By Steve Bigham

BRIDGEPORT – For the second-straight year, the NHS boys’ basketball team has jumped out to an 0-3 start after playing arguably the toughest early-season schedule in the state.

Newtown looked impressive in a 56-52 loss at home to number-one ranked Warren Harding back on December 16, but has since dropped games to Immaculate in Danbury on December 20, and at Kolbe Cathedral in Bridgeport this past Friday.

The Kolbe game – which featured 7-foot sophomore Fernando Bonfirm’s dominating performance – was a league contest, leaving Newtown with an 0-1 record in the South-West Conference (SWC).

A year ago, Newtown fans were half joking when they called Newtown “the best 0-3 team in the state.” But despite winning 11 of its next 16 games, most felt Newtown failed to build on those early “moral victories,” especially after it ended the season with three consecutive losses, which put the cap on a mediocre 11-11 season.

“It’s getting very old. I’m absolutely disappointed in our record. I figured we had a very good chance to be 2-2 at Christmas time, but we’re optimistic we can go on a run,” noted coach John Quinn as he prepared his team for Wednesday’s game against Staples of Westport. Newtown’s early-season matchup with Brookfield was postponed due to snow.

Newtown locked up with Kolbe Cathedral at the Cardinal Shehan Center in Bridgeport last Friday and got more than it bargained for from Bonfirm, who hails from Brazil. The boy-giant scored 28 points, pulled down 18 rebounds and blocked four shots. He also had about a half dozen dunks as the undersized Nighthawks were helpless against the big fella.

“He picked Newtown for his coming out party,” said Quinn, who expected a challenge, but admitted he had no idea Bonfirm could play at that level.

Despite facing a giant, Newtown held its own early on thanks to Andrew Smith’s desperation three-pointer as the first quarter buzzer sounded, cutting the deficit to 18-12. Bonfirm scored 22 points in the second and third quarters alone and gave Kolbe a 50-36 lead after three quarters. Jeff Wolcott made it interesting by scoring all seven of his points in the fourth quarter, but Kolbe held on down the stretch.

John Fiscella led the winners with 11 points, while Ryan Walker scored 10 and Andrew Smith had nine.

Newtown was not expected to beat Harding or Kolbe, but the Immaculate game should have been a “W” and the game was there for the taking. However, missed foul shots, a handful or turnovers and a bit of bad luck made Newtown a 76-72 overtime loser. Immaculate hit 10-of-12 free throws in the second half, while the Nighthawks made just 5-of-13.

“For three and a half quarters we played well, but they’re a good team,” Quinn conceded. “We should have won that game. We made terrible mental decisions when we were in control and we missed some foul shots that would have won the game.”

Newtown was also hurt when Smith fouled out of the game midway through the fourth quarter.

Trailing for the first time in the game, Newtown managed to send the game into overtime when John Fiscella hit one-of-two free throws with three seconds remaining in regulation. However, Tom Wilson (22 points) helped seal it for the Mustangs with a couple of key field goals during the extra session.

Ryan Walker led Newtown with 19 points, Andrew Fiscella scored 18, Jeff Wolcott had 10 and John Dittmar tossed in eight.

Newtown host Ancestors High School, a new Waterbury school, on Friday nightand then heads to Pomperaug in Southbury next Wednesday before moving on to Stratford next Friday.