St. Joseph took on Darien High, the No. 1 ranked football team in the state, with an expected final result on Saturday.
The visiting Blue Wave used three touchdown passes from Brian Peters and a pair of scores from Finley Collins in posting a 48-14 FCIAC win at the newly turfed upper field at the Dalling Sports Complex.
The Cadets’ Cory Babineau threw a touchdown pass to Jared Mallozzi.
Collins ran in the first score 10 yards down the left side less than two minutes into the first quarter.
Peters threw his first touchdown of the the season, good for 15 yards down the left side into the waiting arms of Spencer Jarecke for 12-0 lead four minutes after the first score.
Riley Stewart tacked on the PAT with his first of six kicks for points.
“Brian is extremely poised, he understands the offense, he goes through his reads, and doesn’t get flustered,” Darien coach Rob Trifone said. “He does a nice job for us.”
Down 13-0, St. Joseph took possession with 1:11 remaining in the first period.
Phil Pasmeg opened the 80-yard drive to paydirt with a 13-yard reception.
Afforded protection, Babineau threw a perfect pass over the top of the safety and Mallozzi made a stellar one-handed grab before being wrestled to the turf at the Darien 28 — a 44-yard pickup.
On 2nd-and-7 from the 25, Babineau found Mallozzi open for a 25-yard touchdown only two plays into the second quarter.
Ryan Donegan had cleared the area with a quick out pattern that drew the nearest defender. That allowed Mallozzi time to beat the safety to the spot for the score. Luke Kirby’s conversion kick made it 13-7.
Peters opened the next Darien drive with a 20-yard completion to Tim Herget and closed it with a 47-yard TD pass to Collins with 10:24 left in the second quarter.
After Stewart made a big gain with a diving catch off a pass down the right side to get the Wave close, Max Grant bulled over the line for a two-yard score.
Darien was up 27-7 with Stewart’s kick with 7:38 to go in the first half.
With :49 to play in the half, Mitchell Pryor raced in down the left side to the one-yard line. He scored on the next play and Darien led 34-7 at the half.
Babineau found Mallozzi again to start the third quarter, leading to a Brian Harner touchdown run. Kirby kicked the extra point and the hosts had hope, behind 34-14.
The hope was short-lived when Peters threw 15 yards to Nick Green, who took one for the team, sideswiped and going down hard as he caught the ball just inside the goal line.
That was good for a 40-14 lead with 8:31 to go in the third quarter.
Darien’s Jack Joyce got in at QB in relief and connected with Matt Maignan, passing down the right side, and Maignan hauled it home for 47-14.
Stewart capped the contest with his sixth PAT.
Steve Buono contributed to this story.