Photo by Sam Yu Middletown's Tony Boyer (6) is upended by Frederick's Michael Hutchinson (85) and loses the ball in the first quarter at Frederick on Thursday night.
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The Cadets blasted visiting Middletown , 40-7, Thursday night just three days after the MPSSAA handed them a forfeit loss for using an ineligible player in their season opener.

"It probably couldn't have been any better that that's what happened because it fired them up," Frederick coach Vince Ahearn said.

"I think it solidified their resolve. They were going to make sure that there weren't any mistakes out there tonight."

The Cadets, who have scored at least 40 points in their last three games, raised their record to 6-1 behind first-year starting quarterback Andre April.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound senior completed 15 of 24 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns.

His first scoring pass, a 16-yarder to a wide open Kevin Fisher, came on a fourth-and-goal play with 5:28 left in the first quarter.

Frederick scored again on fourth-and-long when backup quarterback Andrew Zimnic found Danzel Ferguson on a 12-yard pass with 3:06 left in the second.

Zimnic entered the game after April absorbed a big hit on fourth-and-13 at the Middletown 30.

A roughing the passer penalty after April's incomplete pass kept the drive alive for the Cadets.

"Big plays killed us," Middletown coach Lorne Ridenour said. "What else can I say?"

The Knights have lost three in a row after winning their first four games, scoring only 28 points in the losing streak.

Their total yards in the first half (15 yards on 19 plays) were eclipsed by their penalty yards in the first half (five penalties for 35 yards).

Their longest play of the first half, a 12-yard completion to Woodrow Butler from sophomore quarterback Sam Glushakow, who was playing for the injured Rob Michels, was followed by a lost fumble by running back Tony Boyer on the next play.

That set the Cadets up on their own 47 and, seven plays later, Josh Jackson scored on a 9-yard run.

Things got worse for Middletown when Sean Castelow fumbled away the ensuing kickoff. Tyler Martin scooped the ball up for Frederick and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown.

The score was 20-0 before the first quarter was over.

"The guys came into this game really wanting to prove a point about just how good they were and where they feel they should be," Ahearn said.

Middletown came to life in the second half, picking off April's second pass attempt and, on a subsequent drive, scoring on a 1-yard run by Matt McConaughe.

But on the next play from scrimmage, April found Steven Long on a slip screen over the middle for a 66-yard touchdown, erasing any doubt about the final outcome.

"It was beautiful," said Long, who caught five passes for 103 yards. "The offensive line stayed on their blocks just long enough for me to find a seam. Andre threw a nice ball and I just ran it in."