VIDEO, PHOTOS: Ocean City stuns Middle at the finish to cap wild fourth quarter

Posted: October 13th 2024

Middle Township's Aydan Howell races out of the end zone after intercepting a pass in the first half against Ocean City.

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – One of the wildest high school football games of the 2024 season was played Friday evening at the John Roberson Athletic Complex at Memorial Field.

In the end, Ocean City was able to make just one more big play.

The Raiders, trailing by three with less than 30 seconds to go, completed a 48-yard pass from Walker Bailey to J.P. Forster to put themselves in scoring position before Bailey hit Forster again on a nine-yard touchdown pass with less than 10 seconds to go to stun Middle Township, 38-34.

The final touchdown by Ocean City was the last of five lead changes in the fourth quarter, four of which occurred in the final 2:10.

Middle thought it had secured the victory when Chase Moore made a wonderful 25-yard touchdown catch of a Tommy Gontz pass with 30 seconds to go.

But the long pass from Bailey to Forster and the ensuing connection by the same two players allowed Ocean City to stun the hosts at the finish.

Ocean City raced to a 17-7 lead at halftime and seemed in control of the game. But Middle responded in the third quarter. Shawn Watkins brought the Panthers within four after a three-yard run accounted for his second touchdown of the game. Then later in the period, Middle’s Noah Nagle blocked a punt and Jaeden McGaha recovered the football in the end zone as the Panthers took their first lead at 20-17.

That set the stage for an incredibly wild fourth quarter.

Bailey ran in from 12 yards out to put Ocean City ahead at 24-20 with 11 minutes to play.

Middle took the lead at 27-24 with 2:19 to go on a one-yard run by Remi Rodriguez.

The teams then combined for three touchdowns in the final minute.

Ocean City grabbed the lead again with 55 seconds to go when Bailey hit Forster for a 55-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-10 play.

Middle went back ahead on Moore’s touchdown reception at the 30-second mark, only to see Ocean City steal victory at the death on Forster’s second touchdown reception.

Rodriguez ran 20 times for 115 yards and Watkins added 65 yards on 10 carries for Middle. Gontz was 10 for 18 for 135 yards through the air. Rodriguez had six catches for 79 yards and Aydan Howell added three receptions for 31 yards.

With at least three games remaining, Rodriguez is just 144 yards away from producing his third straight 1,000-yard rushing season.

Forster caught five passes for 199 yards and Triston Schmidt ran 17 times for 85 yards for the Raiders.

Middle fell to 3-3 with the loss, while Ocean City improved to 5-2.

The Panthers are next in action Friday at home against Absegami.