By Wayne Witkowski
Donald Glenn and two-way standouts Brandon Kube and Dwight Wilkerson have been playing hard for four seasons as starters for this moment: the NJSIAA state sectional championship game.
Middletown High School North, which takes on Sayreville War Memorial High School in the North Jersey, Section II, Group IV finale at Rutgers University’s High Point Solutions Stadium at 1 p.m. Dec. 3, has not won a championship since 1996, when it clobbered previously unbeaten Hillsborough High School, 33-6.
In its 100th year of football going back to when it was first known as Leonardo High School and then as Middletown Township High School, Middletown North has won 13 state championships, with its first one in 1925.
The Lions (9-2) are looking to add their own flavor to this season. They’ve matched the win total of that previous championship season in 1996 but won’t reach the 11-0 record of the 1983 team — one of 10 unbeaten teams in the program’s history. It may match in wins the 10-1 team that lost in the state finals the previous season. Those were Middletown North’s only double-digit win seasons so far.
“I think we’re ready for it,” said Glenn, who enters the game with 7,276 career yards passing and 70 touchdowns. “It’s been a long four years for me and the other seniors from when we were at the bottom and coach [Steve] Bush came in and turned it around. There’ll be a lot of emotions out there.”
Over the past few weeks, Middletown North scored a 20-0 victory in the sectional semifinals over Summit High School Nov. 19 and then won their Thanksgiving Day rivalry game over Middletown High School South, 24-6, for the first time in 17 years.
“That [win over Middletown South] was awesome and gave us a lot of momentum going into the championship game. I’ve been playing with these guys since we were 7, and it shows this year. Now is our last chance for a championship,” Kube said.
Kube has distinguished himself as one of the greatest receivers in Middletown North history with 1,000 yards receiving in back-to-back seasons, with nearly 120 catches in that span. He has 1,092 yards on 56 receptions for eight touchdowns this season, following his 1,046 reception yards and seven touchdowns a year ago.
“He really has done a great job — averaging 19 yards a catch — and makes a lot of plays,” Bush said of Kube. “He gets open, makes people miss and makes tough catches. He and Donald Glenn have good chemistry.”
“He’s my go-to guy, and I trust him,” Glenn said. “I know he gets open. When I see him open, I get him the ball.”
Middletown North, which has won five straight games leading up to the championship game, has outscored its opponents in the last four contests, 109-26. Middletown North takes a 319-175 scoring edge against a Sayrevile juggernaut that has had success in the playoffs over the years.
Sayreville (9-2) has outscored opponents, 371-176, while winning its last four games, including a 42-28 victory in the state sectional semifinals over Middletown South that thwarted the possibility of an all-Middletown state final.
“We have to play our game. That’s what we’ve done the last four games, especially on defense. We have not allowed many points,” Kube said.
Bush also said he is happy that his lineup is a little healthier and at full strength, and that the players have played more games.”
“Our defense has turned it up a bunch and now, with everybody healthy, we’re ready to play,” Glenn said.
Mixing its offense with the passing of Glenn — one of 18 quarterbacks in the state with 2,000 yards passing this season (2,443 yards) — is the running of halfback Connor Welsh, who returned to the lineup four games ago from a broken arm.
Connor Robbins and Dwight Wilkerson rotate into the backfield. Wilkerson leads the way with 80 carries for 652 yards and six touchdowns, and Robbins has rushed 125 times for 545 yards and eight of the team’s 21 touchdowns on the ground. Wilkerson also is the second leading receiver behind Kube with 31 catches for 437 yards and four touchdowns.
Welsh has 289 yards rushing on 77 carries and four touchdowns over six games.
“He’s running really well,” Bush said of Welsh.
Welsh also caught five passes in the victory over Middletown South.
“We’ve been executing very well. We feel good and confident, although Sayreville is a good team,” Bush said.
Sayreville finished third in the Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division behind Piscataway Township High School and Old Bridge High School, and Glenn compares Sayreville’s style on offense to Middletown South.
Glenn and Kube give much credit for their success to the offensive line of center Tim McCann, guards Austin Buzuk and Jake Goldfarb and tackles Justin Muller and Anthony Canova, who missed most of last season with an injury. Brock Zenker and Wilkerson alternate at tight end. Marc Cerbo and Sam Santiago are the receivers and also double in the defensive secondary at cornerback.
On the defensive side, the Lions’ relentless pursuit has forced turnovers that has led to many points and keynoted the victory over Middletown South when Glenn threw three touchdown passes to Aiden Campbell (17 yards), Kube (55 yards) and Wilkerson (4 yards) to build a 21-0 lead at halftime and boost his season total to 22 touchdown strikes. He has completed 60 percent of his passes (145-of-243) and was intercepted only four times.
Kube is ready to do his part on defense at safety, as he and linebacker Nick Kish each have 100 tackles. Kish has 55 solo hits and Kube has 43. Linebacker Thomas Anderson has 90 tackles and Wilkerson, at the other safety spot with Kube, has 70 (44 solo).
Defensive end Austin DeWise has been a terror to opposing quarterbacks with 11 sacks. He also punts.
DeWise and Muller are the tackles and Nick Cofone and Kyle Ewington are the ends when Middletown North lines up in its customary 4-4 formation, although it switches occasionally to a 3-4 formation. Kish, Anderson, Zenker and Ryan Stark are linebackers.
The Lions need to control Sayreville’s offense, which is led by quarterback Jayson DeMild — who has thrown for 2,066 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions — and running back Michael Liberti — who has gained 1,017 yards and 12 touchdowns. Jahsim Floyd has led Sayreville’s receivers with 25 receptions for 571 yards and nine touchdowns, and Jacari Carter has caught 23 passes for 453 yards and five touchdowns.
“I’m definitely playing better than at the beginning of the season when I was not focused and was not reading keys as well,” Kube sad.
“We have to execute and take care of the football and if we can come up with turnovers [by Sayreville], that’s a big bonus. We’ve been very good with that,” Bush said.
The coach added that although playing intense, high-profile games can lead to more penalties, Middletown North needs to cut it down a little on them on the offensive side.
Add to that the kicking of Joe Cavanagh, who has made eight of nine field goals and 35 of 40 extra-point kicks, and it’s a well-rounded effort. Matthew Crowley has made good on 26 of 30 extra-point kicks and made one of his two field-goal attempts for Sayreville.