NHS Gridders Outlast New Milford, Win Boot Game

By Andy Hutchison

After the special teams and defensive units carried the Newtown High School football team to victories in its first three wins of the season, the offense took its turn in the spotlight. Newtown’s offense carried a bulk of the weight in the Nighthawks’ wild 41-25 win over New Fairfield at Blue & Gold Stadium on October 9.

Newtown allowed six more points than it had in the first three games combined, but also had its most productive day offensively.

This matchup had a little extra meaning since it was the annual Boot Game. Newtown kept its hold on the trophy and, in doing so, remained undefeated at 4-0. New Milford dropped to 1-3 despite threatening to knock the Hawks from the unbeaten ranks until late in the contest when the Nighthawks pulled away.

The score was 14-12 Newtown at halftime and a wild third quarter, in which the teams combined for 33 points, ended with Newtown ahead 34-25. Both teams seemed to grab momentum and seize control at different times during this damp night when the rain, for the most part, held off.

Although the NHS kickoff and punt teams each allowed touchdowns and the defense had some holes for the first time this season, there were some bright spots for the Hawks even when they weren’t on offense.

Newtown’s Tory Deakin came up with interceptions on back-to-back defensive series early in the game. Newtown was clinging to a 21-18 edge when Ryan Korth intercepted a New Milford pass and returned the ball 16 yards to the New Milford 14.

On the play following Korth’s pickoff, Deakin weaved his way through the defense for a touchdown — one of his two scores — and a 27-18 advantage. Newtown opted to go for two points but couldn’t get into the end zone and New Milford’s John Kimberly returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a score to cut the NHS lead to a slim 27-25 with 6:14 to play in the third. It didn’t take long for Newtown to answer back. Deakin did everything in twos in this game — consecutive interceptions, a pair of touchdowns … and back-to-back first down runs to set up his five-yard TD score, making it 34-25 late in the third.

Brian Kuruc had a clutch interception at the Newtown 10 yard line midway though the fourth to help seal the win. Max Nacewicz found the end zone on a 32-yard run, his second TD, to finish off the scoring.

New Milford got on the scoreboard first on Don Clady’s 73-yard punt return in the opening quarter. Newtown’s Jamie Bowers blocked the extra point attempt. Deakin had his first interception inside the New Milford 20 and set up his offense with possession at the 14. On the next play, Kyle O’Connor carried the ball into the end zone and Rory Noonan’s point after made it 7-6 NHS, an edge the Hawks held through the first quarter of play.

In the second, New Milford’s Rory Kennedy had an 18-yard TD reception for a 12-7 lead for the visitors. New Milford went for two points but couldn’t punch it in.

Newtown reclaimed the lead, 14-12, on Louis Fenaroli’s seven-yard TD run up the middle. The scoring play was set up by a creative display of offense the Hawks pulled from the bottom of their hat of plays. On the first play of a drive beginning at the NHS 20, starting quarterback John Fracker lined up out of his usual position and Evan Noonan took the snap. Noonan handed off to Fenaroli, who ran the ball in the backfield and handed the ball off to a crossing Fracker who proceeded to make a downfield pass to O’Connor. He picked up several yards after the catch and turned the reverse/pass play into a 45-yard gain to the New Milford 35. Fenaroli then had a 20-yard scamper to move the ball closer the goal line to set the stage for his TD rush.

“We needed to get something going offensively. We practice a lot of stuff all week and I always think to myself ‘why don’t I ever call it’ so I just figured this time I was committed to calling something,” NHS Coach Steve George said. “It was nice that it worked. Sometimes trick plays will kill you and this time it helped us a lot.”

The back and forth play continued early in the third quarter. Newtown lost the ball on a fumble on the second half kickoff. On the next play, New Milford cashed in on Clady’s 26-yard touchdown reception. New Milford again failed to convert a two-point conversion and settled for an 18-14 lead.

New Milford had the ball with a chance to build on its lead, but Newtown’s Connor McNamara pounced on a fumbled ball at the New Milford 27. That turnover set up a 10-yard Nacewicz TD run for a 21-18 NHS advantage and Newtown, from that point on, never relinquished the lead.

Newtown was thrilled to get the win but George said the team would have to work on its kick return coverage in practice to prepare for its next game.

“You just can’t score and then give the score right back and that’s what was happening,” George said.

The coach, though, was impressed with his offense’s ability to keep the New Milford defense on the field for long stretches of time.

“It’s an adrenaline rush,” Deakin said of winning this back-and-forth game. “Everybody worked for it tonight.”

The Nighthawks will try to remain perfect in battle with another unbeaten team — Pomperaug — in Southbury on Friday, October 16 at 7 pm.

“We have to play perfectly to beat them. Everything has to click on that day,” Fracker said.