the league we’re in and this year’s task is to pick up Wiffle balls in a field and shoot them into a basketball hoop.

DN: What was the last book you read that wasn’t for school?

TG: Like I said, I’m a big fan of Alexander Hamilton so I read that book by Ron Chernow, that became the musical. I liked it a lot.

DN: If you could have one super power what it would it be?

TG: Flight. It would be the coolest super power. It’s definitely something like as a kid you always dreamed you could fly, so I’d go with that.

DN: If you could live anywhere other than Darien, where would you go and why?

TG: Italy. It’s really just a beautiful country. The beaches are nice, people are nice. And good pizza too.

DN: What one word best describes you?

TG: Adventurous.

The Greens Farms Academy boys and girls basketball teams are headed to the postseason, which begins on Tuesday.

The boys team finished third in the Fairchester Athletic Association with a record of 16-6 overall and 10-4 in the league.

The Dragons will host sixth-seeded King Low Heywood Thomas (4-10 FAA) on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m at Coyle Gym.

GFA swept the season series with King, topping the Vikings 62-55 on Jan. 12, and 67-60 on Feb. 6.

The winner of that game will advance to the FAA semifinals at Hamden Hall (11-3 FAA).

On the girls’ side of the equation, GFA (12-9 overall) finished eighth in the FAA standings at 3-6. Due to re-seeding, though, the Dragons are seeded sixth and will travel to No. 3 Convent of the Sacred Heart (4-5) at 5 p.m.

Greens Farms Academy defeated Sacred Hear 38-34 during the regular season.

Rye Country Day and Masters both finished ahead of GFA in the FAA standings, but opted out of the FAA tournament in order to play in the New York state tournament.

Greens Farms Academy wrestlers Hans Forland (Wilton) and Sam Stuart (Fairfield) made history on Saturday becoming the first Dragons duo to capture New England championships in the same season.

The GFA squad travelled to Bath, Maine, to participate in the New England Independent School Wrestling Association Championship tournament at the Hyde School.

Forland, a senior, and Stuart, a junior, were joined by junior Nick Attai (Bridgeport) as Dragons qualified for the tournament last weekend at the Western New England tournament. 

Attai qualified for the tournament in only his second year. 

Representing the Dragons, Forland and Stuart followed up their championship performances in last week’s state tournament by each capturing an individual title, Stuart at 106 pounds and Forland at 126. 

Forland redeemed his loss in the finals of last year’s tournament by defeating a highly regarded opponent 3-1 in the finals in one of the tournament’s toughest weight classes. 

Stuart faced a familiar opponent he wrestled three times previously, and did not disappoint in their fourth match, prevailing 7-1 to capture the title.

Crowning multiple champions at the New England Tournament was an historic achievement for GFA and the first time a Dragon wrestler has won the tournament since Coach Jack Conroy wonin 2005. 

GFA was also one of only three of the 73 schools competing with multiple champions. 

Forland and Stuart head to the National Prep Wrestling Tournament at Lehigh University next weekend looking to add to their postseason honors. 

This time of year – the postseason – all the games are big.

And the Greens Farms Academy bigs came up even bigger in their first FAA playoff game of the season, combining for 39 points in Tuesday’s 74-43 quarterfinal win over King at the Coyle Gym.

Six-foot-5 forward Greg Lawrence ’19 scored 21 points while 6-foot-8 center Sunday Okeke ’17 added 18 to lead the GFA effort. Okeke also grabbed 22 rebounds, dished out six assists and recorded six blocks while Lawerence gathered in 14 caroms.

Evan Roteman ’17 added 10 points while Cole Prowitt-Smith ’19 had nine. Prowitt-Smith and Henry Holzinger ’18 had eight assists each.

GFA advances to the FAA semifinals on Thursday at Hamden Hall.

Here’s the Box Score:

GFA 74, KING 43

KING (10-13)

Jackson Trimmer 1 0-0 3 Trey Canevari 4 1-1 11 Renn Lints 3 0-0 6 AJ Green 4 0-0 8 Evan Henry 2 0-0 4 Alex Canevari 0 1-2 1 Lewis Baer 1 1-4 3 LeVaughn Lewis 3 1-2 7. Totals: 18 4-9 43.

