NEW BRITAIN — In a season where it was overshadowed by a prolific offense that had games decided well before halftime, it was the defense that was going to have to come through if the St. Joseph football team was going to soar over the final hurdle and a dream more than three months in the making.
And as it has all year, though to far less fanfare, the defense delivered. The Cadets’ relentless pressure compensated for four turnovers and two missed field goals, leading to a 17-13 Class L final victory over Daniel Hand in the first state championship between the two top ranked teams since 2005.