Middleboro football runs through Taunton in comeback win

MIDDLEBORO— The Taunton High football team made it nearly 10 quarters into the 2023 season without surrendering a single point. Then, the Tigers gave up a touchdown just before the half.

From there, all momentum shifted to Middleboro.

The Sachems (2-1) erased a 14-0 deficit, putting up three unanswered touchdowns to earn the 18-14 non-league win over the Tigers Friday night.

"We didn’t play very well," Taunton coach Brad Sidwell said. "We got up 14-0 and then kind of let (our guards) down. We had every chance in the world to execute and we didn’t quite do it. We’ve got to make sure we pay attention to detail and get better."

Sophomore quarterback Dylan Keenan went 12-of-18 passing for 111 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions while senior wide receiver Jose Touron had seven catches for 62 yards and a touchdown as well as six carries for 14 yards and a touchdown while also having fumbled and recovered a fumble. Defensively, senior linebacker Ryan Keenan had seven tackles while senior lineman Brian Joanis had an interception and sophomore Jose Melendez recovered a fumble.

The Tigers also combined for eight penalties, including one that negated a 26-yard touchdown pass to Touron that would've seen them go up 20-12 in the third quarter.

"We can’t commit penalties, that’s our problem," Sidwell said. "We’ve got to make sure we don’t do that."

As for Middleboro, coach Patrick Kingman couldn't have been happier with the Sachems performance.

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"Our kids battled man," Kingman said. "(Taunton’s) a heck of a football team, they’ve got athletes all over the place."

One moment that proved crucial for the Sachems was Kingman's decision to replace senior quarterback Brett Kowalker, who was 1-of-3 passing for 11 yards and an interception, with fellow senior Nate Goodine, who hadn't been under center in a competitive game since his freshman year.

Goodine led the way for Middleboro largely on foot, rushing the ball 14 times for 88 yards and a touchdown while also going 2-of-4 passing for 14 yards. Senior running back Bolu Sotonwa had 11 carries for 54 yards and a touchdown while also surrendering a pair of fumbles and senior defensive back Ryan Dibona had an interception he returned for the go-ahead touchdown.

"Goodine showed a lot of chutzpah out there," Kingman said. "Our kids played hard. They played their tails off and I’m proud of them."

The Tigers struck first as Dylan Keenan found Touron in the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown, with the resulting extra point by junior kicker Trinley Dudley giving the visitors a 7-0 lead with 0:11 left in the first quarter.

An interception of Kowalker by Joanis, which prompted the quarterback change according to Kingman, set Taunton up for another touchdown as Touron took the direct snap and ran it in from five out to make it 14-0 after Dudley's extra point with 10:26 left in the half.

With Goodine under center, the Sachems started grinding, largely relying on their run game and it paid off as Goodine dove into the end zone on a 7-yard touchdown run to make it 14-6 with 0:31 left in the half, staying that way after an unsuccessful extra point attempt by senior kicker Dylan Covell.

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Middleboro received the ball to start the second half and capitalized as Sotonwa broke through the middle and ran in a 21-yard touchdown. The Sachems tried going for two but Goodine's pass was picked off, leaving it at 14-12 with 8:40 left in the third quarter.

The Tigers got the ball back, but just two plays later, Dibona picked off Dylan Keenan near the Taunton 40 and ran it back home for the pick six, giving Middleboro the 18-14 lead with 7:39 left in the third quarter. Another 2-point attempt proved unsuccessful, keeping the Sachem lead to just four, but in the end it was all they'd need to seal the comeback win.

"That was not good tonight," Sidwell said of his team's performance. "(Middleboro) ran the ball right at us and we didn’t stop them, and then on offense we turned the ball over too much."

Both teams now turn their attention to their league schedules, with the Tigers hosting King Philip (3-0) Thursday night in Hockomock Kelley-Rex action while the Sachems host South Shore Sullivan newcomers Sandwich (1-1) Friday.

Taunton Daily Gazette sports reporter Cameron Merritt can be reached at cmerritt@tauntongazette.com. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @CamMerritt_News. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to the Taunton Daily Gazette today.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton High football falls to Middleboro comeback effort