MIDDLETOWN - There is something that comes with winning a NJSIAA championship the year before and returning five starters from that magical run.

So, a sectional semifinal game against a crosstown rival in front of a large crowd will not result in a case of the nerves.

Neither will the situation Middletown North faced in the top of the seventh inning of Tuesday Central Group 3 semifinal when Middletown South had the bases loaded with one out, down by two runs and its No. 5 batter at the plate.

Middletown North, the defending Group 3 state champion calmly turned a game-ending 5-4-3 double play to preserve a 5-3 win at its Rich Veth Field.

"It's a low heart rate group,'' Middletown North coach Ryan McCabe said. "I think they are very good at staying calm, staying in the moment.''

"Nothing makes us crack,'' Middletown North sophomore third baseman/pitcher Zachary Hampton said. "We played in a lot of big games last year. This was just another game. There was a lot of hype going into it. But, we stick to what we know and made it out alive.''

WHAT IT MEANS

Middletown North (16-8), the No. 3 seed in Central 3, will host No. 4 seed Lawrence (21-6) Friday in the sectional final.

Lawrence advanced with a come-from-behind 3-2 win over No. 9 seed Matwan.

Middletown North has won nine straight state tournament games, dating back to the start of last season's state tournament.

Last season, the Lions were 9-10 and did not qualify for the Shore Conference Tournament before they went on a 12-game winning streak to end the season.

Middletown North was 2-5 to begin this season and has won 14 of 17 since. Its three state tournament wins have been by a combined four runs.

"They're hungry. They want more,'' McCabe said. "I don't think there's a single guy who took (Tuesday) as this is going to be the end of the line or this is what their ultimate goal is.''

KEY PLAY

Middletown South (13-13), which trailed 4-0 after three and 5-1 after five, had pulled within 5-3 with runs in the sixth and seventh innings and had the bases loaded after Will Christopher beat out a ground ball to third.

Middletown North was also playing a new third baseman after Hampton, who had been playing third, came on relief of sophomore left-hander Gabe Ahlemeyer after the first two batters reached in the seventh.

Sophomore Aldo Casale, who entered the game when Hampton went to the mound, then ranged to his left on Brendan Silva's ground ball, fielded it smoothly, threw to second baseman Colby McMahon for the second out of the inning and McMahon fired to first baseman R.J. Kernan for the final out.

"One of the big things we talked about post-game is being ready and knowing your number is getting called,'' McCabe said. "That's really Aldo's situation right now. He's a hell of a ball player. I had a lot of confidence when I saw that ball hit. It was just everybody doing their piece on that one.''

"That's a tough spot sitting out all game and coming in with no ground balls and no practice .'' Hampton said, about Casale's play. "But, I believe in him. He made the play.''

PIECING IT TOGETHER PITCHING-WISE

Pitching was a major question mark for Middletown North entering the season.

McCabe said just a combined five innings pitched returned from last season.

Among those who left the program after last season was then ace and fifth-year senior Colin Dowlen, who went 3-0 with a no-decision in last season's state tournament.

"I know there were people, probably even some well-informed people who thought we were going to have to do some searching,'' McCabe said. "I think we did. These guys went through some trials and tribulations early, but I think they have righted the ship.''

Ahlemeyer and Hampton have emerged as the aces. Ahlemeyer is 2-0 in the state tournament. He doesn't throw overly hard, but he throws strikes and makes batters put the ball in play.

Tuesday, he pitched allowed three runs on five hits, struck out three and walked four.

"He stays calm regardless of the situation.'' McCabe said. "His fastball is always moving. It's not a comfortable at-bat against him. You don't see batters get squared up against him, too often. ''

The pitching of Ahlemeyer and Hampton made a four-run third inning stand up. Hampton and Jason Quardt had run-scoring singles and McMahon a sacrifice fly in the third. Quardt scored the fourth run on a throwing error on a double steal.

Dylan Briggs added a booming solo homer leading off the fifth.

"I've fallen several times; there is debris on the courts," a High School North tennis player said of the Tindall Park tennis courts:

|Updated Tue, Jul 18, 2023 at 10:01 pm ET

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — At the Monday night Middletown Township Committee meeting, many people asked the town when the long-promised renovations will be completed at the Tindall Park tennis courts and elsewhere.

"On Saturday we were on the courts, there wasn't one court that was open at Tindall. All the others were too dangerous to play at," said Port Monmouth resident Donna Blaze, a longtime member of the Middletown Tennis Association. "Bodman is a disaster, Lincroft is a disaster. Half of the courts at Tindall are dangerous to play on: They're cracked, they have weeds growing out of them. They're moldy. It would be really sad to have someone really get hurt over there."

Both Middletown high school tennis teams, but particularly North, practice on the town tennis courts. One part of the courts, in the shade, is mossy and slippery.

"These have to be the worst courts that any high school team plays in the entire county," continued Blaze. "I've been in Oceanport, they're gorgeous. Atlantic Highlands, they're gorgeous. It's really sad that Middletown, as populated as it is — I've been playing tennis for 55 years in Tindall and I think they've been fixed twice. It's sad."

