By Wayne Witkowski
Middletown football fans were hoping for a crosstown showdown for the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section II, Group IV championship, but only one team’s fans came away happy after the semifinals Nov. 18.
Middletown High School North (8-2) got solid running from Connor Welsh, who had 105 yards on the ground, while Dwight Wilkerson and quarterback Donald Glenn had short touchdown runs in a 20-0 victory over Summit High School. Defending champion Middletown High School South (7-3), however, fell, 42-28, to Sayreville War Memorial High School, which snapped a 28-28 tie in the final quarter.
Middletown North, which has won its last four games and seven of its last eight, will go for its first state championship since 1996 when it plays Sayreville Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. at Rutgers University. Sayreville (8-2) won a sectional title in 2012.
Middletown North has a game at home 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving against Middletown South. Last year, the two Middletown teams played in back-to-back games, including the state playoff semifinals.
“I don’t like the idea of playing [Middletown South] back-to-back,” Middletown North coach Steve Bush said. “They’re a good team and it’s a great rivalry, but I’d rather play a different team [in the state finals].”
“It doesn’t matter,” Glenn said about which team he would prefer to play against in the finals. “We still have to play against [Middletown] South on Thanksgiving Day.”
Middletown South looks to wrap up an unbeaten Shore Conference A North Division season.
“We have to keep the ball in our hands and try not to turn it over,” said Glenn, who felt he defense keynoted the victory over Summit and will be important on Thanksgiving Day.
Bush credited the play of lineman Austin Dewise, who had two sacks, linebacker Thomas Anderson and Brandon Kube on both sides of the ball.
“They do well against the run, so we have to execute well on offense and play solid defense,” Bush said.
Glenn, a four-year starter, has completed for this season 123 of 205 passes for 2,133 yards and 19 touchdowns. He has thrown four interceptions.
Aneesh Agrawal has moved Middletown South’s offense effectively at quarterback, throwing for 1,183 yards and 14 touchdowns, including three against Sayreville, on 87-of-162 passing with only three interceptions. Anthony Summey also has run the ball well.
“I thought our defense stood out against Summit and has played well the last three weeks,” Bush said.
In a back-and-forth game against Sayreville, Agrawal hooked up with Summey on a 32-yard scoring pass play and Chris Kaldrovics kicked his fourth extra point to tie it at 28-28 early in the fourth quarter. The Eagles, who were ranked No. 1 in the state through the latter part of last season, took their only lead at 21-20 when Agrawal fired a 14-yard scoring strike to Samdon Dube, and Kaldovics kicked the extra point.
Sayreville quarterback Jayson DeMild, who threw three touchdown passes, connected with Jashin Floyd on a 9-yard scoring pass and then completed a two-point conversion pass for a 28-21 lead before Middletown South battled back to tie it. That’s when DeMild hooked up with Jacari Carter on an 85-yard scoring pass play and Ja-Que Roberts ran 2 yards for the insurance touchdown.