By Kim J. Harmon

 

The 2007-08 season officially opened for Newtown High School last week with the first two games of the girls’ basketball season, but this week – in spite of the weather – the whole darned shootin’ match will be up and running.

Is there a potential South-West Conference champion in this group of five teams?

Possibly.

But one thing is for sure –

Even though the snow and the ice and the freezing rain will try and get local fans down, all the games are indoors and there will be plenty of excitement in there to fill the next several weeks. Read on for the prospectus:

BOYS BASKETBALL

Coach – John Quinn

Though it lost a lot of size – not to mention two of its three leading scorers – the Newtown High School boys’ basketball team is prepared to adapt.

It’s survival of the fittest in the South-West Conference and the Nighthawks – a little leaner, a little faster, a little more athletic – are going to try and remain fit by ratcheting up the pace a bit in the 2007-08 season.

Run, press, drive and kick. That’s going to be the signature of the ‘Hawks this year.

The ‘Hawks started out like a house afire last year, winning 10 of their first 12 games before stumbling through the second half of the season, losing nine of their last 10 to finish up at an even keel 11-11.

Gone from that unit are three starters and two key role players – including leading scorer and center Mike Kennedy (13.1 points per game), now at Western New England, Joe DeVellis (9.2 points per game, 25 three-pointers), Tucker Kass (5.0 points per game), Shaun Coakley (4.1 points per game) and Jack Quinn (2.1 points per game).

The torch is now passed to the Smith twins, Dan and Jason, who will captain the team long with Kevin Troy (second on the team last year with 11.7 points per game and 18 three-pointers). Troy is a pure shooter who can hit from the outside or drive to the basket while Dan, a returning starter after scoring 5.1 points per game, and Jason will provide an athletic, defensive-minded back court.

Head coach John Quinn is high on the prospects of Jason, who appeared in 15 games a year ago and looks to be the most improved player on the team.

And a key back court component coming off the bench should be junior Jake DeVellis, a fast, slashing player who knocked down 129 points a year ago while scoring 6.4 a game – fourth-best on the team.

Now, the departure of Kennedy left a big hole down low, but coach Quinn will look to fill that hole with PJ Cochrane, a very fast, athletic player – at 6-foot-2 – who can play on the wing or in the post. Greg Rodden and George Zaruba will get an opportunity for some minutes down there, as well.

And as the 2007-08 season opened this week, a couple of the wild cards who could make a big impact are Mike Maher (an outside threat who canned six three-pointers in 17 games), Kurt Nacewicz (the quickest player on the team, Connor Collier (a strong defensive two guard or small forward) and Daniel Quinn (a nifty outside shooter). Ian Cooper could also see some minutes.

So after working so hard at the end of the 2006-07 season, attending the UMass team camp and playing in a couple of summer leagues and a fall league, the ‘Hawks (who boasted a 20-0 junior varsity team) were ready to get at it on Wednesday night in the Newtown Tip-Off Tournament.

ICE HOCKEY

Coach – Paul Esposito

A year after posting its best record ever and nearly knocking off New Milford in the South-West Conference Division II championship, the Newtown High School ice hockey team is back and looking forward to another run at a title.

There have been some changes, though, and not the least of which is behind the bench where Paul Esposito returns after a three-year hiatus with an entirely new coaching staff that includes a couple of former players.

On the ice, the Nighthawks (14-8-1 a year ago) will be without people like Pat Daly, Chris Kraft, Zach D’Agostino and Blake Bell (a senior now playing junior hockey), but their top four leading scorers are all back and their goaltender, Mitch Bloomberg, who was brilliant in the SWC championship game, is back between the pipes.

It makes for a very promising 2007-08 season.

“We are going to be implementing new team systems and special teams strategies this year,” said coach Esposito. “The plan is to get back to basic team play. Our off-season condition will play a key role because our SWC rivals will be physically tough, but the team should be up to the challenge.”

Christian Beitel (25-9-34), captain Matt Wright (14-18-32), captain Max Beitel (10-18-28) and captain Francis Oggeri (18-6-24) will lead a formidable offense. Senior captain Braeden Conlan (0-3-3) will anchor a new forechecking defense in front of Bloomberg, who posted a 2.55 goals-against average with 566 saves (91.4%) in 936 minutes.

