New Britain — St. Joseph was hellbent on proving that it, not Hand, was the best team in the state.

The Cadets proved it time-and-time again by stuffing the two-time defending champion for the majority of Saturday's CIAC Class L final and delivering jarring hit after jarring hit.

St. Joseph's defense allowed just seven first downs and Jaden Shirden carried the bulk of the offensive load as the No. 2 team in The Day's coaches' poll knocked off No. 1 Hand 17-13 before a huge crowd at Willow Brook Park.

"Our front seven can play physical, we can play fast," Cadets senior defensive end Mike Morrissey said. "And our backfield, our secondary, they were on lockdown all night.

"I don't think there was a weak point in the defense throughout the whole season. We stepped up tonight."

It was the third consecutive state title for the top-seeded Cadets (13-0), who won Class S two seasons ago and Class M last year. It's their 15th state title, trailing only Ansonia (20).

St. Joseph is a lock to finish number one in both The Day's coaches' and GameTimeCT/New Haven Register Top 10 media polls, which will both be announced Monday.

The Cadets also allowed a state-low 78 points.

The second-seeded Tigers finished 12-1 and had their 36-game winning streak snapped. They tied Ansonia (1975-78) for the third-longest streak in state history.

Cheshire won a state record 49 from 1992-96.

Hand averaged 391.8 yards a game prior to Saturday.

St. Joseph's defense allowed the Tigers just 229 yards, 46 of which came on a pass with over a minute left.

Hand quarterback Phoenix Billings and running back Colin McCabe were among the state's 26 players named to the coaches' all-state overall team on Dec. 11.

Billings completed 14 of 24 passes for 167 yards with an interception. McCabe ran 19 times for 59 yards.

"We knew that Colin McCabe was one of the best, most physical running backs in the state," Morrissey said. "We just had to play more physical than him."

Shirden, who also made the overall all-state team, ran 32 times for 179 yards and a touchdown for the Cadets.

Hand forced four turnovers, three of which came when the Cadets were within 25 yards of its end zone.

"How many articles were written about both offenses?" Tigers head coach David Mastroianni said. "The defenses were great. They showed up to play. If you had said to me (before the game) that, 'hey their offense (wouldn't) score (more than) 10 points', I would've told you we won."

"(It was) a tremendous effort on their part to do what they did to us."

Hand had a third-and-16 from its own 30 when Morrissey flushed Billings from the pocket and forced him to throw an off-balance pass as he was hit.

Preston Kral intercepted the pass and returned it for a 41-yard touchdown. Austin Jose's extra point gave St. Joseph a 7-0 lead 56 seconds into the second quarter.

Billings threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah McNeilly as the Tigers tied the game with 31 seconds left in the first half.

Jose kicked a go-ahead 38-yard field goal with 6 minutes, 26 seconds left in the third quarter that gave the Cadets a 10-7 lead.

St. Joseph forced a turnover on downs at the Hand 18 with over five minutes left.

Shirden ran for a 15-yard touchdown two plays later to push the Cadets lead to 17-7 with 4:47 remaining.

The Tigers had a fourth-and-22 at the St. Joseph 47 with over a minute left when Seth Sweitzer caught a pass that was touched by two Cadets defenders and took it to the goal line.

Billings ran for a 1-yard touchdown with 37 seconds left. The extra point was blocked.

Hand's onside attempt failed.

Asked about finishing as the state's number one team, St. Joseph all-state nose guard Jermaine Williams said, "It's the best feeling in the world. I can't describe it."

n.griffen@theday.com