SOUTHINGTON - In a steady drizzle for most of the night and a muddy track, the Conard football team did one thing against Southington and did it very well.
On 23 of 26 plays in the first half and 42 times in the game, the Chieftains handed the ball to Jonathan Esposito. The senior tailback gained 327 yards and scored four touchdowns as Conard remained undefeated with a 40-20 CCC interdivision victory at Fontana Field Friday.
Southington (5-4) had its chances to keep it close but was done in by turnovers. Connor Butkiewicz (21-for-52, 283 yards) was intercepted three times, two of which were run back for touchdowns.
One score came from defensive end Brady Collins for 28 yards with 3:48 left in the first half, with the Blue Knights trailing by just six points, to put them down 18-6, and the other by Jerry Rivera for 50 yards in the fourth quarter after Southington had cut Conard's lead to 25-12 and just held the Chieftains to a three-and-out series.
"I don't think you can point to one thing," Southington coach Bill Mella said. "Certainly when you turn the ball over more than you get the ball back, you don't win ball games. It's as simple as that.
"They capitalized immediately on three of them and that's what happens. They did a good job. That's a great football team over there."
Although Southington's passing game clicked at times with Butkiewicz finding Tyler Dube (10 catches, 136 yards) for scores of 17 yards in the first half and 19 and 15 in the second half, Conard kept the Knights under 100 yards rushing and was opportunistic.
"The defense played outstanding," Conard coach Rob Cersosimo said. "Jeff Redman does a great job with our defense. Anytime you turn the ball over like that and are fortunate enough to run the ball into the end zone you change the game.
"You look at what happens in a game, things change so quickly you just never know what the heck is going on sometimes. We were just very fortunate, we got the breaks tonight and things went our way."
Conard scored on its first possession and set the tone for the night with Esposito off tackle left and Esposito off tackle right. He carried on all seven plays of a 67-yard drive and broke away for a 33-yard score with 6:26 left in the first quarter.
After an exchange of punts, Southington drove 72 yards in eight plays scoring of Dube's first TD reception with 8:54 left in the half.
Esposito then carried on nine of 10 plays in a 75-yard drive that ended when he took it in from the 15 with 4:05 left. Then came Collins' pick for a score on Southington's first play after the kickoff.
To add to the momentum swing, Southington put together a 57-yard drive as time ran down in the half, but was stopped on fourth-and-goal from the 2 when Anthony Florian caught a short out pattern but was taken down at the 1.
Conard struck quickly in the second half as Esposito ripped off a 69-yard score on the second play from scrimmage to make it 25-6 with 11 minutes left in the third quarter. He would add one more score from 33 yards out with 8:27 left in the game.
Esposito also made Conard's third interception midway through the third quarter, and stripped the ball from Butkiewicz on a keeper play on third-and-1 at the 50 early in the fourth.
"Esposito's a fine football player," Cersosimo said. "I firmly believe Jon Esposito is one of the finest football players in the state. He's a complete football player."
Conard 40, Southington 20
At Fontana Field
Conard 06-12-07-15-40
Southington 00-06-06-08-20
First Quarter
C-Jonathan Esposito 33 run (kick failed) 6:26
Second Quarter
S-Tyler Dube 17 pass from Connor Butkiewicz (pass failed) 8:54
C-Esposito 15 run (run failed) 4:05
C-Brady Collins 28 interception return (kick failed) 3:48
C-Esposito 69 run (Jake Fisher kick) 11:00
S-Dube 19 pass from Butkiewicz (run failed) 3:55
Fourth Quarter
C-Jerry Rivera 50 interception return (Esposito run) 11:47
C-Esposito 33 run (Fisher kick) 8:27
S-Dube 15 pass from Butkiewicz (Dube pass from Butkiewicz) 7:24
