NationalHSFootball.com 
– Dallas Jackson, NationalHSFootball.com
One year removed from the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School the Newtown (Conn.) High football team concluded an undefeated regular season Tuesday and earned the top overall seed in the upcoming state playoff.
If the Nighthawks advance to the Class LL state championship the title game would be played on Dec. 14 — the official anniversary of the event that shook the country.
Cooper Gold could run Newtown to a state title./Facebook
“Our players are hungry to win the championship to give everyone in town a great Christmas present and something to feel happy about a year after such a horrible tragedy,” George said.
The players have worn a logo on their helmet this season with a number 26 sticker to commemorate the lives of those who died when 20-year-old Adam Lanza went on a shooting spree on Dec. 14, 2012. The 20 children and six adults who lost their lives was one of the worst shoot shootings in the counties history.
Quarterback Andrew Tarantino said the team had dedicated its season to the victim’s memory and that they want to finish it with a championship.
“Obviously, what our team and community went through the past year was really tough,” he said, “but we just want to put a smile on everyone’s face by bringing home a state championship.”
The team advanced into the playoffs with an impressive 42-7 rout of Monroe (Conn.) Masuk on Tuesday.
Earlier this season the team defeated Bristol (Conn.) Central which provided a dramatic contrast as Central is the former high school of accused murder and former New England Patriot tight end Aaron Hernandez.
The Nighthawks are paced by a physical offensive line which paved the way for 6-foot, 210-pound Cooper Gold to rush for 256 yards and five touchdowns.
Tarantino — who is listed in the Rivals.com database as a 5-foot-10, 170-pound player — only threw the ball six times as the team has shifted its philosophy as the season has progressed.
It is a good problem to have as George told CTPost.com.
“Our running game’s going right now,” the coach said. “At the beginning of the season, we were probably the other way around. We threw the ball a little more and had some big plays. But now, our offensive line and Cooper Gold are doing what we expected them to do.”
Combined with Tarantino and Gold on offense the Nighthawks also boast a pair of talented juniors with 6-foot-3, 215-pound receiver Julian Dunn as well as 6-foot-3, 315-pound offensive lineman Peter Manfredonia.
Dunn is receiving recruiting interest from Connecticut and took a visit to the school to see its upset victory over Michigan.
Class LL is the largest in Connecticut and has several quality programs which also each has a marquee player on its roster. Norwich (Conn.) Free Academy ended the season as the second-seed and is lead by Boston College commitment Marcus Outlow at running back. West Haven (Conn.) High was third in the standings and its featured back Ervin Phillips is committed to Syracuse. Southington (Conn.) High was another one-loss team but finished sixth in playoff points, it quarterback, Stephen Barmore, is headed to Yale while running back Jarrid Grimmett is getting some lower level interest as well.
Newton has not won a state title in 21 years but opposing coach David Brennan said this may be its season.
“They’re a big, strong football team,” Brennan told the paper. “When you’ve got kids of that size, you hope to compete with them by using your speed and your agility.”
The Nighthawks next game is Tuesday, Dec. 3 and its opponent will be announced Saturday. The projections are that it will be Fairfield (Conn.) Prep which will use Fordham commit Tony Fox and its defensive line to slow the Newtown advancement to an emotional title.
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