The sixth grade Newtown Nighthawks bravely battled the Pomperaug Warriors in the Shoreline Youth Football Championship game in Madison on November 15, but came up short in a 26-0 decision, ending an otherwise thrilling season for the Hawks.

Game captains Brody Taylor, Braxton Kuzma, Jack Brackett, and Austin Rekos called the toss for Newtown, receiving the ball to open the game. Chase Pacuk’s return to midfield set the stage for a scoreless fight between the 40s in the first quarter between the two squads. Sheer grit in the trenches by offensive linemen Mario DiSanto, Chase Blank, Chase Ibbitson, Jake Kennedy, Anthony Ripley, and Luke Guagliano bought time for aerial advances by Hudson Levy on passes from Kuzma, and ground gains by Kieran “The Train” Kane and Taylor behind blocks in space by Ethan Lucian, Chris Evans, and Brackett.

Determination on defense up front by Charlie Tortora, Thomas Graffeo, Andrew Ross, Gavin Penna, Murphy Cullen, Leo Liang, Jackson Dudow, Noah Pape, and Caden Kowalczyk made way for tackles by Cole Willinger, Brayden Andrews, Taylor (for loss), Rekos, Kane, Ibbitson, and Kuzma to keep the Warriors scoreless in the opening quarter. Garrett Hydeck and Anthony Scaglione secured the secondary in the second quarter, with touchdown-saving tackles by Leighton Smith and Ben Weintraub slowing Pomperaug’s advances to buy time for the Nighthawks offense to gain field position. Newtown moved the ball behind rushes by Colin Doyle, Taylor, Evans, and Kane, with receptions by Pacuk and Levy on passes from Kuzma. Outside blocking was provided by Mason Leonard, Nico Tadduni, Colin Scholz, and Blake van Scotter and inside blocking by Shep Nelson. A kick return by Lightning Luke Salce positioned Newtown for gains on runs by Kane and Levy, and a reception by Willinger from Kuzma, but fell short of the end zone at the close of the first half.

Tucker Lowe’s booming kick to open the second half pinned Pomperaug deep in its own territory, forcing the Warriors to endure withering hits by Rekos, Tortora, Andrews, Blank, Evans, Kane, Taylor, Weintraub, Salce, Scaglione, Kennedy, and Ibbitson over a drive that lasted the entirety of the third quarter on their way to their final score of the day.

The Nighthawks pressed on with pride in the fourth quarter, with rushes by Evans and Taylor, receptions by Levy from Kuzma, and down-and-distance discipline advancing Newtown just past midfield on the Hawks’ final drive. Tackles from Jack Fregoe, Weintraub, Levy, Taylor, Ripley, Ibbitson, Andrews, and Scholz kept Pomperaug out of the end zone on the last drive of the game.

Despite the contest’s disappointing outcome, the Nighthawks have many accomplishments to be proud of, finishing the season with a stellar 9-2 record, with losses only to the undefeated Pomperaug Warriors solidifying Newtown’s place as second-best team in the league, and capping a season in which they defeated their arch rival of the Monroe Lions (twice), handing the Lions their first regular-season loss in three years on their own field under the lights, showing yet again that the future is bright for this talented group of athletic young men.