Southington Opens Class LL Tournament With Win Over Glastonbury
- Dan Fappiano
- 3 days ago
- 8 min read
Southington football held a 21-17 halftime advantage when head coach Rob Levesque entered the locker room to address his team. One player spoke up, saying all they wanted was to be studying film the next day to fix the team’s mistakes. Thank to a lot of grit and perseverance, they got their wish: class will be in session for Levesque and company, as Southington came away with a 35-30 victory in their Class LL State Tournament opening game.
“These kids are bought in and they want the season to continue. It’s a tough time of year when a lot of teams are banged up, people are looking for it to be over. These guys are hitting their stride,” Levesque said. “I’m proud of them and how they held tight. We made some mistakes tonight that put us in some bad spots. Glastonbury is a great team, they put themselves in a position to win. Our guys held up.”
Game Recap
It looked like Southington’s offense was shot out of a cannon to start the game, as junior quarterback Luke Prozzo found senior Rosco Cook for a 30-yard pass on the opening drive. A few plays later, sophomore Ben Beaulieu broke through numerous tackles on his way to a 34-yard touchdown run. Sophomore Sawyer Trudeau’s extra point made it 7-0 at the 9:47 mark.
Glastonbury wasn’t going down without a fight, though. Less than two minutes later, the Guardians scored on a 26-yard touchdown pass to tie the game.
On their next drive, Southington was faced with third-and-nine. Prozzo broke to the outside, getting the first down with his legs. He would then find Jaxiel Rivera for a 35-yard pass as the senior juked out numerous defenders. Another long Prozzo run on third-and-10 set up a four-yard Beaulieu touchdown scamper. Trudeau’s extra point moved the Blue Knights’ advantage to 14-7.
Glastonbury ended the first quarter with several third down conversions before opening the next quarter fourth-and-one. They would convert that too, ultimately hitting a 26-yard field goal to cut the lead to 14-10.
After two back and forth drives, Southington put Glastonbury in a punt situation. As soon as the Guardians’ punter got the ball, senior Daniel Corrado and junior Ben Kielbowicz were there to stop him, forcing a turnover in Glastonbury territory.
On the very first play of the Blue Knights’ ensuing drive, Beaulieu scored his third touchdown of the night on a 30-yard run. Trudeau’s extra point was good, giving Southington a 21-10 lead.
However, the Blue Knights ended the half in a precarious position. On a Glastonbury punt, the ball bounced off of a Southington player and into their opponent’s hands. Shortly after, the Guardians scored on a 10-yard touchdown pass.
The Blue Knights seemed to be getting some momentum back when Rivera’s kick return went for 49 yards. A personal foul call got Southington deep into Glastonbury territory, but the Blue Knights saw their field goal blocked. They entered halftime with a 21-17 lead.
After the break, Southington and Glastonbury both kept their footing. The two teams remained scoreless until the very end of the quarter, when Beaulieu ran in a 15-yard touchdown with 36 seconds remaining. Trudeau was again clean on the extra point, giving the Blue Knights a 28-10 lead going into the fourth.
Glastonbury was faced with fourth-and-13 early in the frame. Yet the Guardians converted and would score on a 28-yard passing touchdown a few players later. They kicked the extra point, cutting the lead to 28-24.
Prozzo again showed off his arm strength and junior Walker Mierzewjewski displayed his playmaking ability as the pair connected for a 37-yard pass. That would set up Beaulieu’s fifth rushing touchdown from three yards out. Southington took a 35-24 lead on Trudeau’s extra point.
Still, Glastonbury would not throw in the towel. On fourth-and-seven, Southington was called for a 15-yard facemask penalty. The Guardians continued driving down the field and scored on a one-yard touchdown run. But in a critical miscue, their attempted two-point conversion failed. The Blue Knights still led by more than a field goal, 35-30.
With 2:54 remaining, tensions rose sharply. Glastonbury recovered an onside kick at midfield. Southington then got called for another facemask penalty, moving the Guardians even deeper in scoring territory. Eventually, Glastonbury was faced with fourth-and-three near the red zone.
The pass went up and the Guardians receiver made a play on it. But Southington’s pass defense held up as the ball fell incomplete. The Blue Knights were able to kneel out the clock from there, securing the 35-30 victory.
“We know we’re capable of doing it and executing,” Levesque said of the final play of the game. “You just hope they’re focused on the play, that they’re tied in to their keys, and that they’re playing with ice water in their veins. We did that there. It was a great pass, the kid had a chance at it. But we were right there to swipe that thing.”
Beaulieu did all he could with his five scores. When he was on the sidelines, he remained confident. There was no doubt in his mind that Southington’s defense would step up.
“I trust these guys,” Beaulieu said. “I know these guys. I’ve played with them every single day. I knew they were going to make the play. I knew they were going to.”
Beaulieu’s Big Day
Beaulieu entered the contest having recently been named Apple Valley Classic MVP. He turned that momentum into 15 carries for 138 yards along with five touchdowns against Glastonbury. The sophomore was committed and determined to keep Southington’s hopes alive, and extend its legacy.
