By Steve Bigham

Brian Budnick looks and acts like your prototypical play-by-play guy. His knowledge of sports, deep voice and Pat Summerall/Dick Enberg-like personality make him the ideal straight man. The Newtown High School sophomore has been receiving rave reviews for the fine job he’s done this winter covering varsity basketball games for the school’s Channel 17 network.

Great play-by-play men are born and this kid has got it. Armed with little experience and a lot of basketball knowledge, Budnick grabbed the microphone for the first game and never looked back. He and “color” man Tom Ragusa have been adding a little spice to all NHS home games, including a couple of thrillers. The games are not live (although some may be later in the season), but they have been popular with Newtown sports lovers who are unable to see the games in person. Channel 21 is available to all Newtown residents who receive Charter Communications TV.

While Budnick and Ragusa are “doing” the game, producer/director Michael Sobo is behind the camera. This “Renaissance man” plans to be a filmmaker someday and is currently “making” his first short film. He originally began filming the games as a service to the boys’ and girls’ teams. The idea to put the games on the air was suggested by a teacher. Sobo ran with it and he went right to Budnick, who had expressed interest in doing some commentary.

A partnership between two talented individuals was forged and the team has been bringing exciting NHS games into Newtown homes ever since. Who could forget the boys’ exciting contest against state powerhouse Kolbe Cathedral back in December? Newtown lost in a thriller, but a lot of hoop fans, who might have otherwise been unable to see the game, got a glimpse of the Nighthawks and their second-year coach John Quinn. Those who saw the game may have thought this year’s squad would have sported a fine record by now, but they were well below .500 at press time, and this knowledgeable broadcast team has plenty to say about it.

“The records of the (seven) teams they have lost to is something like 35-8. That’s no excuse to be 3-7, but they have had a very tough schedule,” Budnick said. “Newtown has been in every single game they’ve played.”

The team’s statistician Chuck Rosentel, a self-proclaimed basketball junkie, agreed.

“They beat Staples and that was their only loss of the season so far,” said Mark Huot, another sophomore with a great sense of humor. The stat man, he’ll lend his “two cents” to the broadcast team from-time-to-time and has earned a reputation for being brutally honest about what he sees.

Budnick figures the Newtown boys have to win at least seven or eight of their final 10 games in order to qualify for the eight-team conference tournament.

This broadcast team also covers the very successful girls’ team, which has jumped out to an impressive 10-2 record.

“They really get up and down the court. They’re fun to cover,” Budnick said.

Sobo had planned to broadcast a live girls’ game, but Pomperaug High, the opponent that night, did not agree to the idea and the game had to be shown in tape-delay.

This five-man sports crew is crazy about the game of basketball. None of them say they’re good enough to play varsity ball, but all of them take part in the Parks & Recreation senior basketball league.

“Playing senior league is the best thing. There’s no pressure or practices, and plus, we get to do this,” said Rosentel as he gave Budnick a high five.

Ragusa is not your typical loud mouth color guy. More reserved, this high school student relies on a keen understanding of the game. His colleagues kid him that he knows less about the high school game than he does about the NBA, but Ragusa seems to make the transition quite well.

“His downfall is he’s a Nets fan,” joked Rosentel, who suggested his friend grow sideburns and attire from the 1970s, just like Clyde Frazier, the “color” man for the New York Knicks on MSG Network.

Budnick and Ragusa plan to conduct post-game interviews with coaches and players as the operation progresses. They also plan to produce a “Sports Center”- like program with highlights from around the league.