TRUMBULL — Logan Spoelstra is not afraid of the big moment.
He kicked the game-winning extra point in St. Joseph’s win in the playoffs a year ago, and on Thanksgiving morning he was tasked with winning the game once again.
The junior drilled a game-winning 21-yard field goal with two seconds remaining to give the Hogs a 20-17 win over Trumbull in the Rumble in Trumbull rivalry game.
It is St. Joseph’s fifth straight win in the series and the victory clinches the top spot in the Class L playoffs.
“I didn’t see it go through, but I knew off my foot instantly it was good,” Spoelstra said.
St. Joseph took over with 2:09 left on its own 13-yard line after the Hogs defense held Trumbull on 4th and 2. The Eagles elected to go for it, instead of attempting a field goal.
“No one has stopped us for two yards all year, running that stuff,” Trumbull coach Marce Petroccio said. “You have to give them credit, their defense played well and they earned it.”
The Hogs’ offense went to work, utilizing running back Riley Jordan.
“Everyone is yelling ‘throw the ball’ I’m like we have Riley he will find space for us,” St. Joseph coach Joe Della Vecchia. “We’ll be alright.”
The senior missed the last month — two games — with mononucleosis, but worked hard to get back for the final game of the season.
He didn’t have the best game, but when it mattered most, Jordan stepped up. He had two big runs on the final drive and got his team within Spoelstra’s range.
“Holes just started to open up,” Jordan said. “I knew the game was over at that point because I know Logan has my back.”
Jordan then got the ball inside the 5-yard line.
“Honestly after we got the first, first down, I was thinking field goal and then when we got close I was thinking touchdown,” Della Vecchia said. “Inside the 5, I didn’t want to make any mistakes, I knew he was going to make it.”
While the crowd at Dalling Field was living and dying with each play, Spoelstra was just paying attention to what he had to do to get ready.
Teammates were telling him that the game was going to come down to him, but he just focused on running and kicking into his practice net, waiting for his name to be called. Well not actually his name.
The coaching staff called for "unit" and he ran onto the field.
It was time to go and then Trumbull called a timeout. The junior set up again for the win and Trumbull took another timeout.
The icing attempts didn’t faze him, but no one dared talk to him.
“No, I don’t talk to him, ever,” Della Vecchia said. “I knew he had it.”
Trumbull jumped out to a 14-3 lead in the second quarter before St. Joseph’s Mickey Covino caught his first touchdown to pull his team within four with 3:05 left in the half.
A minute and half later, Connor Fahey intercepted a pass for the Hogs and 26 seconds later, Covino caught his second touchdown from Will Singewald with 1:09 left in the half.
“That was huge, right before the half, it took all the momentum away from them,” Della Vecchia said. “It played a huge role in changing out momentum and our psyche.
“Our kids scrap, it’s grit. It is all grit.”
PLAYER OF THE GAME
While Covino took home the St. Joseph MVP honors and Jordan Black won the Trumbull MVP of the game, the Hogs wouldn’t have won without the leg of Spoelstra. The kicker hit a field goal in the second quarter, he connected on both his extra points and when the game was on the line, he drilled the game-winning kick.
QUOTABLE
“After the second ice, I was like ‘oh my god, do they have a third timeout, are they going to do it again?’ I knew he had it the whole time,” — Jordan on the final seconds of the game.
Rumble in Trumbull
TRUMBULL 7 7 3 0 — 17
ST. JOSEPH 0 17 0 3 — 20
T — Ben Carley 25 pass Hunter Agosti (Will Zaslow kick)
SJ — Logan Spoelstra 26 kick
T — Jordan Black 1 run (Zaslow kick)
SJ — Mickey Covino 4 pass Will Singewald (Spoelstra kick)
SJ — Covino 45 pass Singewald (Spoelstra kick)
T — Zaslow 27 kick
SJ — Spoelstra 21 kick
Records: St. Joseph 9-1, Trumbull 7-3