Highlights From The Gridiron

By ANDY HUTCHISON

Published: Oct 17, 2008 12:00 am

Grades 2-3

Meriden 26, Newtown 79ers 13: After Meriden built a 20-0 lead, Newtown clawed back to make things interesting. QB Ryan Kost scored on a bootleg thanks to a great block by Griffin Cross. Kost then converted the extra point by throwing to Will Stenz in the corner of the end zone. Huge hits and tackles by Michael Garner, Ethan Tousiant, Derrick Lewis, Larry Deluca, Ryan Tani and Mark Hall all helped Newtown hold Meriden at bay in the second half. Tucker Garrity came up with an interception and Josh Dunn scored a TD behind the solid blocking of Jack Hannan, Dan Badiola, and CJ Shambelan from the backfield.

Grade 4

Nighthawks 7, Hudson Valley 6: In the first half, a fumble recovery by Joseph Accousti gave the Nighthawks possession of the ball. Mitchell Savoca ran it in for a touchdown, then Justin Dunn passed to Bobby Haskins for the extra point. The Nighthawksâ defense staged a stellar goal-line stand, with multiple tackles by Ryan Brello, to keep the Knights from scoring just before the half. The Knights opened the second half with a touchdown, but were stopped for the game-deciding extra point by Scott Bauer and Noah LaFerriere. In the third quarter, strong blocking by Jack Wellman, Erik Benson and Mitchell Long opened the field for Mitchell Savoca to make multiple first downs. Tackles by Phillip Coffey and Anthony Falbo kept the Knights from scoring in the third quarter. Colin McCafferty had an interception Justin Dunn had a 15-yard run.

Grade 5

Newtown Gold 22, Monroe 0: Newtown compiled 283 yards of offense behind the line led by Matt Davis, Charlie Fletcher, Ryan âSprinklesâ Shaw, Jeremy âCaptain Crunchâ Salaris, Shaun âScooterâ McCarthy, Tim âAll Americanâ Mammen, Michael âMickey Dâ Dutsar, Declan âSullyâ Sullivan and John âJDâ Delrossi. Jared Pearson took advantage of his blockers this week as he scored from 11 yards out and had an impressive 80-yard run to the end zone. Pearson caught a perfect strike from QB Ethan Carpenter for the extra point. After Newtownâs second TD, Ryan Shaw put a kick through the goal posts to add two points for a 15-0 halftime lead. Monroeâs offense threatened but Peyton Manning came up with an interception. The final score came from quarterback Ethan Carpenter on a 22-yard bootleg. Michael Doyle had a 70-yard zig-zag run and led the team with 10 solo tackles on defense. Jared Pearson ended the game with an interception. âCaptain Crunch Salaris had a tremendous game all round and was assisted on defense by Stephen Faxlanger, Brian âBurger Kingâ Kiley, Declan Sullivan and Gabe Barrett.

Newtown Blue 33, Carmel 12: Newtown had 280 total yards of offense and reeled off 27 straight points after falling behind. Just before halftime, Andrew Svanda (49 rushing yards) scored from 10 yards out behind the blocking of Nick Samuelson. Jeff Santore (41 total yards) had a nine-yard run for a key first down. Matt Elias took the second half kickoff and ran untouched for a 60-yard score to put Newtown in the lead. Devin Luzietti (42 rushing, 27 receiving yards) caught the extra point pass from QB Matt Maturo (7-for-14, 126 passing yards). Later in the third, Luzietti sweep around right end for a 26-yard score behind Nick Rohrbacher. Michael Roche added the extra point. Maturo scored on a 32-yard bootleg. Svanda added the extra point. The final score of the day came on a 49-yard pass from Maturo to Elias. Jake Lappand Colin Theis provided pass protection. James Burdette (two receptions for 38 yards) made a sliding catch for an 18-yard gain kept the chains moving. The defense, which did not yield a first down, was led by Jim Payne (five tackles), Sam Duffy (three tackles), and Gordon Walsh. Elias and Santore each recovered fumbles on kickoffs to give possession back to Newtown.

Grade 6

Nighthawks 38, Monroe 12: Five Hawks scored behind theÂ line of Eric Cascone, Kevin Conte, Markus Elken, Griffin Davis and Jake Lambert. Running backs Nick Lotrecchiano, Colton Smith and Forest Speed rushed 23 for 238 yards on just 23 carries. QB Colton Smith completed 8-of-10 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns. Connor Roche caught a 42-yard touchdown reception off a post pattern, Tim Krapf had a 22-yard score and Troy Fragnione caught a 20-yard pass for a touchdown off of his now signature corner route. Also catching passes were Jaret DeVellis for 33 yards and Nick Lotrecchiano for 10. In the second half, QB Jacob Boots Burden handed off to Forrest Speed who scored on a 33-yard run, with lead blocking from Nick Rubino and Sugar Shane Quimby which was assisted by blocking from Chris Hartley, Aiden Petershack and Harry Duffy. The defense caused three turnovers. Smith led the defense with six tackles and two deflected passes, Nick Lotrecchiano had an interception and three tackles and linebacker Bubba Condon had four tackles and a deflected pass. Lineman Eric Cascone was not fooled by Monroeâs offensive trickery as he broke through his opponentsâ line to stop a reverse for an eight-yard loss. Kevin Conte, Eric Cascone and Jake Lambert all consistently broke through Monroeâs offensive line and stopped their opponents in the backfield.

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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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Highlights From The Gridiron

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