Newburgh dominates Middletown in Section 9 Class AA Matchup.

Both Middletown and Newburgh entered with 1-2 records as league play kicked off in full swing. It was the 113th meeting since 1907 between the two schools as Middletown looked to bounce back after a tough loss against Port Jervis. Meanwhile, the Newburgh Goldbacks have dropped their last two games against Minisink and Cornwall and looked to get back on track.

Newburgh forced Middletown to fourth and inches on their first drive, but Anthony Russo's quarterback sneak gave Middletown a fresh set of downs. Early on, Newburgh's defense applied pressure as Newburgh defensive lineman Nyeir Johnson sacked Russo for a loss of 10 yards to bring Middletown back to the 20 to force fourth and long.

Newburgh blocked the punt and was able to set up excellent field position as a result. However, Middletown responded with a significant defensive play against Newburgh in their own red zone, setting them up at the 20-yard line to regain possession.

Middletown advanced the ball downfield to the 44-yard line thanks to Ryheem Tinsley's continued explosive plays that earned him the nickname “Rocket.” Middletown gained the first down with Russo finding Aiden Barbosa, but Newburgh blindsided him, causing him to lose the ball, which Newburgh then recovered with 3:45 left in the first quarter.

Neither team was able to break through early, as consecutive turnovers by both teams prevented either from building any momentum offensively as defense reigned supreme early on.

The Russo and Barbosa chemistry that's been burgeoning the last few weeks continued to amaze as Russo found Barbosa on a staggered slant route to open the second with a first down. Newburgh's defense adjusted quickly as three defenders were able to sack Russo for a big loss, forcing a third-and-long where Middletown was unable to come up with the first down.

Newburgh blocked their second punt of the game to set themselves up in excellent field position around the 30. A personal foul on Newburgh resulted in a 15-yard loss, forcing them to punt once again. 

Russo was able to find Barbosa again on the next drive, who caught a miraculous catch over three Newburgh defenders in a dazzling display of strength. Newburgh forced another three-and-out as Russo could not connect with Tinsley, resulting in both teams remaining scoreless.

Another delayed game call to open the next drive pushed Newburgh back five yards. Newburgh's running back, Justin Lassic, made significant plays to help the team advance into plus territory as their other running back, Daijon Johnson, was able to rush into the end zone to put Newburgh on the board for the first score of the game, giving them a 7-0 lead with 57 seconds left in the half.

Middletown receiver Joseph Royal was able to return the kickoff over midfield, as Middletown looked to respond before the half. Russo was able to find running back Andy Aristhene for a 20-yard pass, but it was negated by a penalty that erased what would’ve been a substantial gain.

Middletown was able to shut down Newburgh on their opening drive to start the second half, forcing them to punt. Tinsley made a 50-yard punt return, but a block in the back penalty negated that gain and moved the team back inside the 15-yard line as penalties continued to hurt Middletown. Tinsley detonated for a 15-yard gain to give Middletown a first down. Russo found Aristhene on the ensuing possession for another first as Middletown’s offense was starting to develop a rhythm.

Newburgh was able to stop Middletown’s offense, which had reached the red zone at the 15-yard line on their next drive due to a big run by Jaiseon Barnwell. This set up Lassic to score for Newburgh on the following drive, giving them a 13-0 lead. With just over a minute remaining in the third quarter, Daijon Johnson successfully converted a two-point conversion to bring Newburgh's offense back to life after a sluggish first half.

The game began to flow effortlessly for Newburgh's offense as Lassic successfully exploited a weakness in Middletown's defense, allowing Newburgh to score another touchdown and extend their lead to 21-0. Middletown was able to prevent the extra point and start their offense at 20.

Newburgh linebacker Noah Spearman intercepted Russo's pass on Middletown’s next offensive drive and took it inside the five, as the pass was intended for Barbosa. Barnwell was able to rush for another touchdown as Newburgh’s second-half offensive explosion mounted to make it 28-0 after the extra point.

Newburgh quickly responded with another touchdown, extending their lead to a commanding 35-0, while Middletown struggled to gain any momentum as Newburgh closed them out in a shutout to improve to 2-2. Middletown now drops to 1-3 on the season and suffers its first loss in league play.

They’ll look to get back in the winning column next Friday, Oct. 3, at 6 p.m. Eastern time against the defending Section 9 Class AA Champions in Monroe Woodbury at Monroe.