The Year That Was… In Sports

By Shannon Hicks

Newtown is a competitive town, and there are plenty of outlets for athletic competition. Athletes of all ages regularly shine on school, town, and travel teams. That was certainly the case in 2007, when an adult soccer team and the high school wrestling team brought home titles for the first time in years, other teams won their first title or posted team-best records, and still others — such as the NHS girls’ soccer team — continued an enviable streak of winning league titles.

This year also saw the formation of a new basketball league for some athletes who may not have had a chance to do more than watch from the sidelines in the past. Newtown Hoopsters has opened up a whole new ballgame for another group of Newtown athletes, giving more folks the chance to play their favorite game and others the opportunity to cheer them on.

Some of the highlights of this past year have been collected here. There are too many to mention, but some of the bigger stories of the year include the following…

JANUARY

The NHS Boys’ Basketball team reached the championship round of the Newtown Holiday Tournament, shellacking Ridgefield 83-54 before falling to Weston (79-52) … the NHS Girls’ Basketball team summarily handled two nonleague opponents, Stamford (60-50) and Bridgeport Central (55-37) … the annual John Giorno Memorial 3-On-3 Basketball Tournament was shifted from November to January, raising money and midwinter spirits with an afternoon of hoops action, raffles, and auctions at the high school … the NMS Boys’ Basketball team avenged their only loss of the season (at that point), defeating Rochambeau (61-47) after already living through a nail-biter against Memorial, giving the previously undefeated Middlebury team a 56-60 loss in OT … the Newtown 7th Grade Girls’ Basketball team added another title to its trophy case after winning five games in three days en route to capturing the 2007 Pepsi RBI Hoops Challenge Tournament title … Alpine Realty set a new league record when it scores 107 points and handed Newtown Mobil its first loss of the season in women’s recreational basketball … and NHS hockey topped Bethel-Brookfield (5-3) for the first time in the program’s (current) six-year history.

FEBRUARY

Football fans were encouraged in February with the announcement that two-time state champ football player Steve George had been named the new head coach for the NHS football program … Francis Oggerri’s hat trick on February 2 led the skating ‘Hawks to a 7-5 win over Southington, who had defeated Newtown (5-4) less than a week earlier … Ray “Shutta” Shaw, who two years earlier brought the ideals of vintage base ball, was named The Newtown Bee 2006 Sportsman of the Year … Newtown resident Kelsey DeCesare, by earning 35 points for her team during the SCW gymnastics championships on February 9, helped Lauralton Hall finish the season at 9-2 and win a conference title … NHS sophomore John Gouveia captured a CIAC Class LL 119-lb wrestling championship on February 10 (and in March he was named to the All-SWC Wrestling Second Team) … also on February 10, the Newtown Scholastic A Winter Guard brought home first place honors from the Winter Guard International (WGI) New England Regional Championships in Salem, Mass. … Sean MacMullan took first place in the Rookie Division of the Pinewood Derby at Head O’ Meadow School … the NHS Junior Varsity Boys’ Basketball team finished its 2006-07 season with an unblemished record (20-0) … and the Newtown Youth Boys’ Basketball 6th Grade team finished its season tied with Bethel for first place in its league.

MARCH

Sandy Hook School fourth grade student Melissa Samoskevich and the Mid-Fairfield 9-10 Squirt Minor Ice Hockey Team captured a state championship following a 1-0 shutout over #1 ranked Central in its league finals … Newtown Mobil secured the regular season crown in The Gym at Newtown Women’s Basketball League, finishing with a 12-3 record … Newtown Youth Wrestling won three (!!!) state titles at the USA Wrestling Connecticut Kids State Championship (additionally, 8-year-old Anthony Falbo, 8-year-old Andy Hubina, and 9-year-old Forest Speed won individual titles) … Reed School sixth grade students Katie Guaragno (defenseman) and Molly Elliot (left wing) were members of the Connecticut Stars U12 girls’ ice hockey team, which captured the Girls American Hockey League with a 3-2 win over Mamaroneck in Brewster … Alex Kron set two NHS swim records, in 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle; Stefan Toi set a school record in the 200 individual medley; and the 400 freestyle relay foursome of Luke Fiore, Anthony Fiore, Kron, and Toi, recast another spot on the records board while helping the NHS Boys’ Swim team finish fifth in the SWC CIAC Class L championships … and the NHS Color Guard danced away from the Music and Arts Championship (MAC) on March 31 with the first place trophy for the fourth consecutive year.

