MIDDLETOWN >> That elusive season-opening win remains just that for the Middletown High School varsity football team after a 13-7 loss to the Hercules Titans on Friday night at an extremely warm Bill Foltmer Field.
The Mustangs were looking for their first season-opening win since beating Salesian at home in 2008. They did win 21-14 in their 2014 opener at Salesian but had to forfeit that game because of an ineligible player.
Middletown (0-1) trailed Hercules 13-0 entering the fourth quarter on Friday night, closed to 13-7 after a long drive capped by a 1-yard Nash Field run, and then caught a huge break with 2:59 remaining when the Titans, who had a first-and-10 at Middletown’s 36-yard line and were chewing up the clock following the Mustangs’ touchdown, coughed up the football and Field recovered.
The Mustangs kept the ball on the ground and bit off huge chunks of yardage, getting 11, 10 and 10 yards on three straight runs. Three more runs netted 19 yards and left Middletown with a second-and-five from the Hercules 11-yard line with 1:07 left, and the Mustangs still in possession of two of their timeouts.
The Titans’ defense stiffened from that point and left Middletown facing a fourth-and-six from the 12-yard line with only 33.7 seconds to play. After burning a timeout to talk things over, the Mustangs tried to cross up Hercules with a short pass near the Middletown sideline but quarterback Luke Holt’s completion to Isaiah Moore netted only three yards as he was hauled down well short of the first down.
“Those last two plays they caught us from behind,” Middletown coach Bill Foltmer said of the Hercules defense, which had an abundance of team speed, especially in the secondary.
“We were lucky enough to get that fumble and get a shot at beating them,” Foltmer added of the game’s final minutes.
Speed and athleticism were definitely on the Titans’ side and they made the most of it.
“They are very elusive,” Foltmer said. “And we made a lot of first-game mistakes.”
The Titans (2-0) had other scoring opportunities but Middletown’s defense stopped one with a goal-line stand, getting the ball back on downs at its own 1-yard line in the first quarter, and the Mustangs also partially blocked a field goal late in the second quarter to keep Hercules’ lead at 13-0.
Turnovers proved to be a big factor even though the Mustangs committed only two to the Titans’ one.
Middletown opened the game with a nice drive and was approaching midfield when Holt was sacked and fumbled the ball to the Titans, who promptly marched down to the Mustang 1 only to be denied on an incomplete pass into the end zone on a fourth-and-goal play.
However, Hercules’ defense bottled up Middletown deep in its own territory and forced a short punt that left the Titans with outstanding field position (at the Middletown 33) to start their next drive as the second quarter got underway. Six plays later Hercules had a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Antion Huey on a fourth-and-goal play.
Middletown again pushed the ball out to near midfield when disaster struck again. The Mustangs fumbled on a draw play and the ball was scooped up and returned 40 yards for a touchdown by middle linebacker Arthur Corbin, who went untouched into the end zone for a 13-0 lead.
Middletown pushed the ball into Hercules territory twice more in the second quarter only to punt it away on one occasion and have the second drive stopped by an interception.
Neither team seriously threatened in the third quarter and the Mustangs couldn’t seem to catch a break on a fourth-and-inches play from the Hercules 38 when Holt appeared to pick up the necessary first-down yardage on a sneak only to watch the ball spotted short of the first down. Middletown asked for a measurement but didn’t get one.
Foltmer credited the Hercules defense with disrupting the Mustangs’ offense throughout the game.
“They attacked our perimeter and our kids didn’t handle it very well,” Foltmer said. “And they blitzed us like crazy.”
Middletown started three sophomores against Hercules and Foltmer said he was generally happy with their performance.
“You want to get them ready for league play in games like this,” Foltmer said. “I thought they did pretty well.”
Middletown’s offense picked up 196 yards on the ground and was led by Drake Harbison (20 carries for 86 yards yards) and Moore (11 for 79). Holt completed 8 of 12 passes for 63 yards. On the defensive side, Devin Ross had two sacks.
Middletown hosts Berean Christian (0-1) next Friday.
