“We’re finding ourselves more and more,” said coach Ken Roberts, “and the kid’s are really beginning to understand what it’s all about.”

 

By Kim J. Harmon

STRATFORD – Even at 2-1, even after a 30-12 win over Stratford last Friday, coach Ken Roberts still feels his team is not there, still not putting all three phases of the game together.

That’s good news.

Because last Friday, the ‘Hawks did a pretty nice job of moving the ball on the Red Devils – be it in the hands of Kyle Tobin, Jon Werbeck, Matt Saunders, Adam Hayden or Rich Petretti, all of whom combined for 314 yards on 55 carries – and holding the Red Devils in check on defense.

“We have yet to put together all three phases of the game,” said coach Roberts, “but we’re getting closer and closer.”

Any closer and the ‘Hawks could be quite difficult to stop . . . as they were on Friday. Using primarily the running game, the ‘Hawks let Tobin (17-for-69) lead the way in the first half and Werbeck (15-for-109) lead the way in the second half. When those two weren’t handling the ball, Saunders and Hayden (15-for-83) were getting a couple of touches and Petretti (5-for-38) was scrambling for some nice gains.

Everything working pretty well.

And right away, too.

Despite the early start on Friday afternoon because of the Rosh Hashanah holiday, the ‘Hawks were far from sluggish. The Red Devils moved the ball past midfield, but a tipped pass interception by Werbeck turned the ball over to the ‘Hawks.

Starting from their own 38, the ‘Hawks went off on a nine-play drive that ended when Tobin swept right for a two-yard touchdown run. Petretti hit Matt McCarthy on the two-point conversion pass to give Newtown an 8-0 lead.

On the drive, Tobin rushed for 42 yards while Hayden rushed for 18.

An interception and then a muffed handoff  put a stop to Newtown’s next two drives and the third drive – which started on the ‘Hawks nine yard line – suffered through a holding penalty and Tobin getting pulled down in the backfield, right near the goal line.

Newtown was forced to punt in the shadow of its own goal line and all Stratford did (on the legs of Corey Jackson) was return that punt 35 yards for a touchdown. The conversion pass was incomplete and, with 2:58 left in the half, Newtown clung to an 8-6 lead.

It was a lot of time.

Newtown started its last drive of the half on its own 13. Petretti swept left on a keeper for eight yards and Tobin was stopped cold at the line for no gain. On third and two, Werbeck barely picked up the first down before Hayden was off on a 20-yard jaunt up to the 43-yard line. Petretti scrambled twice for nine yards and Hayden put together two more carries for 16 yards, getting Newtown down to the Stratford 32.

Petretti went deep on the next play, but the pass was broken up on the goal line. Undeterred, he tossed a shovel pass to McCarthy on the next play and it turned into an 18-yard gain down to the 14.

Then, with 20 seconds left in the half, Petretti rolled out left, biding his time, and found Savino virtually sitting in the front corner of the end zone just waiting for the touchdown pass that would put the ‘Hawks ahead 16-6 (after a halfback option pass from Hayden earned the conversion).

Early in the third, a fumble came back to haunt Newtown. Stratford took over on the Newtown 39 and needed just five plays before Rob Wauthier hit Steve Condor on a 15-yard slant for a touchdown. Once again, Stratford failed on the conversion, and the Nighthawks clung to a 16-12 lead.

All Newtown did then was take off on an 11-play, 65-yard drive that ended when Hayden banged up the middle three yards for the touchdown. Werbeck served up a huge chunk of that yardage (39 yards, to be exact) on five consecutive carries, to get Newtown in position for the touchdown.

Saunders ran in the conversion for as 24-12 lead.

The ‘Hawks weathered two Stratford runs at the end zone (one was stopped on an interception by Dave Roodhuyzen)  and, later, a 44-yard punt return by Jackson and did not give up a score. The Nighthawks then put the game away with fewer than four minutes left to play in the fourth.

Stratford turned the ball over on downs deep in their own territory and Newtown took over on the Red Devils’ 23. It took Werbeck just two carries to put the ball in the end zone and give the ‘Hawks their 30-12 win.

Now 2-1, the ‘Hawks will host Brookfield on Saturday at 7 pm.

Newtown     8       8       8       6       - 30

Stratford     0       6       6       0       - 12

I.      First Quarter

N- Tobin, 3-yard run (McCarthy pass from Petretti)

I.      Second Quarter

S- Jackson, 35-yard punt return (pass failed)

N- Savino, 14-yard pass from Petretti (Savino pass from Hayden)

I.      Third Quarter

S- Wauthier, 14-yard pass to Connor (run failed)

N- Hayden, 3-yard run (Saunders run)

I.      Fourth Quarter

N- Werbeck, 13-yard run (pass failed)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

 

RUSHING    ATT  YDS   TD

Jon Werbeck  15      109     1

Adam Hayden 15      83      1

Kyle Tobin    17      69      1

Rich Petretti  5        38      0

Totals        55     314    3

 

RECEIVING REC  YDS   TD

Matt McCarthy        1        16      0

Nick Savino    1        14      1

PASSING    CMP  ATT  YDS   TD

Rich Petretti  8        2        30      1