Photo by STXpix Photography
There are plenty of new faces for the Orange Middle School football team this year, but the standards remain as high as ever.
After winning back-to-back Orange Person Athletic Conference championships, the Chargers served notice in its season-opener that it wouldn’t concede its throne easily.
Jameson Torain scored three touchdowns on 99 yards rushing as Orange Middle scored touchdowns on its first five possessions in a 40-8 victory over Phillips Middle in Hillsborough on Wednesday afternoon. Quarterback Beckett Kinlaw, who started as a linebacker last year, threw for two touchdowns in his first start behind center.
The Chargers, which ended last year with a 9-0 record and a win over Northern Middle in the OPAC Championship game at Auman Stadium, scored three touchdowns in the opening quarter and didn’t give up a first down in the opening half.
Orange established its dominance from the opening kickoff delivered by Jayden Gutierrez, who delivered a ball that skipped over the 50-yard line and was captured by Chargers wide receiver Kyleed Royster.
That led to the opening touchdown from Torain, who took a handoff from Kinlaw on a jet sweep and went untouched around end for a 39-yard touchdown run. Torain waltzed into the end zone on the 2-point conversion.
Phillips crossed the 50-yard line on its next drive, when ended after quarterback Jaiden Lawless dove on an errant snap on 4th down. Following a ten yard run by Royster, paired with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for a late hit against the Falcons, Kinlaw threw his first touchdown pass when he hit Royster over the middle on a 25-yard scamper. The two-point run by Torain increased the Chargers lead to 16-0.
Once again, Orange recovered the subsequent kickoff with Wesley Detwiler diving on a loose ball that slipped through several arms. It led to the Chargers’ longest scoring drive of the day. After four plays and 45 yards, Jakiah Rawles took an end around handoff and found open field over left end for a 16-yard touchdown run. Rawles would add the 2-point conversion.
Torain, also a defensive back, ended the first quarter with an interception. Kinlaw opened the second quarter by hitting Royster with an eleven-yard screen. On the next play, Torain caught a swing pass from Kinlaw and scored easily from 39 yards with 9:00 remaining in the first half. Torain scored again on the 2-point run to make it 32-0.
The Falcons were forced to punt after three consecutive tackles for loss by the Chargers. On the final play from scrimmage in the second half, Torain went around end for 60 yards as time ran out for his third touchdown.
The second half was played with a running clock. Phillips Kevin Gamble scored on a 59-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He also added the 2-point run.
Orange Middle will host Smith Middle School next Wednesday in Hillsborough.
