NHS Sports Update-Hut, Hut … Spike, Shoot, And Score

By ANDY HUTCHISON

Published: Oct 17, 2008 12:00 am

NHS Sports Updateâ

Hut, Hut â¦ Spike, Shoot, And Score

By Andy Hutchison

A recap of Newtown High Schoolâs football, volleyball, field hockey and soccer teams from this past week:

Gridders Roll Again

The football team rolled to a 35-7 victory over winless Oxford on Saturday night. The Nighthawks scored all of their points in the first half before easing on the proverbial touchdown-producing gas pedal. Quarterback Jake DeVellis threw four touchdown passes, one of those a 42-yarder to Jamie Vavrek, to lead the rout. Kurt Nacewicz caught two TDs and Kyle McNamara added a scoring reception. Ed White also ran one in and Rory Noonan was perfect on his extra point attempts. Newtown improved to 4-1 and has outscored the opposition a combined 123-30 since a 28-7 season-opening defeat to Shelton. The Nighthawks will look to continue their winning ways when New Fairfield visits Blue & Gold Stadium Friday at 7 pm. Then, NHS hits the road for back-to-back Saturday afternoon tilts with Notre Dame-Fairfield and Stratford.

Spikers Eye Playoff Success

Not even 10-1 Pomperaug could find a way to win a game against the red-hot Newtown girlsâ volleyball team. NHS posted a 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-22) win over their South-West Conference foes last Friday night. Newtown improved to 13-0 (10-0 in conference play) and had been pushed to five games in only two matches this season prior to sustaining its first loss, Tuesday against Griswold. In the win over Pomperaug, Ashley Rothacker set up her teammates with 31 assists; Jordyn Good had 16 kills, 12 digs, and five aces; Megan Casey compiled 13 digs and 12 kills; Alex Caracciolo had 13 digs; and Jocelyn Pasko added four kills.

âIt was our best game of the season,â Good said.

Newtown Coach Tom Czaplinski, always looking for improvement with each game, said the win over Pomperaug was a step in the right direction. âThat was a great effort by our girls,â the coach said. âThe communication has improved. Theyâre starting to gain some confidence.â

After going unbeaten a year ago and then falling the SWC finals and in the second round of the state tourney, the Nighthawks have been wary of getting too comfortable with their relative success. âI would hope that would light a fire under them to play a little better and not accept defeat,â Czaplinski said of last yearâs fizzling finish after a torrid start.

Newtown lost 3-1 to Griswold (now 12-1) on Tuesday, but the Hawks appear to be in good shape to bounce back with success in the win-loss column. The remainder of the schedule from the middle of this week on includes four teams that, collectively, have less wins than Newtown: Notre Dame-Fairfield, Brookfield, Oxford. and Kolbe Cathedral. None of those teams stand to give the Hawks much of a test but they serve as opportunities for team to sharpen up for the postseason.

âIt still gives us the opportunity to show we can put teams away that we need to put away and have that killer instinct we havenât shown yet,â Czaplinski said.

Field Hockey Team 9-2

The field hockey team improved to 9-2 after defeating Lauralton Hall 1-0 on the road on Saturday, falling 3-2 at Haddam-Killingworth on Monday and knocking off Immaculate 4-0 on Senior Night on Tuesday. Katie Canavan registered two goals and Shelly Davies and Taylor Barry also notched tallies to lift the Hawks. Newtown had a 22-2 advantage in penalty corners and a 20-2 shots advantage.

The Nighthawks visit Watertown, New Milford and Pomperaug before closing out the regular campaign against Shepaug Valley at home on October 29.

Booters Tangle With Tough Foes

The boysâ and girlsâ soccer teams are a week away from the start of SWC playoffs and both teams were experiencing winning ways heading into the stretch run. The boys had won three in a row, including a 1-0 victory at Joel Barlow on Friday, heading into Wednesdayâs game with New Fairfield (after The Bee sports section went to press). They will visit Bunnell Friday and New Fairfield Monday to close out the regular campaign.Â

The girlsâ squad has also won three straight games heading into their final three all of which will be on the home pitch/turf. The Nighthawks will host Bunnell Friday at Treadwell Parkâs turf field at 3:45 pm and will play on Blue & Goldâs natural grass surface Monday and Wednesday nights against New Fairfield and Masuk, respectively. Newtown, behind a pair of goals by Kasey Schulz, beat New Fairfield 5-1 on the road on Tuesday.