APRIL

Newtown Mobil took a big win over Alpine Realty (72-47) to capture The Gym at Newtown Women’s Basketball League championship on April 3 … The Newtown Bantams went 4-0, including a three-point overtime buzzer-beater in the third round, to capture the championship at the Sal Tinai Youth Hockey Tournament in East Haven … and in their season opener on April 21, The Newtown Sandy Hooks vintage base ball team stunned host Simsbury with a 10-9 win.

MAY

Shana Eigen, a 1999 NHS graduate and a 2003 Johnson & Wales University grad, was inducted into the JWU Hall of Fame, having left a school record of 2,590 set assists for the Wildcats’ volleyball team, plus 888 digs, 173 blocks, 202 aces, and 470 kills to her credit … NHS seniors Erica Vacaro and Joe DeVellis were honored with Southwest Conference Leadership Awards during the SWC Leadership Awards Dinner on May 3 … Newtown Babe Ruth Baseball hosted its first 70-foot tournament over the Memorial Day weekend, and the Newtown Lightning captured the title with wins over New Milford, Bethany, and New Milford again … Newtown Power Girls (U13), White Lightning (Boys U10), and Lightning (Girls U10) all captured first place wins in their respective divisions during the Newtown Soccer Club’s Memorial Day Kick-Off Tournament … and NHS Tennis second doubles team Lauren DeFelice and Nikia McFadden captured an SWC Tennis title.

JUNE

The NHS Girls’ Lacrosse team captured its third consecutive SWC championship with a 14-10 win over Brookfield … Tim Milenkevich of Ansonia won the 33rd Rockin’ Rooster Run/Walk on June 2 (18:49), and Sadie Ball, a 2004 NHS graduate, was the first female runner to cross the line (20:28; fourth overall) … after nine years and countless yards of tape, the NHS athletes and coaches bade farewell to retiring NHS athletic trainer Tim Crowley … the Newtown Babe Ruth Bombers captured its second straight Southbury Memorial Tournament with an 8-5 win over host team Southbury … Kelsey Muniz’s penalty kick late in regulation play gave the Newtown Soccer Club Strikers (Girls U10) a 1-0 win over the Tie-Dye Tigers and the NSC In-Hourse Division championship … Joe DeVellis (football, basketball, baseball) and Christine Iwanicki (volleyball, basketball) were named the NHS Male Athlete of the Year and NHS Female Athlete of the Year, respectively … and Carol Lipnick and Mark Pizzi won 2007 Newtown Open Tennis Tournament singles titles. Also winning 2007 titles were Gene Chappell and Mr Pizzi (Men’s Open Doubles), Anthony Ditullio (Men’s 40 Singles), Don Farrell and Don Kanneburg (Men’s 40 Doubles), Tim Snyder (Men’s 55 Singles), Keith Butterfield and Rod Taylor (Men’s 55 Doubles), and Shirley Berliner and Pierre Moudourou (Mixed Doubles).

JULY

Babe Ruth Softball 10-Year-Old All-Stars finished second in the state tournament (finishing only behind Stamford), which secured them a berth in the New England Regionals … meanwhile Newtown Insurance turned things around after an 0-3 start on their season and went undefeated for the remainder of the spring — right through playoffs — to capture the Newtown Babe Ruth Softball 14-and-Under Division Championship … Patricia A. Clark headed to Port Clinton, Ohio, to compete in the NRA National Rifle and Pistol Championships … and the Newtown Cobras U12 soccer team, along with family and friends, took a 16-day trip to Italy and Germany, enjoying the sights and playing in a soccer tournament.

