Middletown stunned the crowd at Gaudet Middle School on Thanksgiving Day with a spectacular opening play, but Portsmouth dominated the rest of the way in a 52-17 victory on Thursday.

Finn McCarthy gave Middletown fans something to cheer about immediately, returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown. But the Patriots answered emphatically, scoring 31 unanswered points to take a commanding halftime lead.

Senior quarterback Adam Conheeny Jr. led the Portsmouth offense in the first half with two rushing touchdowns and a scoring strike to Jackson Hackley. Luke Brandariz added a rushing touchdown, and Jacob Labonte connected on a 34-yard field goal to put the Patriots up 31-6 at the break.

Portsmouth continued to pile on in the second half. Brandariz found freshman Jack Sanderson for a touchdown, then hit him again for the two-point conversion. Joseph Sanderson punched in a rushing touchdown and later returned a kickoff for a score.

Middletown’s Kyle Keefe and McCarthy provided some second-half fireworks for the Islanders. Keefe scored on a rushing touchdown, and McCarthy hauled in a receiving touchdown to cap his two-score day.

The victory caps the regular season for Portsmouth, while Middletown wraps up its campaign under head coach Matt Kestler.

Justin Walker is a Newport County native who specializes in sports, portraits, weddings and events as a freelance photographer around New England. Justin has over a decade of experience starting in college covering high profile events, collegiate and professional sports in Washington, D.C. His photojournalism and freelance work can be seen in various local and national publications. Check out his work at justinlwalkerphotography.com!