JACKSONVILLE - Four first half turnovers doomed Middleburg at Jacksonville Lee as the Broncos dropped their District 2-6A opener 38-6 on Fri., Sept. 27 at Robert E. Lee High School.

The giveaways came at a most inopportune time for the Broncos, who were facing a Generals squad that had beaten defending state champions Raines and Mandarin in their previous two contests. Lee improved to 4-1, while Middleburg fell to 1-4.

"If we turn the ball over, we are not very good,” said Broncos head coach Karl Smeltzer. “If we don’t turn the ball over, we are pretty good.”

It has been the story of the season so far for the Broncos, who have turned the ball over 10 times in their four losses, while winning by 35 points in their only turnover-free game.

“All of their points were points that we helped them with,” lamented Smeltzer.

The Broncos started strongly, forcing a punt on Lee’s opening possession. But on Middleburg’s first play from scrimmage, cornerback Isaiah Jones stepped in front of a quick hitch pass intended for Taj Gonsalves, intercepting it before stumbling to the turf at the Middleburg 26 yard line.

It took only two plays for the Generals to take advantage. Sophomore running back Alvin Gibson ran right for eight yards, then took an option pitch wide left, cut back inside and outran the Middleburg safeties to the end zone. Middleburg’s Brody Senn blocked the extra point attempt.

A 43 yard punt return by Lee’s Larry Smith gave the Generals another short field on their next possession. Again, Lee needed only two plays to score. Quarterback Cale Zarah ran for eight yards and then found Terry McKinney streaking open up the right sideline for an easy score and a 12-0 lead.

The Broncos fought gamely, marching into Lee’s end of the field on each of their next three possessions. Each time, a turnover ended the threat, none more critical than quarterback Joe Justino’s fumble inside the five yard line. With a first and goal at the six, Justino dropped back as if to pass, then charged up the middle. Simultaneous hits by Ralph Mincey from the right and Ahmahd Denmark from the left jarred the ball loose, and it was recovered by the Generals’ Jai Robinson at the two yard line.

“We were going in to make it 12-6 or 12-8, and that could have made it a different ball game,” said Smeltzer.

The Broncos defense held firm, though, and Middleburg had a second chance to pull within one score. Taking possession at their own 45, the Broncos secured a first down at the Lee 40 yard line. After an illegal motion penalty nullified a 12 yard gain, a Justino throw was tipped by Generals linebacker Devin Smith and corralled by Jones, who returned his second theft 27 yards to the Middleburg 33 yard line. On the next play, Zarah, who finished with three touchdowns passing and one rushing score, hit McKinney in stride streaking up the seam for a touchdown. A slant pass for a two-point conversion stretched the Generals’ lead to 20-0 with 4:27 remaining in the second quarter.

Still battling, the Broncos moved into Lee territory for the third straight time, converting a fourth down on a quarterback sneak for a first down inside the 20. This time, a pass over the middle intended for Laron Bryant was intercepted by Generals safety Larry Smith, who returned the ball 29 yards before Justino tackled him at the Lee 32.

A juggling catch by the Generals’ Jeremy Robinson after Smith’s theft gained 37 yards, putting Lee in position for a Hail Mary. An apparent touchdown on the next play was nullified by a penalty, but the referees gave the hosts one more untimed down. Zarah, under heavy pressure from both edges, circled to his left and threw a high spiral that was caught in the end zone by Gibson. A slant pass to Robinson made the score 28-0 at the intermission.

The Broncos began the second half with a drive that finally resulted in points, Aided by three personal fouls against Lee, Middleburg’s Justino crashed through a pile at the goal line on a quarterback draw for the final six yards. Lee’s McKinney blocked the extra point attempt.

Any momentum the Broncos had was quickly squashed by the Generals’ Cobie Bates, who returned the ensuing kickoff 86 yards before stumbling to the turf. On fourth and two from the two and a half yard line, Zarah ran right, opted to keep the ball himself and cut inside of the linebacker and defensive end for a score. A slant pass to McKinney on for a two-point version made the score 36-6 with 3:21 remaining in the third.

Both offenses had difficulty in the final twelve minutes. The only score of the quarter came on a safety when a shotgun snap sailed over Justino’s head into the end zone, where running back Stone Newsome alertly fell on it before the Generals could do so.

“I expected the whole game to be like the second half,” said Smeltzer, whose Broncos were outscored in the final two periods only 10-6. “Our entire team plays extremely hard, but you have got to play your best against teams like this.”

Justino completed 10 of 24 passes for 110 yards, and led Middleburg in rushing with 39 yards. The Broncos, who actually had four more first downs than Lee, host Clay County rival Ridgeview on Friday, October 4.