WILMINGTON – Salesianum scored on a long touchdown on its first possession, but the Sals were unable to solve the Middletown defense the rest of the night as the Cavaliers took a 16-6 win on Oct. 24 in a rematch of the 2024 Class 3A football state championship game. The loss snapped a four-game Sals winning streak.
A near-capacity crowd filed into Abessinio Stadium for the much-anticipated matchup, and they saw the defenses take center stage. That was in contrast to the title game in Dover, won in overtime by Middletown, 30-27.
The Sals were first up on defense, forcing a Cavaliers punt. Their offense began at their own 11, and the Sals went to work. Eight plays into the drive, they had moved to the 41. On the ninth play, quarterback Brady Nabb hit a streaking Devin Hasan over the middle for a 59-yard touchdown with 5:20 to go in the opening quarter. The extra point was blocked.
Middletown had good field position throughout the first half, but the Sals kept the Cavs from driving deep until late in the quarter. Middletown running back Makai Walker was a workhorse, and he helped them run their way to a first and goal on the final play of the first quarter. The Cavs stayed with the ground game but faced a fourth and two at the Sals’ 4, but Salesianum linebacker Jay Burrell stuffed Walker to force a turnover on downs.
Middletown’s defense stepped up after that. On the first play for the Sals after their defensive stop, Cavs defensive back Daniel Davis stepped in front of a pass for a 5-yard interception return for a score.
Another interception later in the second set the Cavaliers up at the Salesianum 18. Their offense could not move the ball, and on fourth down, the Sals’ Austin Thomas picked off a Cavaliers pass at the 3. Two plays later, Salesianum quarterback Brady Nabb was tackled in the end zone for a safety. The Cavs took a 9-7 lead into halftime.
The Sals opened the second half with the ball, and a long run by Nabb helped them get the ball deep into Middletown territory. Nabb was hounded all night by the Cavaliers’ defense, however, and on fourth down and four from the 13, he was sacked to end the scoring threat.
Good defense led to another opportunity for the Sals. Middletown fumbled on an attempted punt, and the Sals took over at the Cavaliers’ 11. Two rushes by Jasir Gaymon moved the ball to the 5, but two penalties moved them out of field goal range, and they turned the ball over on downs.
That proved costly when, on first down, Cavs running back Amare Glover ran 71 yards up the middle for a touchdown with 4:20 left in the third.
Neither team could get anything going offensively the remainder of the night, and Middletown left with the fate of Class 3A District 1 in their hands. With wins in their final two regular-season games, the Cavaliers would take the district and would be seeded no lower than second in the eight-team postseason tournament.
Middletown (5-3), winners of five straight, take on Hodgson on Nov. 1 at 11 a.m. at Caravel Academy. Salesianum (5-3) hosts Caravel on Oct. 31 at 7 p.m.
