Young Nighthawk Girls’ Basketball Team Having Success

By Andy Hutchison

New look. … Same results.

The Newtown High School girls’ basketball team is continuing its winning ways seven games into a season after losing ten players for a variety of reasons from injury to graduation.

Led by the lone senior, captain Sara Kelley, this mostly young Newtown squad is off to a 5-2 start to the campaign and closing in on a berth in the state playoffs with lots of the season still ahead.

“They adapted quickly to the style we want to play — an up-tempo game offensively and in your face defensively, either man or in the zones we implement,” said Coach Shawn O’Brien, explaining the reason for the success thus far.

“I think others are surprised more than anything,” said sophomore Riley Wurtz who, along with junior Abbey Doski, is the only other returnee with substantial varsity playing time.

Of course three players with plenty of varsity-level experience isn’t so little considering in basketball only five players are on the court at once. But among the younger, less-experienced players who have stepped up in the absence of last year’s lost players are juniors Jessica Lynch and Carly Iwanicki, both of whom gained some varsity court experience because of injuries a season ago. Additionally, freshman Bridget Power and junior Taylor Benson have played key roles in the early going, although a knee injury has sidelined Benson. The younger players have helped the team immensely thus far.

“It’s a lot of fun even though I’m the only senior,” said Kelley, adding that she enjoys playing with and being friends with all of her teammates.

The Nighthawks defeated New Fairfield 46-37 on January 5, topping the Rebels for the second time after knocking them off in the season-opening tournament championship game in December.

Kelley led the offensive attack with 20 hard-earned points and Lynch, Iwanicki and sophomore Kendall Svanda did a great job of getting to rebounds despite New Fairfield’s size advantage down low.

“That really was another key factor in the win,” O’Brien said.

The Nighthawks evened their South-West Conference record to 1-1. The first meeting was a nonconference clash and from here on out the games carry weight in the state as well as SWC playoff picture.

“You only get one chance against each team, so it’s almost like a two-game swing,” O’Brien said of the remainder of the schedule.

Newtown has the goal of winning eight games and has 13 matchups left in which to make that happen.

“But we’re taking it one game at a time,” O’Brien said.

He said the team needs to improve on its half court play and in not rushing shots.

“We want to force the play — we don’t want to force shots,” O’Brien explained.

The Nighthawks’ success stems from both the willingness on the part of the players to buy into the coach’s fast-paced style and cohesiveness on and off of the court, the players say.

“Everybody’s working together really well,” Wurtz said. “As we get older we know we’re going to be really good.”

“We work together so well. It makes it so much easier,” Doski added.

Doski, who scored a career high 15 points in a 45-42 loss to Brookfield in nonconference game on December 28, said the team can play at a higher level as the season unfolds and has high expectations for this group.

“I think we can go really far,” she said.

Newtown will have a second shot against Brookfield, on the road, February 12. The Hawks are scheduled to resume game action this Friday, January 8, at Joel Barlow in Redding and return home January 12 to face New Milford, a team they defeated 57-30 in the season-opening tournament’s first game back on December 10.