Princeton outlasts Union

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on September 21, 2013 11:25 PM

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ANDREW STEVENS

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PRINCETON -- In the midst of the chaos at the Fred L. Bartholomew Jr. Athletic Complex on Friday night there was a calm.

There was a quiet confidence on the Princeton sideline, too.

That belief didn't go unrewarded.

Johnny Frasier scored the go-ahead touchdown with fewer than two minutes to play and the Bulldogs hung on for a 42-41, non-conference win over Union.

"I think what happened last week (at North Johnston) was a faith builder," Princeton head coach Derrick Minor said. "These kids never wavered once. We just said 'hey, we're going to go score.' The confidence these young men have and the belief in what we're doing surpasses anything that happens on this field."

Tied at 35-35 midway through the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs elected to convert a 4th-and-1 at their own 47-yard line. Frasier appeared to have the first down, but the officials ruled he was stopped short and did not bring out the chains for a measurement.

"I went to every official and I never got an explanation on not getting a measurement," Minor said. "When it's a tie ballgame and it's fourth-and-short, there should at least be some kind of measurement."

Dezmond Faison's 18-yard touchdown run with fewer than three minutes to play gave Union a 41-35 lead after the extra point was blocked. Faison rushed for 206 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries.

The Bulldogs needed less than a minute and just three plays to regain the lead as Frasier raced 40 yards to the end zone. Vicente Mendez's kick put the Bulldogs ahead for good at 42-41. Frasier finished with 193 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries.

"We came back and we started executing and we had to pull one out of the hat," Frasier said. "On that last run, I followed my blockers and they gave me a hole and that was all she wrote."

Faison's 31-yard touchdown run and 52-yard punt return put the Spartans ahead 14-0 in the first quarter.

Princeton (3-2) had difficulty generating offense early on and abandoned its spread offense in favor of single-wing formations. Quarterback Michael Wooten put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard with a 7-yard touchdown run.

Frasier's 24-yard TD run tied the game at 14-14.

Union quarterback Ryan Hall's 43-yard pass to Shyquan Brunson kept the Spartans' opening drive of the third quarter alive. Traquan Peterson's 5-yard scoring run put the visitors ahead 21-14.

The teams battled through two ties and four lead changes in the second half. Princeton's Wooten and Dillon Pace each reached the end zone. Union's Faison tallied TDs on runs of 14, 18 and 69 yards.

Princeton begins Carolina 1-A Conference play at No. 1-ranked James Kenan next Friday.