WILMINGTON — After a defensive first half that ended in a 7-7 tie, Middletown came out on the first drive of the second half of their football game at Salesianum and scored on a 62-yard run by Amare Glover.
The Sals could not get anything going for most of the third quarter, but their defense did not give up another point, and eventually Salesianum scored 30 unanswered points for a 37-14 win on Oct. 27 in front of a capacity crowd at Abessinio Stadium. With the win, the Sals control their own destiny in Class 3A District 1. Win their final two games, and the Sals will be seeded no lower than second in the eight-team DIAA tournament.
Middletown could have added to the lead early in the third after Glover returned a punt to the Sals’ 3. A pitchout on first down was stopped by L.J. Smith for a loss of nine, and on second down from the 11, Ya Smith intercepted an Austin Troyer pass in the end zone.
The Cavaliers took over at the Sals’ 29 after a long punt return with 7:22 to go in the third. A first-down run lost two yards, and a pass on second down was incomplete. Ahmad Foster sacked Troyer for a six-yard loss on third down, forcing a punt.
Sallies took the ball at their own 18 and went to work. B.J. Alleyne ran for 18 yards on three carries, setting the team up at the 36. On third down from the 38, quarterback Ryan Stoehr found a wide-open Ben Anton down the left side for a touchdown to tie the game.
The defense held Middletown to a three and out, and the Sals got the ball back at their own 28 with 1:27 to go in the third. Alleyne did much of the work early in the drive, picking up 11 yards on the second play, and later going 13 yards after taking a pitch from Stoehr that set Salesianum up at the Cavs’ 30. On second down from the 29, Stoehr struck again, this time hitting Lukas Ryan on a play-action pass over the middle for a 21-14 lead with 9:53 remaining in the fourth.
The Cavs started from their own nine down a touchdown, but the Sals’ defense struck once more. Middletown faced a third and 14 from the 5, and Ahmad Foster pressured Troyer in the end zone. Troyer threw the ball and was called for intentional grounding, resulting in a safety and two more points for the Sals.
The Sals added some insurance with 3:54 left in the game when Stoehr, who entered the game in the second half, dumped a pass off to Jasir Gaymon, who cut through the defense for an 18-yard score. Alleyne, who had a big second half after being held in check throughout the first half, finished the scoring with a 57-yard touchdown run with 2:46 to go.
Alleyne finished with 200 yards rushing on 30 carries. Stoehr threw for 111 yards and three scores. Ryan had six catches for 67 yards and two touchdowns. The Sals (7-1) finish the regular season with two on the road, beginning with Hodgson on Nov. 4 at 11 a.m. at St. Georges Tech.
Middletown (6-2) is home against Saint Mark’s on Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m.
All photos by Jason Winchell.