GREENS FARMS ACADEMY (17-6)

Kobi Agard 1 0-0 2 Evan Roteman 3 2-3 10 Cole Prowitt-Smith 3 3-4 9 Greg Lawrence 8 5-8 21 Henry Holzinger 2 0-0 4 Brady Reynolds 1 0-0 3 Max Mitchell 1 0-0 3 Jack Seegers 1 1-2 3 Sunday Okeke 8 2-5 18. Totals: 28 13-22 74.

KING 23 20—43

GFA 34 40—74

3-Pointers: K—Trimmer, Canevari; GFA—Roteman 2, Reynolds, Mitchell.

Click here to read a full game story courtesy of The Norwalk Hour newspaper.

The opponents were lined up one by one in front of the Greens Farms Academy boys basketball team. And, the pregame storyl ines were spelled out as easy as ABC.

For the Dragons to win its first FAA championship since 2013, they would have to fight their way through a trio of very familiar foes.

King, Hamden Hall and St. Luke’s.

The Dragons are two-thirds of the way to their goal, having taken care of The Sweep and The Split. Now, they await The Storm.

A – King (The Sweep)

The Dragons were expected to get past the Vikings and they did so with an easy, 74-43 win over the Vikings at Coyle Gym on Tuesday.

During their first regular season match-up back on Jan 12, the Dragons outscored King 9-2 in a four-minute overtime period to beat the Vikings by a 62-55 count in Stamford.

Cole Prowitt-Smith ’19 poured in 27 points for the Dragons. Sunday Okeke ’17 and Henry Holzinger ’18 added 11 points each.

In the rematch, at Coyle on Feb. 6, Holzinger tossed in 22 points, draining six 3-pointers, to lead the Dragons to a 67-50 win.

Okeke added 14 points and 12 rebounds while Evan Roteman ’17 had 10 points.

Greg Lawrence ’19 had eight points and gathered in 13 rebounds for the Dragons while Prowitt-Smith dished out nine assists to go with six points.

In the FAA quarterfinals, the Dragons' bigs came up big, combining for 39 points in Tuesday’s 74-43 win.

Lawrence scored 21 points while Okeke added 18 to lead the GFA effort.

Okeke also grabbed 22 rebounds, dished out six assists and recorded six blocks while Lawrence gathered in 14 caroms.

Roteman added 10 points while Prowitt-Smith had nine. Prowitt-Smith and Holzinger had eight assists each.

You can read more about the FAA quarterfinal win by clicking here.

The win over King meant a match-up with Hamden Hall, which had split the season series with GFA.

B – Hamden Hall (The Split)

Coming into the season, St. Luke’s might have been the team to beat, but most coaches in the FAA knew there were two teams that had the talent to knock off the defending champs – GFA and Hamden Hall.

In two regular season meetings, the Dragons and Hornets went right at each other in two tight and intense contests.

In the first game, a 69-65 GFA win on Dec. 14, it wasn’t over until Holzinger hit a 3-point shot right before the shot clock buzzer sounded with 22 seconds left in the game.

Prowitt-Smith and Okeke led the GFA offensive effort with 16 points each while Holzinger and Lawrence tallied 13 points apiece and Roteman added 11. Okeke added 19 rebounds, four steals and three blocks to the winning effort while Lawrence had 10 rebounds and four blocks. Holzinger had a game-high five assists while Prowitt-Smith had four setups and Roteman had three.

On its trip to Hamden Hall on Feb. 14, the Hornets handed GFA a 72-69 overtime defeat, which also capped off a three-game losing streak for the Dragons.

Consider, though: The Greens Farms Academy boys basketball team has lost six games this season. Its average margin of defeat is 3.3 points.

Lawrence ’19 and Prowitt-Smith led the GFA charge with 17 points each. Okeke and Holzinger added 13 points each. Roteman chipped in nine more.

Okeke had 13 rebounds and 7 blocked shots. Lawrence had 12 rebounds and five blocked shots. Prowitt-Smith had 8 assists.

With the season series split, Hamden Hall had the nod for a first-round bye in the FAA tournament and a berth in the semifinals.

That’s where GFA was on Thursday – Beckerman Gym – home of the Hornets, who decided to honor their seniors before the game, as well.

