By Kim J. Harmon

MONROE – For a minute there, it seemed as if the whole high school football world had gone insane.

With 10 seconds left in the first half and the Newtown High School football team clutching the ball on its own 31 yard line, prepared to down the ball and head into the lockeroom with the score tied 7-7, Masuk called an almost inexplicable timeout.

On the very next play, Marc Ingerman bolted up the middle for a 69-yard touchdown that – coupled with Joe DeVellis’ two-point conversion run around the left side – gave the Nighthawks a 15-7 lead in its traditional Thanksgiving Bash with the Panthers.

But it didn’t end there.

Oh no.

There was still 0.7 seconds left on the clock, which meant the ‘Hawks had to kick off. Simple enough, eh? But a strong return and an even more inexplicable unsportsmanlike penalty on Newtown gave Masuk the ball on the Newtown 35 with one last play before the break.

The ‘Hawks dodged that bullet, though, as AJ Krize’s pass to the goal line fell incomplete, but the locals could not keep the Panthers out of the end zone in the second half and the game ended in a 15-15 draw that saw the ‘Hawks finish the 2005 campaign at 6-3-1.

The locals opened the season with a tough, 10-7 win over Pomperaug before blasting Weston, 42-0. Three straight losses to Brookfield (21-7), Joel Barlow (14-7) and Bunnell (21-18) quickly dashed any hopes of the ‘Hawks qualifying for the CIAC Class LL playoffs.

They recovered, however, with easy wins over New Fairfield, Darien and Immaculate before nipping rival New Milford, 14-12, in the annual Boot Trophy game.

That set the stage for annual Thanksgiving game with Masuk and if there is one thing Newtown has been able to do over the last several years it’s come up with stirring performance against the Panthers on Thanksgiving.

The Newtown defense set the tone early in this one when senior co-captain Grant Speer halted Masuk’s opening drive by nabbing the first of his three interceptions on the night. Soon after, Chris Potter (17 carries, 91 yards) bolted off tackle for 60 yards for a touchdown to put the ‘Hawks on top, 7-0.

But a little more than five minutes later, the Panthers answered back when Roberto Muniz barreled his way over from the two to tie the score, 7-7. Speer came through again in the second period, picking off another Krize aerial to set the stage for Ingerman’s touchdown run.

In the third period, the ‘Hawks seemed like they would begin to move the ball on the Panthers when quarterback Tucker Kass (8-for-22 for 107 yards) hit Gary Andrews on a 40-yard deep ball to give the locals great field position. But Masuk – which limited Newtown to 281 yards – stiffened and forced a punt.

With four minutes left in the third period, the Panthers tied up the score, 15-15, on a one-yard run on fourth-and-one by Muniz (adding the two-point conversion himself). The TD came after a nice goal line stand by the ‘Hawks.

The Newtown defense had to continue to hold tough in the fourth quarter, though, as Masuk (275 yards rushing on 46 carries) continued to move the football. Early on, the Panthers drove to the Newtown 20 but DeVellis knocked down a pass on fourth-and-two to kill the drive.

Later, Max Reed knocked down on a Krize pass on fourth-and-three from the Newtown 37 to quell another drive.

And with 38 seconds left in the game, Speer picked off his third pass to keep the game deadlocked at 15-15.

Newtown 15, Masuk 15

 

First Quarter

N – Chris Potter 60 run (John Nelson kick)

M – Roberto Muniz 2 run (Mike Courbron kick)

Second Quarter

N – Marc Ingerman 69 run (Joey DeVellis run)

Third Quarter

M – Roberto Muniz 1 run (Muniz run)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing: Newtown – Chris Potter 17-91, Marc Ingerman 4-74, Joe DeVellis 2-9 (TOTALS: 23-174); Masuk – Roberto Muniz 21-110, AJ Krize 12-69, Matt Allen 7-64, Anthony Bacarella 6-32 (TOTALS: 46-275). Passing: Newtown – Tucker Kass 8-for-22 for 107 yards; Masuk - AJ Krize 9-for-18 for 71 yards. Receiving: Newtown – Gary Andrews 2-48, Joe DeVellis 2-34, Marc Ingerman 2-17, Bob Lapple 1-7; Masuk – Brian Fitzgibbons 3-42, Rich Flahive 4-21, Ray Palmer 1-4, Roberto Muniz 1-4.