FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Carolina 1A rivals hungry for a win

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on September 23, 2016 9:59 AM

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PRINCETON -- Conference play.

It's the beast that lives on the dark side of August football schedules, when mini-camp brims with solidarity and blocking sleds get shoved about with station-drill ease. A patient number, it loiters in the circus of opening night, then suffers a few more weeks of pedestrian fare, waiting to affirm what fans know -- or don't, for that matter -- about their team.

And for Princeton, which plays host to Carolina 1-A foe and perennial east regional contender James Kenan tonight, it has arrived.

Just don't expect it to cause a wave of panic.

The Bulldogs, seeking to win their second consecutive home conference opener, are likely to begin the contest where they normally do -- in their very reliable, high-performing backfield.

Led by the hashmark-ghosting trio of Matt Stallworth, Earl Gibson, Jr. and Trace James, head coach Travis Gaster's Wing-T assault has produced an eye-popping 1,898 yards and 25 touchdowns thus far on the season -- or 87.8 percent of the blue-and-gold's total yards from scrimmage.

By any measure, prolific.

And to turn back the Tigers, they will have to be.

Despite its uncharacteristic 1-3 start, James Kenan still maintains a bevy of one-cut weapons on offense, led by the tailback duo of Taquwan Henry and junior Kashawn Hamilton.

Hamilton, who performed admirably in the Tigers' season-opening victory at Southern Wayne with 113 yards on 12 carries, has slowed in recent weeks. He averaged just 12 yards per game in two losses against East Duplin and East Carteret -- but remains an all-purpose threat nonetheless.

Henry, however, is another story.

Built to dazzle, the sophomore is capable of turning any down-and-distance into an end zone celebration. Durable and shifty, the 6-foot-1, 165-pounder shines on the edge, where his quickness routinely cook defenders and make would-be tacklers look like rodeo barrels.

Simply put, the Bulldogs must commit to -- and execute -- assignment football.

In each of Princeton's four losses this season, its defense has struggled to keep the opposition from getting game-defining yardage on the second level. On 13 occasions, the Bulldogs have surrendered scoring plays of 20 yards or more -- a trend that must be curbed.

Should it continue, however, a determined Kenan squad -- still minus the guiding hand of third-year starting quarterback Ken Avent III -- will pose problems for the Bulldogs, who would very much like to erase the memories of last year's 53-0 loss to the Tigers at Warsaw.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.