“It feels amazing. Winning at home means so much to me and this program,” Beaulieu said. “This program is made of state champions and legends. We have to keep continuing that. This is how you do it.”
While Beaulieu was the one who carried the pigskin into the endzone, he was quick to credit those around him. He says both his offensive line and offensive coordinator Chase “Moose” Mayoussier have played big roles in his success. At the same time, Beaulieu knows he has flourished in the starting running back role due to his special skills.
“Being able to be trusted by an offensive coordinator as a sophomore, can’t thank the coaches enough,” Beaulieu said. “When you’re in there, you got to have vision. Vision is what I’m gifted with. My offensive line is amazing, can’t thank them enough.”
The sophomore entered the season as a backup and was thrown into the fire due to injuries. But no matter the challenge in front of him, Beaulieu was ready for it. Levesque has taken notice.
The head coach watches his running back break through tackles and observes his grit on every play. But what Levesque also sees is a player willing to do whatever it takes for his team.
“Ben is a better person than he is a football player. He is all about his team, people around him in his life. He plays like there’s not a next down. He plays each down like it’s the last one,” Levesque said. “If he’s got an inch to squeeze, he’s squeezing the inch out of it. He plays with a lot of passion, he plays for the team.”
Southington football won’t forget Beaulieu’s five touchdown game any time soon. But the sophomore has already erased it from his mind. All he is focused on is the Blue Knights’ next challenge.
“Diligence, hard work, focus,” Beaulieu said of what’ll take to keep winning. “This win means nothing, because we have to go play next week.”
Offense Finding Strides
After making his return from injury during the Thanksgiving win over Cheshire, Prozzo was again named the starting quarterback for Southington’s opening playoff game. He completed 9-of-16 passes for 132 yards against Glastonbury.
He and sophomore Jacoby Roman continue to split reps in practice. The coaching staff will decide who will be the starting quarterback after evaluations. Levesque calls it a good problem to have, as Roman and Prozzo are both pushing each other to strive for greatness.
As the team enters the semifinals of the Class LL State Tournament, quarterback play will be crucial, even with Beaulieu running the way he is. Whoever gets the start has clear expectations of them.
“Prozzo stepped up for us after a long layover and a short practice, when he actually got cleared to go. He had a tremendous game on Thanksgiving. We felt like [starting him] was the best thing for us,” Levesque said. “Jacoby is still right there, equal reps. We had a package for Jacoby. We didn’t get to see Jacoby tonight, but he’s right there.”
“They’re pushing each other in practice,” the head coach continued. “They’re the best critics. I can’t ask for a better situation. They both want to be the starter. That camaraderie we have in the locker room and on the field is really why these guys are successful right now.”
Rivera led the Blue Knights in receiving on Wednesday, catching three passes for 51 yards. He said Prozzo made it easy for him, as he placed the ball perfectly. All he had to do was go up and make a play. If Southington’s offense continues to click, Rivera knows they’ll be a tough matchup for any defense.
“It means a lot. We’re Southington. We’re expected to make playoffs,” Rivera said. “Last year we had a little fluke. Our goal this year was to make playoffs. That’s what we did. Keep it rolling, six game win streak. They ain’t stopping us right now. Nothing is stopping us.”
The senior impacted the game in multiple ways, with two big plays serving as highlights. His 35-yard grab led to a touchdown while his 49-yard kick return gave Southington strong field position. Rivera knew he would have to step up for the Blue Knight to beat Glastonbury. Still, he stresses that his big plays wouldn’t happen without his teammates.
“My playmaking ability starts with everyone on the team,” Rivera said. “Every person hypes us up, makes us go harder, be stronger. When I caught that ball, I just knew I had to make a play and make some defenders miss. On my kick return, I wouldn’t have done that if it wasn’t for my blockers. We do that every practice, every week. That got our momentum going.”
Southington gained 293 total yards of offense against Glastonbury. They’ll look to extend their streak of 30+ point games to four in the Class LL semifinals.
Southington To Face Upset Winner Norwich Free Academy
No. 8 seed Norwich Free Academy knocked off No. 1 New Britain in first-round action, 35-0. Now, No. 4 Southington will host Norwich on Monday, December 8. Kickoff is set for 6:30.
The Blue Knights enter the game on a six-game winning streak. They’ve scored at least 28 points in all of those wins. Southington’s run started after their bye week, and after a 42-14 loss to New Britain.
At that point Levesque had his team take a long look in the mirror. They had to figure out what their identity was. From that moment on, Southington hasn’t turned back. Now, they’re just one win away from competing for a Class LL State championship.
“It’s about us,” Levesque said. “The statement I made over the bye week was that we were a team capable of making mistakes and losing ball games. We were also capable of executing and winning against some really good teams. What team do we want to be?”
“If we stay with our motto, ‘1-0 every week,’ if we stay focused on our execution, how we want to play the game – if we do that, then we’ll always have a chance.”
