By Kim J. Harmon

With the ease of some victories or the disappointment of some losses, strong individual performances tend to get overlooked and Newtown High School had a couple of those strong individual performances to highlight otherwise forgettable contests.

Such as –

wIn a 68-10 win over Masuk, wrestler Anthony Klabonski earned a thrilling first-period pin of Matt DeAngelis.

wIn an 87-75 win over New Milford (in which Newtown led 87-10 at one point), Andrew Heller took first in the 100 freestyle in 52.77 – less than three seconds off the school record of 49.93 set by Marc Gardner in 1990.

wIn a 69-61 loss to Notre Dame – a loss that dropped the Newtown High School girls’ basketball team to 1-4 on the year – Siobhan Cooper led all scorers with a career-high 19 points.

wIn a 63-49 loss to Bridgeport Central, senior co-captain Kyle Lyddy led Newtown with a career-high 13 points.

There is no doubt that Newtown High School will continue to see those kinds of performances throughout the 2004-05 season, but maybe the wins in which those performances occur will be more thrilling and the losses will be far fewer.

WRESTLING

Newtown 68, Masuk 10

Even though the match itself was pretty much decided before the Newtown High School wrestlers stepped off the bus, an opportunity still existed for someone – someone like Anthony Klabonski – to make a statement.

Faced with a hole in the 152-pound weight class, head coach Al Potter looked towards the junior varsity ranks and found Klabonski ready to step up. And all the sophomore did was get taken down early by Masuk High School’s Matt DeAngelis before pulling a stunning reversal and securing a six-point pin with nine seconds left in the opening period.

“Our 152 was sick and didn’t make weight,” said coach Potter. “We could have bumped Colin (O’Connor) and Justin (Bass) but we really wanted to keep them where they were. Even though the kid was big, Anthony showed the desire to win and went out there and did what he has been trained to do.”

The pin staked the Nighthawks to a 31-point lead and they were well on their way to a very convincing 68-10 win.

“Masuk is a young team,” coach Potter said. “We have a much bigger test coming up against Pomperaug (on Wednesday). That one is going to be tough.”

The match with Masuk opened at 119 pounds and Mark Bonamici started things off with a 19-4 technical fall over Becky Pace. Then Mike Rambone pinned Stephanie McEwen in 29 seconds at 125 pounds before Steve Giacolone pinned Nick Fenillo in 55 seconds at 130 pounds to put Newtown ahead, 17-0.

The Panthers – who, in the past, have had a co-op with Weston and Joel Barlow – got on the board when Jim Giff earned a 16-2 major decision over Ben Snyder at 135 pounds. But then the ‘Hawks reeled off four consecutive pins to take a 41-4 win.

O’Connor pinned Shaye Plummer in 54 seconds at 140 pounds; Bass pinned Brandon Kennedy in 1:04 at 145 pounds; Klabonski pinned DeAngelis in 1:51 at 152 pounds; and Skye Perry pinned Noel Rodriguez in just 19 seconds at 160 pounds.

At 171 pounds, Bob Pattison and Bill Ryan tussled in the toughest match of the evening with Pattison earning a narrow 5-2 win, securing the three-point margin of victory with a takedown in the final five seconds of the bout. Then Alex Read pinned Jon Turkett in 2:56 at 189 pounds while Brandon Thomas pinned Alan Reis in 2:53 at 215 pounds (coming back from an early 2-0 deficit) to put the ‘Hawks ahead, 56-4.

The ‘Hawks suffered their only other loss at 275 pounds before Kim Solheim earned a forfeit win at 103 pounds and Jeff Lipnick finished the whole matter off with a pin of Jim Viglione in 2:53 at 112 pounds.

The ‘Hawks improved to 2-0 and looked to keep the winning streak going against Pomperaug on Wednesday morning. On Thursday, the ‘Hawks competed in the Danbury Tournament and will return to their regular season schedule next Wednesday against Stratford.

