STAMFORD — St. Joseph wide receiver Chris Recupero was in coach Joe Della Vecchia’s doghouse a bit in the first half after not running routes to the coach’s liking.
Luckily for Recupero, his coach and quarterback never lost confidence and went to him on the most important play of the game between the two FCIAC foes.
In the final minute of the third quarter with the score tied, St. Joseph freshman quarterback Harry Jones threw a jump ball to the front corner of the end zone which Recupero high-pointed and came down with for the touchdown.
Stamford would score a touchdown in the fourth quarter but a two-point rushing attempt was stopped short to give St. Joseph a 17-16 win at Boyle Stadium Saturday afternoon.
“It’s all coaching and all my teammates, and my teammates kept me going,” Recupero said. “In the locker room the coaches were saying ‘we need somebody to be a superstar and make a play.’ That’s just what I did. I saw the ball in the air and I went and grabbed it.”
Stamford would come back with Cam Coard running in a 4-yard touchdown with 5:47 to play, cutting the lead to 17-16.
Stamford opted to go for the lead, but the two-point run was stopped short of the goal line.
The Black Knights hoped the game would be a turning point for the program, but fell one point shy of a signature win over a top FCIAC opponent.
Last November, Stamford went to-to-toe with the Cadets before losing 17-13. St. Joseph would eventually be the top seed in the CIAC Class L Tournament.
Earlier this season the Stamford lost 28-14 to No. 1 ranked Greenwich.
For the Black Knights, the story of the game was too many penalties which put them in long-yardage situations on multiple drives.
“I thought we left a lot of opportunities out there,” Stamford coach Donny Panapada said. “I am the most upset about some of those penalties. Two of them came on first downs where we had made plays. It is what it is and we will get back to work on Monday.”
Stamford got the ball back with :52 seconds remaining, but could not move the ball and St. Joseph turned them over on downs.
Stamford scored first with Ejai Presley hitting Joe Salvatore with on a 52-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.
St. Joseph would tie the game in the second quarter on a 24-yard pass from Jones to John Martin.
Stamford took a 10-7 lead into the half when Jack Solamita hit a 22 yard field goal as time expired.
St. Joseph then tied it 10-10 in the third on a 33 yard field goal by Logan Spolestra.
Stamford travels to Bridgeport Central next Saturday at 11 a.m. while St. Joseph hosts New Canaan Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
There will be no rest for St. Joseph after New Canaan with Ridgefield, Greenwich, Danbury, Staples and Trumbull remaining on the schedule.
Stamford’s schedule does not ease up either with games against two LL playoff teams in Staples and Trumbull and then Ridgefield during three-consecutive weeks in the second half of the season.
Including Greenwich and St. Joseph, the Black Knights are now 9-47 against those top-tier FCIAC opponents since 2004. Against their other three FCIAC opponents (Bridgeport Central, Danbury and Westhill) they are 21-17.
Player of the Game
Chris Recupero, St. Joseph: Recupero’s touchdown catch was the deciding score in a back and forth game.
Quotable
“(Recupero) made a great catch and is capable of doing a lot of great things but sometimes he loses concentration but you never know when the ball is coming to you and you have to be ready. The kids are learning. This is his first year of varsity football and he, and the rest of the offense, are learning on the fly.” -- St. Joseph coach Joe Della Vecchia.