The Bell is back in Middletown. The schedule does not care.
Six days after beating Port Jervis 28-7 in the Erie Bell Game, Middletown goes back on the road Friday to face Pine Bush in one of the first games on the Week 4 board.
The Middies are 4-0. Their first four results tell the story: 32-0 over Arlington, 22-21 over Cornwall, 27-0 over Minisink Valley and 28-7 over Port Jervis. That is 109 points scored and 28 allowed through four games.
Now comes a different challenge — moving on from a rivalry win and handling a Pine Bush team that has already shown it can score in bunches. Valley Central follows next week, and Newburgh is two weeks away, but a 4-0 start loses some of its force if Middletown looks past the opponent in front of it. The Bell win raised expectations; Friday tests how the Middies handle them.
Pine Bush has been dangerous when it finds rhythm
Pine Bush enters Week 4 at 1-3. The record is not the whole picture.
The Bushmen beat Warwick 34-17 in Week 2, then scored 28 at Washingtonville last Friday. They trailed 35-21 at halftime, cut the deficit to seven in the third quarter and forced Washingtonville to answer before the Wizards closed out a 42-28 win.
That matters against Middletown because Pine Bush has shown it can create enough offense to make a game uncomfortable if possessions start trading quickly.
Middletown’s defense keeps controlling games
Middletown has posted two shutouts in four games and held Port Jervis to seven points in the Bell. The only opponent to score more than seven was Cornwall, which pushed the Middies to the final seconds of a 22-21 game.
That has given Middletown room to win in different ways. It has handled a shootout finish, two shutouts and a rivalry game that stayed within one score deep into the second half.
Week 4 asks whether that consistency travels again.
Friday’s setup
Middletown at Pine Bush
Friday, October 2
6:00 PM
Middletown is trying to stay perfect. Pine Bush gets a home shot at the team sitting on top of the current KOT845 football board.
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