Lions (14)- Freehold Boro (26)

Friday night marked the beginning of football season for Middletown North, as they opened up the season in front of North Nation against Freehold Boro. There wasn’t much to cheer about for the students and parents who were in attendance however, as North fell 26-14 while losing wide receiver Keshawn Williams in the process.

Late in the second quarter, the North senior took a rocking hit which left him on the ground for countless minutes, and he was eventually taken off in an ambulance. There is no timetable yet on his return.

What started as a great night for Middletown turned sour very quick as Freehold senior Josh Dixon ran for four touchdowns and 217 yards, with three of those scores coming in the first half.

The North defense really had no answer for Dixon and the Freehold offense, who kept possession for much of the game and they were able to manage the clock in their favor. After having a disappointing year in 2013, it was vital that Freehold started with a bang, and that’s exactly what they did.

North was pegged as the heavy favorite in this game, yet the visitors pulled out an upset on the road, which raises the confidence level and only spells good things up ahead for them.

One of the few positives that Middletown can take from this game is the play of junior Chad Freshnock. The Lions running back put up a staggering 250 yards rushing ( his career highest) and two touchdowns. That was not quite enough for them though, as the rest of the offense did not pull their weight well enough to pull out a victory.

North is looking for a bounce back win this Friday as they head to Perth Amboy for a 7 pm kickoff. While Freehold is looking to continue their winning ways against crosstown rivals Freehold Township that same Friday at 6:30 pm.