Monthly Archives: November 2021
Trumbull Football Season Comes to a Close
Ava Inesta ’22
EE Sports Reporter
Eagles storm onto McDougall Field to make their grand entrance before game time.
With hopes of advancing to the first round of the state playoffs, Trumbull unfortunately fell short on Thanksgiving day. During their deciding game against No. 2 St. Joseph, Trumbull wasn’t able to gain the win they desperately needed; they lost 35-7. Throughout the entire game, Trumbull lacked offensively when getting close to the endzone and wasn’t able to keep up with St. Joe’s scoring. On a high note, senior captain Cooper Dayton was named MVP for the Rumble in Trumbull rivalry game. Although this wasn’t the outcome Trumbull wanted, there are still lots of positives about this season to celebrate.
The Eagles had many players this season who were threats to the other teams in every matchup. All these players were recognized for their talents and received All-FCIAC awards. The first team offensive awards went to senior Corbin Smith, senior Jake Delfino, and junior Ben Carley. The first team defensive awards went to senior Cooper Dayton, senior Jake Peterson, and senior Owen Solano. Trumbull also had some players on the second team including junior Hunter Agosti for offense and junior Jordan Black for defense. The honorable mention awards went to senior Dylan Moran, senior Kieran Bill, and junior Xavier Richardson. Overall, these players made huge contributions to the team and they are all extremely deserving of these awards.
This year’s team always had a strong mentality and didn’t let anything stand in the way of playing their game. That’s one of the reasons why Trumbull had so much success this season, their confidence thrived. Not to mention, Trumbull had one of the biggest D/O lines in the state which were dominant in all their games.
The Eagles have changed the dynamic of their program with turning their record around from previous seasons. After being 5-5 in 2018 and 3-7 in 2019, Eagle’s finished this year with a solid 7-3 record. This season set up foundations for next fall and the future of Trumbull Football with head coach Mr. Marce Petroccio.
’21 MLB Season Wraps with Braves Turnaround
Ava Inesta ’22
EE Sports Reporter
Freddie Freeman’s reaction to the final out!
The Major League Baseball season officially came to an end with the Atlanta Braves as the last team standing. They defeated the Houston Astros in a six game series, closing the final game with a 7-0 shutout on Tuesday November 2nd.
The season had been ongoing since February of 2021. Ever since the first day of spring training, the Braves had some of the most ups and downs of any team in the majors. They had consistent injury problems with one of their aces, Mike Soroka since he was first injured on August 3, 2020. Another huge factor was the loss of star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. in mid-July due to an ACL tear. 2018 National League Rookie of the Year winner Acuña Jr. had been one of, if not the Braves best player since he debuted.
This was a big blow for the Braves and something that made everyone believe that the Braves wouldn’t be contenders for this year’s playoffs. However, at the trade deadline the Braves added outfielders Jorge Soler and Joc Pederson which completely changed their lineup. Eddie Rosario was another key player who didn’t have a team in February due to his free agency situation. But, he ended up being the most valuable player of the NLCS and a world champion at the end of the season.
So, there were many factors that went into the Braves making it this far. They were up against very talented teams like the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers but still were able to surpass them. In the end, they always found a way to win games.
The Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve and shortstop Carlos Correa definitely made the biggest impact on their team’s performance all the way to the championship. The Astros put up great competition but the Braves always seemed to take advantage of all their mistakes.
The great addition of Jorge Soler made the difference for the Braves. He went on to be the Most Valuable Player of the World Series because of his stellar performances in each game. No one would have ever expected his outcome in July when he was still on the Kansas City Royals.
Erosion of Local Creek Threatens Habitats and Properties
Noemi Farkas ’25
EE Staff Writer
Ash Creek’s erosion problem continues, putting the wildlife habitat at risk of becoming a bay.
Fairfield and Bridgeport are teaming up to help save Ash Creek from turning into a bay. Ash Creek borders the city of Bridgeport and the town of Fairfield. It serves as both a crucial wildlife habitat and a natural shellfish bed. It also serves as a habitat for migratory shorebirds who use this area as a place to eat and take a break from their long journey. Additionally, Ash Creek houses many plants, one of them being spartina, a plant that can only exist in the conditions that tidal wetlands provide.
