Football: Middletown's stellar season ends in regional loss to Christian Brothers Academy

MIDDLETOWN - The players knelt in their end zone, circled around Tim Strenfel and listened intently as the coach detailed just how much the group had to be proud of.

He told them there was no shame in the runner-up plaque that he held because it still was significant to a football program that hadn't won many, of any kind, before.

But at the conclusion of that speech, as they broke the huddle for the last time this season, many of those players burst into tears.

There was disappointment, of course, having just lost on their home field. There was the unavoidable heartache that accompanies a postseason defeat. But that outpouring also stemmed from their difficulty in saying goodbye to a remarkable season. It also was indicative of the emotional investment required to reach this point.

"It meant the world to me," senior Kyle Scott said of his team getting to the state tournament. "We've got kids in the community that are looking up to us and want to be part of this. They expect us to be good now. People are looking at us like, 'That's Middletown football.'"

That was the result of the Middie Bears making significant strides in recent years and breaking through this fall with their first full-season section championship since 1994.

"They've overcome different types of adversity and ended up here," Strenfel said. "They deserved every bit of the success."

But that sterling run ended Saturday with a 29-14 loss to Section 2's Christian Brothers Academy in a Class AA regional final.

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Joseph Royal threw a touchdown and Julani Graham rushed for a score, but Albany-based CBA scored 22 unanswered points to win. The Brothers advance to face Section 1's Carmel in a state semifinal next Saturday, 6 p.m. at Middletown High School.

"I'm proud of how far we got from where we started," said Scott, whose team also won a section title in the COVID-augmented spring 2021 season. "It started with our coaches because they led us down the right path, and it got us to where we are."

The coach said it was the dedication of his players and the leadership of a deep senior class. Really, it was both. Middletown (9-2) surged through the regular season, dominating most opponents and turning heads along the way. They twice thumped longtime powerhouse Newburgh, including in the Section 9 final, proving their turnaround was legitimate.

The Bears were an underdog in this regional matchup, but they were competitive and gave their fans realistic hope of a victory until the waning minutes.

Middletown forced a turnover on downs and recovered a fumble, stumping the CBA offense in the fourth quarter. But defensive back JT Vogel had two fourth-quarter interceptions, the first of which he returned for a touchdown with 2:37 remaining that snuffed out the Bears' chances.

The players' tears, Strenfel said, were telling of how much they care. "It shows the love of the game and how invested they were," he said. "We break it down on 'Family' and that showed it's real to them."

The Brothers scored a touchdown two minutes into the contest, but Middletown answered with a methodical drive that Graham capped with a tying 2-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

Bryson Tibbs intercepted a deflected pass in the flat and the Bears cashed in two plays later. Royal, a talented eighth-grader, hit Elijah Georges on a post for a 26-yard touchdown that gave Middletown a 14-7 lead with 6:28 left in the second quarter.

But CBA answered on its ensuing drive as Jake Iacobaccio found Aiden Good open on go route for a 45-yard touchdown. The Brothers faked the extra point and holder Donald Jones turned the right corner, running in for a two-point conversion that made it 15-14 with 3:50 remaining in the first half.

That lead was extended on Archie Jones' 25-yard touchdown pass to Lorenzo Lanni a minute before halftime. Kaden Blackman, however, blocked the point-after kick, keeping Middletown within seven. But the Brothers defense dominated the second half, stuffing the run and generating a consistent pass rush.

Alex Stabinski, Jake Marra and Anthony D'Aloia each had a second-half sack for CBA (10-1).

Middletown does graduate a slew of seniors, including several standouts, but there is optimism as a winning culture is being developed and the perception of the program is being adjusted. As well, Royal is a building block "who's gonna do great things," Strenfel said.

"I know the program is in good hands," Scott said. "With Coach 'Stren' and what we accomplished this year, the young'uns are gonna take it another step. They're gonna do an amazing job."

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Football: Middletown's sterling season ends in Class AA regional