Prep football digest

By From staff reports
Published in Sports on September 16, 2012 1:52 AM

• Print
• Email

BEAUFORT -- Princeton answered the adversity.

And Derrick Minor claimed his first-ever victory as a head coach.

Kameron McDougald hauled in a touchdown pass and rushed for another score in Princeton's 16-15 triumph over East Carteret on Friday evening. The Dogs snapped a season-opening, four-game skid that included three losses by a combined 17 points.

"You preach all week about doing the right things and working hard, that it's going to come and you hope the guys believe you," Minor said. "When you finally win, there's the fruit of your labor."

McDougald, freshman Kiadea Richardson and sophomore quarterback Michael Wooten shared much of the offensive burden when Johnny Frazier aggravated a shoulder injury in the opening quarter.

Frazier did not return.

Wooten's 76-yard touchdown strike to McDougald and Rhyne Woodard's two-point conversion pass to Jamaal Allen gave Princeton an 8-7 advantage at halftime.

The Mariners moved in front 15-8 in the third quarter.

McDougald's 9-yard scamper and Wooten's two-point conversion capped the comeback. Wooten accounted for 209 yards of total offense -- 62 rushing and 147 passing on eight completions.

"There was nothing but adversity this week," Minor said. "We moved Richardson up from JV to help with the running game, and he gave us just a little bit of a run threat to open the passing game.

"We left Jamaal and Kameron in their spots so we could keep the run-pass balance."

Princeton's defense forced three turnovers, including a fourth-quarter fumble that squelched an East Carteret drive after McDougald's touchdown. The Dogs got a first down and ran out the clock to preserve the road win.

Freshman linebacker Adrian Whack had two quarterback sacks for Princeton.

The Bulldogs (1-4 overall) take a week off to heal before their Carolina 1-A opener Sept. 28 at Spring Creek.

North Duplin 28, Dixon 24

* CALYPSO -- Tyler's Royal interception led to the game-winning touchdown and a come-from-behind, 28-24 victory over Dixon at H.E. Grubbs Field on Friday evening.

The Bulldogs converted a fourth-and-20 play that set up the go-ahead touchdown with 4 minutes, 54 seconds left in regulation. The Rebels misfired on their next possession, but caught a break when Royal intercepted a Dixon pass at the North Duplin 30-yard line.

The Rebels put together a 7-play, 58-yard drive that ended on Royal's 3-yard plunge with 2-plus minutes remaining on the clock.

North Duplin held on for its third victory in four outings this season.

Royal finished with 108 yards rushing on 23 totes, while Julio Mora provided 93 yards and a TD on 15 carries. Daron Goodman contributed 83 yards.

The Rebels were 0 for 2 passing.

North Duplin concludes the non-conference portion of its schedule next Friday at Lejeune. The Devilpups are 2-0 against Carolina 1-A Conference teams this season.

South Johnston 19, Eastern Wayne 12

* FOUR OAKS -- Austin Raynor and Victor Burgess hooked for the game-winning, 20-yard touchdown pass with 13 seconds remaining and South Johnston upended Eastern Wayne, 19-12, at Ronald Avery Stadium.

It was the Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference opener for both teams.

Raynor finished the game with 258 yards passing and 98 yards rushing.

Eastern Wayne scratched first on a half-back option pass. Sophomore quarterback Mitch Pike flipped the ball to Dayshawn Pridgen, who in turn, fired a 31-yard touchdown pass to Lamorris Pridgen for the 6-0 advantage.

The Trojans took a 12-6 lead before Pike, who threw for a career-best 255 yards, hit Micah Smith with a game-tying, 19-yard pass in the fourth quarter.

"We threw the ball well, they (receivers) made the plays and gave us an opportunity (two win)," Eastern Wayne head coach Bubba Williams said.

South Johnston missed a potential go-ahead field later in the quarter and its defense made its second big stand of the night. The Trojans took over with 64 seconds remaining and drove 67 yards for the game-winning score.

"Being down a running back and having a lot of guys go both ways, I was proud of the kids' effort," Williams said. "They played hard enough to win."

Eastern Wayne (2-3 overall, 0-1 ECC) continues ECC play next Friday at state-ranked Cleveland, which was the preseason favorite to win the ECC regular-season championship.

Triton 29, C.B. Aycock 14

* ERWIN -- Neil Clark rambled for 116 yards and two touchdowns, but Triton's defense tightened in the second half during a come-from-behind, 29-14 win over Charles B. Aycock on Friday evening.

It was the Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference opener for both teams.

"Triton has probably one of the most-physically dominating teams that we've played yet," Aycock head coach Randy Pinkowski said. "We worked our plan, but in the second half, they adjusted their defense ... a good adjustment and started taking some things away.

"We started to bog down on offense. As it wore on, they flipped the field on us with our backs to the end zone and them playing defense on our side of the 50. It became a slugfest."

Clark's first-half touchdown runs of 18 and 27 yards helped the Golden Falcons claim a 14-7 lead at intermission. The Hawks, the reigning ECC champions, answered with a game-tying 53-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter.

"That kind of swayed momentum in their favor," Pinkowski said.

Triton compiled 22 second-half points and held Aycock off the scoreboard.

Golden Falcons' quarterback Austin Snowden completed seven passes for 97 yards and rushed for another 59 yards on 17 attempts. Junior Austin Westbrook emerged Aycock's top receiver with three grabs for 50 yards.

Corner Devin Graves led the Golden Falcons' defense with seven stops. Linebacker Devin Best supplied five tackles. Junior defensive end Michael Eutsey recovered a fumble.

"In all, the kids played an outstanding game and really elevated their play over what they did last week," Pinkowski said. "The hard part right now with this group is them understanding they are a good football team, and they've played two good football teams and lost.

"We have to stay at the level we're at now, but work a little more harder. We need to take it one notch further each week. If we do that we're going to make some noise before the season is over."

Aycock (2-3 overall, 0-1 ECC) plays host to North Lenoir on Friday.

Cleveland 22, North Lenoir 16

* La GRANGE -- The upset alert came early.

Cleveland avoided getting stunned late.

The Rams, ranked No. 7 in the latest Associated Press Class 3-A media poll, rallied from a 16-point deficit and defeated North Lenoir 22-16 in the Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference opener for both teams.

Devonte Sutton rushed for a team-high 85 yards, including a first-quarter 56-yard touchdown run to put the Hawks in front. Teammate Marsharee Troy returned a fumble 36 yards for a 16-0 advantage.

North Lenoir managed 108 yards of total offense in the game.

Cleveland lost three fumbles and threw an interception before scoring touchdowns on three of its final five possessions. Isaac Martin capped the comeback with an 8-yard touchdown run with 52 seconds to go and denied the Hawks their first league win in at least six years.

Martin finished with 270 yards and three TDs on 27 totes.

The Hawks (2-3 overall, 0-1 ECC) visit Charles B. Aycock on Friday.

Wilson Beddingfield 48, Greene Central 20

* SNOW HILL -- Wilson Beddingfield exploded for three touchdowns within a five-minute span in the opening quarter and eventually handed Greene Central a 48-20 loss in the Eastern Plains 2-A Conference opener for both teams Friday evening.

The teams combined for 900 yards of total offense.

Rams' quarterback Austin Batchelor completed 13 passes to seven different receivers for 217 yards. Skikwon Suggs hauled in a 25-yard touchdown pass, while Joseph Biggs grabbed three receptions for 41 total yards and a touchdown.

Akeem Bynum paced Greene Central's ground game with 68 yards.

The Rams (1-4 overall, 0-1 EPC) travel to North Pitt next Friday.