Blue Knights Beat NFA, Advance To Class LL Championship
- Dan Fappiano
- 13 hours ago
- 8 min read
Daniel Corrado, Lonnie Green and the rest of the Southington football senior class have been dreaming of a state championship opportunity since freshman year. With a 42-7 win over Norwich Free Academy (NFA), the Blue Knights will get that chance, as Southington advances to the Class LL State Championship game.
“It means so much. All of the seniors, when we were freshmen we were thinking about it,” Green said. “We’re going to be the class to do it. We’re going to bring one back to the dungeon. We’re so hyped to go.”
“It’s exciting. We’ve been working on it since last December, when we came home 3-7. We started off slow,” Corrado added. “Ever since the bye week, we’ve been winning – ‘1-0 every week’.”
Game Recap
On their opening drive Southington marched 75 yards down the field in 10 plays, led by several first down runs from sophomore Ben Beaulieu and a 14-yard pass to senior Rosco Cook. The drive was capped by a nine-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Luke Prozzo to Beaulieu. Sophomore Sawyer Trudeau’s extra point gave the Blue Knights a 7-0 lead.
Southington forced a turnover on downs on NFA’s ensuing drive. However, the Wildcats got possession right back when Prozzo threw an interception. NFA then broke off an 18-yard run before scoring on a four-yard rush. The extra point tied things at seven to end the first quarter.
At the start of the second, the Blue Knights were faced with a fourth-and-12 when Prozzo found Green for a 16-yard pass to secure the first down. Beaulieu broke through tackles to convert third-and-four before scoring on a seven-yard run. Trudeau’s extra point extended Southington’s lead to 14-7.
It wasn’t long before the Blue Knights got the ball back, with senior Austin Sirois intercepting a pass on NFA’s next drive. Southington’s offense wasn’t able to capitalize, turning the ball over on downs. Still, the defense made sure the momentum remained in the home team’s favor. Sophomore Todd Flint forced intentional grounding on second down. On third down, senior Tyler Koski and sophomore Owen Manuel provided pressure while junior Connor Orange forced a fumble in the end zone. Senior Daniel Corrado managed to scoop up the ball for a touchdown; Trudeau was again clean with his extra point, which moved the score to 21-7.
After another stop by the defense, NFA was forced to punt. The kick was short, and the Blue Knights began the possession on the Wildcats’ 41. Two plays later, Prozzo found Beaulieu for a 38-yard touchdown pass. The extra point from Trudeau was good once again, and Southington now held a 28-7 lead.
While the Blue Knights managed to march into NFA territory one more time before the break, a fumble from Prozzo kept them from adding to the score.
Southington’s defense stayed strong to open the second half, forcing a punt on NFA’s first drive. Faced with third-and-long on their first possession, Prozzo broke through tackles to set up fourth-and-one, which he then converted using his legs. The quarterback next found Cook for a 46-yard touchdown pass as the senior bounced off initial contact and ran in for the score. Trudeau upped the lead to 35-7.
The Blue Knights’ defense was not yet done collecting takeaways. After a fumbled snap from NFA was recovered by Koski, Prozzo would find junior Leif Renehan for a 27-yard pass before Beaulieu ran in a 13-yard touchdown. Trudeau stayed perfect on extra points, increasing the lead to 42-7.
Southington had a 35+ point advantage when the clock started running in the fourth quarter, and continued to play stout defense and offense, although they did cough up a late fumble. Regardless, the Blue Knights never trailed and came away with the victory. They will now compete for a state championship.
“This is where we all want to be,” head coach Rob Levesque said. “Winning [the state championship] is the ultimate pinnacle of what we do. We say we want to make the playoffs, win the conference, beat Cheshire. We want to go for state titles, make a run at it. I never say that I’m not going to try and win a state title. Last year, obviously, at 3-7, that didn’t work out for us. But these guys bought in.”
Southington Defense Pitches Near Shutout
Once NFA scored on their first drive, Levesque knew Southington had to alter their gameplan. The Blue Knights did exactly that, with the coaching staff adjusting course to counter NFA's offensive strategy. Once those changes were made, the Wildcats were kept completely out of the endzone.
“We made some corrections. We made some mistakes on the short field they had, and they scored,” Levesque said. “My coaching staff does a great job of getting to the Xs and Os, figuring things out and making corrections. They did it; we had a shutout after that.”
On a frigid night – so cold that the game was moved up from 6:30 to 5:00 to catch a few extra degrees of warmth - Levesque expected to see plenty of NFA’s ground game. That’s exactly what they got as the Wildcats relied heavily on the run. The Blue Knights found the perfect counter and allowed just 107 total yards in the win.
“We figured it would be more of a two running back backfield,” Levesque said. “That’s what we gameplanned most for and that’s what they went to. We had a lot of options. A and B weren’t working at first, so we had to go to C and D.”
For Corrado, the semifinal win is special for a number of reasons. He’ll be competing for a state title in his senior season. Furthermore, his defensive score was the first touchdown of his high school career. But even in his moment of glory, Corrado was quick to credit the teammates, and friends, around him.
“I saw my friend Connor Orange knock the ball out of the quarterback’s hands. I came flying down. I see my friend Tyler Koski try and pick it up,” Corrado said. “It got knocked out, he really should’ve had the touchdown. I came in and scooped it up.”
