Boys’ Cagers Target Playoff Appearances

By Andy Hutchison

Newtown High School’s boys’ basketball team enters into the 2011-12 campaign with some familiar faces, but the need for plenty of players to step up and fill voids left by last year’s graduates.

The Nighthawks, coming off a ten-win season in which they were eliminated in the first round of the Class LL state tournament, will battle for playoff spots with several new starters who have been battling for playing time in the preseason. Six graduates, including last year’s trio of captains — Josh Engler, Sean Maher, and Matt Datin — along with senior Josh Barrett who opted not to play, all leave shoes to fill.

The lineup, however, boasts a wealth of talented returnees, some of whom saw regular playing time a year ago. Senior captains are Kyle Wilcox and David Lucia; Newtown’s only other senior is Taylor Steimle, whom NHS Coach John Quinn says is the team’s best outside shooter. Quinn also considers Wilcox to be one of the best players in the conference. Juniors Mike Daubert, Connor Quinn, and Reid Schmidt, along with sophomores Mike Davis and Jake Ball, will also be counted on for contributions. Davis, at 6-foot-4, brings lots of height to an otherwise small overall team. Ball is new to Newtown this year and is a welcomed addition to a team.

“We’re a small but very athletic team,” said Lucia, adding that he is excited for the season in part, because of the chemistry among teammates.

“I think we have a good team — we play really well together. We’re friends off the court and I think it helps us on the court,” Wilcox adds.

Strengths of this team, as usual, will be speed, athleticism, and defense, Quinn believes. The coach always has his team playing hard and developing scoring chances in transition resulting from defensive stops. “I like this group. I think we’re going to defend well,” the coach said.

Quinn added that the preseason got off to a bit of a choppy start due to the success of the football team getting to the state playoff semifinals and players of both sports unavailable to practice from the onset. Now that the team has been picked and the season is getting going, Quinn is hopeful for winning ways.

“I think we have a good opportunity to compete in the [South-West Conference] again this year. If we win eight games, we’ll be in states,” said Quinn, adding that qualifying for both tourneys are always goals in the program.

Among the tough teams Newtown will face are conference foes Notre Dame-Fairfield, last year’s SWC champ — “They won everything last year and they return their entire team,” Quinn notes — Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport, and Stratford.

Newtown always has tough out-of-conference opponents on the slate. The season was scheduled to begin in the Newtown Tip Off Tournament opener against Kaynor Tech on Thursday (after The Bee went to press). Pending the results, Newtown would face one of two challenging FCIAC teams, Staples of Westport or Ridgefield.

The Nighthawks also face Norwich Free Academy once again. NFA visits Newtown on January 18. SWC dates to circle on the schedule: January 20 and 24 at Kolbe and ND-Fairfield, respectively, and February 22 when Stratford comes to town.