By Steve Bigham

STRATFORD – The wheels are back ON the wagon.

After an 0-4 start, the Newtown High School boys’ basketball team has salvaged its season with three-straight victories . . . including a pair of league wins that could go a long way toward transforming the Nighthawks into a contender in the South-West Conference.

“We were in a lot of trouble a week ago. This week we have a lot of reason for optimism, yet there is still a long way to go,” said Coach John Quinn, whose smile had returned to his face after a rough start.

Desperate for a victory, Newtown pounded Pomperaug last Wednesday, 91-57, for its first win, then answered right back two days later with a thrilling 64-62 win over Stratford. On Monday of this week, the Nighthawks (2-1 in the SWC, 3-4 overall) rolled over the Ancestors School of Waterbury, 86-45, in a non-league game.

Newtown’s hopes of jumping out to a 3-1 league mark were put on hold Tuesday as its game at New Fairfield was postponed due to a water problem at New Fairfield High. That was a game Quinn really wanted to play because his team plays powerful Notre Dame of Fairfield on the road Friday night.

“We always play well against them. We’re certainly good enough to play with them. We just have to go out there and do it,” Quinn said.

The New Fairfield postponement was the third of the year for Newtown, which also had a pair of non-league games called off. Snow was the culprit the first time, then it was a broken down bus. Tuesday’s “call-off” left Quinn and his team somewhat frustrated.

“These are young kids and they need some routine. We’ve been taken out of our routine. We’re constantly adjusting,” Quinn said.

That’s More Like It

Newtown’s blowout victory over hapless Pomperaug last week went a long way toward resurrecting a team in early-season turmoil. But it was Friday’s win over Stratford that has everyone talking. Playing before a large crowd and in front of a live television audience (on Channel 17), Newtown got a last-second shot from junior John Wesley, who managed to get free off an inbounds play with six seconds to play, took a baby hook from about six feet away.

Stratford’s last-gasp shot attempt to tie the game rolled around the rim before falling out.

“We’ve had a lot of those that have gone the other way. Maybe the basketball gods were with us. For three years we’ve had big games here and we’ve come close. We finally got one this time,” said Quinn, who joked about the fact that the rim Stratford was shooting at had been replaced just a couple weeks before.

Newtown trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half against Stratford before rallying to cut it to seven at intermission. Senior Jeff Wolcott (six points) drained a three-pointer at the buzzer to give Newtown the momentum it needed.

The Nighthawks then outscored Stratford, 21-11, in the third quarter before an exciting fourth quarter showdown. Late in the game, junior Josh Dittmar (17 points) buried the third of his three three-pointers to set up the on-the-edge-of-your-seat finish. In the final minute – with the game tied at 60 – Newtown got huge defensive plays from senior Andrew Smith (eight points) and junior Ryan Walker, which set up Wesley’s game-winner. Walker’s defense was especially impressive as he guarded Stratford’s talented sophomore point guard into a five-second call with less than 30 seconds to go.

It was the kind of effort Walker has been giving all season.

“He’s a great defensive player. He’s a great athlete. We put him on the point guard and it paid off,” said Quinn.

Senior John Fiscella (13 points) scored eight in the fourth quarter, including 4-for-4 from the foul line.

Quinn was angry at halftime. He felt Newtown was the better team, but had allowed Stratford to dictate the tempo during the first 16 minutes.

“I really lost it and the kids really responded in the second half,” Quinn said. “We’ve got a long way to go, but that was a big step toward us becoming a complete team. We’ve won three in a row and I hope this is just the beginning. We have to remember this feeling and carry it forward.”

The wins over Stratford and Pomperaug were the first against those teams during Quinn’s three-year stint. He was a combined 0-5 prior, including a first-round state tournament loss at Stratford in 1999. More importantly, the wins give Newtown an early boost on the competition and were a clear indication that Newtown should be a lock on one of the eight SWC postseason slots.

Against winless Pomperaug January 3, John Fiscella scored 17 of his game-high 23 points in the first half, while Wesley scored 16 points, including 12 in the second half. Talented junior Mark DeFeo added a career-high 12 points, 10 of them in the fourth quarter. Dittmar also pumped in 12, while Smith scored 10 and Andrew Fiscella added seven.

“The Pomperaug game gave us that kick start and we carried it over to Stratford,” Quinn said.

Ancestors, which is playing its first year of CIAC-sanctioned basketball, has a couple of kids who can score, but lacks the talent and depth to compete with most. Newtown’s balanced attack took its toll early and often.

Walker led the way for Newtown with 23 points, John Fiscella added 19 and Dittmar tossed in 13. DeFeo tossed in 10 points and Smith added nine.