Spartans rout Leominster in home opener reprinted from 8/17/2010 MIDDLETOWN PRESS MIDDLETOWN — The Middletown Spartans hit on just about every cylinder this past Saturday, romping to a 33-0 decision over the always-tough Leominster Razorbacks in a New England Football League AA-Division game played at Miller-Fillback Field. The Spartans, who enjoyed their first home game of the season after opening with four straight road games, played what head coach Jim Greco called the team’s most complete game to date. “Our goal every week is to play hard on every play, and I don’t think we took one single play off [Saturday],” Greco said after the final whistle. “Our other goal every week is to try and play a mistake-free football game. [Saturday], I think we accomplished both of those things.” The win improved the Spartans record to 3-2 and left the Razorbacks at 1-3. Quarterback Jashone Cunningham got the Spartans off to a flying start when he rifled a bullet to wide receiver Akwan Shabazz on the first play of Middletown’s second possession of the game. Shabazz dropped to one knee to snare the 17-yard pass at the Razorback 40, sprang back to his feet, broke a tackle and then simply outsprinted the rest of the Leominster secondary to the end zone to complete a 53-yard play and give the Spartans an early 6-0 lead. Mike Baklik, who was told he would be the Spartans place kicker and punter for the foreseeable future about 30 minutes before kickoff due to a non-football injury to regular kicker Dane Street, then calmly booted the extra point to extend the lead to 7-0. Shabazz, who finished the afternoon with three catches for 104 yards and a touchdown, was at it again late in the first quarter when he leaped over the back of a Razorback defender to haul in a 37-yard pass from Cunningham to give the Spartans a first down at the Leominster 18. Four plays later, on the second play of the second quarter, Spartans tailback Josh Mullen scored from three yards out. Baklik’s second straight conversion extended the Spartans lead to 14-0. Two plays after linebacker Ryan Thiel and defensive linemen Tyler Boswell and Al Bonds stacked up a fourth down rushing attempt short of the first down to give the Spartans possession at the Leominster 46, Mullen, who finished the day with 101 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries, bolted 22 yards off tackle behind key blocks by tackle Frank Liquori Sr., guard Dennis Olmstead and center Aaron Holliday, to give Middletown a first down at the Razorback 17. On the next play, Spartans fullback Ozzie Hill, roared through another gaping hole in the Razorbacks line to score with about four minutes to play in the half. Baklik’s kick made it 21-0, Spartans, at the half. Greco singled out Hill in his postgame comments, noting that his blocking from the fullback position was a key element to Mullen’s big afternoon. Hill also finished the day with a personal high for the season of 32 yards on six carries. Spartan defensive end Josh Cleaveland sacked Leominster quarterback Dean Boisse on a fourth down play on the opening series of the second half to give the Spartans possession at their own 39. The Spartans then took full command of the game by driving 61 yards in eight plays to score on a four-yard run by Mullen on their first possession of the second half, extending their lead to 27-0. A 15-yard run on an option play by Cunningham and a 25-yard scamper by Mullen then set up the final Spartans touchdown of the afternoon, which came on a four-yard run by Darion Johnson, midway through the final quarter. Cunningham finished with 7 completions in 11 attempts for 142 yards and a touchdown and rushed for an additional 46 yards on five carries. The Spartans offense, which picked up 208 yards rushing and 350 yards in total offense, played the entire game without turning the ball over and without punting. On the other side of the ball, defensive linemen Cleaveland and Bonds, linebackers Thiel and Keith Pratt and defensive backs Baklik and Lenroy Neysmith, all had big days for the Spartans defense, which has now registered three shutouts in five games this season. Cleaveland finished the game with three sacks, Thiel and Pratt combined for four tackles behind the line of scrimmage and Baklik accounted for the game’s only turnover when he intercepted a Boisse throw in the fourth quarter.