Also, people have fallen due to cracks in the town tennis courts. Said a North High School tennis player of the courts at Tindall Park:

Find out what's happening in Middletownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"I've fallen several times playing; it defeats the purpose of the sport and there is debris on the courts that could be cleaned up easily."

Another resident said "a lot of altercations" have broken out between tennis and pickleball players at the Tindall Park tennis courts.

Middletown is planning to re-surface all the tennis courts in town, replace the posts and replace the nets, repeated Mayor Tony Perry Monday night. But due to delays, the project is not supposed to go out to bid until the fall of 2023 and it remains unclear when the work will begin.

"I would assume by next year all the courts will be done," said Perry.

Middletown Township also plans to have two courts at Tindall that will be devoted to pickleball only. As previously reported on Patch, McMahon Park in North Middletown will become pickleball courts only.

Perry said the town of Middletown wants to have separate pickleball and tennis courts. There will no longer be "dual use" tennis/pickleball courts.

That is because tennis players and pickleball players have been arguing with each other.

That will leave 14 tennis courts open in Middletown.

But Middletown residents who play tennis say they have been asking for years now to have the town resurface the tennis courts — and it hasn't happened yet.

"For years, he’s promised me (and the dozens upon dozens of members of the Middletown Tennis Association), that the town had been awarded a grant and the tennis courts would be fixed," resident Denise Skelton told Patch in an email before the Township Committee meeting, referring to Perry.

"We are forced to go outside of our own town to play tennis on other town’s courts, rather than willingly submitting our members’ dues to secure the required permits to play on our own courts! It’s ridiculous. Every day and evening, the courts are packed full. We deserve safe tennis courts for all the money we pay in taxes."

North Middletown's McMahon Park Getting 6 Pickleball Courts (Jan. 2022)

Here is the most recent Middletown Township Committee meeting, July 17:

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Middletown planned to replace the High School North track/turf this summer, in time for the fall 2023 sports season. Then it was sued:

|Updated Fri, Aug 11, 2023 at 9:20 am ET

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — At the most recent Middletown school board meeting, held July 26, district business administrator Amy Gallagher reaffirmed to the public that the school district does indeed still plan to replace the track and turf at High School North.

"(Acting Middletown superintendent) Mrs. Afone put out a letter to the High School North community, updating them on that project and the fact that we will be deferring the work out of this summer time frame," she said.

"As Mrs. Alfone's letter stated, the funds are still set aside for the project. The project is going to move forward. We just have to decide what course of action we're going to take to get to it," she said.

Find out what's happening in Middletownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A contractor called LandTek sued the school district in March, alleging that the Middletown Board of Education improperly awarded the job to replace the track/turf to another contractor, Applied Landscape Technologies, Inc. Applied submitted the lowest bid for the job ($1.9 million), but LandTek argues Applied failed to specify which artificial turf and other materials they intend to use.

In late June, Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Richard English ruled in LandTek's favor, and the school district now has to start the process all over again to get the turf replaced.

The job to replace the turf costs anywhere from $1.9 to $2.2 million.

After the judge ruled to take the contract away from Applied, Applied then countersued and appealed his decision to a higher court, the Asbury Park Press reported in July. So Applied is still trying to retain the track/turf contract it was awarded by the Middletown school board.

The issue is still being resolved in the courts.

The legal battle means High School North will not get new turf until next summer, 2024.

Watch the most recent Middletown BOE meeting here, held July 26.

MIDDLETOWN – In what’s become an increasingly rarer spectacle, Middletown still relishes the morning of Thanksgiving. The town hosted one of only three games held in the Shore Conference on the holiday.

Cars of people began filling the parking lot by 8 a.m., and tailgaters were in full swing well before the 10:35 start time. It seemed like half of the town had descended up Middletown South High School.

Amongst the massive event, there was still a game to be played. It was one that Middletown South dominated again.

Using a strong second half to turn a close game into a comfortable lead, the Eagles rolled to a 27-10 victory against crosstown rival Middletown North on Thanksgiving Day.

A win on Thanksgiving still means something in Middletown.

“If you’re a Middletown person, it’s obviously extremely special,” Middletown South head coach Steve Antonucci said. “It means a lot to them, it’s always a great atmosphere no matter the situation, whether the teams are playing well or not playing well. Bottom line is when you get here, you get caught up in the moment.”

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The rivalry's history

Middletown South (9-2) has dominated this crosstown series, especially over the last two decades.

The Eagles have won 22 out of the last 23 meetings against Middletown North (3-6). That includes a 41-14 victory against the Lions in the North 2 Group 4 semifinals in 2015.

More Thanksgiving footballLong Branch beats rival Red Bank Regional

They own the overall series record 35-12-1 and have gone 33-12-1 against the Lions on Thanksgiving.

“It’s good to go home on Thanksgiving and be able to eat knowing that you won, you beat your crosstown rivals,” Middletown South junior running back Colin Gallagher said. “You own the town right now.”

The Lions last beat the Eagles in 2016 when they won 24-6 on Thanksgiving.

