A defensive masterclass by the Meridian Mustangs’ varsity football team propelled them to a home opener win against the 6A Justice Wolves. The defense shut out the Wolves for nearly the entire game, before letting up a touchdown in the final moments to make the final score a respectable 17-7.

Meridian’s running back room was responsible for both the team’s touchdowns, one by junior Chris Capannola and the other by senior Jetson Fitzpatrick.

It’s the Mustangs’ second win against Justice in as many seasons, as well as the first time the Mustangs have won their home opener in five years, the last time being a 37-7 blowout win over Falls Church in August of 2021.

Some time after the game, senior tight end and defensive lineman Sebastian Roncoroni expressed his pride in the team.

“It feels great to start the year off strong, and even though we have many games to go, it’s nice to start the year with a win and set a path for the season,” Roncoroni reflected.

The Mustangs will look to ride this momentum into a challenging week two matchup against the Kettle Run Cougars, who have made the state championship in each of the last two years. To make things even more difficult, the Mustangs are the visiting team, meaning they will travel 40 minutes to Nokesville for the contest.

“Playing one of the top teams is an exciting opportunity. It’ll be great to compete and see what we can do. The team and I are excited for Thursday,” Roncoroni commented.

As Roncoroni said, the Mustangs will play the Cougars on Thursday, Sep 3, at 7 p.m. A win against Kettle Run would mark the first time Meridian has beaten the Cougars in school history. Kettle Run holds a perfect 4-0 record over the Mustangs, with the first matchup held in September of 2021. Meridian will look to finally get in the win column of this head-to-head.