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Bizarre Finale Gives Tigers Victory Against Dragons

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By SCOTT PURKS, Tribune correspondent

Published: November 10, 2007

TAMPA - The most strange things have happened to Middleton and Jefferson this season, which made the teams' final regular-season game - a 21-19 Middleton victory - somehow seem appropriate.

In many ways it was strange.

Consider the final 2 minutes, 41 seconds: Jefferson had just driven 71 yards only to throw an interception in the end zone. Middleton, holding a 21-13 lead, has the ball on its 20-yard line only to have the ball stripped on its second play, which Rico Valdez ran in for a touchdown. Then ...

Jefferson gets penalized 15 yards for excessive celebration in the end zone, which seemed to many booing Jefferson fans as a ridiculously excessive penalty.

So instead of a tying shot at a 2-point conversion from 3 yards out, Jefferson attempted a 2-point conversion from the Tigers' 18-yard line, which fell incomplete.

What did frowning Jefferson coach Mike Fenton say about the call after the game?

"Mums the word," he said. "That's it, mums the word."

The call, however, was not the main thought for Fenton, who voiced, as he has for much of the season, concern about his team's many miscues, including: five fumbles (none lost), the interception, five sacks, a muffed kickoff return that gave Middleton possession on Jefferson's 29 and several penalties in key situations.

"It's been a mystery as to why we have these letdowns," Fenton said. "Sometimes we'll look like a million bucks and the next minute we'll look like we haven't practiced at all. What I know is that we have to clean this stuff this week before we start next week's playoffs."

Ultimately, perhaps the strangest twist to these proceedings is that Middleton was the team that finished the season with the winning record, 6-4, but isn't in the playoffs, while Jefferson, at 4-6, is still alive.

"We felt like we should be in the playoffs, but it still feels good to end on a good note," Middleton coach Harry Hubbard said. "Any time you get a win to end things, it feels good."

Middleton, despite Jefferson scoring first on an opening-drive 40-yard pass, was pretty much in control the rest of the night, scoring 21 unanswered points before the fourth quarter.

The Tigers did it running (mostly by Carlton Jones, 12 carries, 68 yards) and passing (three touchdowns and 102 yards by quarterback De'Andre Presley and 41 more on a halfback pass by Jones).

Defensively, Middleton's biggest impact came via its all-out blitzing that led to the five sacks for 61 yards.

M - Blount 16 pass from Presley (Wehr kick)

M - Jones 28 pass from Presley (Wehr kick)

M - Johnson 31 pass from Presley (Wehr kick)

J - Lewis 6 pass from Grossi (kick failed)

J - Valdez 18 fumble recovery return (pass failed)

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