There finally came a blip in the 2001 season for the Newtown Pop Warner football program as the Junior Pee Wees, Pee Wees and Junior Midgets all dropped their first games of the season against Monroe. But the 89ers and Midgets both won – so it wasn’t a bad weekend after all.

The 89ers defeated the Lions, 20-0, on Saturday and the Midgets came through on Sunday with a tough, 15-12 win.

In that game, the Lions scored first and took a 6-0 lead, but after a sustained drive Steve Kean rambled 10 yards for a touchdown. The ‘Hawks converted the extra point when Grant Speer snapped the ball to Jack Capito, who pitched to Marc Ingerman for the conversion.

In the third quarter, Monroe went back up on top, but couldn’t convert the extra point when Max Rojo batted the ball away. In the fourth quarter, the ‘Hawks took the ball over on downs with four minutes to play and quickly scored – on the first play, as it were – when Carey Olsen ran 65 yards for the touchdown. Ingerman added the kick for the two-point conversion and the ‘Hawks led, 15-12.

James Wiedemann, Rojo, Kevin Regan, Kean and Ingerman anchored a tough defense.

The Junior Midgets had eased through their first two games of the 2001 season, but dropped a 31-14 decision to a strong Monroe team.

Halfback Tucker Kass hit tight end Cody Shpunt with a touchdown pass and Tommy “Rambo” Gaboriault rushed 27 yards for another touchdown to lead the Newtown offense on the afternoon. Blocks by Drew Adamek and Joe Bowen helped spring Gaboriault.

The game opened well, with Steve Orrico unleashing a crushing tackle that seemed to halt the Lion drive. But Monroe soon scored on a 39-yard sweep to take a 7-0 lead. Newtown rallied soon after, with Joe Collins starting things from the back field and Kass hitting Shpunt with a 12-yard pass for the first ‘Hawk score of the game.

The extra point was no good and Newtown trailed, 7-6.

The defense of Jake Putnicki, Steve Vichiola, Bowen, Collins, and Poeltl held Monroe tough, but the Lions soon sprung another long TD run to take a 13-6 lead. Joe Curran and Gaboriault made some nice runs and Kass hit Poeltl with another pass, but the ‘Hawks failed to score again by the end of the half.

Kass, Joe Devellis and Gaboriault all rushed well as the ‘Hawks opened the second half well, but the drive was snuffed out. Then, despite the effort of Ted Gissen, Brian Stickles, Adamek, and Shpunt, the Lions scored again to take a 19-6 lead.

Later, Nick Maurer, Adamek and Bowen made a solid defensive play to stop the extra point following another Monroe touchdown – but the Lions still led, 25-6. That gave the ‘Hawks the chance to stage a bit of a rally as Devellis and Kass bother ran well and Gaboriault galloped 27 yards for a touchdown. Jon Monaco, Ryan Tanner, Adamek and Bowen all made key blocks in the drive.

Gaboriault kicked the extra point and Newtown trailed, 25-14.

Monroe scored one last time but missed the extra point when Gaboriault, Vichiola and Shpunt made a swarming tackle. On offense, Poeltl made a couple of nice catches and Kass passed for 10 yards on another play, but the ‘Hawks could get no closer.

It was closer for the Junior Pee Wees, but it still came out to a tough, 13-8 loss.

But it was a story of defense in the early going. Monroe started on offense and moved down the field, but the Newtown D stiffense at its own 25 yard line and took the ball over. The Newtown offense, though, was unable to score despite solid work from Mark Scheunemann, Brian Reszoly and AJ Ritchie.

Monroe scored first late in the first quarter on a 30-yard, off tackle run. Jake Devellis made a solid tackle on the extra point, but Monroe – which has displayed big time offense in its first two games – still led, 6-0.

Monroe scored again in the second quarter on a quarterback keeper around the left end that was nearly stopped in the back field. The play covered 47 yards and, with the PAT run, put Monroe on top, 13-0.

Newtown pulled close in the fourth quarter when Devellis hit Scheunemann on a 49-yard pass play. Scheunemann got behind the defender, gathered in the perfect pass, and rambled into the end zone for the score. Charlie Lobosco added the extra point kick and the Monroe lead was trimmed to 13-8.

That was as close as it would get, though.

The Newtown defense played well behind the efforts of Cody Marus (sack), Timo Roehrs, Anthony Corleto, Devellis, Mike Hadgraft, Jake Woolfe, Mike Poeltl, and Brian Mascolo. The defense caused five fumbles and recovered two of those.

The Pee Wees came just as close, too, in a 14-6 loss to Monroe.

As the defense of Dan DeLaVega, Jamie Post, Travis Speer, Christopher Matthei, Eric Palmer, Justin McGrath Tyler Tarantino and Brendan Martin was able to stymie Monroe, the offense was ready to move.

On the Nighthawks’ third play from scrimmage, Speer broke away for a 63-yard touchdown run that put them ahead, 6-0.

But Monroe came right back. Thomas Hutchison, Eric Dreher and Lucas Vendel made some fine defensive plays, but Monroe put a nice drive together and scored to take a 7-6 lead by the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Tarantino, Vendel, Hutchison, Jeff Davis and McGrath all took turns rushing the ball and brought Newtown near midfield, but Monroe intercepted a pass and ran it all the way back for its second touchdown of the day.

With the PAT kick, the Lions held a 14-6 lead.

The ‘Hawks started to move at the close of the first half as Hutchison and Tarantino both ran well, but they ran out of time.

Zach Conger, Connor Martin, Ryan Manning and Dreher all played solid defense to keep Monroe out of the end zone in the second half. McGrath, Vendel and Tarantino continued to make some big hits.

With two minutes left to play, the ‘Hawks took one last crack at the end zone. Davis completed a pair of passes – first to Hutchison and then to Speer – but the ‘Hawks failed to pick up the first down and Monroe took over.

SCHEDULE

 

versus Ridgefield

 

Saturday, September 22 – Pee Wees at 10 am, Junior Pee Wees at 12 noon, and 89ers at 2 pm; Sunday, September 23 – Junior Midgets at 12 noon and Midgets at 2 pm. Check out scores and other info at www.eteamz.com/ npwnighthawks.