Prep football: Hamilton-Middletown is about pride … and a trophy

The Middies lead that series 36-30-3, though the Butler Bowl traveling trophy currently resides in the Big Blue locker room on the strength of HHS wins the last three seasons.

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“We believe it belongs here, and we’ll show it Friday,” Hamilton junior linebacker/tight end Luke Mattia said. “There’s a lot of past between Hamilton and Middletown, and we all know that going into this game. I’m playing for my city.”

Middletown senior safety Troy Vinson said the Middies are eager to get back to winning against Big Blue, who will celebrate homecoming Friday.

“We’re hoping that we’re the homecoming kings,” Vinson said. “We have to be really sharp mentally and physically, and we’ve got to come out on top. It’s a respect thing. We’re going to make them respect us for sure.”

It’s a matchup of teams that have had an ongoing battle with the dreaded injury bug this season, especially at the quarterback position.

Senior Jarrenn Thomas isn’t ready to return to action yet for Middletown, and the status of junior Khaliyal Sowell and sophomore Quincy Simms-Marshall is uncertain for Hamilton.

So sophomore Kamari Fuller continues to be the Middies’ starting QB, while sophomore running back Keyshawn Stephens and senior linebacker Elijah Spradling are both playing quarterback for Big Blue.

“We have all the trust in the world in Kamari right now,” said Middies coach Don Simpson, noting that Thomas has returned to practice, but hasn’t been cleared for contact. “He’s getting better and better every week. The game is slowing down for him, so it’s not like we’re in dire need.”

Fuller is 47-of-94 for 575 yards and six touchdowns in a Middletown offense that relies on big plays. Senior Shandon Morris is the leading receiver in the GMC with 23 receptions for 454 yards and eight TDs.

“We’ve got to minimize the big plays, I know that,” HHS coach Chad Murphy said. “We know Middetown’s a much-improved team, and we’re going to get their best.

“We’re playing good football with 10 sophomores and a freshman. I hate to say it in my sixth year, but we’re young. We’re playing tough, we’re playing hard. Something good’s got to happen for these kids.”

Both teams have a standout sophomore running back. The Middies’ Josh Bryant has 587 yards and four touchdowns on 116 carries, while Big Blue’s Stephens has 608 yards and six TDs on 110 carries.

Simpson is concerned about his team’s ability to stop an opponent with a power running game. “That’s kind of been our Achilles heel,” he said.

Murphy said he couldn’t find any real positives in Hamilton’s 48-6 loss at Colerain last week. Simpson, though, liked a lot of what he saw in Middletown’s 31-24 home loss to Sycamore. The Middies only dressed 28 players because their junior varsity team was suspended for a week due to a fight.

“Once again, I was impressed with our attitude and the toughness that we played with,” Simpson said. “We keep coming up short, and that’s nothing that the opponent is doing to us. It’s self-inflicted wounds. When you’re in the process of changing the culture and turning the program around, you run into those problems.”

Middletown has lost 24 of its last 26 games, yet the Middies are arguably the GMC’s most surprising team this year because of their competitiveness.

“I knew going into it what people thought about us,” Simpson said. “But I knew what I saw, and I knew we had a good football team. We could what-if it to death with the injury-bug thing, but I’m telling you, a shift is coming. With the foundation we’re laying right now, Middletown is about to be in that talk again of being one of the GMC teams that’s going to be a tough out every night.”

Simpson said he’s still learning about the Middletown-Hamilton rivalry, but he was thrilled to find out that a trophy is involved. He noted that his seniors have never had possession of it.

“When you’re 1-5, you’re looking for things you can accomplish,” Simpson said. “Now you get to go out and play for that pride of Middletown and try to bring that trophy home.”

There aren’t a whole lot of true two-way players at the Division I level, but the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Mattia is one of them. He’s tied for the conference lead in tackles (54) with Spradling, his linebacking mate.

“I love playing both sides,” Mattia said. “I’m just trying to help my team out whatever way I can. I’ll play center.”

Hamilton is one of five winless D-I teams in Ohio this year (Grove City, Centerville, Brunswick and Elyria are the others). Mattia said it’s time for HHS to leave that group.

“We’ve just got to keep pounding,” he said. “I know the record doesn’t show it, but we’re still fighting, we’re still clawing, and we’re going to put a W up on the board this Friday.”

Friday’s game

What: Middletown (1-5, 0-4 GMC) at Hamilton (0-6, 0-4 GMC), 7 p.m.

Where: Virgil Schwarm Stadium, 1165 Eaton Ave., Hamilton

Series: Middletown leads 36-30-3, but Hamilton has won the last three meetings, including 47-26 in 2017