Newtown High School wins state football championship on anniversary of Sandy Hook shooting

The football team at Newtown High School in Newtown, Connecticut, knew it would be hard to play in the state championship on the 7th anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting, but the players agreed — they were going to hit the field.

"Obviously it was going to be difficult and we wanted to make sure they were prepared," Superintendent Lorrie Rodrigue told The Hartford Courant. "The consensus was [that] they wanted to play and this was important to them." Several players on the team attended Sandy Hook Elementary School, and linebacker Ben Pinto's younger brother was one of the 26 victims of the shooting.

The stadium was packed with family, friends, and community members, with some wearing green in honor of those killed at Sandy Hook. The game was close, but with no time left on the clock, Newtown scored with a 36-yard touchdown, defeating Darien High School 13-7. It was Newtown's first state championship in 27 years.

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The win was "a little glimpse of joy on what is a sad day in our community," Newtown Principal Kimberly Longobucco said, adding, it was "just a storybook ending." Darien High School tweeted that the defeat was hard, but "the joy it is bringing [Newtown High School] and the entire Newtown community is certainly numbing our pain."