“Chasing Greatness”

That is the motto of the Newtown High School (NHS) boys’ basketball team. The self-motivation words appear on the backs of the players’ warm-up jerseys.

“I think the captains said it best,” Newtown Coach Tim Tallcouch said of that back-of-jersey mission.

Led by senior captains forward/center Isaiah Williams, guard Liam O’Connell, guard Joe McCray, and forward Ryan Verdi, the Nighthawks will look to build off of last year’s coronavirus-impacted season — a campaign in which the Nighthawks went 7-5 in a South-West Conference-only schedule before pushing Immaculate of Danbury in an SWC quarterfinal-round defeat.

“Graduating only one senior last year, Division II All State selection Jack Petersen, allowed many of the returning players valuable varsity practice and game experience. We are athletic with excellent leadership, experience, and positive chemistry,” said Tallcouch, also a chemistry teacher at NHS.

Petersen leaves a big void but a bulk of the players are back. Junior centers/forwards Charlie Sepp and Eli Williams and junior guards Saahil Ray and Cam Ward, and sophomore transfer Makai Coleman will be players Tallcouch and company will look to for contributions.

In an effort to compete with the best in the conference, and make a run in state playoffs planned this winter after a one-season hiatus due to COVID protocol, the Nighthawks will challenge themselves with some tough nonconference tilts to begin the slate.

“I strongly believe that this team needed a highly competitive non-league schedule to challenge them headed into the SWC portion of the schedule, beginning the second week of January. Some of my friends asked me if I was not feeling well when I put the out-of-league games on the schedule. You can schedule easier games but what do you get out of those? Maybe the W and some bad habits,” Tallcouch said.

The season begins with a Saturday, December 18, home tilt against Tallcouch’s former team, Wilton, starting at 3 pm. Then comes more FCIAC representation, including Darien, then Ridgefield in its holiday tourney to close out the calendar year. In early January, Crosby of Waterbury and Bassick of Bridgeport await. Newtown’s conference schedule begins with a January 10 home clash against New Fairfield. A February 9 tilt with Torrington breaks up the conference slate.

Defending conference runner-up Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport, which won the title in 2020, defending champ and perennial powerhouse Notre Dame, Immaculate, Stratford, Bunnell of Stratford, and Joel Barlow of Redding might be among the most challenging in the SWC, “but they are all competitive,” Tallcouch noted.

In preparing for a run at greatness, the Hawks have those tough games scheduled. In order to get ready for those contests they have been working hard in practice.

“The players and coaches absolutely can’t wait to play against somebody other than each other in practice,” Tallcoach said. “Practices have been very competitive.”

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Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.