by Larry Chowning –
The Middlesex High School (MHS) Charger football team (4-1) lost its first game of the season Friday night, 21-10, in a closely contested game against the King & Queen Royal Tigers.
The Chargers were entangled in a defensive duel in the first half of play as MHS finished the half with a 7-0 lead. The lead was strongly impacted by the Chargers’ defense which intercepted two passes and recovered two fumbles to keep the Royal Tigers’ offense off the field.
The K&Q defense, however, showed its own toughness in the first half when the Chargers drove for a first down to the 2 yard line. It took four tries and on fourth down and inches quarterback Matt Hart finally punched the ball into the end zone. Aaron Akers made good on the extra point to make the score 7-0.
Middlesex got the ball inside the 10 yard line twice more in the first half and were unable to score.
In the second half, the Royal Tigers found their offensive rhythm and scored a touchdown on a 35-yard pass. The extra point was good to tie the score 7-7 at the end of the third quarter.
The Chargers retook the lead in the fourth quarter when Akers scored on a 28-yard field goal to make the score 10-7. King & Queen came back and scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to win the game, 21-10.
Hart completed four passes for 55 yards and had two interceptions. Adam Smith completed two passes for 74 yards. Smith carried the ball 21 times for 55 yards and Hart had 20 carries for 81 yards.
Brandon Ward caught three passes for 91 yards; Smith had two catches from Hart for 26 yards; and the Chargers’ big tight end, Jaden Reed, caught a pass for 12 yards.
The Chargers will take on Northampton of the Eastern Shore at the Middlesex High School homecoming game Friday night at Syd Thrift Athletic Complex in Saluda. The game will start at 7 p.m.
The MHS homecoming parade is at 5 p.m. this Friday starting at the Middlesex Courthouse.
