By Kim J. Harmon

If there is one thing that tournament basketball will teach you, it’s this: NO LEAD IS SAFE.

The Bullets (Intermediate Boys) and Huskies (Junior Boys) discovered this last Saturday at Newtown High School in their respective Newtown Parks and Recreation Youth Basketball divisional championship games.

The Bullets were up as much as six in the early game before falling to the Nighthawks and the Huskies were up as much as 10 in the late game before falling to the Wildcats in a couple of outstanding thrillers.

And so the Nighthawks and the Wildcats join the Blue Devils (Junior Girls) and Huskies (Intermediate Girls) as 2003-04 Newtown Youth Basketball champions.

Although the Bullets were in control for three quarters in the Newtown Parks and Recreation Youth Basketball Intermediate Boys championship the fourth quarter – and the game – belonged to the Nighthawks.

Down 20-16 heading into the final period, the ‘Hawks went on a 12-2 run (with Kyle O’Connor scoring six unanswered points) on their way to a stunning 32-27 win on Saturday morning at Newtown High School.

The run began Eric Thornberg opened the period with a basket in the low blocks and James Sharpe followed with a high banker from the baseline to tie the score at 20-20. The Bullets briefly answered back on a basket from Conor McNamara, but Thornberg dropped in a pair of foul shots and O’Connor scored six consecutive points to put the ‘Hawks in firm control of the game, 28-22.

Sure, the ‘Hawks had to hold the Bullets off as Sam Kerr hit a pair of foul shots with 3:04 left and Matt Hamilton dropped in a bucket off a great feed from Greg Campbell, but the ‘Hawks scored back-to-back baskets (one from Tom Capozziello and the other from Steve Braun) to put the game away.

But it was the Bullets who jumped out to the early lead. With a layup from Kyle Vignone to open the game and another layup (off a steal) by Kevin O’Connell a few moments later, the Bullets were on top 4-1 after four minutes. The ‘Hawks inched to within two points by the close of the period, however, on a free throw from Thornberg and a baseline jumper by Capozziello.

With a pair of foul shots by O’Connor to open the second period, the game was tied at 6-6, but the Bullets went on a methodical 10-4 run to take a 16-10 lead with four minutes left in the third period. Vignone had three baskets in that run while Kerr and Andre Capoziello had one apiece and those offset another two baskets by O’Connor of the Nighthawks. Baskets by Thornberg and Powers got the ‘Hawks as close as two, but Kerr and Hamilton answered back with two points apiece to close out the third period.

O’Connor led the ‘Hawks with a game-high 12 points while Thornberg tossed in seven and Capoziello added six. Powers, Sharpe and Brown all had buckets while Jamey Tibbetts tossed in a foul shot. For the Bullets, Vignone and Kerr had eight points apiece while Hamilton had four and Capoziello contributed three. O’Connell and McNamara had buckets, as well.

NOTE: The Nighthawks included Jamey Tibbetts, Kyle O’Connor, Eric Thornberg, James Sharpe, N. Barrett, Oliver Powers, Tom Capozziello, Steve Braun, Jake Barrett and Austin Jones.

The Huskies dominated all season long in the Newtown Parks and Recreation Youth Basketball Junior Division, but when it comes to the postseason – as Kentucky and Stanford discovered in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament – there is always a team ready to knock them off.

In the Huskies’ case, it was the Wildcats.

Down 41-39, the Wildcats (powered by 6-of-6 shooting from the foul line by Jake DeVellis) scored the final nine points of the game and captured the Junior Division championship, 48-41, last Saturday at Newtown High School.

DeVellis finished with 20 points on the afternoon.

As many expected, the Huskies jumped out to an early lead in the game. Nick Urso – who has participated in three consecutive league championship games – popped in six points while Jared Modzelewski had five (with the aid of a three-pointer) to stake the Huskies to a 14-4 lead.

But the Wildcats went on a 10-0 run to tie the game 14-14 early in the second period. Ryan Golankiewicz started the run with a foul shot and DeVellis put some life into it with a reverse layup and a foul shot for an old school three-point play. Then Golankiewicz hit a basket in the low blocks to close the first period, hit two foul shots to open the second period and added layup off a steal to tie the score at 14.

Modzelewski put the Huskies back on top with a drive to the basket, but DeVellis answered back. After Erik Dreher popped in a free throw to put the Huskies up, 17-16, DeVellis canned a tough inside basket and two foul shots to put the Wildcats up by three, 20-17. Back-to-back three-pointers by David Hutchison helped the Wildcats increase their lead to seven, 26-19, before the Huskies closed out the half with Dreher scoring in the low post.

The Wildcats kept the lead at seven in the early stages of the third period with a couple of baskets by Golankiewicz, but the hold on that lead was tenuous. With their team starting to run the floor hard, Dreher and Urso popped in two baskets apiece to put the Huskies ahead, 31-30.

DeVellis gave the ‘Cats the lead back with a pair of foul shots to end the third period.

Modzelewski opened the final stanza, though, with a three-pointer from the top of the key and a few moments later added another three-pointer (his third of the game) to put the Huskies on top, 39-36. But DeVellis drained a three-pointer of his own to tie the score, 39-39.

Dreher followed with a runner in the lane to put the Huskies ahead, 41-39, but it was the last time the No. 1 seeded team would see the lead. Tim Larsen canned a three-pointer with about a minute to go to put the Wildcats up for good, 42-41. Six straight foul shots by DeVellis simply emphasized the win for the ‘Cats.

DeVellis led the way with 20 points while Golankiewicz added 15 more for the Wildcats. Hutchison had six on his pair of three-pointers while Larsen had three and Brett LeBlanc and Chris Basso had two apiece. For the Huskies, Modzelewski canned 13 points while Dreher had 11 and Urso had 10. Mark Scheunemann chipped in with three points while Ryan Hudock and Julian Wahlberg each contributed a basket.

NOTE: The Wildcats included Ryan Golankiewicz, Ryan Drummond, Tim Larsen, Chris Basso, Ben Neff, Jake DeVellis, Charlie LoBosco, David Hutchison, Martin Basso and Brett LeBlanc.