Princeton scored on fire of six first-half possessions and Johnny Fraaier dashed for 258 yards as the Bulldogs rolled past rival Rosewood, 52-12, to close out the regular season.
The win lifted the Bulldog to 10-1 overall, and sole possession of second place in the Carolina 1A Conference.
Frasier, who has verbally committed to Florida State, took a handoff on a reverse on Princeton’s first play from scrimmage, and raced 65 yards up the left sideline to pay dirt, setting the stage for what the Bulldogs had to offer against a game Eagles defense.
Frasier added touchdown runs of 4, 30 and 4 yards while carrying the ball 21 times, giving the Bulldogs a big play whenever they needed it. His first run gave the entire Bulldogs sideline a big release, according to Princeton coach Derrick Minor.
“That kind of play takes the wind out their (Eagles) sails,” Minor said. “This is a big rivalry, and a play like that calms you down if you are on the long end of it. It takes care of everyone’s anxiety.”
Princeton followed that touchdown with scoring marches of 56 and 90 yards in the first quarter, sandwiched around a 62-yard scoring drive by the Eagles, which tied matters at 6-6.
But that would be the last the Eagles would see of an upset victory over the state’s fourth- ranked 1A team.
Frasier raced for 232 first-half yards on 16 carries, while the Bulldogs continued to move the ball up and down the field, as the senior back bolted to his 30-yard TD run.
Quarterback Michael Wooten added a 75-yard strike to Cameron Jackson midway through the second quarter for a 36-6 halftime lead.
“That was a big night for Johnny,” Minor said. “Especially on a night where you had to grind up until the fourth quarter with them, but you know. We needed that.
“With the playoffs coming up, you want to make sure the guys are healthy, But also to see we are finishing strong. It was a good night.”.
Frasier was not alone, however. A variety of heroes dotted the Bulldogs efforts with big plays.
Wooten completed 4-of-5 passes for 108 yards and two TDs, finding Jackson for another score of eight yards, while scoring a pair of two-point conversions himself.
Adrian Whack also made his presence felt, rushing for 69 yards on six carries, including a 29-yard first-quarter scoring jaunt.
Cody Gardner also made life miserable for the Eagles (6-5, 4-2) rushing for 58 yards on .five carries, and scoring a two-point conversion.
There were also heroes on defense for the Bulldogs, who stopped the Eagles three times in the red zone, once at the 1-yard-line. Among the defensive heroes was Robert Edwards, who picked off a Cameron Holt aerial on the left sideline, stopping a march by the Eagles.
“That offense of theirs, it take a series to see exactly what they are doing and are capable of,” Minor said. “You try to judge the speed of it, which isn’t easy to do in practice situations. It sure didn’t feel like a 40-point game.”
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