There is a lot of important training and competition yet to unfold until Newtown High School's boys' swimming and diving team faces Brookfield, on February 9, but that matchup - in the eyes of Coach Adam Fielding - is the biggest one of the campaign.

"I think that meet's really going to set the tone for the rest of the season," Fielding said as his team practiced on December 11, in preparation for the December 19 season-opener, when Masuk of Monroe visits the NHS pool at 5 pm.

Fielding expects a pretty competitive meet with Masuk and, following a holiday break from competition (but not practices), the Hawks have what looks to be the easier part of their schedule until a January 30 visit to two-time South-West Conference runner-up Weston, at 4 pm.

Weston again is one of the top teams in the conference, as is five-time conference champion Pomperaug of Southbury, which Newtown will visit on February 13, at 6:30 pm.

Newtown will visit the Brookfield YMCA for a 7 pm Friday night matchup sandwiched by the Weston and Pomperaug meets, both of which Fielding expects to be tough.

Last season, the Hawks edged Brookfield in a close meet and the Bobcats went on to win the Class S state championship. Based on the talent Newtown lost and what both teams bring back, Fielding expects a very competitive meet with the Bobcats, whom the coach expects will be looking for revenge following last season's close defeat to his Hawks.

"We'll be ready. That's going to be a fun meet," Fielding said.

The Hawks close out the regular slate February 20, at home against Joel Barlow of Redding, at 7 pm, but the most important part of the campaign, the postseason, follows with the SWC and state championships.

In the early part of the season, Fielding will get a sense of what the Hawks bring to the pool.

"It's going to be good for us to explore what we have and use that varied talent to determine what we have going into the tough meets," Fielding said.

A strength of the team, Fielding says, is the versatility of the swimmers, which will allow for movement of team members into different events to counter what opposing squads have.

The coach's goal is for his squad to finish among the top three in the SWC, and anticipates a battle with Brookfield behind Pomperaug and Weston. He is also striving for a top-ten finish in the Class LL state championship, although that will be a tall order given the strength of the other schools. Newtown was seventh in LL a season ago.

Fielding, in his second season leading the team, said he has gotten to know the swimmers and will raise his expectations for them this go-around.

Among the graduates were standouts Tommy Horan and Dawson Stout.

This year's captains are Peter Fagerholm (200 yard individual medley and backstroke) and Mckinley Seaver (utility swimmer).

Other strong returnees include Mason Suba (50 free and butterfly), David Lawrence (distance freestyle), Rick Irving (freestyle), and Mike Annesley (a versatile swimmer whose top events include butterfly and IM).