LOOKING BACK | BY GEORGE ALBANO

10 YEARS AGO

The Norwalk High boys soccer team began the season with backto-back 3-0 victories as six different players scored. Andres Torres, Jake Zuniga and Christ Puente netted goals in the Bears’ season-opening win against Westhill, while one day later Chris Jeffrey, Fabian Carvajal and Kevin Joslyn tallied second-half scores as NHS blanked St. Joe’s. Freshman goalie Svet Kozak posted both shutouts.

After playing ties in its first two games, Brien McMahon beat Danbuy 3-0 on second-half goals by Ariel Erazo, Rolando Monteral and Aleko Petridis. Bryan Daniello recorded the shutout in goal. It was the first win for new head coach Kenny Dustin ... After an opening loss, McMahon’s girls soccer team broke into the win column by beating Stamford 1-0. Toni Martinez scored the only goal while goalie Sabrina Echeverry made the lead stand.

The NHS field hockey team also notched its initial victory as the Lady Bears blanked Trumbull 3-0 on goals by Kristen Benitez, Christina Mace and Mia Kutrubis while Anya Falcone had the shutout in goal.

In football, McMahon bounced back from a season-opening loss to beat Harding 39-14, giving new head coach AJ Albano his first victory. Chris Jerome ran for two touchdowns, Ryan Scott and Jermaine Martin-Riley each ran for one and Clement Abonyi had a pick-six while Brandon Freeman returned a fumble for another TD.

25 YEARS AGO

Norwalk native Jerry Courville added yet another achievement to his already-outstanding golf career when he won the 1995 U.S. Mid-Amateur championship in Maryland, which qualified him to play in next year’s Masters tournament. The 36-year-old Shorehaven golfer punched his ticket to Augusta by posting a 1-up victory over Canadian Warren Sye in the 18-hole match-play final at the prestigious event for amateurs 25 and older. Courville was three down after six holes and still trailed by two after 12 holes. He won the next two holes to knot the score and then sank a 1 1⁄2- foot birdie putt on 18 to clinch the title. The Masters will be Courville’s second major tournament after qualifying for this year’s U.S. Open.

The combined Brien McMahon-Norwalk High girls soccer club, now in its second year, earned its first-ever point by playing the Staples JV team to a 2-2 tie. Diana Burmester scored both goals as the Norwalkers rallied from a 2-0 deficit. Jill Cimminello and Joelle Oulmet

had assists.

The NHS field hockey team blanked Westhill 3-0 on goals by Susan Combis, Kellee George and Colleen Kelly and a ninesave shutout by goalie Kelly Walsh ... McMahon nipped Danbury 1-0 as Michelle Sabsels

scored the only goal and Michelle Audet recorded the shutout in goal.

The McMahon football team scored 18 fourth-quarter points as the Senators beat St. Joe’s 24-7 for their 16th straight win over three seasons. J.R. Jenkins caught two touchdown passes and picked off an interception for the defending FCIAC and state champs, now 2-0. Charles Covington added a 55-yard TD run, Luis Vega

rushed for 117 yards and Tommy

Phillips booted a 20-yard field goal and three PATs.

Norwalk High led Trumbull 8-0 before the Eagles scored 24 unanswered points to beat the Bears 24-8. Maurice Powell, who rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win over Danbury, ran for another 112 yards and accounted for all the NHS scoring with a 27-yard TD run and two-point conversion.

50 YEARS AGO

Local high school football fans enjoyed a perfect weekend as the city’s three teams all posted victories while outscoring the opposition 103-8. Norwalk High routed Andrew Warde 47-0 as Paul Caldwell ran for 144 yards and accounted for 28 points with four touchdowns and a pair of twopoint conversions. Doug Peoples added 117 yards as the 1-1 Bears accumulated 321 yards on the ground. Peoples also caught a two-point conversion pass and kicked a 20-yard field goal. Brian O’Malley, filling in for injured QB Mike Caden, threw a touchdown pass to Len Tuozzollo and two PAT passes while reserve Jim Whitley returned an interception 45 yards in the final quarter as head coach Carl Paight cleared his bench. Caden did start on defense and had two interceptions.

Brien McMahon also registered a one-sided victory as the 2-0 Senators beat Rippowam 35-0 at Boyle Stadium. Rick Buckley grabbed a fumble out of the air on the second play from scrimmage and returned it 12 yards for the game’s first touchdown. Abe Weldon added two TDs, including a 45-yard punt return, while QB Paul Pastore fired touchdown passes to John LaSala and

Tom Fagan. Rudy Gisolfi was 5-for-5 on extra points.

Central Catholic, like NHS, bounced back from an opening loss to defeat Joel Barlow 21-8 as

Jamie Flynn ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns while adding an interception on defense. Bob Reineke scored the Cavaliers’ other TD on a halfback option pass from Jim Tucciarone, who rushed for another 88 yards.

A city rivalry clash kicked off the local cross country season as Norwalk beat McMahon 21-36.

Bill Chard led the Bears by finishing first overall while thirdplace finisher was the Senators’ top runner.