FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Bulldogs face Gators for high stakes

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on November 10, 2016 2:46 PM

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PRINCETON -- The task is simple.

Quell the noise around you and win.

That's the approach shared by gridiron rivals Spring Creek and Princeton, who enter tonight's Carolina 1-A regular-season finale at Harvey Brooks Field on the heels of vastly different performances a week ago.

Princeton (5-5 overall, 4-1 CC) thrilled onlookers with a rushing effort for the ages, stockpiling 754 yards and a staggering 10 touchdowns in a 74-52 triumph over neighboring Rosewood.

On the contrary, Spring Creek battled to a draw in the first half of its matchup with North Duplin, only to lose balance in the second stanza of a hard-fought, 35-19 defeat.

But as both coaches will plainly describe, that was last week.

"We were focused, and that showed up Friday night," Gaster said of his team's effort. "But that's not any concern of mine right now."

What is paramount, however, is organizing and preparing for a Gator outfit that plays with unique capability all over the field -- led in all facets by quarterback Landon Smothers, who has spun the pigskin for 1,609 yards and 19 touchdowns this season.

"They're balanced," Gaster said. "They can run the ball, and they're good at doing it. They (also) have four guys they spread wide who've caused issues for everybody they've played -- we'll have to mix up our pressure."

The same can be said for Spring Creek (3-7, 2-3), whose players are intent on burying last week's fizzled finish in Duplin County -- as long as they perform with the proper moxie.

"One of the keys for playing against Princeton is matching the aggressiveness they bring offensively," head coach Aaron Sanders said. Their O-line gets off the ball really well, and they have a couple of guards that love to get out front and hit people."

That push, synonymous with the hashmark-collecting exploits of Earl Gibson Jr., Matt Stallworth and Trace James, has produced an eye-popping 3,792 yards from scrimmage and 44 touchdowns this fall -- a statistical anomaly not lost on anyone from Seven Springs.

"Their backs run hard," Sanders said of the committee-based approach. "(And) you have to come up and meet blocking, come up and meet the ball carrier. If you wait for them, you'll be falling backwards... even if you do tackle them."

So the gauntlet is thrown down, and the stage set for two schools itching to move beyond the barber shop talk circling around their most recent efforts -- be them historic or halted.

And consider the stakes.

A Princeton victory would put the school in prime position to nab a share of the Carolina 1-A league title -- its first since a split with Rosewood in 1983. For Spring Creek, the clash is an opportunity to collect its fourth win of the season, the most by the program since a six-win campaign in 2005.

Kickoff is 7 p.m.