Middletown a win away from clinching outright league championship
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FORT BRAGG >> It was supposed to be a first-place showdown between the 5-0 Middletown Mustangs and the 4-0-1 Fort Bragg Timberwolves, but it was no battle at all.
Esteban Muniz rushed for 101 yards on six carries and a touchdown, and Kolton Costlow passed for 128 yards and three scores as the Mustangs rolled to a 36-0 win in North Central League I junior varsity football action Friday evening at Timberwolf Stadium in Fort Bragg.
Middletown, undefeated on the season at 8-0 and now 6-0 in league play, need only win one of its remaining two games against Lower Lake and Clear Lake to claim the undisputed league championship.
The Mustang struck early and often while building a 36-0 halftime lead.
Diego Pimentel intercepted a pass to end Fort Bragg’s first possession, the first of four takeaways by the Middletown defense. The Mustangs scored midway through the first quarter on 31-yard touchdown pass from Costlow to Jay Lee for a 6-0 lead. Costlow and Lee hooked up a few minutes later, this time on a play that covered 83 yards, and Costlow’s conversion run made it a 14-0 game.
Muniz broke loose on a 55-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, and Costlow’s conversion pass to Lee upped the Mustangs’ advantage to 22-0. A 1-yard pass from Costlow to Colton Karp, with Costlow adding the conversion run, increased the lead to 30-0. Not done yet, the Mustangs added six more points when Dre Goins scored on a 15-yard run to make it 36-0.
“We came into this game knowing it was for first place,” Middletown head coach Paul Silva aid. “My team had a great week of practice and was prepared for anything. It’s always tough to travel to Fort Bragg.”
Lee caught three passes for 127 yards. Middletown also finished with 201 rushing yards.
Of Middletown’s four takeaways, three were recovered fumbles, two by Brooks Schuster and the other by Lucas Hernandez. Luke Mace led the defense with eight tackles while Goins and Devin Shippee each had five. Karp and Max Ames had sacks.
“I’m really proud of how well my kids responded to the call of this being the game we needed them to play all four quarters in, and they definitely did,” Silva said. “I was extremely happy with our passing game and run game. Our line played great and our defense really showed up with four takeaways and not giving up any points.”
Middletown has allowed only 37 points this season.
“And the kids are taking a lot of pride in that stat,” Silva said.
Middletown hits the road Friday to play Lower Lake before closing out the season at home Oct. 31 against Clear Lake.
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