The Middlesex High School (MHS) boys varsity basketball team opened regular season play Tuesday, Dec. 2, traveling to take on the Northumberland Indians in a non-conference game.
The Chargers are coming into this year with five key players being lost to graduation. JaQuan Griffin, a 1,000 point scorer and who averaged 17 points per game matriculated along with guards Shane Glenn and Nathan Powell and center Nielson McMinn. They were all key players in last season’s 16-7 overall record and 10-1 in the Tidewater District.
Middlesex has only one starter from last year’s team returning in Davonte Griffin, who averaged 10 points a game in 2024-2025 and was one of the Chargers top rebounders.
Jacob Nowell is returning and was one of the Chargers top assist players. Henry Fleet and Dereon Cooke were on and off starters on MHS’s last year’s team and key in the Chargers reaching the semi-finals of the Class I Region A tournament last year. MHS lost against Lancaster, 67-54, in the region semi-final game.
Also, returning are sophomore Donovan Jones who was moved up from junior varsity last year to see some varsity playing time and senior Carter Hurd who should see more playing time this season.
Newcomers to the team are Vincent Santos, Skylar Brock, Cayden McDearmon, JaMar Hammond, Jakub Bowen and Jasper Smith. Bowen and Hammond are good athletes and received all-district football honors this year.
“We have a very coachable team this year,” said Assistant Coach James Reed. “We do not have the superstars of years past but we have a team that if they work together will have success. The coaching staff has been very pleased with the play we have seen in the two scrimmages this year against Windsor and Westmoreland.
Coaches this year for the varsity team are Head Coach Jaden Reed, and assistant coaches, James Reed, Timothy Balderson and Justin Hayes. The main statistician is Jenna Burns.
The Chargers will travel to the Eastern Shore of Virginia on Friday to take on the Chincoteague Ponies and Lancaster on Dec. 9 to take on the Red Devils. Middlesex’s first home game in the John S. Clements Memorial Gymnasium will be on Dec. 12 against the Northumberland Indians. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.
