NHS Football Team Upsets Masuk 36-22 In Finale

By Andy Hutchison

MONROE — The Newtown High School football team made sure Thanksgiving Dinner would taste that much better by getting a long-awaited taste of victory over one of its most formidable foes as a Turkey Day appetizer.

The visiting Nighthawks upset the South-West Conference rival Masuk Panthers 36-22 under a light mist — and on a muddy field — in the season finale on Thanksgiving Eve, November 25.

Newtown’s varsity team beat the Panthers for the first time since 2005 and, NHS Coach Steve George pointed out, this marked the first time any Newtown High football team — varsity, junior varsity or freshman — won a game on Masuk’s field.

“It’s seems like such a mound to climb when you haven’t done it in five years,” said Newtown junior Ryan Korth, adding that this newfound success against Masuk will give the team an extra boost of confidence as it enters next season.

The win gave Newtown a record of 8-2 to end the year and left the Panthers with their first regular-season loss and hoping for outside help to qualify for the Class LL state playoffs. Masuk, 9-1 (not including the SWC title game defeat to Pomperaug), could have secured a spot in the state playoffs but the Nighthawks had other plans and the Panthers did not get the help they needed from other teams and missed out on the postseason.

“It feels good to beat one of the best teams in SWCs,” NHS quarterback John Fracker said.

Newtown, following a scoreless first quarter, broke the game open with 27 points in the second and dominated all facets of the game.

After Newtown coughed up the ball early in the game, just about everything went right for the visitors. The Panthers drove deep into Newtown territory but Newtown’s defense, led by Connor McNamara, made a big stand on a fourth down and one yard to go play and got the ball back for the offense at the 17 yard line. Newtown marched 83 yards for a score as Louis Fenaroli found the end zone on a three-yard run. Kicker Rory Noonan’s extra point attempt hit the upright, leaving Newtown ahead 6-0 with 11:20 to play in the second quarter. Masuk answered with TD only 15 second later, on an Alex Trump 65-yard run, and took a short-lived 7-6 edge.

It took Newtown less than two minutes to go back in front. Tory Deakin intercepted a pass thanks, in part, to Dana Hansen’s pressure on Masuk quarterback Casey Cochran and that helped set up a ten-yard TD strike to Korth. Noonan’s kick made it 13-7 with 9:16 left in the half and the Hawks never looked back.

A blocked punt by Andrew Buonocore gave Newtown the ball at the Masuk 17 and, after a 13-yard completion to Korth, Fracker scored on a two-yard QB keeper for a 20-7 advantage with 6:48 remaining in the half. After another strong defensive series by the Hawks, Fracker got back to work. He connected with Sean Devaney on a 45-yard pass play and scored on sneak from a yard out for a 27-7 lead with 1:39 left. Newtown carried all of the momentum into the second half.

Masuk cut the lead to 27-14 going into the fourth, but a Max Nacewicz interception set up another Fenaroli score. After Masuk got into the end zone and added a two-point conversion to make it 33-22, Noonan tacked on a 34-yard field goal to cap the scoring.

Deakin and Kyle O’Connor had some big runs to move the chains and keep Masuk’s defense on the field.

George was pleased with his team’s performance and particularly happy with the play of O’Connor, Noonan, McNamara and Nick Tarantino. O’Connor had some key rushes, kick returns and defensive plays, Noonan was sharp defensively and contributed some nice punts, McNamara had a pair of quarterback sacks, and Tarantino broke up passes to help the Hawks to victory. Nacewicz, Jamie Bowers and Deakin all got to the quarterback for sacks. Nacewicz and McNamara both had eight tackles, Deakin had six tackles and Brian Kuruc had five.

“I had time to get to the quarterback. The [defensive backs] covered their guys when they had to and stepped up,” said McNamara, adding that this was a complete team effort.

Fracker completed 8 of 18 pass attempts for 132 yards. Deakin carried 12 times for 139 yards and O’Connor rushed for 61 yards.

“We just did our jobs tonight — with intensity,” Deakin said.

“It’s a great way to go out — real big team effort,” O’Connor, a senior, added.

The Nighthawks, who lost 22 players to graduation a year ago, were not expected to do was well as they did this fall, Fracker pointed out. Newtown Coach Steve George is optimistic about the future of the team, but recognizes that the Hawks will lose some senior talent once again.

Among the players who will leave shoes to fill are O’Connor and McNamara, along with several final-year high schoolers who stepped into starting roles and, in some instances, on a varsity field for the first time this fall, including Kuruc, Deakin and Fracker.

“We’re losing a lot of good talent. Nobody knew about these kids last year,” George said.