The top-seeded Middies (10-2), who last week earned their first playoff win since 2011, advance to their first regional final since 1990. They’ll face No. 6 Wayne in the Region 2 final next week at a site to be determined.
“They knew I was a playmaker, so they just trusted me with the ball, trusted I would make a play, and I couldn’t let my coaches down,” Reed said. “It feels amazing, but I can’t take all the credit. Our defense is the best defense in the state, and they were getting it done all night. We just needed to make something happen on offense, and it was really a team contribution.”
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
After a scoreless first half in which Middletown recorded just two first downs, Middies starting quarterback Jojo Ward found a rhythm on the opening drive of the second half, completing three passes of 10 yards or more to keep the chains moving.
Ward capped it off by catching a 5-yard touchdown pass from Reed for the 7-0 lead with 6:28 left in the third quarter.
The defense kept the momentum with a three-and-out and came up big on the following drive, after Springfield cornerback Sincere’ Keyes picked off Ward inside the 5-yard line and returned it 51 yards. The Wildcats made it to the 15-yard line, but couldn’t get any further, as the Middies forced a turnover on downs.
“You just have to seize the moment if you get an opportunity to score, but that’s playoff football,” Springfield coach Maurice Douglass said. “When you get the chance, you got to take advantage of it, and we didn’t maximize that moment.”
Reed, who played quarterback before moving from Johnstown, Pa., this year, sealed the win with 6:35 remaining when he threw his second touchdown pass, this time connecting with his brother, Zymir Reed, after a roughing the kicker penalty put the Middies on the 4-yard line. Noah Nicholas had nailed a 25-yard field goal as he was hit, ending his night with a leg injury two weeks after he cracked a rib in the regular-season finale.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
If Springfield had any hope left, Jordan Vann stripped it when he intercepted Springfield quarterback Christopher Wallace with 4:50 left.
“We just wanted to survive and advance, and so this was a very physical battle with a very capable opponent in Springfield,” Middletown coach Kali Jones said. “They have been to the state championship game three out of the last four years, and so those coaches and that team were really good. So, I was really proud of our guys to bond together and to overcome adversity at halftime. We played very well.”
Middletown had given up 98 yards rushing to running back Deontre Long in the first half, but held him to 14 yards the rest of the way. The Wildcats didn’t help themselves with penalties, finishing with 12 for 105 yards, and the Middies recorded 210 yards of offense after managing just 43 in the first half.
The Wildcats were playing in their seventh regional semifinal in eight years after getting knocked out in the first round last season.
“I’m pleased with the effort that we had,” Douglass said. “We have some work to do, based off our record, but I like the group that we have coming back. I hate it for our seniors. They gave us everything they had. They did all we could ask them to do, and we just got to come back and bounce back, starting in January, hopefully be ready to work a lot harder than we did this year. Start off on a little better foot and continue to build.”
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
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