Newtown’s Dramatic Title Win Goes National On Sunday Night Football
You couldn't have scripted it any better. The Newtown Nighthawks Class LL State Championship win came on the anniversary of the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Call it an omen, or just a miracle, but if the town of Newtown needed some extra healing on Saturday, they got it with a dramatic, last-second State Championship win by the Nighthawks. In fact, it was the first time since 1992 that Newtown had grabbed the brass ring and became state champs with a 13-7 win over Darien.
In what proved to be one of the most exciting finishes in any state championship game, Newtown's quarterback Jack Street threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Riley Ward as time ran out, securing the victory for Newtown.
Not only was the game talked about around the Greater Danbury area, but Sunday night, the story went national, as the team was part of the halftime report during NBC's Sunday Night Football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Buffalo Bills.
During the Football Night in America's halftime segment, the entire team, including cheerleaders, were part of a special feature. NBC's Mike Tirico spoke to both Quarterback Jack Street and the team’s coach Bobby Pattison about the play and what it means for the school, and for Newtown, given the tragic history connected with the day the game was played.
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