LIBERTY TOWNSHIP, OH – Coming off arguably its worst loss of the season, Middletown responded decisively Friday night, going on the road and defeating Lakota East 22-11 in a matchup of two Blitz 5 Top 25 teams.
The Middies started the game strong behind senior quarterback Gavin Nolan, who powered into the end zone on a 4-yard run to give Middletown an early 7-0 lead. It wouldn’t be his only touchdown of the night.
Nolan broke loose for a 67-yard touchdown on a read-option in the third quarter, extending the Middletown lead to 22-3. He finished with 114 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, leading a Middies rushing attack that accumulated 183 yards and three scores.
Memphis Driscol provided the other touchdown on the ground, breaking free for a 29-yard score in the second quarter.
For the Thunderhawks, it was quite the opposite.
Lakota East entered the night averaging more than 260 passing yards per game behind quarterback Nile Knutson, but Middletown kept the Thunderhawks’ offense in check for most of the night. Knutson completed 25-of-43 passes for 180 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
The bigger story, however, was Middletown’s run defense.
Lakota East managed just five rushing yards on 20 attempts, while Middletown finished with 183. The Middies also held the Thunderhawks to 2-of-15 on third down and stopped them on all four of their fourth-down attempts.
Middletown’s defense made another key play in the second quarter when DJ Bryant intercepted Knutson and returned it 37 yards. Driscol’s 29-yard touchdown run followed, giving the Middies a 14-0 advantage.
Lakota East finally reached the end zone in the fourth quarter when Knutson connected with Carter Jones for a 4-yard touchdown. Knutson added the two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 22-11.
The Thunderhawks had an opportunity to make things interesting late, but a roughing-the-punter penalty helped Middletown drain valuable time off the clock and put the finishing touches on an important road victory.
Despite getting the win, Middletown head coach Kali Jones wasn’t completely satisfied with his team’s performance, particularly its execution late in the game. Jones expects his team to take another step as the postseason approaches.
The Middies will get another chance to do just that next week when they host Mason on homecoming night with playoff positioning on the line.
Lakota East, meanwhile, has now dropped three straight games after a 4-1 start. The Thunderhawks will try to stop their skid next week when they travel to Colerain.
POSTGAME INTERVIEW
SCORING BY QUARTERS
Middletown: 7-7-8-0-22
Lakota East: 0-3-0-8-11
SCORING PLAYS
M: Gavin Nolan 4-yard touchdown run (Carson Hagins kick)
M: Memphis Driscol 29-yard touchdown run (Hagins kick)
LE: AJ Fitzstephens 13-yard field goal
M: Nolan 67-yard touchdown run (Hagins run)
LE: Carter Jones 4-yard touchdown reception from Nile Knutson (Knutson conversion)
RECORDS: Middletown (5-3); Lakota East (4-4)
UP NEXT: Middletown vs. Mason; Lakota East at Colerain
Get the complete scores from all of this week’s action on the Underground Sports Shop Scoreboard at TriStateFootball.com/scores.
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