Mustangs rally from 24-8 deficit to win 28-24, remain undefeated on the season
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FORT BRAGG >> Trailing 24-8 and with their undefeated season on the line as well a their one-game lead in the North Central League I standings, the Middletown High School junior varsity football team rallied for a 28-24 win over the Fort Bragg Timberwolves on Friday night in Fort Bragg.
John Finney scored three straight touchdowns for the Mustangs (6-0 league, 8-0 overall), the last one with 5:24 left in the game to erase a 24-22 Fort Bragg lead. Finney finished with 207 yards on 16 carries, a large chunk of that coming on a 69-yard scoring run with 4:22 left in the third quarter that cut Fort Bragg’s lead to 24-14. He scored again on a 3-yard run with 1:00 remaining, then added the two-point conversion run to bring Middletown within two points at 24-22.
The first quarter ended in an 8-8 tie, Middletown’s touchdown coming on an Esteban Muniz 30-yard run, Finney adding the conversion run.
The second of two Chris Hernandez touchdown runs for Fort Bragg, this one with 1:54 left before halftime, gave Fort Bragg a 16-8 lead as Hernandez also added the conversion run.
Fort Bragg’s Jasper Butterfield scored the first eight points of the game, an 11-yard run followed by a conversion run. Butterfield’s 106 yards rushing led the Timberwolves (3-2-1 league).
Middletown benefited from three Fort Bragg turnovers. Muniz intercepted a pass while Willy Tadder and Brody Costlow recovered fumbles. Costlow again led the team in total tackles, this time with 12, while Finney, Ryder Roudabush and Cody Perez each had seven.
Muniz finished with 51 yards rushing for Middletown, which can clinch no worse than a tie for the league championship next Friday in Lower Lake (0-6). The Mustangs finished up their season at home Nov. 8 against Upper Lake (3-3).
