Newtown Bee

November 3, 2000

 

The quest for a Candlewood Valley League championship has come to an end – a heartbreaking end some would say, especially in the case of one team – for two of Newtown’s finest Pop Warner football teams ever.

The Junior Pee Wees and Pee Wees were both were defeated in the semi-finals last weekend. The Pee Wees dropped a 19-6 decision to the Danbury Trojans while the Junior Pee Wees fell 14-13 to Ridgefield when an extra point attempt that would have tied the game early was nullified on a holding call.

 

By Kim J. Harmon

Oh, it was a banner year for Newtown Pop Warner, all right. With the new millennium still fresh and unspoiled, the Junior Pee Wees, Pee Wees, Junior Midgets and Midgets all qualified for the Candlewood Valley League playoffs with two – the JPWs and PWs – reaching the semi-finals before being eliminated.

Only the 89ers didn’t reach the playoffs and that’s because there are no playoffs for that age level.

Now, nearly a year since those losses in the semi-finals, the Nighthawk programs have begun another journey towards what they hope will be another berth in the Candlewood Valley League playoffs.

Practice began in earnest about three weeks ago and was kick-started by a Newtown High School football clinic that ran from Monday, July 23, through Friday, July 27, and was hosted by NHS head coach Ken Roberts. Some 60 athletes – all Pop Warner players – participated and had a chance to go through conditioning drills, contact drills, quarterback drills and running back drills.

The influence of coach Roberts has carried over to Pop Warner practice in more ways than one, too. The high school practice philosophy of first working on calisthenics and then having the players rotate through stations has been undertaken by the Pop Warner coaching staff.

So, after three-and-a-half weeks of intensive training, the Nighthawk programs will open the 2001 season at the traditional jamborees on Sunday, August 26 (see important information below). The regular season will officially open at home against Brookfield on Saturday and Sunday, September 1 and 2.

More than 144 players are suiting up this season and more than 120 cheerleaders will be there on the sidelines urging them on.

And, as if the teams needed any more incentive heading into the season, let’s revisit the Junior Pee Wees’ one-point loss to Ridgefield 10 months ago.

The game started with Newtown on defense – thanks to an onsides kick by Ridgefield. Although Ridgefield did not score on that series of downs because of tough plays by Tyler Tarantino, Mark Scheunemann, Dan DeLaVega, Sean Ryan and Justin McGrath, it did score on its next possession to take a 7-0 lead.

Ridgefield did another onsides kick and Newtown was back on the field on defense. Matt Mascolo, however, broke up a key fourth-down pass.

Later, Tarantino got the Nighthawks into the end zone. Kris Kling added the extra point, but a holding penalty negated it and Newtown was left in a one-point hole, 7-6.

Ridgefield jumped out at the start of the second half and soon scored, adding the extra point for a 14-6 lead. Later, after McGrath had to make a beautiful tackle to keep Ridgefield out of the end zone again, the Newtown offense went to work from deep inside its own end and time winding down. Tarantino made a great run to the 40-yard-line behind a nice block from McGrath. Schuenemann followed with a nice run of his own for the touchdown. Kling added the extra point and Newtown trimmed the Ridgefield lead to 14-13.

With one last shot, the ‘Hawks attempted a pass that fell incomplete.

Newtown finished up its season at 4-2-1.

Only slightly less heartbreaking was the 19-6 loss the Pee Wees suffered at the hands of the Danbury Trojans. The ‘Hawks did take an early 6-0 lead on a Tucker Kass touchdown run, but Danbury scored three unanswered touchdowns for the win.

The Junior Midgets and Midgets did not fare so well in the playoffs last year against tough Danbury Vikings teams. The Junior Midgets were bested, 24-7, while the Midgets were beaten, 34-0, in the Candlewood Valley League quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, the 89ers finished up a strong season at 8-1 with a 12-0 win over the Danbury Trojans. Jake DeVellis scored first on a six-yard plunge up the middle and Steve Oberstadt scored second on a quarterback keeper.

Jamborees

The Newtown Nighthawks will open the 2001 season with their annual jamborees on Sunday, August 26. The 89ers will be away at Wolfe Park in Monroe and the Junior Pee Wees will be away at Osborne Street Field in Danbury. The Pee Wees, Junior Midgets and Midgets will all be at home.

89ers – Weigh in is at 7:30 am, with games from 9 to 11 am. If you haven’t been to Wolfe Park before, take Route 25 South to Monroe. Take first left past the Route 59 junction onto Pepper Street. Take Pepper Street to the third right (Cuttlers Farm Road) and take Cuttlers Farm Road about two miles to the park.

Junior Pee Wees – Weigh in is at 8 am, with games from 9 to 11:45 am. If you haven’t been to the Osborne Street Field before, take I-84 West to exit 6. Take a right of the ramp onto North Street and a right onto Hayestown Road (next to the shopping center). Then take a right onto Tamarack Avenue (right by DMV), bear right at the light just past the hospital, and then take a right onto Elsworth Avenue.

Midgets – Weigh in is at 8 am, with games from 9 to 11 am.

Junior Midgets – Weigh in is at 10 am, with games from 11 am to 1 pm.

Pee Wees – Weigh in is at 12 noon, with games from 1 to 3 pm.

All players must be at the field 15 minutes prior to their Jamboree weigh in time. Do NOT wear any equipment for the weight in – just shorts and game jerseys. For further information – such as directions scores and standings throughout the season, go to the web at www.eteamz.com/ npnighthawks.