Newtown High School’s football team overcame a shaky start and a tough Brookfield squad to pull away in the third quarter and roll to a 42-14 road win, on September 25. The Nighthawks didn’t manage a first down until the final five minutes of the opening half but, once the Hawks started moving the chains, the first downs – and touchdowns – kept coming.

The Nighthawks, after surrendering the first score of the game, reeled off six consecutive touchdowns as the defense thwarted Brookfield’s attack and the offense became unstoppable. Newtown found the end zone three times in the third quarter to pull away after leading 14-7 at halftime. In a rematch of the last two South-West Conference championship tilts, the Hawks improved to 3-0 and Brookfield fell to 2-1.

The Nighthawks fell behind 7-0 before Newtown quarterback Justin Dunn hit Ben Mason on a nine-yard touchdown strike on third and goal with just 3:29 left before halftime. The scoring play was preceded by a 41-yard Ethan Carpenter reception and, before that, Jared Pearson’s ten-yard catch and run for the team’s first chain-moving play of the night.

After forcing the Bobcats to punt the ball away, Newtown needed just one play to take the lead; Dunn connected with Carpenter on a 70-yard catch and run to pay dirt, and the Hawks went in front with 2:05 to go in the second quarter.

Just two plays into the second half, the Hawks added to their total. Pearson’s 25-yard diving reception set up Carpenter’s 55-yard TD catch from Dunn 58 seconds into the half, making it 21-7. Hunter Cobb’s 18-yard touchdown run made it a 28-7 game with 8:09 remaining in the quarter. Carpenter’s 55-yard punt return, to the Brookfield 11 yard line, set up Cobb to plow his way into the end zone for a 35-7 Nighthawk cushion with 5:06 left in the quarter.

Carpenter had an interception in the end zone late in the third quarter. Cobb sliced his way into the paint for another TD, early in the fourth quarter, making it a 42-7 game. Michael Garner had an interception in the final quarter.

Read more about the game in the October 2 print edition of The Bee.