Hut, Hut ... Highlights From The Gridiron

Grades 2-3

Newtown 19, Aspetuck 7: The 79ers decided to make the best of the last game of their season. Josh Dunn ran in for a score behind the blocking of Alex Street and Ryan Campbell. The defense held Aspetuck to only one score with great tackles by Mark Hall, Riley McCafferty, Ethan Tousiant, Simon Preston and AJ Salaris.  The second half was all Newtown with touchdowns by Dunn and Ryan Kost behind great blocking on the entire offensive line. Ryan Williams, Gren Paynter, Josh Dunn, Mike Garner, William Stenz and Tucker Garrity kept Aspetuck to negative yards in the second half.

Grade 4

Nighthawks 13, Southern Dutchess Packers 12: In their second game of the CVL Championships playoffs, the Newtown Nighthawks beat the previously undefeated Southern Dutchess Packers on their home field. In the first quarter, Justin Dunn had a 50-yard run. The Packers scored a touchdown, but were stopped for the extra point. A touchdown by Mitchell Savoca in the second quarter evened the score. In the third quarter, Savoca scored a second touchdown, and Bobby Haskins ran in what became the game-deciding extra point. In the fourth quarter, the Packers scored their second and last touchdown but Haskins made the tackle that stopped them from scoring the extra point. The win advances the Nighthawks to the final game of the CVL Championships. They will play Ridgefield Orange this Saturday at Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk.

Grade 6

Newtown 37, Bridgeport 6: Newtown rolled over the Bridgeport Chargers in the opening round of the 2008 CVL playoffs with an impressive 37-6 victory. The Hawks carried the ball 30 times and amassed more than 337 yards on the ground. The Hawks held

their opponent to just three first downs. As has been the story all year long, the Hawks set the tone early. They had two touchdown drives on their opening offensive possessions. Running Backs Colton Smith, Nick Lotrecchiano, Jaret DeVellis, Nick Rubino, Forest Speed and Sugar Shane Quimby all shared the duty in Newtown’s impressive offensive ground attack with Colton Smith, Nick

Lotrecchiano, Jaret DeVellis, Nick Rubino, and Bubba Condon each finding the end zone. Jacob Boots Burden carried the ball behind the sturdy drive of offensive linesman Markus Elken, Chris Hartley, Harry Duffy, Aidan Petershack, Kevin Conte and Eric Street. QB Burden connected with Will Dalton for the only pass completion for the game on the extra point while Tim Krapf continued to rocket the ball through the uprights for the two-point conversions after three scores. Newtown’s aggressive defensive play was led by Markus Elken with five tackles, two of which were in Bridgeport’s backfield. Jaret “don’t think about running outside” DeVellis again shut down the outside option with multiple tackles for losses. Defensive Tackle Aidan Petershack blasted through the offensive line to surprise a Charger running back deep in the backfield and Joe “Waterbug” Santella disrupted Bridgeport’s special team’s attempts with three solo tackles deep in Charger territory and a fumble recovery during a Newtown kickoff. Defensive Safeties Colton Smith and Nick Lotrecchiano both disrupted their opponent’s attempt to pass while safety Will Dalton had an interception to stop Bridgeport’s only effective offensive drive. The Hawks advance to the CVL Championship against the only other undefeated team, the Norwalk Raiders, this Saturday in Norwalk.