Families United In Newtown Wraps Up The Season With Celebration At Dickinson Park

Attendees Have Fun At NFA's Third Annual SpringFest

Town & Country Garden Club Of Newtown Celebrates 60 Years Of Commitment To Club & Community

Enjoy A DJ Dance Party, Arts And Crafts, And More At Summer Luau

The Way We Were

The Editor suggest a meeting between the "Rock This Democracy " and the Police Commission. As a former Police Commissioner the Chief should have followed the chain of command and discussed this with the Police Commission. The Chief reports to the Elected Police Commission not our Republican First Selection. Can't help but feel this is Republican politics again making an issue out of a non issue.

Assembly Ordinance?

I support Chief Kullgren’s request to explore permitting, and cost-sharing for large gatherings. The right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy, and I fully support the constitutional right to free speech and assembly. However, where and how often these protests occur matters. Main Street is not just a symbol — it’s a vital artery for daily life in town. When events are held there monthly, and at increasing scale, they cause disruption to residents, businesses, and traffic. While the Rock This Democracy group may describe these protests as unique or urgent, the frequency — roughly once every two weeks this spring — suggests more of a recurring series than a singular, spontaneous moment of civic expression. This isn’t about silencing anyone. It’s about fairness, public safety, and fiscal responsibility. Every time a protest happens, our police department is forced to assign resources, often on overtime. That expense adds up quickly. If any group wants to use public space regularly, particularly in a way that impacts traffic and requires police presence, then it’s reasonable for the town to consider permitting and cost-sharing — just as we do for other organized events like races, festivals, or parades. Let’s protect everyone’s rights — including the right of the community to function smoothly and the right of taxpayers not to bear undue cost for repeated events. I trust the Council to consider a reasonable path forward that balances speech with responsibility.

David, your passion for transparency would carry more weight if it weren’t routinely wielded like a cudgel. Let's set the record straight: no one is against easier access to documents or better online availability—we all want an informed public. But there's a difference between constructive advocacy and the kind of grandstanding that costs this town time, morale, and taxpayer money. You cite Ridgefield’s practices—great. Let's talk about that like adults. But instead, what we see is a steady stream of accusatory posts, legal challenges, and FOIA blitzes aimed less at solving problems and more at creating headlines. It’s not “slander” to point out that your approach often does more to divide and exhaust than to help. I’ve been at the very meetings you claim are inaccessible or opaque. I’ve seen your group turn logistical hiccups into conspiracy theories. I’ve watched as staff—who already work overtime—are dragged into another fishing expedition while real civic needs are left hanging. You’re not just pushing for access; you’re using the tools of open government to grind its gears to a halt. That’s not progress. That’s obstruction dressed up as advocacy. And the people paying for it—literally—are your neighbors. Let’s stop pretending it’s just about uploading PDFs. The issue here is how we engage. We can have real conversations about modernization without constant accusations, FOIA skirmishes, and Facebook pile-ons. Until then, I’ll continue to call out tactics that undermine, not uplift, our town.

Calls For Policies To Create Greater Transparency

The bottom line is this: costs are up, and no group—including teachers—is exempt. Ignoring Anthem’s recommended 22% increase last year may have directly caused the $2 million shortfall. Everyone has to share in the fix. That might mean higher premiums and leaner benefits. Complaints alone won’t solve the problem—realistic solutions will. I urge all Newtown Teachers to email their Union leaders and express their support for higher premiums.

Discusses Town Self-Funded Insurance Plan

Its really easy to make assertions and cast doubts from behind a keyboard....a little too easy aparently. You might try conducting the actual research BEFORE doing it next time. If you do, you too will find that there's no need to imagine such a policy to improve public transparency and participation. Take a look at Ridgefield's P&Z meeting agendas on their website for starters. They are just one town that provide links to electronic copies of applications and other public documents, so that their commissioners and residents can easily access them and be well-informed, before meetings and public hearings occur and without making them drive to town hall (during business hours) to ask their land use staff to pull the files and make copies of them, saving everyone time (time is money), and gasoline, and missed work. Most applicants alrleady submit electronic copies, and for those who don't, it's a lot easier for a staffer to scan them once, than to have to make copies every time someone asks for them. And please don't misrepresent or slander those who advocate for smart, low impact & sustainable development policies and practices as 'anti-development'.

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NHS Sports Update-Hut, Hut … Spike, Shoot, And Score

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