Princeton football seeks signature win

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on October 31, 2013 1:48 PM

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Princeton's football team is barking a little louder these days with a Division I recruit leading the pack.

But the Bulldogs have yet to sink their teeth into a signature win.

Their chance comes Friday evening when they travel to Lakewood with second place on the line in Carolina 1-A Conference play. Each team is 3-1 against league opposition this season and a victory bolsters their chances of earning a home game in the playoffs.

"It's one of those games where we are dead even," PHS head coach Derrick Minor said. "This is a key game for us to tell our guys where we are as a program (and) as a team as the season has gone on. This game and the result is going to tell us about the true Princeton team that we have.

"You hate to base it (the season) on one single game, but it's a measuring stick for us."

Princeton (6-3 overall) hasn't won four conference games in a season since 2009 when it reached the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1-A (small-school) western regional semifinals. That team won 10 games behind record-setting quarterback David Gurganus, who is playing basketball at Division III member N.C. Wesleyan.

The Dogs have a record-setting running back this season -- Johnny Frasier, who received an offer from N.C. State just two hours before last Saturday's kickoff against nationally-ranked Florida State. Frasier broke a 54-year-old record for points scored in a single game (50) and tied a state record for touchdowns scored in a single game (8) last week against North Duplin.

His 410-yard rushing performance against the Rebels ranks him 24th-best all-time in North Carolina.

Not surprisingly, Minor expects a talented and speedy Leopard defense to stack the box in an effort to contain the explosive 5-foot-10, 205-pound back. That could open up the passing game for senior quarterback Michael Wooten, has thrown for 1,116 yards and 10 touchdowns.

"Their front guys (and) middle linebackers, they all seem fast to the ball, which means we've got to get to our blocks quicker," Minor said. "They're sound, seem very disciplined, so I know they are going to have a good gameplan against us. We've just got to execute, give Johnny the time that he needs to get into space.

"We cannot have any turnovers. We must play the same football we've played the last couple of weeks."