Charles City dismantles Middlesex in 60-23 homecoming victory

Charles City's DeAndre' Gardner (11) and Alonzo Harper (12) engage with Middlesex's Carlos Marshall to halt any advancement on a kickoff return.

Andre' Jones photos

After suffering three consecutive defeats by eight points or less, Charles City’s Panthers looked to its annual homecoming contest to remedy the setbacks. Apparently they found the right medicine Friday night.

Mason Jefferson accounted for five total touchdowns while teammate Cecil Tyler added two on the ground as the host Panthers walloped the visiting Middlesex Chargers 60-23, snapping a four-game skid and keeping their playoff hopes alive.

Charles City attacked early with Jefferson to Kyle Jones 27-yard air strike connection. Three plays later Tyler scurried into the end zone from 10 yards out to give the hosts an early advantage (8-0).

Middlesex sputtered on their first drive. On fourth and five, Charger quarterback RaQuan Marshall attempted to pitch the ball to running back Thomas Diggs. Instead, the ball caromed off his hands and bounced into the hands of Panther safety Justin Thomas. Thomas returned the fumble 57 yards for a touchdown as the hosts jumped up 16-0.

The visitors calmed down after the rocky start, leaning on Marshall to carry the load. The Charger quarterback used a mix of runs and passes to orchestrate a 60-yard drive, capped off by a 11-yard toss to wideout to Demetre South to slice the deficit in half (16-8).

But the Panthers’ offense rebounded quickly. After a failed onside kick by the guests, Jefferson would make his way to the end zone with a 38-yard blast down the center of the field and give Charles City a 22-8 leading heading into the second quarter.

After Marshall scored on a quarterback sneak at the beginning of the second stanza (22-16), the hosts stepped on the acceleration pedal. Jefferson’s shifty moves earned him another touchdown to increase the lead to 14 for the hosts (30-16). A coaches’ decision by the visitors saw Marshall sit on the bench for the remainder of the night as Tyler plowed over the opposition for his second score to give Charles City a 38-16 halftime advantage.

As the hosts vocally sounded off on the sidelines refusing to blow another late lead as they had the week before to King William. Jefferson added a 31-yard score on the ground and connected with senior classmates Troy Crawley and Jones for touchdowns in the air of 54 and 20 yards, respectively. On the defensive side of the pigskin, Jefferson would snag an interception while teammate Robert Dobson would claim two picks of his own as Charles City carried a 60-16 lead into the final frame. With a running clock now in play, Middlesex added a final score with Cameron Wells 23-yard scamper to account for the final margin on the board.

After the contest, Charles City head coach Steward Greene complimented the focus his team had in the important matchup.

“This team was able to put aside all the distractions during homecoming week in order to get a victory tonight,” said the victorious head coach. “Tonight our backs and passing game shined because our offensive lines became the aggressor.

“I think one of the better benefits of this game was that our younger players were able to get some reps,” Greene continued. “They work hard as our scout team in practice and its always a great feeling to reward them with time that they earned on the field.”

Friday night’s win for the Panthers also came with a lot of good fortune. With a pair of upset wins by Colonial Beach and Chincoteague, Charles City has a shot to earn a berth in the 12-team playoff field, despite its current record at 2-5.

“We know we have that opportunity, but we have to go out and execute,” Greene commented. “No team is going to lay down for us and I know we’re going to get the best efforts from anybody who lines up against us. But I also know that we are going to be ready and do what we have to do and be prepared for our opponents.”

1st Quarter
CC (10:34)- Tyler 10 yard run (Jefferson run) 8-0
CC (8:30)- Thomas 57 yard fumble return (Tyler run) 16-0
M (3:17)- R. Marshall 11 yard pass to South (R. Marshall run) 16-8
CC (2:07)- Jefferson 38 yard run (pass fail) 22-8
2nd Quarter
M (10:09)- R. Marshall 1 yard run (R. Marshall run) 22-16
CC (7:44)- Jefferson 11 yard run (Tyler run) 30-16
CC (0:31)- Tyler 14 yard run (Jefferson run) 38-16
3rd Quarter
CC (9:28)- Jefferson 31 yard run (Tyler run) 46-16
CC (4:53)- Jefferson 54 yard pass to Crawley (run fail) 52-16
CC (0:02)- Jefferson 20 yard pass to K. Jones (Crawley pass to Jones) 60-16
4th Quarter
M (7:37)- Wells 23 yard run (Rurak kick) 60-23

Passing (completions/attempts/yards)
M- R. Marshall 3/6/74, 1 TD; Fitchett 1/6/14, 3 int.
CC- Jefferson 6/8/109, 2 TD.

Receiving (receptions/yards)
M- South 3/52, 1 TD; C. Marshall 1/36.
CC- Jones 3/64, 1 TD; Crawley 2/48, 1 TD; Tyler 1/-3.

Rushing (attempts/yards)
M- Diggs 17/63, R. Marshall 15/59, 1 TD; Wells 6/57, 1 TD; Ruark 1/3, South 2/2, Fitchett 2/2.
CC- Jefferson 11/165, 3 TD; Tyler 12/131, 2 TD; Crawley 6/32, Dobson 2/28, Thomas 3/24, Shine 1/10, Mason 1/4.

Charles City’s Jayron Jones (54) plants Middlesex signal-caller Cameron Wells into the ground during a fourth quarter run.