After a disappointing loss to Trumbull, the Staples Wreckers hit the road on Feb. 10 for another FCIAC contest against Danbury. Though Staples were without two key players, Sam Clachko ’26 and Charlie Bowman ’25, they were able to come away with their 10th FCIAC victory of the season in a 42-34 win over the Hatters.

“Although Sam and Charlie were both out due to injury, I thought other guys stepped up big and helped us come away with the win, which is the most important thing,” Adam Udell ’25 said.

Charlie Bowman, who has been having a breakout year for Staples, will be sidelined for at least a couple of weeks after suffering an ankle injury against Trumbull. The Staples forward is hopeful to be back in time for FCIAC playoffs.

Mason Tobias ’26 saw a larger role in Bowman’s absence and made the most of his opportunity; Tobias recorded a game-high 19 points and also grabbed seven rebounds for the Wreckers.

As per usual, the key to Staples’ success was their performance on the defensive side of the basketball. In the first quarter, they held Danbury to just three points, the lowest number of points allowed in a quarter on Staples all year.

“Our defensive tenacity is something that we take great pride in,” Drew Hill ’26 said. “It’s such an important part of basketball and has helped us win a lot of games this year.”

As they say, defense wins championships, and that will be on Coach Dave Goldshore’s mind as the postseason approaches. Having lost in the FCIAC championship game last year, the Wreckers will be looking to finally win the FCIAC crown this year; in doing so, however, they will most likely have to get past undefeated Ridgefield. The two meet in the final game of the FCIAC regular season on Feb. 19 and will almost certainly meet again in the playoffs.