Untested throughout the campaign Newtown High School's football team not only had a challenge, but also faced a halftime deficit, in an October 21 visit to Bunnell of Stratford.

The unbeaten Nighthawks remained unscathed by the skin of their teeth with a 35-34 victory, improving to 6-0; the Bulldogs fell to 4-2. They did so by holding Bunnell scoreless in the second half after the Bulldogs piled up more points in the first half than Newtown had allowed in the previous ten halves of play combined.

"We put an extra hand in the dirt and played more laterally," said Newtown Coach Steve George of the team's second-half strategy, referring to the addition of a lineman to try to bottle up Bunnell quarterback Zhyaire Fernandes, who ran all over the usually stingy Newtown defense in the first two quarters.

Fernandes, a receiver and running back forced to take snaps when starting QB Michael Castelot went down with an injury in week two, was unstoppable in the early going. He rushed into the end zone four times and threw for another touchdown out of the wildcat formation.

Newtown had plenty of offensive presence as well. The Bulldogs and Nighthawks traded TDs in a high-scoring first quarter that ended with Bunnell in front 21-14. Hunter Cobb rushed for both of Newtown's opening-period scores - a 42 yard rush and an 80-yarder.

In the second quarter, Jack Phelps and Cormac Roe were credited with a safety to close the deficit to 21-16. The Bulldogs answered with a blocked punt, followed by a Fernandes 15-yard TD run to make it 28-16.

Ben Mason's 65-yard TD rush brought the Nighthawks back to within five at 28-23 with 7:39 left in the half. The Bulldogs responded just 1:24 later but Newtown's Tommy Long came up with what proved to be a critical extra point block. Long also recovered a fumble late in the second quarter to help hold the Bunnell point total under 40. It was 34-23 Bunnell at the half.

Newtown closed the gaps and shut the door on Bunnell's rushing attack in the second half, and narrowed the gap on the scoreboard. After a scoreless third, Newtown quarterback Justin Dunn connected with Michael Garner on a 13-yard TD pass with 10:16 to play in the fourth, making it 34-29. The two-point conversion, which would have pulled the Hawks to within a field goal, failed.

In need of another six points, the Nighthawks did the job as Dunn rushed for a touchdown from 20 yards out with 7:56 remaining for Newtown's its only lead of the night. Another two-point try was foiled but Newtown's defense made the slim lead stand.

As impressive as it was for the Bulldogs to score so many points in the first 24 minutes against a defense that had surrendered 27 points in five games, and earned a trio of shutouts, Newtown's second-half turnaround was equally as if not more notable. George tipped his hat to the strategy implemented by defensive coordinator Bob Pattison. The Newtown players, too, had to do their part to thwart Fernandes and company.

"The kids weren't used to that kind of speed," George said of Fernandes. "And it took them some time to adapt to that. The kids responded in the second half and I couldn't be prouder."

"We had them on the ropes at the end of the half," Bunnell coach Sean Mignone said. "They made adjustments; we probably didn't adjust enough."

George spoke highly of the Bulldogs.

"This is a very good team. I wouldn't be surprised if they won out and did well in the postseason. "This was a tough one. That was the only time we've been tested all year."

And the Nighthawks passed that test.

"There was no panic here which is a credit to the kids and coaches," George said.

Newtown will host Pomperaug of Southbury on Friday, October 28, when the Panthers visit Blue & Gold Stadium for the team's Breast Cancer Awareness game, beginning at 7 pm.