Middletown football preview: Knights see balance as key to season

Aug. 28—MIDDLETOWN — Last season, running back Carson Smith was the undisputed workhorse of Middletown's offense.

Now that Smith has graduated, the Knights might opt to spread the wealth more.

"Our goal is to always be a balanced offense and to incorporate all assets of our team as much as possible," Knights coach Collin Delauter said. "Some years that's more limited than others. And this year, we see a pretty balanced team."

That balance will likely include a strong ground game, which has been a Middletown staple for eons. But rather than have a feature back like Smith, who led Frederick County in rushing yards (1,912) and touchdowns (26), the Knights could split carries between juniors Joe Frizzell and Ty Lawson.

"Both guys are fantastic," said Delauter, who thought both were candidates to be in Middletown's top 11. "So it wouldn't be a surprise if they spent time back there together all season."

Frizzell saw action in the backfield last season, rushing for 404 yards and five touchdowns on 71 carries. He was a go-to back in a win over Catoctin, when a dinged-up Smith was sidelined.

"I was a backup to Carson, I got a couple reps there. He's a great mentor to look up to," Frizzell said. "But I feel like, as a sophomore last year, I got a lot of experience and I got a lot of work so that we can possible execute this year and be a great team."

Lawson was a wide receiver on offense last season, so he's been adjusting to the position switch this preseason.

"I like the move so far," he said. "I played running back when I was little."

The Knights also lost their leading passer in Cam Baker. In preseason, sophomore Brittin Poffenbarger — whose brother Reese was a standout quarterback for Middletown's 2019 state championship team — and returning senior Griffin Sheridan were competing for the starting QB job.

The Knights didn't pass much last season. Could that change this year?

"Our goal is to be balanced every year. We don't want to be too predictable," Delauter said. "At the same time, we don't want to stray away from the thing that we have success with."

Line play on both of the sides of the ball is usually a key ingredient for Middletown, and that should be the case again this year.

Returners Alex Hoy, Ryan Bremer and Simon Blumberg will anchor the offensive line.

"They're not the biggest guys," said Frizzell, who said he's been playing about six years with most of his teammates. "But they're really tough and they get low and they open the holes up for us. That's all we need."

Delauter mentioned how athletic his players were. Hoy, for instance, is a standout wrestler. His experience on the mat helps him on the football field.

"Just learning how to move people and use your weight to your advantage," he said. "Minor things like that translate over a bit and help me out a lot on both offense and defense."

Hoy is also a middle linebacker. He's been starting on that side of the ball since an injury to a teammate forced him into a varsity game as a sophomore.

"When I first came up, I just had to get used to the bigger people and I just had to really work on my technique," he said. "But the entire coaching staff has just helped me really refine and become a better linebacker."

Delauter rattled off names when asked about players expected to be key performers on defense.

Lawson returns as a safety, and other experienced players like Ryan Cline and Chase Main are back.

"Another guy coming back who had some injuries last year is Beau Murray," Delauter said. "As well as David Knox and other guys just getting off the injury bug, so a lot of returning guys."

During the preseason, Lawson saw promise in the defense.

"A bit smaller this year, but we've still got the same heart, drive," he said. "We're tackling just fine. I mean, it all looks good to me."

Region: Class 2A West. State championships: 4. Coach and record with team: Collin Delauter, seventh season, 47-17. 2022 record: 9-4. Returning starters: 5 offense, 5 defense.

Fact box

2021 review: After getting off to a 3-3 start, the Knights won six straight to earn a spot in the state semifinals, where they lost 14-7 to Kent Island. And keep in mind, those three early losses all came to very strong teams, Frederick, Oakdale and Urbana. Middletown's offense revolved around workhorse running back Carson Smith, who led the county in rushing yards (1,912) and rushing touchdowns (26). With seniors Smith, Kieran Hofgesang, Cam Baker and Liam Wilson leading the way, the Knights also had a tough defense that held opponents to a combined seven points in four playoff games.