By Kim J. Harmon

MONROE – With just 122 yards of total offense, it would seem almost illogical that the Newtown High School football team had an opportunity to defeat Masuk in the traditional Thanksgiving game last week in Monroe.

Oh, the opportunity was there.

But it slipped away.

The ‘Hawks needed a win in the season finale to have any chance at all to qualify for the CIAC Class LL state playoffs while the Panthers needed a win to guarantee they at least held on to their Class L playoff berth.

And with 4:33 left in the fourth quarter, the Nighthawks were sitting just three points behind the Panthers, 17-14.

The ‘Hawks had fourth and 13.

At their own 43.

And first-year head coach Steve George makes, perhaps, the gutsiest decision of the season when he calls for punter Charlie LoBosco to, instead, pass on fourth down and LoBosco had a streaking Kyle McNamara wide open down the right hash marks.

The game was there for the taking.

The pass was there, but – with a thick fog enveloping the field – LoBosco and McNamara couldn’t connect. The ball dropped to the turf and the Panthers took over on downs, driving down to the goal line before taking a knee in the final seconds to escape with a critical win.

Newtown slipped to seventh in the Class LL rankings while Masuk grabbed third in Class L.

It was a stunning finish to what had been a solid campaign for the young Nighthawks. With a new head coach, a new starting quarterback (Jake DeVellis), a revamped rushing attack (led by DeVellis, Tyler Tarantino and Kurt Nacewicz), a revamped corps of receivers (led by Bob Lapple and Conor Martin), and a new freshman kicker (Rory Noonan) no one was quite sure what to expect from the ‘Hawks in 2007.

A 43-0 shutout of first-year program Nonnewaug in the season opener did little to showcase the ‘Hawks. A thrilling 21-14 win over New Fairfield the following week, in which DeVellis hit Lapple with a late bomb to lift the ‘Hawks to the win, did much more. So did a 7-6 win over Notre Dame the following where, where DeVellis and Lapple reprised their game-winning heroics.

After a 40-21 loss to a very strong Stratford team (ranked No. 5 in Class SS), the locals settled into a rhythm and won four of their next five games. A 31-24 overtime win over Joel Barlow (highlighted by a field goal by Noonan with no time left in regulation and a touchdown by Tarantino in the extra session) was, perhaps, the best win of the year for the ‘Hawks.

A win over Masuk would have been even better.

Lapple, a senior co-captain, wanted to deliver it, too, as he took the opening kick off 86 yards for a touchdown to give the ‘Hawks a 7-0 lead that lasted for the next 13:53 of game time. Ray Palmer of Masuk tied things up, 7-7, with a six-yard touchdown run.

The ‘Hawks had held off the Panthers (who accumulated 339 yards of total offense on the night) quite well through the first half, but on the ensuing kick the locals handed the Panthers an early Christmas present.

After Lapple was caught inside the five, trying to find a seam in the kick coverage, the ‘Hawks fumbled on the very next play and – just 15 seconds after Masuk tied the game – Justin Kollman fell on the ball in the end zone to put the Panthers on top, 14-7.

A 34-yard field goal by Jon Testani with 9:35 left in the third quarter spread the gap further, to 17-7.

But the ‘Hawks went right back to work on their next drive, turning the first play from scrimmage from a near disaster to near touchdown.

On a simple run right, DeVellis bobbled the snap and nearly missed getting the handoff to Tyler Tarantino, but Tarantino tucked the ball and ripped off a 60-yard run down to the Masuk three. The next snap was fumbled, yet the ‘Hawks took advantage of a pass interference call to earn a first and goal.

But after a few unsuccessful tries at breaking into the end zone, the locals set up for the short field goal with 6:51 left in the third quarter. LoBosco was in to kick and running back Kurt Nacewicz was in to hold and when the snap came, it was Nacewicz getting up to toss a floater to the back of the end zone where McNamara – draped by two Masuk players – reached up to pull down the touchdown and bring Newtown to within three, 17-14.

To that point, McNamara had already been putting together a heroic game.

In the first quarter, McNamara batted away two certain touchdown passes on back-to-back plays and in the second quarter batted away another Masuk pass in the end zone on fourth and five with five minutes left in the half. Then in the third quarter, McNamara made a touchdown-saving tackle on a 60-yard pass play that later led to a Masuk field goal.

That effort was the keynote of a great defensive effort by the ‘Hawks. Following the touchdown, Masuk drove down to the Newtown four but the ‘Hawks stopped the Panthers on fourth and goal to take over. Though little came of the ensuing drive, the locals once again forced Masuk to turn the ball over on town and, later in the fourth, forced a three-and-out that gave them the ball on their own 28 with 6:33 left to play.

DeVellis jolted up the middle for 18 yards and then another two. A delay of game and a sack pushed the ‘Hawks back and on third and 13 an incomplete pass put the locals at fourth and long, near midfield, with time running out.

The decision was made – fake the punt.

And it almost worked.

But Masuk took over on downs, drove close to the goal line, and ran the clock out.

NOTE: No. 3 Masuk went on to defeat No. 2 Conard, 25-21, in the CIAC Class L semifinals and will face South-West Conference rival Bunnell, the No. 1 team in the division, on Saturday. Bunnell defeated Masuk, 25-16,  on Thursday, November 15, in the SWC championship.

Masuk 17, Newtown 14

First quarter: Newtown – Lapple 86 kickoff return (LoBosco kick). Second quarter: Masuk – Palmer 6 run (Testani kick); Masuk – Kollman fumble recovery in end zone (Testani kick). Third quarter: Masuk – Testani 34 field goal; Newtown – McNamara 4 pass from Nacewicz (LoBosco kick).

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing: Newtown – Tyler Tarantino 2-57, Jake DeVellis 9-15, Kurt Nacewicz 2-6, Brendan Martin 2-minus 3; Masuk –  Ray Palmer 15-47, Niko Guerrera 13-34, Scott Christy 4-11, Nick Bacarella 2-4, Alex Trump 3-4. Passing: Newtown – Jake DeVellis 6-15-1 for 47 yards,Kurt Nacewicz 1-1-0 for 4 yards, Charlie LoBosco 0-1-0; Masuk – Ray Palmer 15-30-0 for 233 yards, Bobby Baker 1-2-0 for 6 yards. Receiving: Newtown – Bob Lapple 3-40, Conor Martin 1-10, Tyler Tarantino 2-minus 3; Masuk – Thomas Skehan 1-57, Eric Green 3-48, Niko Guerrera 5-44, Chris Cosmedy 2-42, Nick Bacarella 4-30, Justin Conte 1-18.