119: Mark Bonamici (N) def. Becky Pace (M) 19-4; 125: Mike Rambone (N) pinned Stephanie McEwen (M) .29; 130: Steve Giacolone (N) pinned Nick Ferullo (M) .55; 135: Jim Giff (M) def. Ben Snyder (N) 16-2; 140: Colin O’Connor (N) pinned Shaye Plummer (M) .54; 145: Justin Bass (N) pinned Brandon Kennedy 1:04; 152: Anthony Klabonski (N) pinned Matt DeAngelis (M) 1:51; 150: Skye Perry (N) pinned Noel Rodriguez (M) .19; 171: Bob Pattison (N) def. Bill Ryan 5-2; 189: Alex Read (N) pinned Jon Turkett (M) 2:56; 215: Brandon Thomas (N) pinned Alan Reis (M) 2:53; 275: Paul Femanli (M) pinned Joel Minalgo (N) .34; 103: Kimberly Solheim (N) forfeit; 112: Jeff Lipnick (N) pinned Jim Viglone (M) 2:53.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Central 63, Newtown 49

It is a heck of a way to open a season.

With its 2004-05 season-opener against Immaculate postponed December 20 due to snow, the Newtown High School boys’ basketball team was faced with the prospect of opening up against defending CIAC Class LL champion Bridgeport Central.

It is a tough enough prospect under any circumstances, but the Nighthawks are a very different team this year – one lacking the offensive firepower of the 2003-04 squad – and found themselves unable to keep up with the Hilltoppers.

Still, they gave it a good effort.

The ‘Hawks grabbed a very quick lead, with Josh Rouse scoring just a couple seconds off the opening tip and then adding another basket off a nice feed from Joe DeVellis. A basket by Marcus Tracy staked the ‘Hawks to a 6-0 advantage and another basket by Tracy moments later kept the locals sitting on that six-point advantage.

But then Central began to rally and took a 9-8 lead thanks to a 7-0 run to close out the first period. Although the ‘Hawks flirted with the lead early in the second period on baskets by Brennan Coakley and Kyle Lyddy (a nice baseline pop from behind the backboard), the ‘Toppers soon regained the lead and never looked back.

Central was up 25-18 late in the first half before Anthony Santella canned a three-pointer from the corner to get the ‘Hawks as close as they would get for the rest of the game. The ‘Toppers would increase their lead to as much as 18 points (twice in the third period and once early in the fourth) before the ‘Hawks put together a 10-2 run to get as close as eight points.

Coakley hit a couple of baskets in that run and Lyddy was 3-of-4 from the foul line but the biggest bucket was a three-pointer by Tracy (his second of the game).

It was all the ‘Hawks in the tank, however, as the Hilltoppers – on 6-of-6 shooting from the foul line – pulled away for the win.

Lyddy finished with 13 points while Tracy added 12 and Santella chipped in with 10. Leonard Byrnes of Bridgeport Central led all scorers with 14 points.

Meanwhile, the ‘Hawks dropped to 0-2 on Monday night with a 56-47 loss to Ridgefield in the first round of the Weston Christmas Classic. Tracy canned 15 points for Newtown, which battled Staples on Wednesday in the consolation game.

The ‘Hawks were down by as much as 15 in this game as the Tigers were shooting sharp from beyond the arc – seven three-pointers on the night. Tracy had four treys of his own and led all scorers with his 15. Lyddy added 11 points while Rouse and Coakley chipped in with seven points apiece.

Bridgeport Central 63, Newtown 49

BRIDGEPORT CENTRAL (63): Mario Darden 0 4-4 4, Johnnie Byrd 3 4-4 12, Devon Woods 1 0-0 2, Travis Bostic 1 1-2 3 Leonard Byrnes 6 2-4 14, Jermaine Rockhead 3 5-8 12, Joseph Roy 0 0-2 0, Terrence Mercer 6 0-0 12, Marvel Johnson 2 0-0 4. TOTALS: 22 17-26 63.

NEWTOWN (49): Marcus Tracy 4 4-4 12, Josh Rouse 3 0-1 6, Joey DeVellis 0 0-1 0, Kevin Quinn 0 0-0 0, Brennan Coakley 3 0-1 6, Ryan McGrath 1 0-0 2, Anthony Santella 4 0-1 10, Kyle Lyddy 4 5-6 13. TOTALS: 19 7-12 49.

Three-pointers: Byrd (BC) 2, Tracy (N) 2, Santella (N) 2, Rockhead (BC).

