Worth the Wait: Middletown South opens its flag football season with a win over defending Shore champion Rumson-Fair Haven

MIDDLETOWN – It took all of one game for Middletown South’s flag football team to announce itself as a contender for the No. 1 spot in the Shore Conference thanks to senior Camryn Czwakiel. 

The reigning Shore Conference Player of the Year returned a punt 45 yards for an electrifying touchdown with 1:46 left in the game that proved to be the difference in a 14-8 win over three-time defending Shore Conference champion Rumson-Fair Haven on Monday.

Czwakiel also added a touchdown pass to make Middletown South’s season opener at “The Swamp” a success while giving the Eagles a crucial leg up in the Shore Conference North Division race. Rumson (2-2, 1-1), which had not lost a game to a Shore Conference opponent since 2023, dropped its second straight game after falling to state-ranked Wayne Valley on Saturday. 

“We were a little nervous because (Rumson) had played before (this season), but we ended up doing well,” Czwakiel said. “(On the punt), it was opening after opening. I knew I had the speed to take it to the end zone. I was like, ‘I got this.’” 

Czwakiel cut all the way back across the field on the punt return, and once she beat the defense to the opposite sideline and turned the corner, she was gone.

The Bulldogs, who went 21-0-1 the past two seasons, had Middletown South (1-0, 1-0) on the ropes with an 8-7 lead with 4:18 left in the game. They jumped ahead on a sack in the end zone for a safety by junior Summer O’Malley. 

The safety gave possession to Rumson, but Middletown South’s defense came up with a key stop to force a punt. Czwakiel then took it the distance for the go-ahead score. Rumson had been consistently sending multiple rushers at Czwakiel in the pocket on offense to slow her down, but special teams gave her room to run. 

“I said to (assistant) coach (Jeremy) Balina, this is perfect,” Middletown South head coach Marc Tomo said. “She’s right in the open field. For us, it’s an advantage – that’s all we want to do is get her in the open field. They were doing a great job of sending all the people, so the punt actually helped it because she had a 10-yard running start, and she’s dangerous in the open field.” 

Rumson had one last chance to try to tie or take the lead, but Middletown South sophomore Phoebe Zimmerman came down with an interception with 40.3 seconds remaining that allowed the Eagles to run out the clock and seal the win. 

Middletown South was one of the last few Shore Conference teams that had yet to play a game this season, so the Eagles were eager to get on the field. They also didn’t get a chance to play Rumson last year because they suffered their only loss of the season to Pinelands in the semifinals of the Shore Conference Tournament. 

“After a while we were like, ‘How many practices do we have?’” Tomo said. “There’s new rules, so we’re just running what we’re going to do offensively and defensively. It was a lot more physical than I think we anticipated with the blocking. (Rumson) did a really good job of taking out Cam and releasing everyone (to rush the quarterback), so we have to put some stuff in where we keep people in and are a little more of a short-yardage type offense.” 

Middletown South led 7-0 at the half thanks to a 13-yard touchdown pass from Czwakiel to senior wideout Ava Loucopoulos with 6:07 left in the second quarter. Czwakiel ran in the extra point. 

Rumson answered with a 34-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter from senior quarterback Izzy Capra to streaking wideout Sydney Rettino, who got behind the defense for the score. Middletown South stayed in front 7-6 after denying the Bulldogs on a two-point conversion attempt. 

Junior Jordyn Wain thwarted the Eagles’ ensuing drive with an interception, but the Middletown South’s defense held to get a turnover on downs. Rumson then picked off Czwakiel again when Rettino came down with an interception. 

After forcing the turnover, Rumson drove to Middletown South’s 2-yard line in five plays, setting up a fourth-and-goal while trailing 7-6. Middletown South senior linebacker Kayleigh Kapler was one-on-one with Rumson senior running back Victoria Santos and got the clutch flag pull at the 2-yard line to kill the drive. 

“I just needed to stop her,” Kapler said. “We lost to them a couple times two years ago, and I think this is our year.”

However, Middletown South was given a reminder that under the new rules this season, the defense can get safeties. Czwakiel dropped back to pass on the ensuing play, and O’Malley darted in for a flag pull in the end zone to give two points and the lead to the Bulldogs. 

Czwakiel ultimately shook it off to win the game on the punt return and instantly stamp the Eagles as a top contender in what looks like a wide-open Shore Conference. 

“I think everyone’s gunning for us anyway with Cam back, so we’ve got to come up with some things so they can’t take her away like Rumson did today,” Tomo said. “We had a few mishaps in coverage, but overall I thought the girls played well today.”

Scott Stump is the football editor and a reporter for Shore Sports Insider. He first started covering Shore Conference football in 1999 and has covered basketball, baseball and seemingly every other Shore Conference sport at some point. 

Email: scottstump25@gmail.com