Junior Varsity Football: Knights and Walkersville get season underway with a bang

By Ben Spector
Winning After MidKnight

                         

The first game of the season usually presents the teams playing in it with a chance to feel their legs out and get used to the pace of the game without being under too much pressure to perform because usually the games being played in the first week aren’t do-or-die.

That will not be the case for the Middletown High School Junior Varsity Football team as they will open up their season with an immediate do-or-die game as they take on the Walkersville High School Lions on Wednesday September 7^th from Walkersville High School.

The rivalry between Walkersville and Middletown is always magnified bright and for the Junior Varsity level it is no different. In fact, there might be more weight on this game at the JV level as at the JV level there are no playoffs meaning that head-to-head match-ups between teams is the only thing that allows teams to have bragging rights when the season ends and the pads are put away.

At the Varsity level even if you fail to beat your rival you can still achieve success in the playoffs, something that can almost cure the ails that come with losing to your rival school in any sport. The trophies that come with the playoff victories sometimes help to deflect the harsh words that come from losing to a rival.

The Middletown-Walkersville rivalry is no less acrimonious at this level as the rivalry extends all the way down to the youth football level and a win for either team tonight would be enough for them to hang their hat on once the season ends.

The Knights have looked solid throughout the pre-season as a dual threat rushing attack that consists of Knights sophomores Roland Hockenberry and Isaac Summers did an excellent job of gashing opposing defenses wide open as the Knights hope that tonight will be no different as Middletown will look to capitalize on a Walkersville defense that can be taken advantage of at times.

But, when the opening kickoff comes you can throw all the stats and predictions out the window as the only thing that matters will be beating the opponent, whether it be black and orange or blue and gold.