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CINCINNATI — The third time is a charm for the Middletown High School football team.
Playing in the season-opening Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown for the third time on Saturday afternoon, Aug. 28, the Middies earned their first win as competitors in the event with a convincing 34-0 win over Kentucky’s Simon Kenton at the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium.
Sophomore quarterback Jalin Marshall had a shaky start, but recovered well enough to throw two touchdowns and run for another in compiling 161 yards of total offense.
“He was impressive,” Simon Kenton coach Jeff Marksberry said. “He was hard to handle.”
Middletown had the ball first. On the third play from scrimmage, Marshall’s first pass attempt went for an interception by Parker Deters that gave the Pioneers great field position at the Middies’ 26-yard line.
But the defense was stout and held Simon Kenton to just six yards on five plays, getting the ball back on downs.
It wasn’t until the Middies’ third possession that they scored. Marshall broke off a 36-yard run on a second-and-5 play that put the ball on the 1-yard line. Wayne Gregory punched it into the end zone on the next play for a 7-0 lead with 1:17 remaining in the first frame.
Two possessions later, Middletown capped an eight-play, 53-yard drive with a 19-yard pass from Marshall to Zach Edwards.
Simon Kenton was then flagged for a personal foul with the penalty to be assessed on the kickoff, which had the Middies kicking from the Pioneers’ 45-yard line. A surprise onside kick attempt was successful as E.J. Junior recovered the kick, giving the Middies the ball again at the Simon Kenton 33. Three plays later, Marshall raced in for a 27-yard score and a 20-0 Middletown lead.
“I felt I did real well,” said Marshall, who was named the Middies’ Most Valuable Player of the game. “I was nervous at first, but I got that first hit behind me, I was good to go.
“I threw two picks, but the defense picked me up by getting the shutout,” he continued. “It feels real good to get a win in my first varsity game. I know the team has my back and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”
MHS coach Jason Krause praised the entire team in the win.
“This was definitely a good team win,” he said. “The kicking game was good, the offense moved the ball, and the defense got a shutout.
“We’re playing fast, we tackled a lot better today, and we swarmed to the ball,” he continued. “Our goal was to contain their quarterback and not let him get anything started, and we executed that. When you put pressure on a quarterback, things like this are going to happen.”
The Pioneers had 102 yards of total offense compared to the Middies’ 301 yards.
“Their speed hurt us,” Marksberry said. “We felt we had a good offensive game plan today and were in good field position with that interception at the beginning of the game.
“Good teams have to put that in the end zone, but we weren’t a good team today.”
Marshall also threw a touchdown pass to Donte Holdbrook, and Shaitan Wright had a rushing score for the Middies.
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