Ridgefield 53, Newtown 47

NEWTOWN (47): Brennan Coakley 3 1-4 7, Kyle Lyddy 4 2-3 11, Kevin Quinn 1 0-1 2, Josh Rouse 1 5-9 7, Anthony Santella 1 0-0 3, Marcus Tracy 4 3-4 15, Joe DeVellis 2 0-0 4, Ryan McGrath 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 16 11-22 47.

RIDGEFIELD (53): Max Cyr 2 1-3 5, Joe Wolff 5 0-0 15, Will Beckwich 0 0-0 0, Mike Welch 0 0-0 0, Brett Duffey 1 2-2 4, Harris 5 1-3 12, Kukulka 1 0-2 2, Connor Loguhin 1 0-2 2, Joey Swartout 3 6-9 12.TOTALS: 18 10-19 53.

Three-pointers: Wolff (R) 5, Tracy (N) 4, Harris (R), Cyr (R), Lyddy (N).

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Notre Dame 69, Newtown 61

Twice now the Newtown High School girls’ basketball team gave Notre Dame a battle and twice now the Lady Nighthawks have come away with a loss against the fifth-ranked team in the state.

Earlier in the season, it was a second-half collapse that saw the ‘Hawks come out on the short end. Last week, it was a 10-0 run by Notre Dame that closed out the first half and sent the ‘Hawks to their fourth loss of the season.

The ‘Hawks dropped to 1-4 overall, 0-1 in the South-West Conference.

The Lady Lancers had four players score in double figures – led by Carmen Smith (17). Courtney Berard (13), Taylor Simmons (12) and Candace Williams (12) aided a balanced scoring effort. But Newtown’s Siobhan Cooper led all scorers with a career-high 19 points while Meghan Kelley chipped in with 14 and Ashley LaRocque contributed 11.

The ‘Hawks opened the annual Masuk Holiday Tournament on Tuesday with a first-round battle against Brien McMahon. A win there would put the ‘Hawks in the tournament championship against the winner of the Masuk/Ridgefield contest.

Newtown returns to its South-West Conference schedule on Monday, facing Immaculate in Danbury.

Notre Dame 69, Newtown 61

NEWTOWN (61): Meg Kelly 6 2-4 14; Darcy Fiscella 0 0-0 0; Katie O’Connor 1 0-0 2; Ashley LaRocque 5 1-1 11; Carly Curran 5 0-0 10; Ciara Simek 2 0-1 5; Siobhan Cooper 9 1-2 19; Kristi Nowak 0 0-0 0; Christie Iwanicki 0 0-0 0; Kacey Foehrenbach 0 0-2 0; Jill Logan 0 0-0 0; Amy Kelly 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 28 4-10 61.

NOTRE DAME (69): Taylor Simmons 6 0-0 12; Mirna Lemmy 3 0-0 6; Nicole Tranquillo 1 0-0 2; Courtney Berard 6 1-2 13; Carmen Smith 7 3-9 17; Dominique Courtney 2 0-0 5; Kim Victoria 1 0-0 2; Candace Williams 5 2-2 12. TOTALS: 31 7-13 69.

Three-pointers: Simek (N).

HOCKEY

New Milford 4, Newtown 2

Faceoffs in the zone are usually not all that dangerous, but tell that to the Newtown High School hockey team.

It was a pair of faceoffs in the Newtown defensive zone that allowed New Milford to take a 2-0 just 4:41 into the first period and that two-goal advantage stood up after the remaining 41:19 was played in the South-West Conference battle last week at the Danbury Ice Arena.

Just 35 seconds into the opening period, New Milford took a 1-0 lead when the puck shot out of the faceoff circle, off the stick of Newtown goaltender Peter Oggeri, and on to the stick of New Milford’s Ryan Kaiser … who flipped it into the net for the goal.

And then a little over four minutes later, under a similar set of circumstances, Chris Rasor put the Green Wave ahead, 2-0.

Despite early deficit, the Nighthawks – who opened the 2004-05 season with wins over Sheehan and Masuk – picked themselves up off the ice and tried to fight their way back into the game. But every time it appeared as if they would make the comeback, the Wave would pull away.

With eight minutes left in the first period, Corey Regensburger took a pass from Joe Brewer and flipped home a goal that trimmed the New Milford lead to one. But with 10:43 left in the second period, the Wave went back up by two on a goal – a long shot from the blue line, deflected into the net – by Marshall Gravely.

