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Weston Basketball Honors Newtown Victims In Opening Win

WESTON, Conn. – The Weston High School boys basketball team will carry a reminder of the victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy with them this season.

Weston basketball captain Charlie DiPasquale talks about what the team has done to remember the victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy.

Photo Credit: Video by Tom Renner

The Trojans opened the season Monday with a 78-60 victory over New Fairfield. Senior captain Charlie DiPasquale said the Trojans wrote “Newtown” and the initials of Sandy Hook Elementary School on the bottom of their sneakers before the game.

“When it happened, we dedicated our season to them,’’ said DiPasquale, who scored 15 points. “We had a moment of silence for them in the locker room, we sent all of our love to the victims. We used that as motivation to get a win tonight.”

Weston coach Mike Hvizdo said the team held a moment of silence before and after each practice prior to Monday’s game to remember the victims. The Trojans also had a moment of silence before and after the game.

“We tried to remind ourselves how grateful we are for what we have,’’ Hvizdo said. “We want to try to send all the love and positivity to the people of Newtown. It’s unbelievable. We’re very blessed for what we have.”

The tragedy hits closer to home for Weston than a lot of schools because of its proximity to Newtown, which is also a member of the South-West Conference. The teams play on Friday in Weston.

With the tragedy still fresh in the minds of many, it was cast aside for a little while when the game tipped off.

"We got into the flow of the game right away,’’ DiPasquale said. “Once it tipped off, I put all the outside stuff aside and we got a big lead. We pushed the ball up and got a lot of fast break points.”

Asher Lee-Tyson scored 17 points to lead Weston, including 10 in the first quarter when the Trojans built a 24-10 lead. Troy Flynn and Erik Dammen-Brower had nine each, while Pascal Arvoy had eight in a balanced Weston attack. Varsity newcomer Jordan Schaffer added six.

“We’re deeper than I thought,’’ Hvizdo said. “We got a chance to get everybody in and they all contributed. It was a good way to start.”

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