Can things possibly get any better? That’s what coaches with Newtown youth football are asking themselves as the 2007 season fast approaches.

You see, Newtown enjoyed almost incomprehensible success in 2006 – four football teams reach their respective Candlewood Valley League championship games with two bringing home titles; one football team (the fourth graders) captured an American Youth Football national championship after a best-of-three series with the Osceola Panthers; and one cheerleading team (the sixth graders) won a New England Regional championship and competed in Tampa, Florida.

Wow.

No one had a better year than the fourth grade football team. Head coach Patrick Smith knew he had something special on the first day of conditioning.

“I am amazed at how fast and quick the team is,” coach Smith later. “Not only do we have speedy backs, but we have linemen that add a lot of size and quickness to the mix.”

The ‘Hawks opened the season on September 9 with a narrow 20-12 win over the Norwalk Ravens, but then rolled to eight more wins – none by fewer than 19 points – to capture a Candlewood Valley League championship and secure the trip to Florida.

The locals allowed more than 10 points in a game only twice while out-scoring their opponents 268-56 and rushed for 36 touchdowns while throwing for seven more. Eight different players scored a TD for the ‘Hawks.

In Florida, teams from Texas and California opted not to attend and so the prize was up for grabs between the Nighthawks and the Panthers, a central Florida All-Star team put together to contend for the AYF title.

The locals won 18-7 in the opener, dropped a 25-19 overtime decision in the second game, and then captured the title with a 25-20 win in the deciding third game last Thursday.

“It’s very exciting,” coach Smith said upon the team’s return. “I couldn’t be happier. The kids had the time of their lives and it was a good experience.”

The eighth-grade football team had hoped to be making a similar trip last fall, but their juggernaut of a season came to a shocking end with a 26-6 loss to Ridgefield in the CVL championship on November 11.

The locals were more dominant than almost any other team in any other division in the CVL, racking up nine regular season wins while recording five shutouts. The ‘Hawks did not allow more than eight points in a game until the regular season finale, when they narrowly stopped the Norwalk Titans, 16-14.

But then the ‘Hawks faced Ridgefield, a team they had blanked 24-0 back on September 24, and were soundly beaten, 26-6.

The locals finished the year at 9-1, out-scoring their opponents 235-60.

Meanwhile, the seventh graders advanced to their divisional Orange Bowl championship game with a 13-7 win over Mahopac as the sixth graders stopped Mahopac, 18-6, to win a CVL Rose Bowl championship.

In the lower age groups, the 79er Gold team finished 7-1 with a 20-0 win over Bethel as the 79er Blue unit finished 5-4 with a 27-0 shutout of Hudson Valley.

And don’t forget the cheerleaders, who finished third in the CVL competition, third in the states (at New Haven) but then captured the New England Regional title, beating out 18 other teams with a spectacular performance in Manchester, New Hampshire.

The girls went down to the Sundome in Tampa, Florida, to close out their wonderful season.

Can it get better than that? Well, if it can, Newtown youth football will probably find a way.