Ash Creek is currently experiencing an erosion problem. One of the main causes of this is the dredging of the channel to Fairfield’s Marina over the past few years, and the bringing of sand to Jennings Beach instead of putting it back on the sand split. The impact of major storms such as Hurricanes Sandy and Irene has also impacted Ash Creek.
The loss of wetlands will lead to the loss of many habitats and the destruction of different plants, some of which can only exist on tidal wetlands.
“There is tremendous biodiversity in tidal wetlands and it would cease to be a habitat for many species”, according to Gail Robinson, President of the Ash Creek Conservation Association. “Scientists predict that given the current erosion trend, we could lose the sand spit within 15 years (or perhaps sooner, if there is a large storm)”.
The loss of this sand split could lead to more of these tidal wetlands disappearing. Tidal wetlands are very important because they collect/absorb flooding, similar to a sponge. They absorb water from high tides and storms, and without them, homes that line the shoreline would be open to direct wave action. Experts believe that if Ash Creek disappears, then Great Marsh Island would follow. This would lead to more destruction of habitats, which would increase the risk of flooding for properties located in Black Rock and eastern Fairfield. Those properties with flat land and filled in wetlands would see a larger increase in flooding.
The Return of “Home for the Holidays”
By Abigail Clark ’22
EE Staff Writer
The Macy’s Parade will be the host to millions of people once again.
There is a song by The Carpenters that says “There is no place like home for the holidays”. It’s true and Thanksgiving is just that. Home is being safely around friends, family, and neighbors. It is one of the best parts of the holiday but it is something we all missed out on last year.
The Covid-19 pandemic put a huge strain on families’ desires to travel for Thanksgiving last year. Even though many continued to travel despite CDC warnings, there was a 10% drop in travel according to AAA. For those that did travel, the questions of safety were always up in the air. Am I carrying the virus? Will I infect my family members? Will I get sick myself? With no vaccine, cases were bound to rise. And they did. The week of December 18th, 2020 saw the surpassing of 17.2 million Covid cases and a huge spike in hospitalized patients.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, a big holiday event, was closed to the public and mostly prerecorded in 2020. An event that is usually attended by 2 to 3 million people saw empty streets because of the pandemic.
Families spent hours on Zoom, giving thanks to their family through a phone, watching bands perform on the desolate streets of New York City, and traveled with the question of safety in the back of their minds.
This Thanksgiving will be better, thanks to the Covid vaccine.
Arcane Dethrones Squid Game to Become Top Rated Original
Thomas Ou ’24
EE Entertainment Editor
Arcane’s Protagonists, Powder and Vi, overlooking the City of Progress from the slums.
Had I said that an animated TV show would even come close to the world-wide recognition and popularity of Squid Game, let alone surpass it for being the most watched and becoming the highest rated show, no one in their right mind would believe it. Yet even more outrageous, would be the fact that it is a show based on a video game with a deep lore; one that pop culture harbors an undeniably controversial viewpoint of.
Historically, almost all video game adaptations have failed or ended up universally disliked. It is far too easy for producers to derive their show from their the vast lore of their videogames, creating a show that only attracts hardcore fans. As apparent with the box-office failure of the World of Warcraft movie, it is difficult to downright impossible to simultaneously stay true to the story while still appealing to new watchers who might have never heard about the original source material. Being said, there are videogame shows, though few and far between, that have seen a similar critical acclaim to some of the top shows within today’s media; among these are the revered Witcher and the underrated Castlevania. However, the new top rated original, Arcane, completely sets a new standard on how to properly balance its viewership and create a heartfelt, action-packed tragedy.
Being one of the most played and oldest computer games, League of Legends has seen some drama throughout its time. Many players find it hard to deny the draw and addictiveness of the game, that all too often leaves one unfulfilled as 40 minutes and 20 lp of a person’s life gets wasted due to the mistake of one teammate.
