SACRAMENTO — Bradshaw Christian did to Middletown on Friday night what the Mustangs have been doing to opponents for years, grinding them down with a sustained running attack.
“They beat us like we’re used to beating teams,” Middletown head coach Bill Foltmer said following his team’s 34-0 loss to The Pride in a non-league varsity football game at Sacramento. “We were battling on defense, we didn’t give up big plays, but they just chipped the ball down the field against us.”
Double-digit play drives that used up lots of clock carried Bradshaw Christian (2-0) to its second straight win to open the 2021 season. The Pride rushed for 309 yards on 56 carries, five of them for touchdowns, two each by running backs Dylan Forbeck and Anthony Tornatore, and another by quarterback Ethan Rickert.
“Our defensive philosophy is to make teams chips down the field and wait for them to make a mistake,” Foltmer said. “They didn’t make any, no penalties (or turnovers) to set them back.”
Bradshaw Christian gradually pulled away from the Mustangs. It was 7-0 after one quarter, 20-0 at halftime and 27-0 through three quarters.
There also was nothing fancy about The Pride’s approach on offense, according to Foltmer.
“They came inside the tackles most of the game,” Foltmer said. “There were times I’m not sure how they gained yards, our linebackers were right there to fill a hole, but all they needed was a sliver of space to get through.”
Middletown’s offense moved the ball at times but couldn’t find the end zone despite running back Cole Ketchum’s 114 rushing yards. He also caught a 12-yard screen pass.
“Ketchum ran the ball hard and he played well on defense at middle linebacker,” Foltmer said. “Today he stepped up. We need a few more kids to step up like he did.”
Whereas The Pride’s drives on offense were sans mistakes, the Mustangs (0-2) made their fair share, according to Foltmer.
“We’d make a nice play, then we would miss a block,” Foltmer said. “We couldn’t sustain our drives. “The offense is still struggling. (Quarterback Luke) Hoogendoorn was pressured quite a bit because our offensive line is still not playing very well.”
Hoogendoorn went 4-for-14 for 74 yards, three of those receptions for 62 yards going to Caleb Sternberg. Bradshaw Christian’s Rickert attempted only five passes, completing just one for 27 yards.
“Their only completion came on a third-and-26 … for 27 yards,” Foltmer said. “That’s the way things are going for us right now.”
Middletown’s junior varsity team lost 34-24, evening its season record at 1-1.
The Mustangs now head into their bye week before returning to action Sept. 17 when they host St. Patrick-St. Vincent of Vallejo. That’s the final preseason tuneup for Middletown before it hosts Lower Lake Sept. 24 in the North Central League I opener for both teams.
