By Cortney St. John
Round Table editor

Middletown High School’s football team traveled to the M&T bank stadium on Dec. 4 to compete for the Class 2A state championship title.

The day before the game Middletown High School principal Jay Berno said on the morning announcements, “Tomorrow as we head to Ravens stadium the ultimate indicator of excellence in our quest for a state championship is the level of citizenship displayed by those that play and attend the game…if we remain positive with all our actions and cheering, no matter what the situation is, we will continue our tradition of excellence.”

MHS was presented with the “2010 John H. Cox Respect the Game Football Award.”  Berno was presented with the award on Dec. 6, but did not want to tell the students until he received the actual award to show the students on the morning announcements Dec. 9.

This award is presented to the school that displays the best overall sportsmanship while competing in the football state championship game. A total of eights schools competing in the class 1A, 2A,3A and 4A championships were qualified for this award.

“I feel that receiving the award was more important than winning the state title,” said Berno.

From the time they stepped off their buses to the time they loaded back on to go home, the football team, cheerleaders, fans and marching band were being judged for this award.

MHS staff and coaches Melissa Bolt, Matthew Shearer, John Miller, Tim Ambrose, Kevin Lynott and Michael Watson have “emulated the values John Cox brought to Maryland, and had a big impact on receiving the award,” said Berno.

Berno added that he knew Cox personally before  he passed away in 2007 following a long battle with cancer. Berno said Cox gave his entire life to high school athletics and if he were alive today he would feel very proud that Middletown received the award.