Armed with a quest for vengeance, not to mention a berth in the Fairchester Athletic Association championship boys basketball game, GFA went to Hamden Hall and left no doubt who the better team was this time around.

Dragons 83, Hamden 56.

Game, set, match for GFA.

Okeke scored 29 points and Prowitt-Smith poured in 28 more to deliver a one-two knockout punch to the Hornets, who had beaten the Dragons in overtime earlier this month.

“I think last time, we should have won the game,” Okeke said. “Coming into this game, we just had to continue to play together and get the win.”

GFA raced out to a 41-33 halftime and simply went for the jugular in the second half, outscoring Hamden Hall by a 42-24 court to advance to Saturday’s league final against St. Luke’s.

Okeke had 15 rebounds. Prowitt-Smith had 7 assists. Bennett Close ‘ 18 and Okeke each had 3 blocks

You can read a more complete story about that game by clicking here.

The win thrust GFA into Saturday’s title tilt where Coach Doug Scott summed it best.

“We’re going to try (and) go into the king’s house and see what we can do,” he said.

C – St. Luke’s (The Storm)

The last time the Dragons defeated St. Luke’s, Okeke scored 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.

It was Feb. 21, 2014.

Okeke’s freshman year.

Since then, the Storm have had GFA’s number.

A bunch of them, in fact: 57-54 … 71-59 … 86-37 … 86-77 … 80-66 … 93-78 … 73-71 … 62-60.

Eight straight times, the Storm have found a way to beat the Dragons.

This season it’s been tougher than ever as GFA just missed two game-winning shots that would have changed this run of St. Luke victories.

But Saturday’s game – with an FAA championship on the line – is exactly what the Dragons wanted.

“That’s what we wanted,” Roteman said after the Hamden Hall win. “That’s what we’ve wanted all season. This time, though, we’ll get a championship if we do it.”

Tip-off Saturday is 3 p.m., at St. Luke's. The King's house. Let's see what the Dragons can do.

If the first two games meant anything, expect another FAA classic.

In their first meeting this season, GFA pushed the veteran St. Luke's club to the limit at the Coyle Gym, but fell by a 62-60 score after missing five shots to tie the game in the closing seconds. You can read more about that game by clicking here.

Okeke poured in 22 points and grabbed 23 rebounds to lead the way for the Dragons. He also blocked five shots, notched two steals and dished out two assists.

From there, the Dragons got balance as Roteman (4 rebounds, 3 assists), Holzinger (3 assists), and Lawrence '19 (12 rebounds, 4 assists) each added nine points to the cause.

Prowitt-Smith chipped in with eight more while Jake Manton hit a big 3-pointer for the team, as well.

On Feb. 10, GFA’s second game St. Luke’s came down to the final seconds and for the second time it was the Storm escaping again with the win, 73-72. You can read more about that game by clicking here.

GFA had a three-point lead with 2:09 left to play and had three possessions to build upon the lead, but failed to score.

Okeke and Holzinger netted 18 points each while Roteman and Lawrence added 13 points apiece. Prowitt-Smith added 10 points.

Okeke had 14 rebounds, Lawrence had 12 and Roteman dished out five assists for GFA.

All that’s in the past now, though.

The sweep. The split.

All’s that left is The Storm.

And one win that will forever change the legacy of a group of Dragons hungry for a championship.

Two of GFA’s history makers from this winter sports season have been named the school’s Athletes of the Month for January.

Lexi Kimball ’17, of the Dragons’ girls basketball team, and wrestler Hans Forland ’17 were honored for their month’s efforts.

 Lexi Kimball – Girls Varsity Basketball

 Kimball is close to completing her final season with the Greens Farms Academy girls’ varsity basketball team. In the last game for the month of January, Kimball became GFA’s all-time leading scorer, as she put in a huge 27 points against Cheshire Academy in the school’s annual Pack the House game. This brought her career total to 1,377 points, setting her at the top of the list for both male and female.

Kimball continued her work into the month of February when the team qualified for the FAA Tournament.

After GFA, Kimball will take her talents to Georgetown University where she will continue her basketball career.

Hans Forland – Varsity Wrestling

 This season, Forland started his senior campaign strongly getting off to a 22-3 record while finishing second in the Brunswick Invitational, Rumble on the Hill and the Tabor Invitational.

