Middies win big over Crusaders

Community celebrates Middletown’s 45-10 victory

Middletown players and students celebrate their team’s 45-10 victory over Moeller in their playoff game at Lockland’s Roettger Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 7.

Staff photo by Greg Lynch Middletown players and students celebrate their team’s 45-10 victory over Moeller in their playoff game at Lockland’s Roettger Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 7.

ENLARGE PHOTO

By Skip Weaver, Staff Writer 1:50 AM Sunday, November 8, 2009

LOCKLAND — J.B. Deaton described it best:

“I’ve waited 19 years for this,” the former Middletown High School football player and longtime Middies supporter said Saturday night, Nov. 7, after Middletown dominated the Moeller Crusaders 45-10 in the Division I, Region 4 quarterfinals at Lockland’s Roettger Stadium.

Just about the entire Middletown community has waited that long for the Middies to return to the postseason, and the team did not disappoint.

“It’s crazy. It’s amazing. Every word that explains our excitement and joy,” said MHS senior quarterback Caleb Watkins, who ran for 182 yards with two touchdowns, and threw for 176 yards and a touchdown in leading the Middies to their first playoff win since 1990. “We knew we could win, but no one but our community believed in us. We showed we belong in the playoffs.”

Some doubted Middletown would reach the postseason after losing a 10-7 affair at Colerain in Week 9, but the Middies bounced back to beat Princeton 49-28 in the final regular-season matchup. Coupled with a Fairfield win over Hamilton that same weekend, the Middies garnered enough computer points to earn the seventh seed in the region.

“The last three weeks were really playoff games for us,” said second-year MHS coach Jason Krause. “We did things right and we deserved to be here.”

Middletown will now face Anderson next Saturday in the regional semifinals at a location to be determined.

Another look

Anyone wishing to watch the Middletown-Moeller game again, can tune in to TV Middletown (Channel 24) at 7 and 11:30 p.m. tonight.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2852 or sweaver@coxohio.com.

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