By Kim J. Harmon

WILTON – A 16-1 victory over Wilton High School in the first scrimmage of 2001 would have been reason enough for the Newtown High School softball team to feel a little spring happiness – if they weren’t already happy about finally being outdoors.

Even if it did rain.

It was the first time the Nighthawks had been outdoors since practice began two weeks ago – that is, if you don’t count the 40-minute tryout in a small corner of the back field (a tryout that assistant coach Jay Edwards said took place “between the snow drifts.”)

The inclement weather (if a soggy nor’easter that dropped all that rain could simply be called inclement) has kept all nine teams penned up inside the high school trying to find maybe an hour or two just to work out in the gym.

And the short-lived storm on Monday that dropped a fresh blanket of snow on the fields simply made matters worse . . . with the season-openers just a week away.

“It’s really hard to get the reps I’ve wanted,” said head softball coach Paul LaFrancesca. “I’ve learned to be more creative.”

With the snow falling on Monday, the softball team took to the gym while the girls’ lacrosse team warmed up on the lobby carpet. The boys’ and girls’ tennis teams were taking the afternoon off and the golfers were left to clean the grass stains off their clubs.

The two track teams, however, did venture outside for a little bit of work on the track and all coach Carl Paternoster said was, “We had to do something.”

Opening day is officially Thursday, April 5 – with the boys’ tennis team scheduled for a 3:45 pm match at Staples of Westport, the baseball team scheduled for a 3:45 pm game at Pomperaug, the boys’ lacrosse team scheduled to host Fairfield at 4 pm, the girls’ lacrosse team scheduled for a 3:45 pm game at Danbury, and the softball scheduled to host Brookfield in a 3:45 pm game.

The key word is scheduled – all of it, of course, depends on the weather.

The girls’ tennis team will open on Friday, April 6, with a 3:45 pm home match against Ridgefield while the boys’ track team will open at home on Monday, April 9 (in a quad meet with New Milford, Joel Barlow and Weston) and the girls’ track team will open at home (against the same three schools) on Tuesday, April 10.

The golf team will be the last one out of the chute – opening on Monday, April 16, against New Milford at the Newtown Country Club.

“There is a positive out of all of this,” coach LaFrancesca said. “All three teams are practicing together and I think it’s helped them bond a little.”