MIDDLETOWN >> Eight straight wins later, the Middletown Mustangs once again sit atop the North Central League I varsity football standings all by their lonesome.
Middletown closed out another successful regular season with a title-clinching 28-7 victory over the Willits Wolverines on Friday night at Bill Foltmer Field. The Mustangs entered play with a co-championship already secured but needing a win over Willits to wrap up the undisputed crown. They finish league 7-0 and are 8-1 overall. They have not lost since the opening week of the season, a 13-7 setback to Hercules on Sept. 1 at Middletown.
“I felt like we were in control, but it was harder than we thought,” Middletown coach Bill Foltmer said of his 250th victory at the school and his 269th career win overall. Foltmer took over the Middletown program prior to the start of the 1985 season and has won 19 league titles in 33 years.
“Bottom line it’s a nice win against a physical team and a league championship,” Foltmer said.
Middletown will learn on Sunday where it is seeded in the North Coast Section Division V football field, which has room for 16 teams but is unlikely to fill every spot. The Mustangs figure to be seeded No. 2 behind St. Patrick/St. Vincent (7-1) of Vallejo.
“It looks that way,” Foltmer said. “And I think we’re going to get a bye in the first round, which I don’t want.”
While Middletown never was in any danger of losing to Willits on Friday night, the Wolverines did something that few teams ever do against the Mustangs, which is run the ball with sustained success.
“They outgained us on the ground,” Foltmer said of the Wolverines’ 225 rushing yards to Middletown’s 191. “That was frustrating a little bit. The heart and soul of this team is the defense and no one’s done that to us all year.”
While intermittent rain fell throughout the game, the field held up well, according to Foltmer.
“It was a little sloppy, but it actually was a pretty good night for football.”
Middletown built a 21-0 lead before Willits finally broke onto the scoreboard in the fourth quarter. Nico Barrio’s 7-yard touchdown run in the first quarter put the Mustangs ahead to stay. Middletown’s next two scores came on passes, the first a 25-yarder from quarterback Luke Holt to tight end Devin Ross in the second quarter, the second a 30-yard strike from Holt to wide receiver Trey O’Neill in the third quarter for a 21-0 lead.
Willits’ Triston Martin cut the deficit to 21-7 with a 29-yard run in the fourth quarter. Middletown got that touchdown back on Isaiah Moore’s 12-yard run later in the quarter.
Holt had one of his better nights of the season with eight completions on 10 attempts for 233 yards. O’Neill had four catches for 141 yards while Barrio led the Mustangs on the ground with 89 yards on 16 carries.
Middletown also won the junior varsity game 21-7.
