Brookfield Edges Defending Champion St. Joseph To Reach Class M Football Final

BROOKFIELD, CT — Brookfield secured a spot in the Class M championship game Monday night, holding off defending champion St. Joseph for a 6–3 semifinal win behind a relentless defensive performance.

Quarterback Thad Balzi put the Bobcats in front early, connecting with Tyler Buttendorf on a third-and-17 touchdown pass in the first quarter. The extra point was no good, but Brookfield carried a 6–0 lead into halftime after limiting the Hogs to 63 total yards and four first downs over the first two quarters.

St. Joseph broke through late in the third, recovering a blocked punt at the Brookfield 16-yard line. The Hogs settled for a 31-yard field goal by Jake Rios with 40 seconds left in the period, cutting the deficit to 6–3.

Brookfield missed a field-goal attempt after recovering the second-half kickoff, and both teams traded turnovers in the fourth quarter. St. Joseph recovered a Buttendorf fumble early in the period but failed to convert, turning the ball over on downs at the Bobcats’ 26-yard line.

The Hogs threatened again with under five minutes remaining before fumbling at the Brookfield 46. The Bobcats again held, and Ambrose Higgs intercepted a deflected pass with 1:20 left, preserving the lead.

Balzi sealed the win with a late first-down run in the final minute, sending Brookfield back to the Class M final and ensuring a new champion will be crowned.

Read more at GameTimeCT here.