Fairfield Scores and Standings: Aug 31

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Fairfield's James Blake won his first-round match in the U.S. Open on Monday, defeating Jesse Huta Galung of The Netherlands, 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 at the United States Tennis Center.

Though his world ranking has dropped to 63rd, Blake has made it past the first round of the Open in each of his last 10 appearances in New York.

He reached the quarterfinals in 2004 and 2005, the fourth round in 2007 and the third round in the last three years.

Blake will take on fifth-seeded David Ferrer of Spain in the second round.

Duncan Della Volpe is beginning his third season as Fairfield Warde's football coach and Tom Shea is starting his second year at Fairfield Prep.

The two coaches are in similar positions in that they are trying to build winning programs. They appear to have their teams headed in the right directions, though they aren't there yet.

Della Volpe has guided the Mustangs to a pair of 5-5 seasons in the rugged FCIAC, which is an improvement from the 3-8 and 4-6 records the previous two years.

In his first season, Shea led the Jesuits to a 3-7 record in the equally competitive Southern Connecticut , which doesn't sound like much, but it certainly was a step up from the year before when Fairfield Prep hit rock bottom with an 0-10 record.

The two Fairfield schools, who are looking to reach the next level in the rebuiding process, square off it a scrimmage Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m. at Tetreau/Davis Field.

This is first opportunity for Della Volpe and Shea to see their teams against live opposition.

Warde has two more scrimmages before the season opener against McMahon on Sept. 16: Saturday at Hillhouse (10 a.m.) and next Thursday against White Plains (N.Y.)

Fairfield Prep keeps it local with a scrimmage against Fairfield Ludlowe at Saturday at Alumni Field (9 a.m.), then has scrimmages next Wednesday and Friday against Trumbull and Staples, respectively.

The Jesuits kick off the regular season on Sept 16 at Hand.

The Fairfield Fencing Academy is hosting Ed Vebell Classic on Oct. 6. The men's open epee starts at 9 a.m., followed by the women's ppen Epee at 12 p.m.

This marks the first time the Fairfield Fencing Academy will be hosting a USFA event.

Vebell competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics, where he made it to the semifinals of the individual event and the quarter-finals of the team tournament.

Although he intended to attend the 1956 and 1960 games, a detached retina and a newborn child respectively scuttled his chances. At the 1951 Pan American Games he won gold with the foil team, silver with the épée team and bronze in the individual épée.

This USFA event will serve as tribute to an American fencing legend.