Princeton falls to Hobbton, ends season 2-10

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on November 10, 2006 1:47 PM

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NEWTON GROVE -- Gerell Bogle ran for a game-high 128 yards on 28 carries Thursday night, but it wasn't enough as the Princeton Bulldogs fell to Hobbton 34-14 in the first round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 1-A western playoffs.

Hobbton (9-3) quarterback C.J. Brinson led the way with three rushing touchdowns and a 54-yard touchdown pass to split end Marco Lesso as the Wildcats rolled up 28 first-quarter points.

Eleven seniors -- including Bogle -- played their final football game for the Bulldogs (2-10).

"Our seniors worked really hard all year long and wanted to get us into the playoffs and they did it," Princeton coach Russell Williamson said. "Some of them will be hard to replace."

The Wildcats started from their own 36 after the opening kick-off and scored five plays later on Brinson's first touchdown run.

After a Princeton punt, Hobbton scored again on Lesso's long touchdown catch. A.J. Currie gave Hobbton a 21-0 lead on a 10-yard run with just more than two minutes left in the first period.

Hobbton then picked off a Matt Blackwell pass scored again as time ran out in the first quarter on a Brinson quarterback sneak.

The Bulldogs offense finally got cranked up in the second quarter. Blackwell found tight end Daniel Gerrell open in the end zone to finish off a six-play, 60-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass.

Hobbton quickly scored again on Brinson's third TD of the night and Hobbton led 34-7 at intermission.

Princeton refused to give up and pulled within 20 points on a Kevin Foy 9-yard touchdown run and a Jarad McLamb point after with a little more than four minutes left in the contest.

Hobbton (9-3) will host the winner of the Weldon-Chatham Central game next Friday night.

Veteran Wildcat head coach Al Britt was happy to survive and advance.

"We were able to do pretty much what we wanted offensively in the first quarter, we advanced to the second round with no one getting hurt and that is what we wanted to do," he said.

Led by Bogle, Princeton finished with 151 yards on 36 carries. Hobbton countered with eight backs gaining 272 yards on the ground.

"We have made a lot of improvement since last year," Williamson said. "We have about 45 freshmen or sophomores in our program, we will have some good senior leadership again next year and I am looking for some good things to happen."