FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Bulldogs must take care of details against Riverside

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on November 17, 2016 9:57 AM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

WILLIAMSTON -- Princeton's football team has followed the same regimen since the first official day of practice.

Pay attention to detail on offense and defense.

Go hard on every play.

Turn the small failures into big successes.

It's an equation -- mentally exhausting at times -- that requires discipline, heart, sweat, determination and grit.

"We try to make sure (each week) that we put ourselves in the best place possible to be successful," second-year PHS head coach Travis Gaster said.

Tried and true, the formula produced a six-win campaign, a share of the Carolina 1-A Conference title for the first time in 33 years and two running backs who are each flirting with a 2,000-yard season.

Can it continue to work?

The Bulldogs (6-5 overall) try again Friday night when they travel to Riverside for a first-round game in the 2016 N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-AA (large-school) playoffs. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.

Opposing defenses have attempted all season to derail Princeton's Wing-T attack. But a mature offensive line that can pull and trap to either the left or right side of the field has made it difficult to defend the misdirection scheme.

The numbers prove it.

Backfield mates Earl Gibson Jr., Matt Stallworth and Trace James have combined to rushed for 4,115 yards and 54 touchdowns on 485 carries - an average of 8.48 yards per down. Nathan Ramby has 146 yards rushing and three TDs.

Gaster anticipates seeing at least seven defenders, maybe more, within three yards of the line of scrimmage. The senior tandem of Branson Rogers and Ricky Hardison have combined for 139 stops, including 21 tackles for loss, for the Knights' defense.

"Everyone has tried to make us one-dimensional because that is what we focus on (the run game) and that's to be expected," Gaster said. "We have a passing game. If they're doing something unsound in their pass coverage, we're going to take advantage of it."

Quarterback Adam Crocker threw his first two TD passes of the season last week against Spring Creek.

Riverside averages 335.5 yards an outing and is led by sophomore quarterback Brandon Beach, who has thrown for 1,738 yards and 19 touchdowns. Jahkee Cooper leads the backfield with six rushing TDs. Multi-threat Markel Freeman, who will line either behind Beach or slip outside to a receiver position, has accounted for more than 1,000 yards of total offense.

"Their O-line is big," Gaster said. "They run the ball well because they force you to cover the pass. They're going to call the play based on what you give them. Defensively, we've got to be sound in our assignments and our sets. We'll have to take some chances with coverages.

"I just hope we guess right and make some big plays."