No sense putting your toe in when you can jump right in to truly test the waters. Newtown High School’s girls’ basketball team is doing a collective/proverbial cannonball splash into action once again this winter as the Nighthawks begin the campaign with five straight games, all at home, against tough squads.

This year, Newtown begins with consecutive clashes against FCIAC teams Danbury, on December 15, and Class M state champion St Joseph of Trumbull, on December 17 — both at 7 pm. The Nighthawks host New Jersey’s Saddle River Day School on Saturday, December 19, beginning at 5 pm, then tangle with Southern Connecticut Conference foe Hillhouse of New Haven in the opener of the Threes For Charity Tournament on Monday, December 21, beginning at 7 pm. Newtown will play either Class M runner-up Cromwell or South-West Conference rival Pomperaug of Southbury (16-4 a year ago) in the tourney consolation or championship game on Tuesday, December 22 (time to be determined).

“Every year I keep thinking ‘Why do I do this,’” Newtown Coach Jeremy O’Connell said of his glutton-for-punishment approach to the opening days of competition in December.

“As we get into the SWC we’re tested and we know what we need to do to be successful,” O’Connell said of reasoning for traditionally scheduling a challenging start to the season.

After a brief break from game action, the Nighthawks kick off the New Year with their first road contest, a January 2 visit to SWC rival Masuk of Monroe; tipoff is at 1 pm.

Last winter, the Hawks went 17-7 overall, including SWC semifinal and Class LL state playoff second-round defeats. Six of those seven losses were against teams that got at least to the semifinals of state tournament play.

“We want to contend for an SWC championship,” said O’Connell, recognizing that the path to success in the conference may not be an easy one with the likes of defending champion New Fairfield and runner-up Notre Dame-Fairfield both loaded with returning talent, along with always-tough Pomperaug of Southbury potentially standing in the way.

“On paper it’s very difficult, but I’ll take these kids every day,” O’Connell said. “They have a lot of experience — they know what it takes to win.”

Only one player graduated, though Sarah Lynch leaves big shoes to fill, and the team lost just two players to graduation the year before.

The tested Nighthawks are led by senior captain Mali Klorczyk, a sharp outside shooter who is headed to play at Adelphi University on a scholarship next year. The Hawks also have five other seniors in center Kelly Merrick, along with Haley Ryan, Lauren Wilcox, Katie Reilly, and Christina Moore. Juniors are Olyvia Shaw, Hailey Conrad, Natalie Shaker, and Jess Maturo; and sophomores are Riley Mulligan, Kira Smith, and Greta Staubly.

The Newtown coach is looking for contributions from throughout his deep lineup — something he’s had a good feeling about since the first scrimmages of preseason.

“We’re going to need everyone to chip in with six, seven, ten points a night for us to be successful,” he said.

Defense, as has been the case with Newtown known for its full-court all-out pressing style, is the name of the game for the Nighthawks.

“Everything we do is going to be predicated by our defense,” said O’Connell, whose team has thrived in the past on forcing turnovers and fast-break execution, and prides itself on training hard and wearing opponents down as games unfold.

O’Connell says he wants to see stronger interior play, allowing the Hawks to rely less on their guards. In six years with the team, O’Connell never had more than four seniors, and generally had just one or two, so the coach is excited to see what a lineup led by a half-dozen final-year high school athletes can do. Its players having grown on the court since youth basketball days, the team is close-knit, O’Connell notes.

“I’m really excited — the six of us have been together for many years now,” said Klorczyk, adding that she and her classmates have looked forward to their senior campaign for some time. “It’s finally our turn.”

And just how long their turn will last may not be decided until the postseason in February and March, but first couple weeks of the season stands to help prepare the team for deep playoff runs.