MIDDLETOWN — The streak is over.

Middletown High School's football team shocked Colerain 42-39 Friday, Oct. 3, at Barnitz Stadium to end the Cardinals' 61-game Greater Miami Conference winning streak. The Cardinals, who came into the game ranked No. 1 in Ohio and No. 8 in the nation, also had won 35 straight regular-season games.

With 10 seconds remaining and the Cardinals driving, Colerain quarterback Greg Tabar launched a deep pass toward the far sideline, but Middletown junior Jerry Gates stepped in front, leaped and came down with the interception to seal the win.

"He threw to the wrong spot, and I went up and got it," said Gates, who has made big plays in several of the Middies wins this season. "But this was a team win. It wasn't me. The defense played great. The offense played great. It just doesn't feel real."

The win also propels the Middies into first place all alone in the GMC as Princeton defeated previously unbeaten Hamilton 16-0.

"There aren't any words to describe this feeling," said first-year Middletown coach Jason Krause, who received congratulations from Middie fans of all ages after the game.

"I'm so proud of our kids. There were times when they could have just given up and said 'Oh, it's Colerain. They going to come back anyway,' but they didn't. I'm very, very proud of all off them."

Middletown improved to 5-2 overall and 4-0 in the GMC with the win. The last time the Middies were 4-0 in the GMC was 1996 when they finished the season at 6-4.

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