Hutchinson tops 1,000 in win

Newton Falls used a balanced attack to down Brookfield, 27-20.
By SAL MARINO
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
BROOKFIELD -- Marty Hutchinson rushed for 272 yards on 27 carries, including a 40-yard touchdown run, as Newton Falls topped Brookfield 27-20 Friday night in a Trumbull Athletic Conference game.
Hutchinson now has 1,050 yards for the season.
"My line opened up some big holes tonight," he said. "We kept telling each other after we were behind to stay focused, and we did what we had to do.
"Our quarterback, Jon Nemet, did a good job mixing it up with his passing."
Nemet connected on 5-of-10 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Frank McWhirter, attempting field goals for the first time this season, made two for 30 and 25 yards.
"I was nervous and excited and I stayed calm and kicked like I did in practice," said McWhirter.
Bright spot: Although outgained 468 to 144 yards in total offense, Brookfield's quarterback, Jeff Nasci, hit on 7-of-17 passes for 84 yards and three touchdowns.
The Warriors tallied the first touchdown as a result of David Stanish recovering a Newton Falls fumble on the Tiger 24.
Four players later, Julian Hayes caught a 23-yard touchdown strike from Nasci.
The second Warrior touchdown came as a result of Hayes as he intercepted a Tigers' pass on the Brookfield 5 and returned it to the Newton Falls 39.
Nasci then climaxed a seven-play drive when he threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Mathews.
"We came out and held strong," said Brookfield coach Toby Gibson. "Newton Falls made some mistakes, and it's a credit to our kids who took advantage of them and scored. We made some mental mistakes later on at crucial times."
On the board: The Tigers got on the board when Hutchinson raced 40 yards for a score, completing a three-play, 64-yard drive.
Again, Brookfield came back when Drew Fisher returned the kickoff from his own 5 to the Tigers 29. Nasci, five plays later, connected with Scott Stofan for a 6-yard touchdown.
From that point, it was all Newton Falls. After the Tigers returned the kickoff to their own 24, Nemet threw a 76-yard touchdown pass to Darren Brounce.
The Tigers then went 85 yards in 10 plays, with Nemet once again connecting with Brounce for a 14-yard touchdown strike, giving Newton Falls a 21-20 lead.
Frank McWhirter then added a pair of field goals to ice the contest.
"We've had some tough losses this season," Newton Falls coach Marc Bjelec said. "We told the kids that Brookfield was better than their record and that they would be tough.
"We made some mental mistakes, but we were healthy and had good practices all week. It was a good win for us."