Date: Fri 17-Jan-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: TOMW

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

Glorydays-January-17-96

Full Text:

Glorydays - January 17, 1997

Newtown High School girls' basketball teams are off to a good start for the

1962 season, winning three games: over Masuk of Monroe varsity, 51-22; JV,

24-8; over Wilton varsity 34-16; and over Bethel varsity, 30-29; JV, 18-6.

Mary Neustrand is top scorer for the Newtown varsity with 61 points. Linnea

Johanson comes next with 18 points, while Elaine O'Shea leads the junior

varsity with 12 points.

Players with ten or more points are Sailor McCain, 11; Dagne Grafton, ten; and

Litha Saxton, ten.

Newtown was held close by Bethel Tuesday afternoon. Bethel led, 6-3, after the

first period, but dropped behind, 16-15, at the end of the half.Newtotn held

the last two periods.

Mary Neustrand caged 11 from the floor and three from the foul line, to top

the scoring with 25 points. Jan Clarkson scored 18 for Bethel. Newtown's JV

had an easy time winning the preliminary, 18-6, with Lee Saxton accounting for

eight of the Newtown points.

Newtown girls play at Ridgefield Thursday afternoon, January 18, and then

entertain Ridgefield and Bethel next week on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.

Boys' HS Basketball

On Friday, Newtown opened its second round of play in the 1961-62 basketball

season. The results of the first half are: won, 2; lost, 5 Western Connecticut

Conference; won, 2; lost, 7, overall record.

The Newtown High Indians started out in even shape, winning and losing two -

but then Dan Lawler, Newtown's second highest scorer, and fifth highest in the

Western Connecticut Conference, 13.3 points per game, hurt his ankle and was

unable to play and Newtown lost the next five games.

On Friday Newtown High, still without Dan Lawler, beat Bethel, 31-26, for the

second time this season. Ron Beardsley, 11 points, and Vaughan Clark, eight

points, were the high scorers.

On Tuesday, Newtown made it two in a row, defeating Southbury, 52-41,

overcoming a ten point deficit at half, 29-19, Newtown scored 33 points to 12

points for Southbury. Clark sparked the team with 20 points, his year high,

Ron Beardsley netted 18 points, and Wilkes tallied 11 points.

Also, Newtown JV won its first game, 21-17. After a tough struggle building a

new, green, but determined JV squad, the boys put together a winning effort.

Billy Kayfus led Newtown's JV attack with six points, Bill Beardsley had five

points, Fred Crousch, six points, Roger Downs, and Paul Nelson, one point, and

Fred VanAlmelo two points.

Junior High Basketball

The Newtown Junior High School basketball program opened its regular season of

play Saturday. Each of the four teams played the first of a nine-game season.

The first game of the day saw the Packers tangle with the Hawks. The game

opened rather slowly and seemed that it would turn into a defensive struggle.

The first half closed with the Packers holding a slim three point lead.

The second half the teams started to find the range, as they lost the opening

day jitters. The Packers took a small lead late in the fourth periodand

managed to build it into a margin of 13 points. The finals core read 27-15 in

favor of the Packers.

High scorers for the winning Packers were George Tompskins with the eight

points and George Albers with eight. John Senior managed to score six points

in a losing cause

The nightcap of the double header saw the Knicks match baskets with with the

Celtics. The game started at a fast clip and saw Knicks grab a slim 8-5 lead

at the first period mark. The Knicks built their lead to five points as they

led 12-7 at the half.

A third period surge by the Celtics cut the lead down to one point. However

the Celtics managed to take over the lead and put together a final burst and

won the game by the score of 29-21.

High scorers for the Celts were Ron Baxter with 13 points and Peter Woodward

with eight. High man for the losing Knicks was Jim Glover with 14 points.