Yellow Jackets lose to Middlesex in Hamilton Field heartbreaker

The Northampton Yellow Jackets faced the Middlesex Chargers in the Region 1 Quarterfinals last night at Hamilton Field. The Jackets had previously defeated the Chargers 42-18 in October.

Northampton built a 9-point lead at halftime, only to see Middlesex’s potent running attack narrow the gap in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Chargers pulled ahead, eventually gaining a 9-point lead of their own. But the Jackets fought back, scoring a touchdown late in the game to bring the Chargers’ lead down to just 2 points, following a touchdown run by Kaidn Davis.

With less than 30 seconds left on the clock, the Jackets thought they had the go-ahead touchdown, but Elijah Hope couldn’t reel in a pass from Brock Leland.

The final score was Middlesex 36, Northampton 34.

The Chargers will advance to the semifinals next weekend, where they will face either West Point or Essex. The game marked the end of the 2024 high school football season on the Eastern Shore.