VIDEO, PHOTOS: Lower’s diversified attack too much for Middle in Anchor Bowl

Posted: October 3rd 2026

Lower Cape May's Shane Lawler is tackled at the 1-yard line by Middle Township's Kaihem Atkinson after a 22-yard reception during Saturday's Anchor Bowl.

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – The Lower Cape May Regional High School football team used a diversified offensive attack to win the Anchor Bowl Saturday.

The Caper Tigers had four different players score touchdowns and had numerous other offensive contributors as they downed Middle Township, 40-6, at rainy Memorial Field.

The victory gave Lower Cape May back-to-back wins in the Anchor Bowl rivalry game for the first time in more than a decade. Middle still leads the all-time series, which dates back to 1922, with 66 wins to Lower’s 39. There have been four ties.

Lower (5-1) also won for the fourth straight game.

“We did what we set out to do,” Lower coach Billy Damiana said. “We can’t scoff at 5-1. I don’t want to take anything for granted. We did a great job with our execution in some spots but we also have some things we need to clean up going forward.”

Ryan Mallon led the way for Lower. The senior running back rushed 14 times for 117 yards and three touchdowns, with all three of his scores coming in the first half. His seven-yard touchdown run came on the final play of the first half and gave Lower a commanding 27-0 lead.

Senior quarterback Dave Douglass, on a one-yard run one play after Shane Lawler’s 22-yard catch and run, had Lower’s other first-half touchdown.

Middle used some trickery to score its lone touchdown. Hunter White, after taking a backward pass from quarterback Julian Broughton tossed 20 yards to Nick Meehl for a score in the third quarter.

But Lower’s Ashton Ray, who posted close to 175 return yards, ran back the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a quick-response score by the Caper Tigers. 

Connor Milligan’s three-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter completed the scoring for Lower Cape May.

Lawler caught three passes for 65 yards for Lower.

Middle moved the ball well after Lower’s first touchdown, getting as deep as the Caper Tiger 32-yard line but two penalties and a negative play ended their chances to score. The Panthers then let up three more scores before the half, two of which came within 34 seconds of one another when the Tigers scored three plays after Middle fumbled the ball on a kickoff return.

“We did not respond well to adversity well at all,” Middle coach Gavin Liepe said. “As soon as things started to go right for them we let it affect our play. To be honest, they wanted it more and that was a result.”

The Caper Tigers will face their biggest challenge of the season to date when they host Pleasantville on Friday.

“They have athletes all over the place and they have a lot of juice right now,” Damiana said of Pleasantville. “They have so much firepower. We’ll need to keep them in front of us and not make as many mistakes as we did today, shorten up the game and take advantage of opportunities when they’re there.”

Middle (3-3) has another tough challenge next week when it goes to Ocean City for another non-division game.

“There are two ways we can go about this,” Liepe said. “We can hang our heads and feel sorry for ourselves or piece ourselves together, get through next week as best we can and keep our eyes on the division title, which was our main goal from the beginning of the season.”

(photos by Billy Martin)