Boys football result mirrors opener
Piedmont High School boys football coach Jordan Seiden sounded a little frustrated with his team after losing at Middletown on September 5, 32-17.
The problem? For the second straight week, his team got off to a slow start, fell behind, rallied to get back in the game but fell in the end. In the opener, it was a 41-17 loss at Salesian-Richmond.
“It’s tough playing from behind,” Seiden said. “Football is a sport you’ve got to get off first. You can’t sit and take punches. You can’t wait to start to show up. Our youth is showing up. We’re waiting for guys step up.”
Quarterback Jimmy Lagios agreed.
“We come out totally weak, not wanting to hit someone, not wanting to play physical,” he said. “We’ve just got to start playing hard. We’ve got to start coming out of the gate hard, wanting to hit someone, wanting to play our best. We can’t, every game, come from behind and try to catch back up. That’s just not how it is.”
Lagios and a couple of his teammates were talking on the sideline for several minutes after the postgame team meeting.
Middletown’s Tyler Galamay (23) is swarmed by Piedmont’s Henry Brennan (6), Colby Hong (0), Diego Hurwitz (2), Xavier Henderson (13) and Alex Lee (99). 
Piedmont’s Xavier Henderson (13) is tackled by Middletown’s Jon Hawkins (yellow helmet) with Hunter Karp (4) closing in. Middletown won, 32-17.
Piedmont moved the ball to midfield on the opening possession thanks to several nice runs from Xavier Henderson, who appeared to be sick on the sidelines during the game. But a holding penalty set the Highlanders back and a fourth-and-two at the Mustangs 43 failed when Max Fujimoto took a pass from Lagios but was stopped short by Jamisen Jackson.
Middletown took over at its 41 and marched down to a touchdown on an all-running drive. Trenton Griffith scored on a six-yard run and had 27 yards on five carries on the drive. Tyler Galamay ran twice for 22 yards.
Piedmont responded with an 11-play, 60-yard drive and a Mattias Seelenberger 27-yard field goal to make it 6-3. But the Mustangs pounded out another quick drive to make it 12-3 with Galamay running it in from 23 yards out.
Jon Hawkins had a 70-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to make it 18-3. Middletown finished the night with 282 rushing yards on 34 carries. Galamay had 115 yards on 12 rushes while Griffith had 72 on 13.
However, the Highlanders came right back thanks in part to a 37-yard kickoff return by Henderson. Rehan Mumtaz scored on a four-yard run and it was 18-10 at halftime.
Piedmont kicked off to start the second half but Seelenberger hit a perfect onside kick and recovered it himself at the 50. That set up a a six-play drive culminating in a Lagios to Jack Meyjes five-yard touchdown pass. Suddenly, it was 18-17.
But just like the week before at Salesian, the opposition quickly regained control and held the Highlanders off the board the rest of the way. A 22-yard touchdown pass from Blake Costlow to Griffith made it 24-17. Then Piedmont went on a long drive, covering 51 yards in 16 plays. But an intentional grounding penalty on Lagios led to a fourth-and-23 at the 30. Lagios’s pass to Henderson was incomplete.
Middletown quarterback Blake Costlow (7) has plenty of time to pass on this play. John Bunje (33) of Piedmont is coming on the rush. 
Piedmont’s Jimmy Lagios (4) prepares to throw over Middletown’s Tyler Galamay (23). Lagios finished with 267 yards passing and a touchdown.
The Mustangs then went on another all-rushing drive and put the game away on a one-yard sneak by Costlow.
Lagios was 25 for 40 for 267 yards and a touchdown. Colby Hong and Henderson each rushed for 45 yards. Fujimoto finished with 10 catches for 58 yards while Henderson caught seven balls for 98 yards.
Costlow completed four of nine for 65 yards for Middletown.