Peter Griffiths (1-5-6), Ryan Lasher, Tucker Grose (1-4-5), Graham Moller (4-0-4), Mike Poeltl (01-1), Ben Stokes (1-0-1), Robert Brautigam, Rocco Guaragno and James Maher and goaltenders Kyle DiNicola and Bryan Mesko all return to the ice in 2007-08 to provide the ‘Hawks with some depth on the bench.

 “Our expectations are high,” said coach Esposito.

The junior varsity program will continue in it’s development with the new addition of coach Tom Gately (who will also assist the varsity), who just moved in from Franklin, Massachusetts, home of the state powerhouse Panthers. With the influx of some 10-15 incoming freshmen next year, as well as a few sophomores who are playing out their final year of bantams, the goal is the elevate the status of the Newtown hockey program in the next several years.

“It’s important for the youth travel players skating in Danbury, Shelton, Brewster and Bridgeport to stick to their roots and be loyal to the school system they came up through,” said coach Esposito. “A priority is to make the hockey players of Newtown want to play for Newtown, instead of transferring out to higher ranked schools.”

Coach Esposito is an eighth-grade teacher at Newtown Middle School who spent his time, after leaving the Newtown hockey program, as an assistant coach at Immaculate High School in Danbury and when the opportunity to coach the high school team again he didn’t hesitate to get back on board.

“It’s been my strong desire to coach the team,” he said, “and with the upcoming kids, I have been anxiously awaiting to coach them on throughout high school. I couldn’t ask for a more solid core coming up, and even more importantly such a strong group of upper classman this season.”

BOYS SWIMMING

Coach – Matt Childs

The Newtown High School swim team may be as good in 2007-08 as it has ever been. And that would be perfect, if Pomperaug wasn’t still swimming in the South-West Conference.

But the Panthers are still swimming in the SWC and look to be the prohibitive favorite to win another conference championship. Still, the Nighthawks hope to be a strong No. 2 in the conference and to push those pesky Panthers as far as they can.

“We have a very strong team and a very talented and deep senior class,” said head coach Matt Childs, who led the team to an 8-3 mark and third-place finish in the SWC meet a year ago. “This team expects to compete at a high level in the SWC and in the state, but hard work over the course of the season will dictate how successful this year will be. We should be competitive with Pomperaug and Brookfield, challenging for a league title, but that will depend on our ability to rise to the occasion in a few pivotal meets.”

The ‘Hawks have risen to the occasion in the past, setting and re-setting school records in the process. The team will be lead by senior captains Anthony Fiore, Stefan Toi and Chris Fragoso – the core of a very strong front line. Mix in seniors like Wes Hood, Allen Hubbard and Kevin Herring and the ‘Hawks are not only solid in places like the 100 freestyle and 100 breaststroke, but also the relays. Seniors Marissa Bobkowski, Allison Jagoe and newcomer Ryan Hudock will anchor the diving while juniors Chris Parker and Tony Fragoso will add depth to that upperclass lineup.

The ‘Hawks are exceptionally strong in the underclass, as well, with sophomores like Matt Iassogna, Alex Kron and strengthening the distance events and the relays and Luke Fiore sparking the 50 and 100 freestyle events.

Coach Childs welcomes more than a dozen freshman onto the team and with a large contingent expects to fill a lot of lanes come the South-West Conference and CIAC Class LL state championship meets.

WRESTLING

Coach – Alan Potter

With four South-West Conference medallists and one state champion returning to the mat for the 2007-08 season, the Newtown High School wrestling team will be boasting one of its most experienced teams ever.

And coaches Alan Potter and Anthony Bodetti expect some big things.

Though the ‘Hawks lost a key member of their team, Bryant Aliaga (24-8 at 189 pounds), they return a strong core in captains Jagi Gymacho (23-7 at 152 pounds), Joel Minalgo (24-7 at 215 pounds), Eric Puffer and Dana Van Buskirk (20-11 at 125 pounds).

Senior Mark Bonamici (15-14 at 130 pounds) also lends a lot of experience to that lineup as will heavyweight Thaddeus Adams.

But the guy with the hardware is junior John Gouveia, who captured a 119-pound CIAC Class LL state championship with a thrilling 7-5 win over Charlie Costanzo of Danbury, and entered the New England Regional Tournament with an incredible 64-16 record.

The ‘Hawks are going to be strong right through the middle of the rotation and they will showcase that this Saturday at the annual Guilford Tournament as they return three champions (Gouveia, Gymacho and Van Buskirk), one runner-up (Bonamici) and one place winner (Joel Minalgo).

