Newtown Wins State HS Football Title on 7th Anniversary of Sandy Hook Shooting

Newtown High School football won the Connecticut state Class LL championship seven years to the day of the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, per Shawn McFarland of the Hartford Courant:

Both the high school and Sandy Hook are located in Newtown, Connecticut.

A moment of silence was held before the game to honor the anniversary, per McFarland:

Newtown won after quarterback Jack Street found Riley Ward for a 36-yard touchdown with no time remaining, capping a 13-7 win over Darien High School and a perfect 13-0 season.

The victory marks Newtown's fourth state title overall and first since 1992. The win is also the Nighthawks' first as a member of Class LL, which is the largest of Connecticut's four high school classes.

The Nighthawks defense was rolling coming into this contest, having allowed just 12 points over its previous six games. The team came through once again versus Darien with the six-point win.

Emotions obviously ran high after the game, with McFarland capturing a postgame scene:

McFarland also expressed his own feelings an hour after the result:

The victory also captured the attention of ESPN's Scott Van Pelt:

Newtown outscored its three playoff opponents 65-7 en route to the state title.