7TH GRADE

Newtown 26, Norwalk 19

Dan Hebert scored three touchdowns and threw for another as the Newtown seventh-grade football team earned its first win of the 2007 season, a 26-19 decision over a tough Norwalk Buc squad.

The Nighthawks took the opening kick and marched right down the field with an impressive 12-play drive that was capped off with Hebert sneaking in from three yards out. The front line led by Taggart Schmidt, Alec Woznick, Pat Mullins and Mason Flynn opened up the holes for Hebert, Phil Reynolds, Justin DeVellis and Ralph Strocchia throughout the drive.

From there, the defense took over and stopped the Bucs on four downs. Christian Barrett, Zachery Clyne, James Marusi and Reid Schmidt led the charge that stuffed the Bucs opening drive.

On their second possession, Newtown once again churned out big yardage with back Dan Poeltl and the strong straight forward running of fullback Josh Villa carrying the load. On a crucial third down play from the 10, Hebert rolled left and threw a touchdown pass to JP Kitzmiller. Though the pass was overthrown, but Kitzmiller made a great one-handed catch as he was stretched out and falling to the ground.

The point after failed and the score was 12-0.

Newtown’s defense bent, but it didn’t break as Norwalk was held scoreless for the first half thanks to the hard hitting and tackling of Dean Baye, Jack Champagne, Chris Devaney, Chris Stanton and end Patrick Thornberg.

 In the second half, though, Norwalk got rolling and put a quick six points on the board to get close 12-6, but on Newtown’s next possession the blocking up front by James Pearson, Robbie Hughes and Dean Demers enabled Hebert to reach paydirt again with a nifty quarterback sweep. Ivan Hutchinson made the point-after boot to put Newtown ahead 20-6.

Norwalk bounced right back with another touchdown and pulled to within seven heading into the fourth quarter. The Newtown defense stiffened, though, as Thomas Bauer, Jack Kearney, Brian Kruger and Nick Madden held the Norwalk runners in check.

Once again the offense took over and with the strong blocking of KC Condon, John Meyers and Alec Woznick, Hebert found his way into the end zone again on a QB bootleg around right end. Norwalk scored again but the strong tackling of David Cartisano, Joe Davis, Graham Derrickson, Mike Daubert, Trevor Parsons and Matt Shannon stopped the Bucs from getting any closer.

6TH GRADE

Newtown 19, Ridgefield 6

The Newtown sixth-grade football team traveled to Ridgefield on last weekend to take on the Ridgefield Raiders (Black) squad in Candlewood Valley Youth Football League action and came away 19-6 winners.

The game began as a defensive struggle as neither team could gain a clear advantage in the opening quarter. The Newtown defense – led by interior linemen Patrick Afryie, Tommy Gleason and Jimmy Leidlein – held the Ridgefield team scoreless and forced them to punt on their two possessions in the quarter.

At the start of the second quarter, Ridgefield found themselves with the ball on their own 42 after a Newtown fumble and was able to drive to the Newtown 26 before being held and turning the ball over on downs.

Starting at their own 26, the Nighthawks put together their first scoring drive. After an initial one-yard loss on a sweep, quarterback Drew Tarantino connected with Matt Hoyt on a pass that netted 30 yards. Newtown then took it down to the Ridgefield 25 on runs of five and three yards by Cooper Gold, and runs of three and nine yards by Julian Dunn.

After a five yard motion penalty put them back on the Ridgefield 30, Tarantino connected with Hoyt on another pass play of 14 yards to the Ridgefield 16. After an incomplete pass, Gold ran nine yards to the Ridgefield 7 before Dunn brought the ball down to the one on a six-yard run.

From their Tarantino punched it in on a QB keeper for the score. The PAT failed.

Newtown received the kickoff to start the third quarter and on the first play from scrimmage, from their own 30, Tarantino pitched to Dunn on an option and Dunn took it to the house, 70 yards for the touchdown. Dunn then punched in the PAT and Newtown was up 13-0.

