Chargers paced on defense by JaMar Hammond, Maliki Reaves, Andrew Harrow, Travis Archer, Jakub Bowen in football win over Lancaster; will host ‘Rapp’ Friday
The Middlesex High School (MHS) Char-ger football team (2-2, 0-0) defeated archrival Lancaster Red Devils, 16-6, Friday night at the Bristow-Boxley football field in Saluda.
For most of the first half, it was a defensive battle aimed at stopping the run. Lancaster and Middlesex threw very few passes and neither could get an advantage until in the final minute of the first half.
Middlesex went to the air with 58 seconds left in the half as MHS quarterback Cash Steel hit fullback Jakub Bowen coming out of the backfield on a 25-yard strike in the end zone. Dereon Cooke scored on the 2-point conversion from a pass from Davonte Griffin to make it 8-0 to end the half.
The late period score was set up by a 33-yard punt return by Griffin to the 35-yard line, a 10-yard pass from Griffin to Cooke to the 25 and then the strike from Steel to Bowen in the end zone.
At the start of the second half the Chargers took the kickoff on the 20-yard line as the Lancaster kicker drilled it into the end zone leaving 80 yards for MHS to go to score. On the first play of the series, Griffin broke through the line and ran 78 yards to the two-yard line. Bowen punched it in for a score and Steel passed to Dereon Cooke for a two-point conversion to make the score 16-0.
Lancaster had its offensive moments but for the most part kicked itself in the foot with intercep-tions, fumbles and penalties in the most inopportune times. The Red Devils scored in the final seconds of the game but it was too little too late as MHS went on to win the contest, 16-6.
The Chargers were paced on defense by JaMar Hammond, Maliki Reaves, Andrew Harrow, Travis Archer and Bowen. Hammond intercepted a pass to stall a Red Devil drive, only to have the ball fumbled back to the Red Devils a few plays later.
Coming up
Middlesex will host Rappahannock of Warsaw on Friday, Sept. 26, in Saluda. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
The Raiders (4-0, 1-0) are undefeated so far this season, winning games scoring 50 points and more a game.
