SEVENTH GRADE

Newtown 32, Bethel 6

Dan Hebert scored a pair of touchdowns, Josh Villa added one and Ralph Stroccia returned an onside kick 50 yards for another touchdown to lead the Newtown seventh-grade football team to a convincing 32-6 win over Bethel.

Big Blue began the day on defense and with some bone jarring tackles by Nick Madden, James Marusi and Justin DeVellis, Bethel fumbled on its first possession and the stage was set. From midfield, the offense – led by Hebert at quarterback and Phil Reynolds, Villa and Graham Derrickson in the backfield – was able to quickly put six points on the board.

Hebert scored behind the lead blocking of Chris Devaney, who took out two defenders on the play. Also leading the blocking up front during the entire first drive were Michael Daubert, Dean Demers, and Dean Baye.

Getting a perfect snap from John Meyers, old reliable Ivan Hutchinson was able to boot the extra points through the uprights for an 8-0 lead.

Big Blue was able to get the ball right back on a great pooch kick by Jack Kearney. The kick off landed just over the first line of Bethel players and Hebert was able to cover up the loose ball. From here, Newtown went back to work and following the strong blocking of Alec Woznick and Robbie Hughes on the line and a great down field block by David Cartisano, Hebert again found pay dirt.

Another perfect snap by Meyers and strong kick by Hutchinson made the score 16-0.

What helped keep this second drive going was a great catch and 20-yard run by Devaney.

The defense got into the action as Christian Barrett, Tom Bauer, KC Condon and Joe Davis limited the Bethel offense to only four plays before Newtown got the ball back with only a minute left in the half. From here, Newtown ate up big yardage on runs by Stroccia, Dan Poeltl and Davis. Add to this another fine catch by sure handed JP Kitzmiller and the half ended on a fake field goal from the 25 yard line.

The second half was no better for Bethel as they were not able to mount any kind of drive due to the tough Newtown defense. Michael Senf, DeVellis, Brian Kruger and Jack Kearney had spectacular efforts.

Hebert stopped another Bethel drive with an interception, bringing the ball down to the five. Villa then scored while following the blocking of Marusi and Reynolds, bulling his way in for the touchdown.

The Hutchinson kick put Newtown ahead 24-0.

Matthew Shannon, Trevor Parsons and strong end Mason Flynn kept the defense tough, but Bethel managed to score a touchdown to trim the lead to 24-6. But on the ensuing onside kick, Stroccia was alert and prepared as he picked the ball up on a bounce and raced 50 yards for another score.

Daubert finished Bethel off in the fourth with an interception.

After a bye, Big Blue will be back in action in two weeks hoping to improve on its 4-2 record.

TEAM      W-L

Monroe   6-0

Norwalk Panthers   6-0

Southern Dutchess 6-0

Ridgefield Black     4-1

Newtown                4-2

Yorktown                3-2

Ridgefield Orange  3-3

Aspetuck 3-3

Mahopac 2-3

Bethel     2-4

Somers    1-4

Norwalk Bucs         1-5

Carmel    1-5

Hudson Valley        0-5

Bridgeport               0-5

SIXTH GRADE

Newtown 20, Norwalk 6

With a balanced offensive attack and a stifling defense, the Newtown sixth-grade football team up-ended Norwalk, 20-6, in Candlewood Valley League action.

Cooper Gold rushed 16 times for 136 yards and a touchdown while Julian Dunn rushed 11 times for 141 yards. Drew Tarantino (two carries, 20 yards, TD) and Chase Wurtz (TD) also sparked the offense behind a strong line led by Jimmy Leidlein, Patrick Afriyie, Tommy Gleason, Connor Noonan, Matt White, Nick Strokis, Ty Runkle and Mike Davis.

Defensively, Afriyie led the way with six tackles, (including three that totaled more than 20 yards in losses), with help from Noonan (four tackles and an interception) and Leidlein (two 2 tackles. Newtown kept the pressure on the Norwalk offense all day, controlling and winning the line scrimmage most of the day with Jordan Headford and Grant Shaw getting into the action up front.

After a scoreless first quarter, the locals picked things up in the second. Afriyie made a big tackle on third down, hitting Norwalk for an 11-yard loss to stop a drive. The two teams traded offensive series before Norwalk broke on top, though, executing a fake punt and running the ball 64 yards for the touchdown.

Wurtz came up big on the PAT, stopping Norwalk on the sweep and the Raiders had the 6-0 edge midway through the second quarter.

Newtown marched right back on its next possession, with Gold and Dunn leading the way down to the Norwalk three. From there, Tarantino punched the ball in for the TD and Gold converted the PAT with a three-yard dive and Newtown was up 7-6 at the half.

In the second half, the defense held Norwalk to three and out and the offense, starting from the 50, moved down to the one inch line before Gold punched it in for the touchdown to give the locals a 13-6 lead.