In the fourth, the Newtown offense went back to work. After a Dunn gain of eight yards to the 37, Gold ripped off three nice runs – the last going for 24 yards – behind the blocking of linemen Nick Strokis, Connor Noonan, Matt White, Leidlein, Afryie, Gleason and Michael Davis to once again get the ball to the one.

From there, Tarantino punched the ball in again for the TD.

After receiving the kick off, the Raiders’ put together a drive of its own, capped off by a nifty 30-yard touchdown pass on fourth and 15.

But it wasn’t nearly enough. On Sunday, at 12 noon, the sixth graders will battle Aspetuck.

5TH GRADERS

Newtown 27, Ridgefield 0

 

Colton Smith and Nick Lotrecchiano combined for 200 yards rushing and four touchdowns as the Newtown fifth-grade football team pounded Ridgefield Orange, 27-0. As much as the offense dominated the game, the Newtown defense also shined while allowing Ridgefield no first downs and just two yards of total offense.

It was a crippling one-two punch.

Smith and Lotrecchiano carried the load, averaging 25 yards each time they touched the ball. Smith rushed for 132 yards on just four carries while Lotrecchiano rushed for 68 yards on only four carries, with three of those resulting in touchdowns.

Shane Quimby and Jaret DeVellis added 42 yards of their own while six other Hawks – Ryan Sullivan, Aaron Beckett, Max Rucinski, Jonathan Rospenda, Troy Frangione and Will Dalton – had the opportunity to carry the ball and contribute another 45 yards as Newtown generated 287 yards of total offense.

Big Bubba Condon smashed his way thru the Ridgefield defense, adding three extra point conversions to close out the Newtown blitzkrieg.

Smith was also a terror on the defensive side, leading all tacklers with five takedowns. Dalton and Condon each had four tackles. Markus Elkin and Rucinski had three each while Matt Bouton, Aiden Petershack, Connor Roche, Ryan Szalay, and Tim Krapf each added two Ridgefield pelts to their individual collection.

The hit of the day however was served up by Sullivan, who delivered a bone crushing hit that resulted in a one-yard loss for Ridgefield. Jacob Burden picked off a fourth quarter pass while Rucinski and Frangione put the final nail in Ridgefield coffin by causing a fumble on the last kick-off and ultimately recovering the ball for Newtown.

The Nighthawks will battle Norwalk this weekend in a reprise of the 2006 CVL championship.

79ER BLUE

Newtown 28, Norwalk 13

 

Nick Genovese scored a pair of touchdowns and Peyton Manning added one as the Newtown 79er Blue team pounded Norwalk, 28-13, in its 2007 home opener at Hawley School.

The 79ers came out on fire with their first possession resulting in a touchdown thanks to some major blocking by Scotty Bauer, clearing the way for Genovese to run in for the game’s first touchdown. QB Justin (Bone) Dunn passed the ball to Bobby Haskins for one of his three extra point receptions.

On Norwalk’s first possession, the Blue defense was impenetrable as a sack by Ryan Marusi resulted in a 10-yard loss and, on the next play, a tackle by Matt Davis led to a 12-yard loss. Then on third and long, Norwalk fumbled and the ball was recovered by Mitchel Long.

On the next play, Manning bolted 40 yards for a touchdown and also ran in the extra point.

Later, another fumble by Norwalk at the 30 created another offensive opportunity as Tommy Kitzmiller ran for 35 yards. Dunn added yardage and Jack Wellman and Will Whitlock blocked aggressively on the offensive line.

In the second half, Norwalk finally got on the board with its first touchdown. But, again, Newtown took control of the game with great offense and defense – led by tackle Ed Henderson, CJ Shambelan and Christopher Febbraio.

After another Norwalk fumble, Genovese ran in from 47 yards out with Dunn and Haskins combining for the extra point.

Great defense came from Will Stenz, Joshua Dunn and AJ Solaris finished off Norwalk.