And while ‘Hawks challenge for an SWC title, they are looking forward to the moment when the youth program begins sending its young, hungry wrestlers to the high school. That youth program has already started its season with a bang, defeating Stadley Rough of Danbury, Stamford, Mill Ridge of Danbury, New Fairfield and a powerhouse New Milford team.

It’s clear – the Newtown wrestlers are on the move.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Coach – Shawn O’Brien

Losing a phenomenal scorer like Christie Iwanicki (379 points) and a couple of tough, hard-nosed players like Kristi Nowak and Darcy Fiscella is not easy – not for any team.

But with the return of center Morgan Knees, the addition of sophomore sharpshooter Sarah Kelley and a lot more minutes for Katie Power, Katie Condon and Jordyn Good the Newtown High School girls’ basketball team could very well remain a strong contender in the South-West Conference.

Things got off to a rocky start, of course, with losses to Joel Barlow and Lauralton Hall in the Lauralton Hall Tip-Off Tournament last week but a gritty comeback against defending Class L champion Joel Barlow – led by Knees, Kelley and Power – could become a trademark of the 2007-08 team.

As for the captains – Knees is the top returning scorer after knocking down 243 points and averaging 11.0 a game last year, Power (in just eight games) averaged 6.1 points and drained six three-pointers and Condon averaged 5.3 points a game and tossed in 15 three-pointers.

Though Iwanicki (now at Suffolk University) led the team with 27 treys, the Lady Nighthawks’ long range game should be fine with Power, Kelley, Condon and Nora Lynn Shimko (17 three-pointers) leading the way.

Inside, the ‘Hawks will remain tough with Knees at center and Good at forward. Power, Condon and Kelley make for a nice backcourt. Off the bench, coach Shawn O’Brien will look to Jen Brewer (a leaper, rebounder and scrambler for loose balls who appeared in 17 games last year), Katie Bowen (an energetic guard who can handle the ball) and Ally Modzelewski (another guard who already has her first varsity three-pointer).

Freshman Maggie Donahue (a top player on the Newtown Middle School team a year ago) and Kait Marsden will provide some depth on the bench.

Though the ‘Hawks got off to an 0-2 start, they look to rebound when they return to the floor on Friday against Pomperaug.

INDOOR TRACK

Coach – Doug Russell

It has been a few years since the Newtown High School indoor track and field team has returned a South-West Conference championship trophy to the school. Could this be the year?

Head coach Doug Russell has a gigantic roster to sift through (150 athletes all told, 95 of ‘em on the girls’ side and 55 of ‘em on the boys’ side) in order to craft a nice lineup and he is going to be keeping his eye out on some of the key returnees.

Last year, the girls finished fourth at the SWCs and was led by Lauren Sudbey in the pole vault and long jump, Harriet Morgan in the high jump, Jaclyn Van Waalwijk in the shot put and high jump, Keegan Frobey in the high jump, Sara Pollock in the distance and Emily Lockhart and Kelley Sullivan in the sprints.

Sudbey finished second in the pole vault at the SWCs last year and did it with a school-record vault of 7-6 (tying Leah Herity’s old mark). Van Waalwijk finished third in the shot put with a toss of 29-1.5 in that event.

Other key seniors/captains include Meghan Barbour, Kendra O’Connor, Filicia Rose, Christian Sampaio, Andie Maret, Emily Lockhart and Libby Maret. Barbour, Lockhart and Andie Maret were key components of the 4x240 and sprint medley relays last year.

The boys also finished fourth at the SWCs last year and will be led by Kevin Hoyt in the distance, Cody Cullens in the long jump and John Toll, Stephen Ashbolt and Matt Saxonmeyer in the sprints.

Cullens is also a school record holder, setting the pole vault mark at 18-8 back on January 13 at Wesleyan University. Toll, Ashbolt and Saxonmeyer were key components of the 4x400 and 4x240 relay teams, which both finished third at the SWCs a year ago.

Other key seniors/captains include Tim Cawley, Tom Dolzall, Conor Sherman, Kyle Hufziger and Paul Forgione.

There are nearly 60 freshman on the team, giving coach Russell an opportunity to get a new group of athletes excited about track and field and to bolster the crop that will be heading outdoors in the spring.

The Nighthawks will open their developmental meet schedule on January 5 at the Staples High School field house in Westport.