He recently captured his fourth FAA title and netted his fourth WNEISWA title at the Salisbury School February 6. The team will greatly miss Hans as he finishes his GFA career, but will be looking to his leadership over the final few weeks of the season.

Photos and profiles of both players will soon be posted on the school’s Athlete of the Month wall, located near the exit adjacent to the Oak Room.

They will tell you it was only a game. And, part of them would be right.

A game. Thirty-two minutes on the clock, a ball, two baskets, 10 players – five to a side -- and a jam-packed crowd of passionate fanatics, growing louder as every second ticks away.

This winter season, the boys varsity basketball teams from Greens Farms Academy and St. Luke’s have delivered three absolute classic high school games for the ages.

Just great basketball. Talent. Heart. Hustle.

When you’re a player, you live for moments like this – for games like this.

Sometimes, they’re just regular season games. One home. One away.

Sometimes, a championship is at stake. Trophies. Bragging rights.

Sometimes, they keep ending the same way.

And that hurts.

Over and over again, the scoreboard spits out a different story with the same ending: 62-60 … 73-72 … 71-69.

One team – St. Luke’s -- celebrates again and again.

The other team – our beloved Dragons of GFA – feel each and every loss, deep and personal, gutting their insides.

They will tell you it was only a game.

But when you pull on that jersey, we all know it’s so much more.

GFA and St. Luke’s are separated by a mere 15.9 miles, at least by bus. A little bit less as the crow flies.

On the basketball court, very little separates the two teams this season.

Two points back on Dec. 6 when GFA had five shots at winning, or at least earning a tie.

A single point back on Feb 9, when a Dragon lead slipped away through a series of careless possessions.

On Saturday afternoon, inside the loud and boisterous Carey Gymnasium on the St. Luke’s campus, it was once again two points that separated the two teams.

Over 32 minutes of play, over countless possessions back and forth, it came down to just two points.

Two measly points.

Two (expletive deleted) points.

How do you measure the difference in two teams separated by two points?

You can’t until you total up the numbers of wins … three straight for St. Luke’s this season and nine straight overall dating back to February of 2013.

“We are approximately 1.7 points weaker than them,” GFA coach Doug Scott quipped to Hearst Connecticut Media after the game.

Mathematically, he might be right.

It’s that close.

You can nitpick all you want and find missed opportunities.

You can question possessions and decisions, you can question calls and missed calls (the what appeared to be a illegal screen/hip check that preceded a clutch 3-point shot by St. Luke’s in the late-going was a huge non-call), you can question shot selection and defensive switches.

But you can’t question the effort and heart shown on this day, or any day.

Not with these Dragons. Not ever.

Six-foot-eight center Sunday Okeke ’17 was dominant on Saturday, recording a triple double of 23 points, 16 rebounds and 10 blocked shots.

Cole Prowitt-Smith ’19 was once again his sweet-shooting self, the emotional leader from the backcourt with 18 points and six assists.

Henry Holzinger ’18 shooting himself out of his late-season slump with 12 points and playing his tenacious defense from end line to end line.

Evan Roteman ’17 running the point to help break the press, Greg Lawrence ’19 doing the dirty work inside, and Bennett Close ’18 coming off the bench to provide invaluable minutes and rest time for the backcourt starters as they rotated on and off the floor.

Unfortunately, for the Dragon Nation faithful the same could be said for St. Luke’s Storm, a top-notch team that nothing can be taken away from.

Nothing separates these two teams … save for one or two points a game.

That’s one three pointer made on one end, or one missed on the other.

It’s one turnover, forced or unforced.

It’s one rebound brushing off a player’s finger tips and falling out of bounds.

It’s a drop of water in a pristine and beautiful lake.

And it is why losses like Saturday hurt so much inside.

In trying to find the right things to say, people will tell you it was only a game.

And, boy, what a game it was.

Yet again.

The GFA boys squash team finished second in New England Class C play over the weekend, just missing the championship by a single point.

More to come on this story.

For lack of being able to credit anybody else, Confucius might have once said, “Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.”

Well, the Greens Farms Academy basketball team is good.

Really good.