On their next drive, the locals once again rolled through the Norwalk defense as Wurtz took the ball in from inside the one. The PAT pass from Tarantino to Lago gave Newtown a 20-6 lead.

After the Newtown kickoff, Connor Noonan sealed the victory with an interception at the Newtown 39.

TEAM      W-L-T

Ridgefield Orange  6-0-0

Newtown                5-1-0

Aspetuck 4-1-1

Ridgefield Black     4-2-0

Norwalk Raiders     4-2-0

Southern Dutchess Green      3-2-1

Norwalk Devils      3-3-0

Hudson Valley        3-3-0

Bethel     2-3-1

Ansonia   2-4-0

Mahopac 2-4-0

Monroe   1-4-1

Bridgeport               1-5-0

Southern Dutchess White      0-6-0

FIFTH GRADE

Newtown 36, Mahopac 12

On a chilly Sunday afternoon in Mahopac, New York, the young Newtown fifth-grade football team did all it could do to make its fans forget about the temperature and wind chill as Jaret DeVellis, Colton Smith and Nick Lotrecchiano combined for 318 yards on 14 carries in a 36-12 win.

The Nighthawks boast a 6-0 record heading into the final two weeks of the season.

Being on artificial turf, it allowed all three running backs to show off their speed, with each zipping along on long touchdown runs of more than 50 yards.

Smith started off the fireworks display by running through tackles and then using his breakaway speed for a 52-yard touchdown on the first play of the game. DeVellis then added a 75-yard run right up the belly of the defense and showed a burst of speed that left the defense diving from behind on a last ditch effort to bring him down.

Lotrecchiano would not be out done as he took an option pitch from Smith and turned the corner for a 66-yard touchdown. Lotrecchiano also added a 19-yard TD in the game with Jonathon Sherman doing the damage in the last quarter by pounding the Indians for six straight carries and ending on a six-yard touchdown run.

As with the previous three weeks, the ‘Hawks showed that they aren’t just one dimensional by completing passes to three different receivers – including a 23-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Troy Frangione on Newtown’s second possession.

Tight end Connor Roche was also on the receiving end, as well as slot back receiver Sherman. Jacob Burden also got in the mix by throwing some nice passes over the middle and to the edge of the field.

The shutdown defense was all over the opponents from the start as linebackers Max Rucinski and Bubba Condon combined for nine tackles and linemen Jake Lambert, Tim Krapf and Markus Elken added four tackles apiece.

Jake Lambert chipped in with a quarterback sack to end one scoring drive.

Nolan Fisher, Ryan Sullivan, Nick Rubino, Frangione, Jonathan Rospenda, Aaron Beckett, Michael Cirone, Kevin Conte, Roche, Chris Koch and Will Dalton all added two tackles each. Frangione put the final nail in the coffin by picking off a pass on the last play of the game with the Indians on the Newtown five.

TEAM      W-L-T

Newtown                6-0-0

Monroe   5-1-0

Norwalk Jags          5-1-0

Bethel     4-2-0

Aspetuck 4-2-0

Southern Dutchess 3-2-1

Norwalk Dolphins  3-3-0

Ridgefield Orange  2-4-0

Ansonia   1-4-1

Ridgefield Black     1-5-0

Mahopac 1-5-0

Hudson Valley        0-6-0

FOURTH GRADE

Newtown 25, So. Dutchess 0

Matt Elias and Devin Luzietti scored two touchdowns apiece as the Newtown fourth-grade football team remained undefeated with a 25-0 win over Southern Dutchess.

Elias scored on a 22-yard run and on a pass from quarterback Michael Doyle. Luzietti scored on a pair of runs, one a 52-yard jaunt.

Elias put Newtown ahead, 6-0, in the second quarter on his 22-yard reverse. The TD stood up as  Colin Theis, Joey Santella and Luzietti combined for 12 tackles in the first half. The Nighthawk defense tormented Southern Duchess when Brian Kiley, Tim Mammen, Jared Pearson, Geoffrey Santore, Nick Rohrbacher, Charlie Fletcher and Jeremy Salaris hassled the backfield and did not allow a first down through the first half.

Nick Samuelson, Pearson and Santella all sacked the quarterback with assists from their defensive teammates.

The third quarter began with Doyle, Pearson, Santella gaining some large pieces of ground carrying the football. Luzietti then scored on a 52-yard sweep to put the locals ahead, 12-0.

Key running plays in the game were made by backs Matt Meyers and Nick Bourgeois. The big Hawks offensive line of Gordon Walsh, Andrew Svanda, Jaxon Mills, Greg Harrison, John Delrossi, Michael Roche and Dakota Ashby kept the holes open all second half while Matt Maturo stayed untouched behind his power center Svanda.

Luzietti scored again on a key block by Doyle to put Newtown up 18-0.

The last score of the game came on a perfect halfback pass from Doyle to Elias.

