By Kim J. Harmon

It seems as if Newtown has developed so many fine soccer players, one high school program can’t contain ‘em all.

Such as the Newtown High School boys’ soccer team. It has been one of the most dominant in the South-West Conference for the past several years and, yet, a handful of local players have been toiling elsewhere, on pitches somewhat far removed from Newtown.

There are six Newtown athletes who have been working to make the Fairfield Prep boys’ soccer team a winning program (SCC champs last year, 10-6 and second-place finishers this year) – Joe Rahtelli, Will Brooks, Chuck Brooks, Baj Ahtchi, Conor McManus and Nick Rosa.

They wear another uniform, but they remain in touch with their Newtown friends and keep an eye on what they are doing at Newtown High.

“We try to get to as many games as possible. We played with these kids for years and it’s kind of weird not to be playing with them,” said Joe, 17, a senior varsity co-captain. His fellow captain, Will Brooks, added, “A lot of these guys (at NHS) are our best friends. We go to games and we talk to them all the time about soccer.”

As these friends and former teammates have toiled on separate fields for the past four years, Newtown and Fairfield Prep haven’t met in the regular season and, because of the differences in class, haven’t met in the CIAC state tournament but, if they had, Joe said, “That would (have been) awesome.”

Now, meet the players –

Joe Rahtelli

Joe, 17, is a two-year varsity player, a senior co-captain who plays forward and center-mid. After playing in-house and travel soccer with the Newtown Soccer Club he joined the Samba spring travel program led by Brian Neumeyer.

Will Brooks

Will, 18, is also a two-year varsity player and a senior co-captain who plays center-mid or stopper. He played travel soccer with the Newtown Soccer Club before joining Danbury Premier and AC Caldo and now plays for South Central, an Open Cup finalist last year. Will is looking at Union College.

Chuck Brooks

Chuck, 16, is a junior right-mid who played travel soccer in Newtown at the U13 and U14 levels and now plays for AC Caldo in Middlebury.

Baj Ahtchi

Baj, 16, is a junior left-mid on the varsity squad. Baj played rec soccer in New Jersey until he was 14 and after the family moved to Newtown, he played a year in the Samba program before moving on to AC Caldo in Middlebury.

Conor McManus

Conor, 16, is a junior center-mid/forward for the Prep junior varsity. One of four co-captains, he suited up with the varsity for the CIAC Class L state tournament. He played travel soccer in Newtown through U12 and then moved on to the Samba program.

Nick Rosa

Nick, 16, is a junior co-captain for the junior varsity side. He played travel soccer in Newtown at the U13 and U14 levels before moving on to the AC Caldo program in Middlebury.