But lucky? Well, that’s another story entirely.

The team that has lost seven games by a combined total of 22 points (That’s 3.14 points per loss, folks) hasn’t been the luckiest group of Dragons to lace up their Air Jordans.

So it went again on Sunday when the NEPSAC announced its 2017 New England Tournament Fields.

Sure, the Dragons received a second-seed in the Class C tournament, right behind archrival St. Luke’s and one spot in front of regional rival Hamden Hall.

GFA drew seventh-seeded Berwick Academy of Maine as its quarterfinal opponent.

However … and that’s a big HOWEVER, the Dragons will be the only higher seeded quarterfinal team without a home court advantage on Wednesday when the quarterfinals are played.

No. 1 St. Luke’s is hosting No. 8 Dexter School (more on that later), No. 3 Hamden Hall is entertaining No. 6 Pingree and No. 5 Winchendon School will trek to No. 4 Hyde School of Maine in the other quarterfinals.

The Dragons, however, are being forced to hit the road instead of playing inside the comfy confines of the Coyle Gym.

GFA has to bus itself to the Pomfret School to face Berwick Academy. Tip-off is 5:30 p.m.

According to a line in a NEPSAC coach’s handbook, “If schools are 2 hours, 45 minutes apart (determined by zip code search on Mapquest), the game will be played at neutral site.”

Both GFA Coach Doug Scott and AD Tauni Butterfield confirmed those numbers.

Well, that makes sense, right?

Berwick Academy is 230 miles from GFA (four hours, two minutes) which is one dandy of a road trip on a school night.

As such, a trip to Pomfret – which is in the middle of nowhere Connecticut -- forces both teams to drive approximately two hours for the game.

Unlucky, huh?

The catch is doing the NEPSAC’s “zip code search” search for St. Luke’s and Dexter shows a travel time of two hours, 52 minutes (165 miles).

And, get this: Looking at Winchendon’s trip to Hyde, which is in Bath, Maine, you’re looking at 180 miles – or, a travel time of 2 hour, 59 minutes.

Maybe the NEPSAC decided Dexter and Winchendon can drive a few miles per hour above the speed limit and get there in 2:45. Anybody driving that Mass Pike to I-84 to I-91 corridor, though, knows traffic doesn’t flow at optimal speeds very often, especially in the afternoon.

Well, maybe St. Luke’s and Hyde-Maine are just lucky while GFA isn’t.

That would explain a pair of two-point losses and a one-point loss to the Storm, wouldn’t it?

The way Coach Scott sees it, though, is while the long road trip to Pomfret will kill a lot of GFA’s fan support – how many students will make that trip on a Wednesday? – a long road trip with his team is a true part of the New England Tournament experiment.

Regardless of bending the NEPSAC bending its own rules, though, the Dragons road – no matter how far the mileage adds up – is simple.

Three wins equals a New England championship.

That’s the goal and no matter where the games are played the rims are 10 feet high and the courts are of legal distance.

Sometimes it’s better to be good than lucky.

It’s time for the Dragons to go out and prove just that.

Click below to see a slideshow from spring sports opening day at GFA:

For the fifth straight season, the Greens Farms Academy boys basketball team has advanced to the semifinals of the New England Prep School Athletic Council Class C tournament semifinals.

The second-seeded Dragons might have been forced away from their home-court advantage by playing at a neutral site, but that didn’t stop them from racing out to an early lead and pulling out a 93-74 win over seventh-seeded Berwick Academy (Maine) on Wednesday at the Pomfret School.

The win thrusts GFA into Saturday’s semifinal game against FAA-rival Hamden Hall. Game time is 2:30 p.m., at Coyle Gym.

Against Berwick, Sunday Okeke ’17 led the GFA charge with 22 points and 20 rebounds. Greg Lawrence ’19 added 16 points and 12 boards.

From there, balance was the watch-word as Jacob Manton ’17 and Henry Holzinger ’18 (10 assists) had nine points each, Cole Prowitt-Smith ’19 had eight points and eight assists, and Evan Roteman ’17 (6 assists) and Mack Muller ’17 had seven points each.

GFA improved to 19-7 overall.