Corrado said every member of the Blue Knights was flying to the ball all night. Everyone wanted it in their hands. Those wishes were granted as Southington forced a pair of fumbles and an interception.
Corrado knows the Blue Knights will need to bring the same level of intensity to take home the state title. They’ll also need to rely on the message defensive coordinator Travis Swim has been sending the team all season. The bright lights will now be on Southington; Corrado and company cannot flinch.
“Championship-level focus,” Corrado said. “He’s been saying that since Week 1. We’re just going to keep that focus going, keep the momentum going. We’re going to work hard.”
Prozzo Goes From Blue Knight To Warrior
Southington was already up 28-7 when they had another opportunity to expand their lead. Prozzo was trying to break to the outside for a first down when he fumbled the ball. At halftime, Prozzo knew he needed to bounce back from the turnover.
“My mentality was, ‘it can’t happen again.’ We were about to score,” Prozzo said. “I knew I let my boys down when I fumbled the ball.”
Levesque was confident that Prozzo wouldn’t let the mistake linger in his mind. The junior responded by completing 18-of-26 passes for 218 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Southington’s coaching staff has preached about battling through adversity during the second half of the season. Those teachings were manifested in Prozzo Monday night.
“He’s a warrior. He’s an all-around athlete, comes from a family of athletes. His mindset is always there,” Levesque said. “That’s one thing we really pushed the second half of the season, the mental part of the game. Not making mistakes and beating ourselves. That also goes for how we handle adversity. We try to coach that as much as possible. If you make mistakes, bounce back. He did that.”
Prozzo is no stranger to battling through misfortune, as an AC sprain in his shoulder wiped out most of his season this year. After making his return in Southington’s Thanksgiving win over Cheshire, Prozzo says he is now feeling as healthy as possible.
“I feel 100 percent normal,” Prozzo said. “Throwing the ball is great. I’m running the ball now, putting that back into the game now. It feels great with my shoulder.”
As for the championship game, the junior quarterback exudes confidence. He knows the Blue Knights have been putting in the work and are ready for their title opportunity. He’s preparing to help bring the trophy back to Southington.
“We’re going to put in the work,” Prozzo said, “and we’re going to get that win.”
Running Back Brotherhood
Southington’s offense gained 389 yards of total offense. Beaulieu gained 140 of those yards on 20 carries. With two rushing and two receiving touchdowns, the sophomore served as the catalyst for the Blue Knights’ offense. Beaulieu has excelled in that role throughout the playoff run, gaining 138 yards and five touchdowns in the quarterfinal win over Glastonbury. His efforts earned him a nomination for CTInsider Player of the Week.
Green has worked closely with Beaulieu throughout the season. The senior says he has never played next to a talent quite like the sophomore. Their connection on and off the field will last long after Green’s graduation.
“Splitting time with Ben is like no other,” Green said. “He’s the best young player I have ever played with. He has a spark, he’s fast. He’s everything that a mentor would love to have. I’m coming back every game to watch him play. That’s my dog, and I can’t wait to see him excel.”
Green and Beaulieu spearheaded the Blue Knights’ rushing attack, but both players shone in the passing game as well. On top of Beaulieu’s two receiving touchdowns, Green led Southington with four receptions, taking them 37 yards.
Levesque has watched the Blue Knights’ offense blossom throughout the stretch run. He credits it to the brotherhood the running back room has crafted. Their selflessness has now percolated through the rest of the roster. When Southington breaks the huddle, they often let out a collective yell: ‘Family!’
“They bring the best out of each other. Healthy competition makes you better. Someone is always there to push you. They’re each other's biggest fans. They sub in, out, they don’t fight for reps. They support each other, they correct each other,” Levesque said of Beaulieu and Green. “It’s really the attitude of most of the kids on our team. Even where there’s a lot of competition like the QB position, we support each other, because these kids have been playing together for a long time. They really are a family.”
Green is still entering the championship matchup on a quarter-by-quarter mentality. But the running back shares the same confidence that Corrado and Prozzo bring to the table.
“Grit, blood, sweat and tears,” Green said. “But we’re used to that. We’re going to get it done. We’re taking it back to the dungeon, back to S-Town, we’re just going to bring it home.”
Just One More Week To Go 1-0
No. 4 Southington has ridden their motto, ‘1-0 every week,’ to a seven-game win streak and a spot in the Class LL finals. The Blue Knights’ final opportunity to go 1-0 will come this Saturday against No. 3 Greenwich.
The Cardinals enter the matchup having knocked off No. 2 Fairfield Prep 31-10 during the semifinals. Greenwich had an 8-2 record during the regular season.
Levesque and company know that at this stage of the game, there are no easy matchups. Every team that's left is there for a reason. Whatever the challenge before them, the Blue Knights are preparing for their final contest.
The head coach acknowledges that the end is almost here. It has been a rollercoaster run for the Blue Knights, going from a 2-3 start to the Class LL championship. Southington is going to enjoy what’s left of the ride. They hope to end their journey hoisting the state championship trophy above their heads.
“We’re going to have to play a good game. There’s no bad teams left,” Levesque said. “Nobody is going to give you anything, you have to go out there and get after it. We’re going to get to the film, get to work. There’s only a couple days left of it. We’re going to make the most of every minute.”