AUGUST

August opened with more than 70 young athletes in full gear descending on Hawley Field for the annual Newtown Nighthawks Football Camp … Anthony Del Vento, 15, won a gold medal on August 2 at the Nutmeg Games BMX event in Trumbull … Newtown Babe Ruth Baseball League hosted Matt McWilliams Night at Glander Field, offering players and families the opportunity to say Good-Bye to the league’s outgoing president, as well as the chance to experience the 50/70 field in person during an exhibition game … Casey Frobey, a 2006 NHS grad and starter for Fairfield University women’s soccer team, was a proud member of The SoccerPlus Reds women’s soccer team, who won the U23 national championship … Nicole Alberico, Caitlin Smiley, and Hannah Tenenbaum helped their team, Connecticut Revolution, go undefeated — and come home with gold medals — during the 2007 Nutmeg Games at Fairfield University … a late offensive surge by Hot Shots Bar & Grille out of what had been a 6-1 deficit ended up a 22-8 spanking of Newtown Financial and the Newtown Men’s Slo-Pitch League championship … and George Wilson and Nancy Belanger captured Newtown Country Club championships.

SEPTEMBER

Matt Cullen of Danbury (16:48) and Sarah Muhlbradt of Piermont, N.Y. (18:56, tenth overall) were the top male and female finishers on September 1 at the Second Annual Newtown Road Race … Marc Kenney began his first season as coach of the NHS Girls’ Soccer team … on September 9 Bob Elliott captured his ninth consecutive Men’s Open singles title (and 11th overall) in the annual Bertram Strook Memorial Tennis Tournament … Kyle Descrochers, 15, won the New England Regional MX Championship, beating out about three dozen other riders in the 12 and older 250C class … and Geoff Dent, Mark Fries, George Trudell, and Bob Gleason made up the winning foursome at the 2007 Jim Osborne Memorial Golf Classic.

OCTOBER

On October 2, NHS Girls’ Cross Country runner Elise DeRoo shattered a five-year-old course record when she registered a 14:16 finish (50 seconds off the previous record!), helping Newtown on its way to its sweep of Bethel, Brookfield, and New Milford at New Milford (DeRoo also set new records at home and at Pomperaug this year) … a few weeks later the Girls’ Cross Country team coasted to a sixth consecutive Southwest Conference championship, putting the best possible cap on a very successful season.

NOVEMBER

The Newtown Reds rode their ten-game winning streak into the championship Fall Baseball league game on November 2, defeating Newtown Royal Blue, 8-2, for the 2007 title … the fourth grade Newtown Youth Football team blanked Norwalk (18-0) and the fifth grade Youth Football team defeated Monroe (39-13) in final games to bring home their respective Candlewood Valley League titles … the NHS Field Hockey team finished its regular season with more wins (13-4-4-0) than any other team in the program’s history, and also went all the way to the Class L title game before taking a tough 1-0 loss from Stamford … and Newtown Salty Dogs beat Club Napoli of Branford, 1-0, to clinch their first division title in several years in the Connecticut Shoreline Adult Soccer League.

DECEMBER

Newtown Hoopsters, a new program to make basketball accessible to special needs kids, moved into its first season … NHS Field Hockey players Nicole Alberico (Second Team All State), Libby Feltch (Scholar Athlete), Courtney Gleason (First Team All-State) and Stephanie Paproski (Second Team All-State) were honored at the Connecticut Field Hockey Coaches Association All-State Banquet … Newtown resident and Wake Forest athlete Marcus Tracey’s assist led his collegiate men’s soccer team to an exciting 2-1 win over Ohio State in the NCAA Division I College Cup championship … NHS wrestlers hosted a trophy for the first time in more than a decade following a come-from-behind win at the annual Guilford Tournament … and the NHS Boys’ Basketball team opened its season by capturing the inaugural SWC Tip-Off Classic on December 14 with an 85-70 win over Notre Dame.