“It is within the lore where the game is able to shine the most,” said League of Legends Streamer Ashkan Homayouni. “Riot’s balancing and game design team might be a bunch of monkeys, but damn can they make a more compelling story”.
Trumbull Continues their Dominance in Win Against Danbury
Ava Inesta ’22
EE Sports Reporter
In the last game under the Friday night lights at McDougall Stadium this season, the Eagles defeated the Danbury Hatters 40 – 12 in addition to celebrating their 17 seniors.
The first quarter was slow for the Eagles but with four minutes to go, quarterback Hunter Agosti completed a 32-yard pass to junior Ben Carley for the game’s first touchdown. Trumbull started the 3rd quarter with a 55-yard rushing touchdown by senior Corbin Smith. Smith also scored two other touchdowns. On top of all this, junior Hunter Agosti had a 3-yard rushing touchdown as well as sophomore Jon Hall with a 8-yard rushing touchdown.
“I would say that our team is very explosive offensively, on defense we are extremely aggressive and hit very hard.” Senior Corbin Smith said about his team’s consistent accomplishments, “Our offensive line is playing very very well and our skill positions and quarterback just have great chemistry.” Smith also mentioned the team’s motto, “We gone ball regardless”.
Through the majority of the first quarter, Danbury had possession of the ball but Trumbull’s defense limited them from scoring until the end of the 3rd quarter. By that time, the Eagles had already scored 40 points.
Captain Jake Peterson had a lot to say about Trumbull’s continued success with defense. “A big thing that’s been improving our defensive game is that everyone has been doing their jobs. Having some of the biggest and best linebackers in the FCIAC with Jordan Black and Amr Othman, it truly has brought our defense to a new level.”
Trumbull Volleyball Moves on to 2nd Round of States After Defeating Westhill
Ava Inesta ’22
EE Sports Reporter
Trumbull celebrates the game-winning point.
Trumbull opened up the state playoffs with a 3-0 sweep against the Westhill Vikings on Monday, November 8th. After an unfortunate end to their FCIAC championship run, the Eagles had a fresh start against one of their known rivals. The Eagles played a strong game and had the one-up on the Vikings for the majority of the time. The final scores of the three sets were 25-16, 25-10, and 25-14.
Trumbull and Westhill have some history after meeting in the 2019 CIAC State Championship. Trumbull obviously took the title, so it’s always entertaining to see these two teams go against each other after that event.
Junior captain Maggie Carley expressed a lot of emotions towards this win, “Westhill is a super scrappy team and they didn’t give us the win easily, so beating them was really rewarding and it was an amazing game to start our state run with!”
With the knowledge of their next matchup, Carley already has lots of thoughts of how her team is going to tackle this. “I think our team has a lot of experience playing top-tier teams in the FCIAC, and with Conard being out of our conference, it’s hard to gauge what their playing level is, but I’m confident going into the game,” she said, “We’ve hung really tight with Greenwich, arguably the best team in the state, so I think channeling the same intense energy will help us in this next game.” Carley thinks that Trumbull’s energy will be their biggest weapon against Conard and in the rest of the state tournament.
Eagles Get the Win in Tiger Town
Ava Inesta ’22
EE Sports Reporter
Up in the valley of Ridgefield, Connecticut, the Eagles defeated the Tigers 28-14 on Friday, November 5th. With intentions of securing a spot in the playoffs, Trumbull knew that winning this game was crucial as the regular season approaches its end. However, this was supposed to be a night of celebration for the Tigers. It was the opening of their new Tiger Hollow Stadium, senior night, and the school’s homecoming game. Unfortunately for Ridgefield, Trumbull took all their hype away by getting the win.
In this game, Trumbull truly showed what kind of team they are through all their team efforts. In total, four touchdowns were scored by the Eagles. Trumbull was the first to strike in the first quarter with a touchdown scored by senior Corbin Smith. The other touchdowns were scored by senior captain Owen Solano and junior Nick Tuccinardi.
