These are the best of times for Middletown High School football. That’s no idle boast. The last three Middie teams have each posted 10-win seasons.

“When it’s all said and done, these are some times that are going to be rivaled with the times that (former coach Glenn) “Tiger” (Ellison) had in his ’40s and ’50s teams,” coach Troy Everhart said.

”There’s a great batch of kids who have come through already. The next couple of years are going to be just as exciting when you look at our talent all the way down to the junior high.”

Middletown will put its stamp on yet another drive to double-digit wins in Friday’s 8:30 p.m. season opener against Cincinnati St. Xavier at UC’s Nippert Stadium. That’s part of a 21-game Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown slate. Anderson plays Sycamore in the 6 p.m. opener at UC.

In just his first season, Everhart guided the Middies to a 10-2 record last year. Middletown’s only regular-season defeat was 21-13 to Colerain. An impressive 28-10 thumping of Centerville in the Divison I, Region 4 playoff opener was followed by a disappointing 42-30 shootout setback to Moeller.

With just a few exceptions, Region 4 has traditionally been ruled by Colerain and Greater Catholic League South teams.

“Region 4 is a grinder,” Everhart said. “We’re used to making the playoffs, but we need to understand that there’s another step that needs to be had.”

To do that, Middletown will once again lean heavily on super senior quarterback Jalin Marshall. The Greater Miami Conference player of the year as a junior, the 6-foot, 200-pounder rushed for 1,859 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also owns most of Middletown’s significant rushing and passing season and career records.

Marshall verbally committed to Ohio State University last spring.

Joining Marshall as receivers and running backs are speedy Lance Johnson and William Peters. Everhart envisions an equal-opportunity spread offense.

“If (other teams) are able to stack the box and just worry about Jalin, our season will be over very quickly,” he said. “It’s going to be fun. The ball is going to be spread around and that’s going to make the Middies exciting to watch.”

St. X bumps Wayne from the 2011 schedule. In Week 2, Troy has been replaced by another Greater Western Ohio Conference member, Springfield. Middletown will play Winton Woods again in Week 3 in its final non-GMC matchup. Everhart guided Winton Woods to the 2009 D-II state title.

Also notable, Everhart takes over coaching quarterbacks following the departure of former assistant Steve Channell, now the head coach at Miamimsburg.

Finally, the Middies won’t play at Barnitz Stadium until Week 4 against Fairfield.