Middleton struggles against Peabody

Coming off an encouraging win in their season opener at home, Middleton struggled throughout the game against top ranked Peabody Golden Tide. The Tigers traveled to Peabody and faced an unrelenting offense that never let up.
With a 21 yard pass from Peabody’s quarterback Kendrick Malone to Khance McCurrie and an extra point good by Austin Smith with 7:57 in the first quarter, Peabody took an early lead and just over a minute later, at 6:21, a 65 yard run from Malone and failed kick put the Golden Tide up 13-0. Middleton struggled offensively and were forced to gain most of their yards in the air. With no scores for Middleton, Peabody took another strike against the Tigers with a 10 yard pass from Malone to Octavius Lee. A failed kick ended the quarter at 19-0 for Peabody.
The Golden Tide put up 21 more points in the second and the defense shut the Tigers out of points on the board again, sending the Tigers to a running mercy rule time clock after returning from halftime with a deficit of 40-0. However, the Tigers would not go down quietly.
“Trenton (Peabody) was a very good team. We got down early. We couldn’t stop their running game,” Craig Harris, Middleton Head Coach, said. “At halftime we told them it’s all about pride. We came out and scored two straight passing touchdowns. The guys never quit, they played hard till the bitter end.”
The third quarter was all Middleton as Tigers quarterback Keon Pipkin connected with Jonathan Howser on a 78 yard pass with 10:51 to go in the third and Pipkin ran in the two point conversion. A little over a minute later, with 9:14 to go, Pipkin found Trae Anderson for a 67 yard pass and an Aaron Burnett fumble recovery during the extra point put Middleton on the board with 16 points and stopped the mercy rule clock.
However, Peabody proved why they would still remain on top as they put up 6 more points and shut Middleton out in the fourth quarter to end the game 46-16.

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