Princeton opens football playoffs at home

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on November 15, 2013 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

PRINCETON -- Princeton and Granville Central will put similar teams with contrasting styles of play on the football field tonight.

The Dogs like to establish the run behind prolific back Johnny Frasier, then throw. The Panthers have sophomore signal caller Jay Parker, who slings the ball all over the field.

Each team is capable of keeping the scoreboard operator busy during their opening-round contest in the 2013 N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-AA Mideast Region pod.

"They're putting points up on the board, so that's definitely got our attention," PHS head coach Derrick Minor said. "We feel like we've played some pretty good competition up to this point that's help prepare us for the playoffs. We're feeling humbly confident, but not super confident."

Fifth-seeded Granville Central (7-4 overall) has outscored the opposition 491-228 this season and collected 48 or more points in six outings -- all wins.

Parker has completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,359 yards and 29 touchdowns. He has spread the wealth among nine receivers, including senior Dylan Beckwith (811 yards) and senior Bryce Parrott (726 yards). The duo has combined for 15 TD receptions.

Senior halfback Corey Evams leads the ground attack with 1,086 yards and nine touchdowns on 149 touches.

"Defensively, we've got to stop their pass," Minor said. "If we can get some pressure on the quarterback, that's going to help us. There is a little bit of contrast, but similarities, too. Our offense is going to help our defense prepare for the game, which is definitely an advantage."

Junior linebacker Cody Garner is the Bulldogs' top defender with 111 stops, including eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Sophomore linebacker Adrian Whack has 105 stops and a team-leading 19 tackles for loss.

Princeton's defensive unit has forced 19 turnovers, logged five quarterback sacks and recorded 68 tackles for loss.

Offensively, the Bulldogs (8-3) with Frasier, who has rushed for a single-season, school-record 2,404 yards and 35 touchdowns. He's accounted for nearly 3,000 yards of total offense.

Junior quarterback Michael Wooten directs an offense that averages 400-plus yards a game.

Minor expects Granville Central to crowd the box and wants better execution from his team. The Bulldogs struggled early against archrival Rosewood last week before racking up 50 or more points for the fourth time this season.

"If we execute, get our guys in the right position, we're going to be in good shape," Minor said. "Being able to run the ball inside their box is going to be important. If our running game is on, that will open up the pass."

Granville Central's defense has forced 30 turnovers and are led by Parrott, who has 156 tackles and 13 stops behind the line of scrimmage.