Hawk Golfers Swing For Conference Success

By Andy Hutchison

Newtown High School boys’ golf coach Jennifer Huettner has a lineup loaded with experienced veteran golfers and anticipates that the returning talent will equate to  success in the postseason.

The Nighthawks’ biggest change this year is not in the lineup, as nobody graduated a year ago, but in the venue. The Hawks have switched from Newtown Country Club to Rock Ridge Country Club for their home matches in 2010.

This year’s captains are Kevin O’Connell, Chris McCann, and Paul Micaud.

Other returnees are senior Zach Dlouhy, sophomore Abbey Doski who won last season’s South-West Conference girls’ title (NHS does not have a girls’ golf team), seniors Tony Vacaro and Chris Caufield, and junior Doug Brodbeck.

After the regular season, Newtown finished in the SWC’s third spot behind Weston and Pomperaug of Southbury last year. This year’s goals include finishes at the top of the conference both in the season standings and in the postseason tourney, Huettner said. The coach also has a goal for the Hawks to qualify as a team for the state tournament. Only McCann qualified last year.

The Nighthawks started the season with two defeats, at Pomperaug on Monday at home against Joel Barlow on Tuesday. The Barlow match was a nail-biter with the Falcons shooting a 169 to Newtown’s 171. McCann shot a 40, O’Connell a 41, Michaud a 44 and Vacaro and Dlouhy each a 46 in the match. The good news for the Nighthawks is that their first two matches were both non-league clashes and they will get a chance against both teams in matches that count in the SWC standings later this spring. Newtown was slated to face Weston on Thursday (after The Bee went to press) and will host New Milford on April 19.