The Box Score:            

GREENS FARMS ACADEMY (19-7)

Sunday Okeke 10 2-2 22, Evan Roteman 2 2-2 7, Mack Muller 3 0-0 7, Jacob Manton 3 1-3 9, Henry Holzinger 3 0-0 9, Bennett Close 1 0-0 2, Greg Lawrence 8 0-0 16, Cole Prowitt-Smith 3 0-0 8, Teddy Brown 2 2-3 6, Max Mitchell 1 0-0 2, Jack Seegers 1 0-0 3, Kobi Agard 1 0-0 2

Totals: 38 7-10 93

BERWICK ACADEMY (ME) (14-8)

Tiong Bol 8 3-5 19, Paul Rodolf 8 3-5 21, Henry Palmer 0 1-2 1, Xahn Frater 12 3-3 31, Max Gassner 1 0-0 2

Totals: 29 10-15 74

                                             1st h pts, 2nd h pts, Total pts

GREENS FARMS                      48          45                 93

BERWICK ACADEMY               29          45                 74

3-pointers: G--  Holzinger 3, Prowit-Smith 2, Roteman, Manton, Seegers; B-- Frater 4, Rodolph 2.

It’s never easy to say good-bye, especially from a place where we were able to watch them grow up in front of our very eyes.

Yet on Saturday afternoon, away they went – Jacob Manton, Mack Muller, Sunday Okeke and Evan Roteman – walking out of the Coyle Gymnasium for the last time while wearing a Greens Farms Academy basketball uniform.

They went out as winners, though, and that was the feel-good, warm-your-heart moment on a cold, late winter’s day.

GFA basketball’s Class of 2017 won the last game they’d ever play in Coyle, a 68-57 win over Hamden Hall in a New England Class C tournament semifinal.

On Sunday, it’s off to Worcester, Mass., and the gym at Clark University, for the NEPSAC finale against St. Luke’s.

That’s the last game of their high school careers.

But this is about Saturday and four the boys who have called this place home.

A home gymnasium in a special place for an athlete, akin to a bedroom as a place where there is nothing but comfort in every nook and cranny.

It is a safe place, a place to be alone with nothing but a basketball and your thoughts and dreams. It’s a place to invite all of your closet friends to celebrate the highest of highs and to find yourself embraced in during those moments of low.

Coyle, thankfully, produced so many more celebrations than they did defeats over the last four years.

Okeke, the lone four-year varsity player amongst the four, won 38 times in Coyle, compared to just eight losses.

Roteman, Manton and Muller went 29-6 over the past three years.

Together, as seniors, they played 14 games at Coyle.

They won 13 times.

Home means comfort. Coyle means home.

How many shots have they attempted inside Coyle’s embrace over the last four years? During practices. Open gyms. Pick-up games. Weekend shoot-arounds.

How many of those shots made it through those nets, so familiar with the spin of the ball from each and every player that if twine could talk it would whisper each’s name after a make.

The hard swish ... That’s Roteman.

The soft bank that ricochets into the bucket … that’s Muller.

The soft runner that floats into the net … that’s Manton.

The rim-rattling explosion of a dunk … well, that’s Okeke, of course.

Dorothy Gale once said, “There is no place like home,” and if you didn’t know any better you’d think she had played basketball at Coyle Gym with the Tin Man, the Lion and the Scarecrow.

There is no place like Coyle, where the boys locker room is a country mile away, likely closer to Beachside Ave. than it is to center court.

The directions to and fro are like driving in New York City, from Grand Central to MSG: Go up, take a right, then left, then another right, then another left, then a quick right and a quick left.

There is nothing fancy about Coyle. Bleachers on the left, teams on the right.

The scoreboards give you the important information and all that truly matters in wins and losses. Points scored, time left.

What else do you need?

Play ball.

Well, OK, it needs a team to call it home, and that’s what the Greens Farms Academy Dragons do loud and proud.

From opening night to Pack the House, from an FAA quarterfinal to a NEPSAC semifinal, home is where the heart is and the Dragons’ heart has always roared true and strong.

That’s why when players like Okeke, Roteman, Muller and Manton – those who carry on this growing tradition -- walk out of that gym for the final time, you pause and reflect and try to pile up the memories.

Coyle will forever be inside them and be rest assured that they will forever be inside Coyle.

After all, it’s home.