A huge factor into the Eagles win was their defense. At times, the score was close which made Trumbull’s strong defense that much more significant. Throughout most of the game, Trumbull limited Ridgefield’s offense and did not allow them get too close to their endzone. At one point, Ridgefield got in range to kick a field goal, but missed, giving Trumbull possession of the ball. Trumbull’s defense was led by senior captains Jake Delfino, Cooper Dayton, and Jake Peterson. Towards the end, it was key that Trumbull stayed ahead and did not let Ridgefield get within a touchdown of them.
“We just went out there and played our hearts out. Our defense was playing as one and we wouldn’t let up no matter where the ball was placed,” Captain Cooper Dayton said about his team’s successes. “We played as a team and we were effective in the end which let our offense go to work. A true team effort and true team win.”
Service Spotlight: My Gold Award Journey
By Neya Kidambi
EE Editor-in-Chief ‘22
Neya Kidambi at one of her August workshops.
As a Girl Scout enters high school, it becomes time to start thinking about the Gold Award Project. Receiving the Gold Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn. It focuses on leadership, career exploration, personal growth, and community action.
“Gold Award Girl Scouts are rock stars, role models, and real-life heroes,” the official Girl Scouts of the USA website says.
The process of earning my Gold Award was one of the most intensive and rewarding experiences. Girl Scouts are recommended to spend a minimum of 80 hours on their project.
I started my own Gold journey in January of 2021. The main cause behind my project was the lack of education surrounding mental health and overall emotional wellness, for teens.
In America today, mental health is still stigmatized, and few are willing to discuss it openly. This lack of healthy discussion leads to generations of teens and young adults who have neglected their emotional health, leading to inevitable issues in personal or work lives.
I chose to carry out my project in the form of workshops for middle school girls in Fairfield County. I wanted to create a safe-space where I could not only educate, but also reframe that open discourse as normal, and even fun.
The process definitely was not straightforward. I initially contacted local libraries near Trumbull to host my workshops there, but I received the same response each time: No.
12 Angry Jurors Hits the Stage This Weekend
By Kylie Totten ’24
EE Sports Editor
THS THeSpians performing in the 2021 Fall play, 12 ANGRY JURORS, hear arguments and deliberate the fate of a man accused of murder. Standing: Medha Bnatnager. Sitting L-R: Bailey Chapin, Timothy Spillane, Mia Bekech, Isaac Lyne, Sara Kocinsky, Grace Codd, Isabella Mercado, Isabel O’Neill.
The THS fall play, 12 Angry Jurors, is about to hit the stage.
There will be two performances, this Friday (11/5) at 7:00 and Saturday (11/6) at 5:00 at the Trumbull High Auditorium. Tickets will be sold at the door: $10 for the general public and $7 for students.
12 Angry Jurors was originally known as 12 Angry Men, a play written by playwright Reginald Rose in 1964. 12 Angry Jurors just allows for a more gender-inclusive cast than seen in the original story. The play has been performed in theaters all over the world, and was adapted into a movie 1957.
The play follows twelve jurors as they deliberate on a murder case, considering the guilt or innocence of the accused teenage boy. Each character brings their own individual history and biases to the jury room, making it difficult for the jurors to come to a unanimous decision. When asked why 12 Angry Jurors was the choice for this year play, student director Nathan Ayotte commented, “In a time where social justice has gained traction among young people, as more and more teenagers are developing their own ethos and belief system to deconstruct the world around them, 12 Angry Jurors is a beautiful commentary on the Justice system in American Democracy”.
There isn’t a real “main” character in 12 Angry Jurors, it’s an ensemble piece with 12 leading roles. This years cast consists of freshman Bailey Chapin (Juror 1), freshman Bella Cabral (Juror 2), senior Mia Bekech (Juror 3), senior Issac Lyne (Juror 4), junior Sara Kocinsky (Juror 5), freshman Grace Codd (Juror 6), sophomore Sam Miller (Juror 7), sophomore Nora Watson (Juror 8), junior Bella Mercado (Juror 9), junior Paul Litchfield (Juror 10), sophomore Tim Spillane (Juror 11) and sophomore Medha Bhatnagar (Juror 12).
