Southington Football Drops Home Opener To St. Joseph
- Philip Thibodeau
- Sep 28
- 6 min read
Southington High School football came into their home opener looking to avenge their Week 2 loss against Glastonbury. Their chance at redemption faced a serious challenge, however, as St. Joseph entered Week 3 ranked ninth in CTInsider’s Top 10 poll. The Blue Knights didn’t back down and fought until the final second. Yet Southington fell just short, 30-24, as St. Joseph scored a 10-yard touchdown with 42 seconds remaining.
Nevertheless, head coach Rob Levesque saw plenty of growth from the Blue Knights. One of the team’s mottos is, Die Trying. No matter whether Southington won or lost, Levesque saw his team leave it all on the field.
“We had a lot of self-inflicted wounds last week that put us in a situation to lose the ball game. We went to work this week and corrected it,” Levesque said. “They put themselves in a position to beat a very, very good team. We fell just short.”
“I’m proud of them for that,” he continued. “They battled their rear ends off until the final second.” Citing the motto, Die Trying, Levesque said “it showed on every single play. With these kids, I can’t ask for anything more.”
First Half Faceoff
Southington brought the energy early in the first quarter, as a strip sack and fumble recovery by junior Ricardo Piza gave the Blue Knights possession deep in St. Joseph’s territory. Faced with fourth-and-three, the offense went for it and got the first down. Junior quarterback Luke Prozzo capped the possession with a one-yard touchdown run, and after an extra point from junior Jacob Carrier, Southington led 7-0 with 6:17 left in the first.
St. Joseph then muffed the kickoff, giving Southington possession once again. Carrier nailed a 30-yard field goal, giving the Blue Knights a 10-0 lead after the quarter.
But just six seconds into the second quarter, St. Joseph scored on a short touchdown run. Southington managed to block the extra point, keeping the score 10-6. The Hogs inched closer after a sack fumble and field goal, which moved the score to 10-9.
Late in the quarter the Blue Knights managed to get a crucial stop on fourth down from the one-yard line. Senior Beckett Colby was credited with the tackle.
But with just 55 seconds remaining in the half, St Joseph completed a 36-yard touchdown pass and took a 16-10 lead into the break.
Levesque knew his team needed a spark in the second half, but it didn’t take much to motivate the Blue Knights. Coming out of the locker room after halftime, Southington was ready to compete and show what their squad is made of.
“If there’s one thing I don’t have to do with this group, it is to coach effort,” Levesque said. “Any team where you have to do that, you’re not going to be very successful. It’s easy to get these boys going. They’re family, they’ve been playing together forever.”
“We felt we fell short of Southington pride a little bit last week with our penalties and some foolish decisions,” he continued. “We decided we’re going to stay family and bring Southington Pride back in terms of penalties and how we want to play football.”
Southington’s Second Half Battle
Southington’s energy matched their play to open the frame. After a big run from senior Lonnie Green, Prozzo found the back of the end zone on an eight-yard rush of his own. The kick from Carrier restored a 17-16 lead.
But the Blue Knights weren’t done. On St. Joseph’s very next possession, Southington tipped a pass that was intercepted by junior Walker Mierzejewski and returned to the end zone for a touchdown. The team was now up 24-16 with 8:03 remaining in the third quarter.
St. Joseph came back with an attack of their own, scoring on a six-yard touchdown pass to end the quarter. With the two-point conversion unsuccessful, Southington led 24-22 as they entered the fourth quarter.
The Blue Knights drove the ball all the way to St. Joseph’s one-yard line. However, after three straight runs and an incomplete pass, they turned the ball over on downs.
In the next series, Mierzejewski stepped up for Southington again, making his second interception of the game at 3:20.
But Southington wasn’t able to move the ball up the field. After a non-call on a play where the wide receiver and cornerback were tangled up, the Blue Knights were forced to punt, giving St. Joseph the ball with 2:09 remaining.
The Hogs managed to drive the ball down the field using their rushing attack. A 10-yard touchdown run from St. Joseph’s Tristan Span gave them a 30-24 lead. That score would hold, and Southington fell to 1-2.
Run Game, Defense Stand Out
In the loss, Green led the Blue Knights’ run game with 13 carries for 70 yards with a long of 27. Prozzo added eight rushes for 20 yards, along with his two touchdowns. The quarterback also completed 17-of-27 passes for 102 yards. Senior Jaxiel Rivera caught three balls for 26 yards to lead the team there.
Levesque was quick to credit offensive coordinator Chase Mayoussier for his work with the unit. The run game is something Southington wants to focus on as the driver of their offense.
“We work really hard on that. The run game is layered into our offense. Our offensive coordinator Chase Mayoussier does a fantastic job gameplanning,” Levesque said. “They were flipping the fronts on us from odd to even, yet we were able to slow down the tempo and get some of the calls we wanted based on the movement up front. A nod of our heads to the offensive staff for that.”
Defensively, there were some significant bumps on the road. Southington allowed 16 unanswered points to end the first half and saw Spain run for 187 yards on 30 carries, along with his touchdown. Yet there were clear positives as well. Levesque again credited his coaching staff, specifically defensive coordinator Travis Swim. The work being put in at practice shows come game day.
“Defense played awesome,” Levesque said. “Endless, endless effort behind the scenes and in practice. Our defensive coordinator Travis Swim gets the kids ready. We had a gameplan and we executed at times and made plays at times. The bottom line is they’re a good team and we needed a few more plays.”
Defensive standout Mierzejewski was proud to have come away with two picks. However, his biggest priority is always helping Southington earn a victory.
“It was big,” Mierzejewski said of his interceptions, “but we’ve got to execute more. We played really good, but we’ve got to finish.”
What’s Next For Southington
The Blue Knights’ next three games will all be away. Their next matchup comes against Hall on October 4. Levesque wants to see his team take a step forward, despite their youth. In fact, he believes the St. Joseph loss will only make them stronger in the long run. Levesque knows he has a talented team and is eager to see them compete on the gridiron again.
“There is plenty there,” Levesque said. “We’re young in spots. You can’t simulate a situation where a top 10 team comes to your place and you play them down to the wire. When you’re young, you gain a lot more than some other teams would from a game like this. The experience you get from battling in a game like this is something we have to carry over, to motivate us during the week.”
For the first home game of the season, Fontana Field was packed. The student section was decked out in neon construction gear, and set off confetti after touchdowns. From the cheerleaders hyping up the crowd to the roar of emotion following pivotal moments, Southington had a strong support system for their contest against St. Joseph.
Levesque noticed it. He understands the legacy that comes with Southington football. As the Blue Knights go through their season, he wants the team to feed off of that energy and remember what the name on the front of their jersey represents.
“It’s definitely not me, it’s definitely not this team, it’s Southington,” Levesque said. “We’ve played football here, we’ve won State Championships here. It’s a program with history, we’ve got great community support, a great fan section. We had tons of people here tonight to support us. That’s what drives us. It’s going to be here no matter who is on the field.”
For more SHS Sports photography, see NMR Photography.
