Mount Pleasant’s Robert Myrick finds a seam straight ahead as he returns the opening kickoff the length of the field for a quick 7-0 lead in the first quarter at Middletown Friday.
Middletown defensive back Isiah Mitchell snags an interception in the second quarter against Mount Pleasant at Cavalier Stadium Friday.
Middletown defensive back Ernest Washington jumps the route and takes an interception 70 yards for a touchdown on a pass intended for Mount Pleasant’s Nigel Bynum in the third quarter at Middletown Friday.
MIDDLETOWN The Middletown football team took the game of keepaway to a next level on Friday night.
The Cavaliers allowed Mount Pleasant to possess the ball for only 2:06 of a 22-minute period stretching from late in the first quarter to late in the third quarter. Middletown scored all of its points during that stretch and cruised to a 36-7 victory in a big Blue Hen Flight A matchup.
Kedrick Whitehead rushed 17 times for an even 100 yards and three touchdowns as the fourth-ranked Cavaliers (5-2, 4-1) enhanced their Division I playoff chances.
The fifth-ranked Green Knights (5-2, 4-2) got off to a flying start, as Rob Myrick took the opening kickoff, hit a seam up the middle and cut to his right to beat the last Middletown defender for a 96-yard kickoff return. Spencer Read’s extra point gave Mount Pleasant a 7-0 lead just 14 seconds into the game.
The Green Knights forced a punt and threatened to score again, moving from their own 11 to a second-and-3 at the Cavaliers 21 in 12 plays. Quarterback Jashawn Johnson did his best to scramble on fourth-and-12, but came up a yard short as Mount Pleasant turned it over on downs at the 11.
Then Middletown took over – and almost never gave the ball back. The Cavaliers took 14 plays to move 89 yards, with Whitehead running it in from the 2 to tie the game at 7 with 8:40 left in the second quarter.
The Green Knights managed to run four plays on their next drive before Middletown’s Isaiah Mitchell intercepted a pass at the Mount Pleasant 49. The Cavaliers took 7:07 off the clock with 14 plays before quarterback Vincent DelPercio took advantage of an unbalanced formation to score on a 5-yard keeper with 5.2 seconds left in the half.
The Cavaliers took the second-half kickoff and munched 5:19 off the clock with a 10-play, 72-yard drive, capped by Whitehead’s 3-yard run for a 21-7 lead.
Then a Mount Pleasant player alertly recovered an onside kick, but fumbled it during the return. Middletown’s Steven Sapp came up with the recovery, but the Green Knights intercepted a pass five plays later.
The turnover didn’t matter, as Ernest Washington got the ball back for Middletown three plays later. The sophomore defensive back jumped a pass route and took the interception 70 yards for another score. A two-point run pushed the Cavaliers’ lead to 29-7.
Then Mount Pleasant fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Middletown recovered at the 1-yard line. Whitehead cruised around the left side for an easy touchdown on the next play, and the Cavaliers went up 36-7 with 4:00 remaining in the third quarter.
Middletown was balanced on offense, gaining 163 through the air and 151 on the ground. DelPercio completed 9 of 14 throws for 155 yards before taking a seat late in the third quarter.
The Green Knights had some early highlights, but finished with 24 rushes for only 89 yards. Johnson completed 6 of 14 passes for 87 yards.
Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