It took nearly 19 minutes, but the ‘Hawks inched back to within one goal with 7:08 left in the third period when Blaise LaPorta took a feed from Joe Brewer in the neutral zone and raced through the Green Wave defense for a breakaway goal.

But just 13 seconds later, New Milford got back its two-goal advantage on Rasor’s second goal – a rebound shot after a nice save by Oggeri.

The loss dropped Newtown to 3-2 overall, 1-1 in the South-West Conference.

But the ‘Hawks picked themselves up on Monday afternoon with a 3-1 win over New Haven/Shelton at the Danbury Ice Arena. Blaise LaPorta, Sean LaPorta and Corey Regensburger all scored while Braeden Conlan, Francis Oggeri and Blaise LaPorta registered assists.

Pete Oggeri made 38 saves in net as New Haven/Shelton outshot Newtown, 39-26.

The ‘Hawks battled New Milford on Wednesday (this time at the Canterbury School rink) and will host Division I Milford next Wednesday at the Danbury Ice Arena. Last year, the ‘Hawks pinned a 2-1 loss on Milford.

New Milford 4, Newtown 2

GOALS: Newtown – Corey Regensburger, Blaise LaPorta; New Milford – Chris Rasor 2, Ryan Kaiser, Marshall Gravely. ASSISTS: Newtown – Joe Brewer 2; New Milford – John Brodski 2, Kevin Crossen, Eric Tougas. SHOTS: Newtown – 22; New Milford – 35. SAVES: Newtown – Peter Oggeri 31; New Milford – Nick Longobardi (NM) 20.

Newtown 3, New Haven/Shelton 1

GOALS: Newtown – Blaise LaPorta, Sean LaPorta, Corey Regensburger; New Haven/Shelton – Andrew Valeri. ASSISTS: Newtown – Braeden Conlan, Francis Oggeri, Blaise LaPorta; New Haven/Shelton – Kevin Vaksewicz. SHOTS: Newtown – 26; New Haven/Shelton – 39. SAVES: Newtown – Pete Oggeri 38; New Haven/Shelton – Dave Eichorn 23.

SWIMMING

Newtown 87, New Milford 75

There are times when it almost doesn’t pay to get in the water.

The Newtown High School swim team knows there will be some stiff tests during the 2004-05 season – like the test against Pomperaug next Tuesday and the one against Shepaug the following Friday – but its South-West Conference meet with New Milford last week was not one of them.

New Milford rolled in Newtown with a small, inexperienced team and was quickly dispatched, 87-75. The Nighthawks held an 87-10 lead after the 100-yard freestyle (after sweeping five events) before going unofficial for the remaining five events.

Andrew Heller and Stefan Toi each secured a pair of first-place finishes, with Heller taking the 200 freestyle (1:57.22) and 100 freestyle (52.77) and Toi taking the 200 individual medley (2:15.66) and 100 butterfly (1:02.57).

Max Barrett earned one first-place finish (50 freestyle – 25.29) and a second-place finish (100 freestyle – 56.88)

The ‘Hawks improved to 2-0.

200 medley relay – 1. Newtown 1:51.95 (Anthony Fiore, Jake Maher, Stephen Toi, Chris Jacob); 2. Newtown 2:06.58; 3. New Milford 2:14.05. 200 freestyle – 1. Andrew Heller (N) 1:57.22; 2. David Modzelewski (N) 2:16.05; 3. Scott Whalley (N) 2:18.79. 200 individual medley – 1. Stephen Toi (N) 2:15.66; 2. Anthony Fiore (N) 2:25.97; 3. David LaMarche (N) 2:34.00. 50 freestyle – 1. Max Barrett (N) 25.29; 2. Nick Maurer (N) 26.77; 3. PJ O’Dell (N) 27.91. Diving – 1. Bryan Lacouture (N) 166.95; 2. Britta Cedergren (N) 118.20; 3. Tim Kutt (N) 92.9. 100 butterfly – 1. Stephen Toi (N) 1:02.57; 2. Dave LaMarche (N) 1:05.22; 3. Alex DiGiacomo (NM) 1:13.67. 100 freestyle – 1. Andrew Heller (N) 52.77; 2. Max Barrett (N) 56.68; 3. Kevin Herring (N) 1:01.79.

 

NOTE: Newtown swam unofficially for the final five events.