Newtown High School’s football team, its 44-13 triumph over visiting Bunnell of Stratford on October 12 making it five straight games with at least 42 points, has spent the season battering the opposition en route to a 5-0 start to the campaign. But the Nighthawks, themselves, are somewhat dinged up, and welcome a week off from game play as they enter into their bye week.

“I can’t wait to get healthy here – everyone’s got bumps and bruises,” said Newtown Coach Steve George, who saw two of his running backs, Hunter Cobb and Jared Pearson, get taken out of the game after minor injuries the coach doesn’t expect will hamper them for long.

The Nighthawks, following a bye week, won’t get back to game play until a Friday, October 23 visit to Joel Barlow of Redding, starting at 7 pm.

Newtown and Bunnell Bulldogs had their originally scheduled game postponed a few days because of a threat of lightning storms on October 9. Once it was finally game time, it was business as usual for the Nighthawks as they pulled ahead 35-0 at halftime and coasted to victory yet again; they’ve outscored teams by no less than 28 points all season long.

Pearson, before leaving the game in the second half, certainly made his mark, doing a bulk of the ball carrying and scoring a touchdown. Ben Mason opened the scoring with a 40-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Justin Dunn. Ethan Carpenter added a five-yard TD run for a 14-0 lead after one quarter of play. Carpenter also had a first-quarter interception.

Pearson’s nine-yard scoring run extended the lead to 20-0 midway through the second quarter. A bobbled snap on the extra point try resulted in a failed two-point conversion but little else went wrong for Newtown. Carpenter’s ten-yard TD catch in the back left corner of the end zone, followed by Ryan Kost’s extra point, extended the lead to 27-0 with 1:32 to go before the half. Less than a minute later, Mason intercepted a pass and returned it 74 yards for a TD. Pearson passed to Declan Sullivan for a two-point conversion, making it 35-0 with 38 seconds left before the break.

In the third quarter, Kost booted a 31-yard field goal. In the fourth, after a pair of Bunnell scores, Mike Doyle’s reception set up Michael Garner’s two-yard rush into the end zone to cap the scoring (the extra point was no good). Doyle had a late-game interception and the Nighthawks ran out the clock.

Although the Nighthawks graduated several starters from a year ago, George is not at all surprised by the continued success of his defending South-West Conference champion team. “You graduate good kids every year,” said the coach, adding that he also has plenty of three-year starters in the lineup.

As well as the Hawks have played, and much of the success in moving the ball can be attributed to the work of the offensive line, George notes, the coach isn’t content.

“I always look at how we can get better. I expect to win every week,” George said.