Junior running back returns from injury to lead Mustangs past Lower Lake 47-8
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LOWER LAKE >> If there were any lingering concerns over the health of Middletown High School junior running back Tyler Galamay heading into Friday’s North Central League I South varsity football game at Lower Lake, there aren’t any more.
Galamay, who missed most of Middletown’s 29-28 South loss to Stuart Hall a week earlier because of a hip injury, rushed for 129s yards and five touchdowns in a 47-8 win over Lower Lake.
Limited in practice all week as a precautionary move, Galamay carried the ball 16 times and also caught one pass. He started on defense and assumed his holding duties for kicker Jamisen Jackson.
“We told him to pull himself out if he felt anything (bad),” said Middletown head coach Kurtis Woodard, who said the plan was to use him only as much as Galamay felt comfortable with, perhaps only on offense and as a holder, defense being optional if the junior didn’t feel up to it.
“When we went out for pregame warmups, he was fine,” Woodard said.
Lower Lake (0-3 South, 1-6 overall) won’t argue with that.
Galamay ran for a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter and added TD runs in the second, third and fourth quarters. His longest run of the night was 21 yards.
While the Mustangs were able to score 14 points in each of the first two quarters for a 28-0 halftime lead, Woodard said Middletown wasn’t able to integrate its passing game into the offense as much as he had hoped.
“We wanted to get the passing game back on track (after passing for no yards against Stuart Hall) and it didn’t happen,” Woodard said. “Sometimes we beat ourselves with our own decisions.”
The running game was a different story.
“We couldn’t be stopped,” Woodard said. “When that happens, it’s an absolutely beautiful thing to watch.”
Anthony Russell’s 5-yard run in the third quarter followed by a Brody Shields conversion pass to Tucker Benson got Lower Lake on the board in the third quarter, which ended with a Galamay 8-yard touchdown run with no time left on the clock and a 35-8 Middletown lead.
Johnny Finney and Esteban Muniz also had touchdown runs for the Mustangs. Finney finished with 94 yards rushing and 49 yards receiving. Jackson went 4-for-6 passing for 95 yards and one interception.
While Woodard said the Mustangs (2-1, 6-2) get everything they wanted out of the win, there were several solid performances, beginning with the entire offensive line. Besides Galamay, individual standouts included Finney and Luke Mace.
“Finney had a good night on defense,” Woodard said of the junior outside linebacker who finished with five solo tackles and six assists.
Jamisen intercepted a pass and Mace recovered a fumble.
Middletown faces a huge South game next Friday in Cloverdale against the Eagles (2-0, 7-1), winners of seven straight. Cloverdale beat St. Helena 35-32 in a back-and-forth thriller Friday night in Cloverdale.
Lower Lake is on the road next Friday to play Upper Lake (2-6) in NCL I interlock action.
“Good for Cloverdale,” Woodard said. “They’ve had it tough the last couple of years. We’re looking forward to a good game with them.”