The Shelton Gaels and the Newtown Nighthawks squared off in some playoff action on Tuesday, but sadly the Shelton Gaels had to settle for second. They and the Nighthawks were almost perfectly matched up, but they suffered an agonizing 29-28 loss. The match was a 21-21 toss-up at halftime, but Shelton was just barely outscored by Newtown in the second.
When it comes to explaining why Shelton lost, one person who can't be blamed is David Dojlidko. Despite the final result, he rushed for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Kanye Tinney was in the mix too, providing Shelton with two touchdowns.
Newtown's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jayden Taylor, who picked up 118 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Another player making a difference was J.j. Haddick, who rushed for 134 yards while picking up 7.1 yards per carry.
This is the second loss in a row for Shelton and nudges their season record down to 7-4. As for Newtown, their win bumped their record up to 9-2.
Shelton does not have any more games scheduled as of now. Newtown will face off against Darien at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Connecticut (Darien is ranked 18th, while Newtown is ranked 20th).