Gallagher steps up

Donovan Summey, the Eagles’ workhorse running back, suffered a lower leg injury towards the end of the season, but gave it a go on Thanksgiving. After a few plays and just one carry, it became clear to Summey that he wasn’t healthy enough to play. He watched the rest of the game from the sidelines, making it back onto the field after halftime in a walking boot.

That meant Gallagher was called upon to pace the running game.

The junior scored three touchdowns, including the final three for Middletown South as the Eagles flipped a 7-7 tie into a 27-10 victory. He finished the game with 116 rushing yards on 18 carries.

“We have depth, and our offensive line is a bunch of dogs,” Gallagher said. “They’re going to push, and we’re going to fight until we can’t fight anymore.”

The performance earned Gallagher offensive MVP honors for the game.

“He’s a leader and a tremendous player. He’s become our guy,” Antonucci said. “Between him, (quarterback) Jake (Czwakiel) and Donovan, they’re three horses for us. They’re good football players, but today we needed to lean on Colin a little more, and he was up for the task.”

Start slow, finish fast

Gallagher’s touchdowns in the second, third and fourth quarters capped off a scoring stretch that started with a Brendan Silva rushing touchdown in the first quarter that tied the score at seven. Silva’s score followed Neno Morgan-Acker’s 58-yard rushing touchdown that gave the Lions an early 7-0 lead.

After that opening touchdown, the Eagles outscored the Eagles 27-3.

In what one Middletown North’s final drives, one that was promising and cut deep into South territory, Owen Richter picked off a pass to end any possibilities of a comeback, earning him defensive MVP honors.

“We’ve started not well in a lot of games,” Gallagher said. “We go into halftime, and the coaches make some great adjustments. We come on the field and do what we’re told.”

Middletown South 27, Middletown North 10

Middletown North (3-6) 7 3 0 0 – 10

Middletown South (9-2) 7 6 7 7 – 27

First quarter

MN: Morgan-Acker 58 run (Poole-Morgan kick)

MS: Silva 11 run (Czwakiel kick)

Second quarter

MS: Gallagher 4 run (Kick no good)

MN: Poole-Morgan 32 kick

Third quarter

MS: Gallagher 2 run (Czwakiel kick)

Fourth quarter

MS: Gallagher 1 run (Czwakiel kick)

Individual statistics

PASSING – MS: Czwakiel 9-11-0-90. MN: Sheehan 9-19-1-153.

RUSHING – MS: Gallagher 18-116, L. Curley 7-23, Czwakiel 7-13, Silva 4-25, Colleran 1-10, Q. Curley 1-5, Servidio 1-3. Summey 1-(-5). MN: Morgan-Acker 12-113, Soto 6-6, Spearman-Young 1-(-1).

RECEIVING – MS: Colleran 4-64, Wagner 2-16, Richter 1-10, Servidio 1-3, Q. Curley 1-(-3).

INTERCEPTIONS – MS: Richter.

Danny LoGiudice has covered local sports across New Jersey since 2014. Contact him at dlogiudice@gannettnj.com or @danny_logiudice on Twitter.

The Learning Experience Celebrated Middletown Location with a ribbon cutting event that included a giant foam party!Photo Credit: The Learning Experience, Middletown, NJ

Photo Credit: The Learning Experience, Middletown, NJ

Photo Credit: The Learning Experience, Middletown, NJ

First responders attended the event to welcome The Learning Experience. Photo Credit: The Learning Experience, Middletown, NJ

Photo Credit: The Learning Experience, Middletown, NJ

Photo Credit: The Learning Experience, Middletown, NJ

The Learning Experience Celebrated Middletown Location with a ribbon cutting event that included a giant foam party!Photo Credit: The Learning Experience, Middletown, NJ

By Jeanne Wall

PublishedJuly 24, 2023 at 2:58 AM

MIDDLETOWN, NJ: On July 22, the official ribbon cutting was held for a new childcare center in Middletown: The Learning Experience, located at 1287 NJ 35 North, (next to Mavis). According to their website: For nearly 40 years, The Learning Experience has been positively impacting the lives of children ages 6 weeks to six years by developing and implementing ground-breaking childcare and early education programs.

Middletown Township Committee Members: Mayor Tony Perry and Committeewoman Kimberly Kratz, attended the event and welcomed The Learning Experience to Middletown. According to Jessica Ellis, manager of The Learning Experience, "It was a huge turn-out with enrolled families and the local township. There was a Foam Party, vendors from local family friendly small business, fire trucks, police and fire chiefs, a reptile demonstration and more. We even raised money toward our Make a wish foundation collection."

According to The Learning Experience website: "From preschool through kindergarten, we make early education and daycare joyful, engaging, and fun, so children are happy to learn, play and grow. Our L.E.A.P.® (Learning Experience Academic Program) Curriculum uses fun, hands-on activities throughout early education to help children develop intellectually, socially, and cognitively. All-inclusive enrichment programs include yoga, music, fitness, science, soccer and more. To learn more about Middletown's new childcare center, visit HERE.