NEW MILFORD — First-year starting quarterback Jacob “Boots” Burden showed no signs of jitters in helping the Newtown High School football team to a convincing opening week victory. Burden tossed a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another score in Newtown’s 47-18 win over the host New Milford Green Wave on September 12.

The victory gave the Nighthawks the Boot Trophy — awarded to the winner of this matchup each time the South-West Conference rivals meet — for the eighth straight time dating back to 2002. For a day, we'll call it the Boots Trophy.

Burden, a senior making his first varsity start, got the scoring going with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Jared Pearson in the first quarter, then rushed for a ten-yard TD in second, and the Nighthawks never looked back.

“He stepped into a very tough situation, with very little experience,” Newtown Coach Steve George said. “I can’t believe how well he handled himself.”

George expected his new QB to be up to the task but was very impressed with how well Burden saw the field and executed.

“I was quite nervous before,” Burden admitted. “But after the first snap, I knew my offensive line, my receivers, everybody was backing me up.”

Nick Rubino rushed for two scores — one from seven yards out to answer New Milford’s lone first half TD, giving the Hawks a 20-6 advantage at halftime; the other a 21-yard run to pad the lead in the second half.

Jaret DeVellis used a burst of speed to break free for a 50-yard touchdown run, making it 26-6 less than a minute into the third. Burden connected with Julian Dunn on a 21-yard score for a 33-6 cushion. In the fourth quarter, Rubino got into the end zone from 21 yards out and Hunter Cobb added a 79-yard dash for paydirt. Kicker Connor Miller was successful on five of his extra point attempts.

The game started off sluggishly for the Nighthawks. Thrown penalty flags piled up like laundry with one drive alone being marred by several holding calls. Two more penalties negated would-be TD runs by DeVellis, and yet another nullified an Ethan Carpenter interception.

“I’ve never seen that many penalties,” said George, in his eighth year as coach of the Hawks. “I’m sure they were there. We’ve got to clean that up,” added the coach, suggesting the correct calls were made by the officials.

DeVellis was disappointed to have a couple scores wiped off the board, but was pleased that the team regrouped in the second half and played a clean game.

Dunn was a factor on both sides of the ball. He made an acrobatic catch, juggling the ball and maintaining enough focus to make the catch, despite being hit, on a play that set up Burden’s rushing TD. Dunn also recovered a fumble.

George was pleased with the defensive effort, particularly that of his linebackers, Tim Krapf, Ben Mason, Rubino, and Nick Samuelson.

“Our defense played really well tonight. We shut ’em down in the first half,” George said.

George was also satisfied with what he saw out of his team’s running game, but not with the fact the team was pressed into so many passing situations because of penalties leading to several second and long, and third and long situations.

The Nighthawks will return to the field for a 7 pm visit to Bunnell of Stratford on Friday, September 19.