By Kim J. Harmon

MONROE – One of the few hopes the Newtown High School football team had last week was the hope that Masuk (just one week after hammering Immaculate in the South-West Conference championship and one week prior to the start of the CIAC Class MM playoffs) would sleepwalk through the traditional Thanksgiving week matchup.

The Panthers, however, were wide awake and rolled to a 48-22 win.

After starting the season 0-4, the Nighthawks went 4-1-1 in their next six games to put themselves on the verge of a .500 record. But the offensive firepower of the Panthers – the top team in Class MM – was too much.

Masuk quarterback Anthony Wargo was 13-of-28 for 165 yards and four touchdowns (three of those to Joe Mish, who scored four TDs on the night). Wargo got the Panthers on top with a 26-yard pass to Mish Mish in the first quarter and then hit Mish again with an 11-yard pass in the second quarter. A 36-yard touchdown pass to Shawn Cavanaugh and a one-yard run by Roberto Muniz in the second quarter gave the Panthers a 28-0 lead at the half.

In the third quarter, Mish picked off a John Collins pass and brought it back 30 yards for a touchdown and – about four minutes later – grabbed a 16-yard pass from Wargo to put the Panthers on top, 42-0. Finally, Griffin Pfalgraf scored on a 16-yard run with 2:55 left to play in the third and the Panthers had a 48-0 advantage.

One of the only bright spots the ‘Hawks could boast through the first three quarters was a 26-yard pass from Collins to Brendan O’Connor. In the fourth, however, they had the opportunity to get into the end zone.

After a sustained four-minute drive, Roy Scheunemann ran in from 11 yards out to put the ‘Hawks on the scoreboard. About six minutes later, Kyle Kirch – whose 182-yard effort against New Milford was the best performance by a Newtown running back this year – rambled 70 yards for another touchdown.

And then with 38 seconds left in the game, Scheunemann scored the final touchdown of the season on a 36-yard run.

The ‘Hawks rushed for 205 yards on the night (while the Panthers rushed for 110). Kirch gathered in 85 yards on seven carries while Scheunemann gathered in 68 yards on 10 carries. Ben Bagaglio (11-for-43), Bobby Pattison (5-for-13) and Collins (5-for-6) also picked up some real estate. Pfalzgraf was the Panthers’ leading rusher, gaining 46 yards on eight carries.