Newtown wins football state championship with a walk-off touchdown on anniversary of Sandy Hook scho

[George II]

Source: Hartford Courant

Newtown wins football state championship with a walk-off touchdown on anniversary of Sandy Hook school shooting

For the first time in nearly two-plus hours of football, the dense fog that hung low all game lifted just enough to give Newtown one last chance as its offense approached the line of scrimmage.

Tied with Darien in the Class LL state title game, Newtown broke from a timeout after seeing a hole in the Blue Wave defense they felt they could expose. The ball was snapped to junior quarterback Jack Street, who shuffled around the pocket before unloading a pass to senior wide receiver Riley Ward who was streaking across the field relatively uncovered on a post corner route.

Ward caught the pass in stride, took two steps and was in the end zone as time expired with a 36-yard touchdown, giving Newtown a 13-7 walk-off state championship win and clinching a perfect season — seven years to the day of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings that left 26 children and educators dead.

“Absolutely amazing,” Newtown coach Bobby Pattison said after the game. “I’m so proud of my kids for not giving up. We had moments in that game where it didn’t look too good for Newtown ... I’m so proud of the kids. I couldn’t be happier.”



Read more: https://www.courant.com/sports/high-schools/hc-sp-newtown-darien-football-state-championship-sandy-hook20191214-20191215-fds7fbkgf5fcjmgf67ybq5h5bm-story.html

---

What a tribute to the elementary school victims just seven years ago. The fog lifted just before the winning touchdown.

[sheshe2]

1. Sweet win for Newtown.

Still makes me cry.

[angstlessk]

2. gotta kick this one

[mia]

3. Thank you for posting! Here's the video.

Link to tweet

[George II]

4. Makes one want to sob....thanks for the video.

[mainstreetonce]

5. It's been 7 years

There could be kids on the team who were in school that day.

[greenjar_01]

6. My daughter is the same age as the kids murdered at Sandy Hook

Their peers are in 8th grade, not yet in high school.

Some of the children murdered were born within weeks and even a week of my daughter.

I will never forgive the gunners of this country so long as I draw breath.

[mainstreetonce]

9. Yees,I know well the age of the victims

but there could be team players who were in the school that day.

[mainstreetonce]

10. I just heard

One linebacker lost his little brother

[greenjar_01]

7. Sentimental trash. We need gun laws, not touchdowns.

[Botany]

8. Please

n/t

[NurseJackie]

11. ...

[efhmc]

12. We need things that touch our hearts and gun laws.

What is it about certain people who think humans cannot do/feel more than one thing at a time?

[Canoe52]

13. +1,000,000

[LanternWaste]

15. The one does not deny the other...

Trash, indeed...

[marble falls]

16. wow. Just wow. Kids being kids is sentimental trash.

[rsdsharp]

14. Great win, but I keep wondering if Ward has to pay for

the $400 worth of helmet and face mask he left on the field as the team ran into the locker room to celebrate. I'd be surprised if it was still there when he came back out on the field.