The 15th-seeded Middies were 3-7 and ended the regular season on a five-game losing streak while dropping seven of their last eight games after a 2-0 start. One of those losses was by 41-15 to Princeton in Week Eight.
The outcome on Pat Mancuso Field at Princeton’s Jake Sweeney Stadium was predictable, but getting there was somewhat unusual for the Middies. The Vikings, helped by turnovers on the Middies’ first two possessions of the second half and three in the half, opened a 28-0 lead on the way to a 41-15 win.
Middletown coach Don Simpson was surprised by the turnovers — all of them fumbles.
“We’ve had multiple games this year when we didn’t turn the ball over at all,” Simpson said. “Tonight, we turned the ball over left and right. If you keep doing that, eventually that dam is going to break.”
Princeton will host seventh seeded Hamilton, a 13-10 winner over No. 10 Sycamore, in another all-Greater Miami Conference next Friday.
Middletown junior quarterback Jeremiah Landers found junior wide receiver Chandler Shields wide open behind the Vikings’ defense for a 70-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to break up the shutout.
Shields also caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Jastin Bourne with 3:10 left in the game to kill what had been a running clock after Princeton opened up a 41-7 lead following Vikings’ junior defensive end Khy’lekb Jarrett’s recovery of Middletown fumble forced by senior defensive end Stepfin “Gino” Nesmith.
The playoff appearance was Middletown’s ninth and second in a row. The Middies lost, 49-7, at Elder last season.
The Vikings grabbed a 6-0 lead on their second possession, taking advantage of starting at Middletown’s 18-yard line following a short punt to score in six plays on sophomore David Hambrick’s one-yard run with 5:20 left in the first quarter.
Middletown caught breaks on Princeton’s next possession. The Vikings saw two touchdowns wiped out by penalties before Parker Evans missed a 39-yard field goal.
The Middies weren’t as lucky on Princeton’s next possession. The Vikings went 68 yards in nine plays and scored on sophomore quarterback Deangelo Birch’s 19-yard pass to junior wide receiver Antonio Hunter on fourth-and-five with 6:06 left in the first half. Hunter caught the pass on the left side of the field and raced all the way back to the right side of the end zone.
Middletown was limited to 34 yards of total offense in the first half while Princeton was piling up 177. Surprisingly, the Vikings possessed the ball less than a minute longer than the Middies. The Vikings finished with 297 yards of total offense, only 60 more than Middletown.
“We wanted to make it sloppy,” Simpson said. “We wanted to make it messy. We got the game we wanted. It was only 13-0 at halftime. We squandered opportunities. We didn’t capitalize.”
Jarrett forced a fumble that was recovered by Vikings senior defensive back Donevin Favors on Middletown’s third play of the second half. Princeton needed four plays to capitalize with sophomore receiver Landen Miree scoring on a 16-yard pass from Birch.
Jarrett and junior defensive tackle Logan Brown forced a Middie fumble that was recovered by sophomore linebacker Andre Parker Jr. at Middletown’s 5-yard line and Birch and Miree connected again on a 3-yard touchdown pass, helping Princeton open a 28-0 lead with 8:20 left in the third quarter.
PLAYOFFS
Second Round
Friday, Nov. 3
Division I
Region 4
Hamilton at Princeton
Elder at Lakota West
Division III, Region 12
Bellbrook at Badin
Friday’s Results
Division I
Region 4
Elder 28, Oak Hills 14
Hamilton 13, Sycamore 10
Lakota West 69, Western Hills 0
Mason 17, Lebanon 0
Milford 41, Fairfield 15
Moeller 49, West Clermont 13
Princeton 41, Middletown 15
St. Xavier 35, Springboro 13
Division II
Region 8
Anderson 43, Turpin 7
Harrison 51, Sidney 6
Kings 38, Loveland 17
Lima Senior 42, Xenia 32
Northmont 35, Fairborn 0
Troy 26, Stebbins 7
Winton Woods 12, LaSalle 6
Withrow 49, Edgewood 0
Division III
Region 12
Badin 41, Goshen 0
Bellbrook 48, Wilmington 0
Butler 17, Elida 0
Celina 49, Hillsboro 7
Chaminade Julienne 35, Mt. Healthy 28
Tippecanoe 49, Western Brown 20
Trotwood 42, Oakwood 0
Wapakoneta 63, New Richmond 21
Division V
Region 20
Bethel-Tate 35, Blanchester 20
Brookville 55, Miami East 3
Northeastern 14, Greeneview 7
Preble Shawnee 28, Milton-Union 17
Purcell Marian 55, Madeira 14
Waynesville 38, Carlisle 0
Valley View 55, Westfall 7
Zane Trace 24, Midd. Madison 14
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