Nighthawk Football Team Cruises To Homecoming Win

By Andy Hutchison

They say good things come to those who wait and members of the Newtown High School football team are not about to argue about that. Newtown reeled off 37 first-half points and cruised past Notre Dame-Fairfield 44-0 at Blue & Gold Stadium in their Homecoming Game, originally scheduled for November 13 but postponed by rain until November 16.

This was also Senior Night and the final-year high-schoolers left the home field on a high note following their most lopsided win of the campaign.

Newtown improved to 7-2 and Notre Dame fell to 2-7 heading into the final week of the regular season.

The Nighthawks set the tone early with strong defensive play and grabbed a 2-0 lead when senior Dana Hansen tackled Notre Dame’s Nigel Beckford in the end zone for a safety. The two points were set up by a 42-yard punt by junior Rory Noonan that was downed at the 2 yard line by a hustling Ryan Korth, also a junior.

Newtown extended its lead to 9-0 when Korth got into the act on offense, pulling in a 31-yard touchdown toss from senior quarterback John Fracker.

In the second quarter, Newtown extended its lead to 17-0 when Fracker hooked up with Sean Devaney for a 34-yard TD strike. Fracker then took the ball in for two points on a fake on the ensuing point after play.

Senior Tory Deakin caught a 23-yard TD pass from Fracker, Devaney had a 47-yard catch and dash into the end zone and senior Kyle O’Connor scored on a 4-yard run to help the Nighthawks build a 37-0 bulge before the break.

The Nighthawks did not allow Notre Dame onto their half of the field until the final minutes of the second quarter and Noonan intercepted a pass to thwart the visiting team’s only legitimate threat to score in this game.

On Newtown’s first play from scrimmage in the second half Deakin scored on a 72-yard scamper for a 44-0 lead.

“We expected a battle,” said NHS Coach Steve George, adding the Lancers, despite coming in with only two wins, had lost some close games, including a one by a touchdown to unbeaten Masuk.

“I challenged the seniors to make a memory for themselves tonight — before the game,” George said.

They created plenty of memories, although Newtown senior cornerback Nick Tarantino had to forfeit one. Tarantino had a clear path to the end zone following an interception, but gave himself up and went down to the ground, per the direction of the coaching staff, as Newtown stopped scoring in this blowout.

The Nighthawks did not want to keep running up the score nor did they want to cost George a chance to coach for the rest of the season. Connecticut high school coaches are suspended if their team wins by 50 or more points.

George said the rule is a good one to prevent teams from taking advantage of rebuilding programs, but acknowledged that it made for some coaching (and playing) challenges. He substituted many of the backup players, including freshmen, in the second half.

“It did become tough. … It was definitely a pick six,” he said of Tarantino’s would-be INT return for six points. “We were yelling at the corner to go down, go down, go down because, otherwise, we would’ve had to let them score to catch up.”

“It’s great to blow ’em out but we know how it feels,” said Fracker, alluding to the previous week’s 21-point setback to New Fairfield.

Fracker credited his receivers for the scoring success coming so easily. “They played hard and got open — made my job easy,” he said.

Fracker completed five of 11 passes for 141 yards. Devaney had two receptions for 81 yards, and Deakin caught four balls for 100 yards. Junior Max Nacewicz had nine tackles and two quarterback sacks and senior Connor McNamara recorded a sack.

The Hawks hope more good things come to them for waiting to score more points until their season finale — nine days after this win. The Nighthawks will visit Masuk in Monroe on Thanksgiving Eve, November 25, at 7.

“We have a lot of momentum going into that game,” Tarantino said.

“They’re 9-0 — they’re playing in the [South-West Conference] championship game,” George said. “They give us a good game every year and we haven’t beaten them since ’05. We’d like to change that, obviously.”