79ers

Newtown 27, Wallingford Vikings 6: Thunder and lightning rolled into Newtown Saturday morning to kick off Newtown Day, the annual event where all Newtown Youth Football teams play at home. The undefeated Nighthawks faced the Wallingford Vikings as the storm hit. The Thunder was booming early, Shaine Luzietti took the third handoff of the day 52 yards, breaking ten tackles on his way to the end zone for the game’s first score. Jack Street on a QB sneak tacked on the extra point to give Newtown a 7-0 lead. Newtown’s offensive line led by Nick Fischer, Nick Sabillion, Grant Baker, Anthony Gies, Jack Stenz, William Wallace, Jordan Conrad, and Anthony Dorazio dominated the next drive, allowing the offense to move quickly setting up a firstt and goal from the Vikings’ 5 yard line. Quarterback Jack Street hit CJ Demers in the end zone for the second score of the day. Luzietti tacked on the extra point on a run up the middle to give Newtown a 14-0 lead.

Newtown’s defense, led by Zach Riley, Ian kennedy, Jose Contreras, Julian Crone, Trevor Jacozzi, TJ O’connell, and Aiden Foss, quickly dispatched the Vikings offense, getting the ball back into the hands of the Newtown offense. The third Newtown TD was set up by some great runs by Eric Burbank and Jeffrey Garrity, driving the ball down to the Wallingford 35 yard line. Jake Dandrea took the next handoff around the corner 35 yards to extend the lead to 20-0 at the half. Lighting struck in the second half with Mathew Carpenter going 52 yards outracing the defense for Newtown’s final TD of the day. Street connected with CJ Demers on a pass play for the extra point to give Newtown a 27-0 lead. Wallingford scored on their next possession but were denied on the extra point attempt to make the score 27-6. Newtown running backs James Iarpoli and Michael Haddick controlled the remaining time on the clock with solid runs to close out the victory.

Grade 4

Norwalk Packers 14, Newtown 7: The game was a tale of two halves and big plays. Newtown dominated the first half. Following Luke Wellman’s recovery of the opening kickoff, the offense drove deep into Norwalk territory but could not punch it in. The entire first half was played on the Norwalk side of the field, but four Newtown drives into Norwalk territory stalled and were turned back by the tough and quick Norwalk defense. The Newtown defense was equally tough, anchored by Kyle Good’s game high five tackles, Connor Moran (four), and William Swierbut, Jack Carpenter, and Jared Dunn with three each. The first half ended in a scoreless tie.

The second half started much like the first, with the Newtown offense finding it tough to get their ground game going and the defense holding tough. The first big play came when JP Iarapoli recovered a fumble deep in Norwalk territory. A few plays later, the offense went to the air and Connor Moran hit Jack Mulligan for a 10-yard touchdown reception. The Dunn extra point run made it 7-0 Newtown. The momentum swung, after the defense held, the offense turned the ball over and Norwalk capitalized with a big play of their own, a 50-yard touchdown catch and run. The Newtown offense again could not get the running game going and after a Newtown punt, Norwalk was able to maintain the momentum and drive the ball down the field for the go ahead score.

Grade 7

Newtown 33, Danbury 7: Newtown scored on all five of its possessions. Newtown’s defense went to work immediately with Ryan Nortan forcing a fumble on Danbury’s opening drive, with Ed Lovely recovering in Danbury’s territory. Quarterback Justin Dunn utilized his backfield of Ben Mason and Ryan Brello to run the ball. Brello scored from a yard out to put Newtown up early. Mitch Savoca connected on the extra point. Danbury was held to short yardage by the defense of Gavin Stubbs, Sean Wallace, and Willie Whitlock. On Newtown’s next drive, Patrick Conte, working behind Mitchell Long and Matthew Fuchs, brought Newtown 72 yards, highlighted by a 26-yard reception by Scotty Bauer and a 6-yard reception to Alex Morganti. Matt Bucci capped of the drive with a 10-yard touchdown run putting Newtown up 14-0. Newtown’s defense of Frankie Mattea, John Pierce, Mitchell Long, Sam Pellicone, and Colin McCafferty held Danbury to limited yardage throughout the first two quarters. Newtown ended the first half with the now infamous Conte pitch to Savoca ,who connected with Steven Moccio for a 65-yard touchdown reception. Moccio then connected with Bauer for the extra point.

Newtown scored again on its opening drive of the second half with Dunn working under center. Oliver Wood and McCafferty ran the ball, while a 15-yard reception to Whitlock brought Newtown into the red zone. Dunn kept the ball on the keeper and scored from three yards out. Chris Febbraio, Erik Benson, and Mitchell Long shut Danbury down at the line while Stubbs, Bucci, and Owen McInerney shut down the passing game. After Danbury turned the ball over on downs, Joe Acousti’s 21-yard run set up Newtown’s final score, a 56-yard run Hunter Cobb. Danbury, playing with a lot of determination never gave up and put together a well orchestrated drive to get on the board late in the fourth quarter on a 26-yard touchdown reception.

Grade 8

Newtown 14, Norwalk Packers 14: The Packers scored on their first play, an 81-yard run. It looked to be the start of a long day for the Hawks defense, but it ended up being the last offensive touchdown Norwalk would score. Newtown responded on its next drive as Jared Pearson (16 carries for 189 yards) ran around left end from three yards out behind blocks by Brandon Hensel and Greg Harrison. The score was set up by Pearson’s 54-yard jaunt on the previous play. Norwalk blocked the extra point, resulting in an 8-6 Norwalk lead. The teams traded scoreless possessions for the remainder of the half, with Newtown’s deepest penetration to the Norwalk 12 after a 37-yard run by Pearson (Steve Faxlanger had a key block), and a 24-yard pass from Matt Maturo to Ethan Carpenter.

The second half started with Pearson picking off a pass to set up the Hawks deep in Packer territory. Four plays later Pearson went around left end for a 15-yard touchdown. Henry Lyon nailed the important extra point kick for a 14-8 lead. Newtown uncharacteristically lost three fumbles, and the defense (only 40 yards allowed in the second half) came to the rescue again and again. One Packer drive ended on the Newtown 22 after two tackles for losses by Charlie Fletcher sandwiched around an incomplete pass due to the heavy rush of Mark Urso and Nick Samuelson. The next Norwalk drive started on the Newtown 13, but only yielded three yards on four plays due to tackles by Pearson, Christian Morlock, Ryan Shaw, and on fourth down, Samuelson, Bryan Kiley, and Michael Doyle.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the defense could do nothing as an errant punt snap was recovered by Norwalk in the end zone for a touchdown. The extra point kick was wide right, leaving the score knotted at 14-14. Newtown responded with a 47-yard bomb from Maturo to Matt Elias down to the Norwalk eight. However, on second and goal from the six, another lost fumble and subsequent return ended the threat and set up the Packers at midfield. Once again the defense stiffened, as Devin Luzietti and Shaw combined on two tackles for short gains, Luzietti knocked down a pass, and on fourth down a fake punt was snuffed out by Shaw and Andrew Svanda. The Hawks advanced the ball to the Packer 30 with under a minute remaining, but three straight passes to the end zone fell incomplete. Norwalk took a knee on the final play to end a memorable game and day for Newtown football.