Gabe Barrett, Adam Robertson, Steve Faxlanger, James Frazetta, Owen Richards and Kendall Ashby sparkled on defense and insured the shutout with a nice effort in the fourth quarter.

TEAM      W-L-T

Ridgefield               5-0-1

Newtown                4-0-1

Bridgeport               5-1-0

Norwalk Ravens     4-2-0

Ansonia   2-3-0

Aspetuck 1-3-1

Southern Dutchess 0-4-1

Hudson Valley        0-4-1

Bethel     0-4-1

79ER GOLD

So.. Dutchess 18, Newtown 12

Mitch Savoca scored twice on runs of 57 and 65 yards but the Newtown 79er Gold football team suffered a tough, 18-12, loss to the Southern Dutchess Packers.

The scoring started early with Savoca following the blocks of Noah LaFerriere and Ryan Campbell to hit pay dirt on a 57-yard carry. Later, the Packers snuck one in after a long drive that took 11 plays and was capped by a one-yard run on fourth down.

Conner Flint, Erik Benson and Austin LeBlanc led the defense but the packers’ disciplined execution made the difference. Anthony Falbo stopped the extra point attempt with a solo tackle.

Newtown came right back and scored again on a Savoca reverse of 65 yards. LeBlanc made the key block allowing Savoca to score untouched.

With Gold up 12-6, the Packers were stopped by the awesome play of linebackers Anthony Falbo, Ryan Norton and Stephen Pansa as well as Hunter Brunetti, John Reardon and Grant Varnum plugging up the middle. After trading possessions, the Packers tied it up despite the efforts of Michael Garner and Spencer Burden playing tough on the corners and Colin McCafferty, Hunter Booker, Erik Benson and Flint making some big hits.

The half ended with McCafferty drilling a Packer runner as he was about to turn the corner for a score.

The only score in the second half came from “trick” play off a lopsided formation that allowed the Packers to find the end zone. Henry Korth single-handedly stopped the extra point attempt.

Later, the Gold moved the ball to the Packers six on a Varnum run of 29 yards, a LeBlanc pass to Savoca for 11 yards and a McCafferty run of 13 yards but the locals gave up possession on fourth down after being stuffed on the corner.

Newtown had a final chance to score after a solid defensive performance led by Pansa, Kyle Martinez and McCafferty was capped by a Ryan McIntyre hit that caused a fumble recovered by Flint. Unfortunately, the offense stalled on several sweep attempts and the contest ended at 18-12.

Savoca led all rushers with 178 yards on 16 carries. Varnum added 52 yards on five carries. Falbo led all tacklers with six as Flint and Korth added five each.

Newtown travels to Ridgefield this Saturday to play at East Ridge Middle School.

79ER BLUE

Newtown 19, Monroe 7

After the Newtown 79er Blue team suffered a tough loss to Ridgefield Black last weekend, it had the monumental task of traveling to face its toughest rival, Monroe, which was 4-1 going into the action last Saturday.

But with two touchdowns from Justin Dunn and another on a 40-yard run by Nick Genovese, Newtown grabbed the win.

In the first quarter, the 79ers set the tone when they took over on their own 35 yard line and relentlessly pounded the ball down the field with the efforts of Genovese and Peyton Manning. On a key fourth-and-one play, Dunn took a quarterback-keeper behind the fierce blocking of Sam Pellicone, Ed Henderson and Jack Wellman to move the chains. Tommy Kitzmiller had a key 15-yard run up the middle to keep the drive going and, later, Genovese finished it off with a 40-yard touchdown run behind the aggressive blocking of William Stentz and Matt Davis.

The Newtown defense was stifling in the second, with defensive ends Ryan Marusi and Bobbie Haskins covering the corners and the interior line of Mark Hall, Will Whitlock and Mitchell Long clogging the middle.

With four minutes left in the half, Newtown began a drive from its own 40. After an 11-yard gain by Scotty Bauer, Dunn had a long run down to the Monroe 15 off a key downfield block by Kitzmiller. On a second and goal from the three, the resilient blocking of Christopher Febbraio, William Stentz and Marusi allowed Dunn to sneak into the end zone for the touchdown and a 12-0 Newtown lead.

In the second half, the stellar blocking of Mitchell Long, Jack Wellman and Doug Carriero allowed the 79ers to move the ball down to the Monroe 10. Then, on a quarterback bootleg, Dunn ran in for the final Newtown touchdown.

Scotty Bauer ran hard up the middle for the extra point, giving Newtown a 19-0 edge.

While AJ Salaris, Carriero, Calvin Savoia and Joshua Dunn led a fourth-quarter defensive charge (and Manning playing fierce at safety), Monroe could not generate any substantial drives. On a critical third down play, the swarming Nighthawk defense gang tackled the Monroe back and caused a fumble which was recovered by Bobbie Haskins.

With three minutes left in the game, Monroe finally reached the end zone – but it was too little, too late.

The 4-2 79ers will travel to Hudson Valley this weekend.