St. Xavier used a pair of first-half touchdowns and a back-breaking screen late in the third quarter to beat Middletown 21-6 in a Division I state semifinal, ending the Middies’ deepest playoff push in school history.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
St. Xavier (11-2) advanced to face Olentangy Orange (14-0) in the D-I state title game at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. Orange beat Lakewood St. Edward 28-0 in the other state semifinal.
Middletown finished 11-3, reaching the state semifinals for the first time in school history and delivering what Middies second-year coach Kali Jones called “the greatest Middletown team ever.”
Bombers strike back after Middletown’s early lead
Middletown struck first. Freshman kicker Carson Hagins drilled a field goal with 8:19 left in the opening quarter for a 3-0 lead, capping a drive Jones said “should have ended in a touchdown.”
“We had some blown assignments in the first quarter,” Jones noted. “We left some points on the board, and when you play a program like St. X, you have to be operating at an elite level.”
St. Xavier answered quickly. Quarterback Jackson Frey hit Cam Taylor for a 52-yard strike, then connected with Daniel Vollmer on a 10-yard touchdown to complete a five-play, 65-yard march and put the Bombers up 7-3 with 6:18 left in the opening quarter.
Middletown punted on its next possession, and St. Xavier doubled its lead early in the second quarter when Jake Britt walked in from 3 yards, making it 14-3 with 11:56 showing on the clock.
The Middies nearly stole back momentum moments later when star linebacker C.J. Bryant scooped up a backward pass and rumbled deep into St. Xavier territory. But Middletown missed a field goal — another opportunity gone.
Hagins did connect again before halftime, trimming Middletown’s deficit to 14-6.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Third-quarter swing seals it
The Middies’ defense — which had kept them afloat — opened the second half with another stop, forcing a Bombers punt. But Middletown couldn’t capitalize and followed with a short punt of its own.
St. Xavier made the Middies pay.
Frey floated a perfectly timed 35-yard screen to Britt, who weaved through traffic for a touchdown and a 21-6 lead with 4:28 left in the third quarter.
Middletown never threatened again, slowed by St. Xavier’s nationally recruited linebacker corps and a Bombers defense that repeatedly swallowed up third- and fourth-down tries.
Middletown punted three times in the second half, and St. Xavier’s final big punt pinned the Middies at their own 10 with eight minutes left.
“We knew we had to stay ahead of the chains,” Jones said. “If we fell behind, it was going to be tough. That’s a really good defense — three linebackers going to Michigan, Notre Dame and Clemson, and their safety going to Vandy.
“We converted some big third-and-longs. We just didn’t punch it in.”
A season that transformed a city
Middletown senior quarterback Jojo Ward, who battled through heavy hits, said the loss hurt — but the legacy mattered more.
“I just hope we were able to set a firm enough foundation for the people coming after us,” Ward said. “I hope we can be the stepping stones for the Middies to get back here every year — and even get past us.”
Ward stepped into the quarterback role full-time for the first time this season.
“Day one, I couldn’t even throw a hitch,” he said. “I’m proud of how far we’ve come — the whole team. The community showed love every single week. I’ve never been part of anything like it.”
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Jones agreed, calling the run transformational.
“There’s nothing to hang our heads about,” Jones said. “We sparked a turnout from the city. The energy was electric. It was packed tonight.
“This is the standard now. Now we know what level of execution it takes to win games like this against programs like St. X.
“The Middies are here.”
Jones said he and his staff were already talking about attacking the offseason aggressively.
“History. We made history,” said Jones, who graduates 27 seniors. “And we’re going to build off this.”
About the Author