Always has been, always will be.

Somewhere, before the first traces of snow fell from the New England winter sky, somebody did the math.

If the moons lined up just right, and the balls bounced the right way, and one man’s quest came to fruition, it would be a very special winter season on Beachside Ave.

History could be made through the campus.

And it all started on the first day of the winter sports season.

That’s the day the Greens Farms Academy boys and girls squash programs walked to their first practice.

Once upon a time, the teams would have to board a bus and get driven to campus.

Now, it’s just a short walk to the brand, spanking new squash building that sits adjacent to the school’s athletic fields.

On Dec. 8, the boys team hosted Brunswick. The next day, Staples showed up for a match against both the boys and girls team.

Just like that history was invited in from the cold.

Inside Coyle Gym, the tote board’s numbers were keeping up on a variety of different matters.

Game by game, seniors Lexi Kimball and Sunday Okeke were approaching history via the girls and boys basketball programs, respectively.

Kimball, who burst on to the Dragons hoop scene as an exceptional eighth grader, was closing in on the school’s all-time scoring record, set back in the 1980s by Lee Isenstein of the boys’ team.

On Friday, Jan. 27, with Mr. Isenstein in the house, Kimball scored a lay-up, giving her 1,377 points.

“I don’t think I’ve really processed it yet,” Kimball said right after the game, where Isenstein greeted her with a hug and a special commemorative ball. “It’s just a testament to the many, many players I’ve played with who have gotten me the ball over the years. It’s a testament to (Coach Jen Harris), who trusts me enough to take all those shots in a game. It’s a testament of my love for this team and what I want to do to help our team be successful.”

By the time Kimball’s career was done, she had re-written the GFA record books.

The new all-time school scoring mark stands at 1,503 points. That’s an 18.8 per game average over her career, plus let’s not forget she missed almost a full season due to a knee injury.

She also notched 409 steals, 343 rebounds, dished out 189 assists and had 99 blocks in her career, too.

History will not forget Lexi Kimball, nor will anybody who played alongside and suited up as a Dragon at GFA.

With the Kimball watch out of the way, it was time to focus on Okeke, the 6-foot-8 center whose engaging personality won over the GFA faithful shortly after he got here.

Injuries dogged much of his career, but Okeke stayed healthy in his final season – even playing soccer in the fall to get in shape for basketball.

He was chasing two milestones in his quest for history – both the 1,000-point plateau and the school’s all-time rebounding record, held by Sean Obi, who is now at Duke University.

“I think the rebounds mean more because I love rebounding the ball, but points do mean a lot,” Okeke said. “My name will be up there (on the school’s 1,000-point banner) and when I come back in five years, I’ll be able to look up there and remember what I’ve accomplished.”

And what he did accomplish: 1,219 points (fourth all-time in the boys program), 1,195  rebounds, 213 blocks).

Over in the Bedford Gym, meanwhile, Hans Forland, another senior, was chasing down his own piece of history – a one-on-one journey to prove he was once again the best in his league and region.

On Saturday, Jan. 28, Forland won his fourth straight FAA championship.

“I’m really happy about it,” Forland said. “I have to give credit to my coaches. They’ve taught me so much and improved my game so much. I just hope I can carry this into (Western New Englands).”

Two weeks later, he won his fourth straight WNEISWA, joining junior Sam Stuart with the two-fer (Stuart also won at FAAs).

Forland and Stuart later went on to even win the New England championship, as well, becoming the first GFA duo to win regional championships in the same season.

Crowning multiple champions at the New England Tournament was an historic achievement for GFA and the first time a Dragon wrestler has won the tournament since Coach Jack Conroy won in 2005. 

It truly was a historic time this winter season, one many Dragons will not soon forget.

Greens Farms Academy's latest run to the FAA final and New England Prep School Class C championship game paid off via a handful of postseason honors for the team.

Sunday Okeke '17 and Cole Prowitt-Smith '19 were named to the All-FAA First Team while Evan Roteman '17 was named as an All-FAA Honorable Mention selection.

On the NEPSAC stage meanwhile, Okeke and Prowitt-Smith were both named for the Class C First Team while Greg Lawrence '19 was named to the Third Team and Henry Holzinger '18 was named honorable mention.