Sports

Senior Night: New Canaan Boys Basketball to Take on St. Joe’s in Home Finale

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Although the New Canaan Rams were eliminated from qualifying for a spot in the boys basketball state playoffs ten days ago, they did not go down quietly. The Rams lost a tough 61-60 decision in overtime to a Wilton team ranked among the top in the FCIAC. Propelled by that game, the Rams—now playing with nothing to lose—snapped an 8-game losing streak and reeled off consecutive wins for the first time since December, defeating Trinity Catholic 71-57 and Darien 54-47. Not surprisingly, the players leading the Rams turnaround were seniors Claude Chandonnet and Paul Hagopian, who—along with fellow co-captain Carsten Berger—will be playing their final home game in a Rams uniform Monday as New Canaan (5-13 overall, 3-14-FCIAC) tries to make it three in a row against St. Joseph (3-15, 2-14).

Sports

Greenwich Holds Off New Canaan Boys Basketball

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Conor Harkins scored 24 points, including 15 in the 1st quarter to lead the Greenwich Cardinals boys basketball team to a 63-58 win over New Canaan. With the loss, the Rams (3-12, 1-12 in the FCIAC) now need to win all five of their remaining games to qualify for the state tournament, while the Cardinals improved to 5-10 and 4-9 in conference play. “It was a great win,” Greenwich head coach Pat Heaton said. “It’s our first two-game win streak so the kids are excited about that. It shows that the kids are better as the season goes on.”

Harkins put on a show soon after the opening tipoff.

Around Town

“Did You Hear … ?”

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The town-appointed committee that oversees private youth sports organizations in town hasn’t yet heard back from half of the groups from which it’s seeking basic information on matters such as financials and numbers of participating kids. Members of the Youth Sports Committee reported at their regular meeting Thursday that youth lacrosse, football and basketball hadn’t yet responded to a 3- or 4-page survey that also sought the names of the private nonprofit groups’ board members and officers. Youth baseball, field hockey and soccer all have responded, the committee said. ***

We’re hearing that the New Canaan Police Department’s full report on the Oct. 30 accident on Silvermine Road has been forwarded to the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice.

News

Wilky Gilmore: ‘He Was One of Our Own’

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In among the trophies in the lobby of the New Canaan High School Athletic Complex hangs a framed, vintage number-12 Rams jersey. There is no plaque, no marker, no inscription identifying whose jersey it was. As a result, hundreds of students, parents and fans filter past the jersey every day, unaware of the history or the significance behind it, unaware of Maurice ‘Wilky’ Gilmore. Yet for legions of New Canaanites, especially friends and relatives who were lucky enough to know him personally, Gilmore—selfless, charismatic, intelligent and graceful—etched a singular legacy here in town. That he did so in an era marked by civil unrest makes his accomplishments perhaps that much more impressive—though those close to Gilmore say his rare gifts of compassion and decency saw him transcend matters such as race and, in more than one way, “raise the game” of everyone around him.

News

New Canaan Boys Basketball Falls to Westhill

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Facing an FCIAC powerhouse for the second consecutive game, New Canaan Rams head coach Mike Evans knew his team would have to be nothing short of perfect in order to pull off an upset over the Westhill Vikings in front of a home crowd on Tuesday night. Unfortunately for New Canaan, the Rams were less than perfect. Despite a breakout offensive performance from sophomore Tyler Sweeney who led all scorers with 26 points, the Rams couldn’t overcome turnovers and missed opportunities as they fell to the Vikings 69-52. “There are games on paper that we should win, and games on paper that we shouldn’t win,” Evans said. “The games that you shouldn’t win on paper, you can’t make any mistakes, almost zero.