PREP FOOTBALL: Princeton claims 4-overtime win over Riverside

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on November 20, 2016 1:45 AM

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WILLIAMSTON -- Harassed all night long by Riverside's taller receivers, Lamar Wilkins came up with the most-memorable play of his career -- and in Princeton football lore.

Knights quarterback Markel Freeman took a three-step drop and lofted the ball to the right corner of the end zone.

Only one person was there -- Wilkins.

"I just lost contact ... thought somebody was behind me," Wilkins said. "I saw the ball coming, so I just stopped. I know I can't catch, but (we) needed this one to save the game."

Freeman's pick capped an exhausting, epic four-overtime thriller that ended 70-64 in the Bulldogs' favor. Princeton (7-5 overall) travels to Lakewood in second-round action of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-AA (large-school) playoffs next Friday.

Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. in Salemburg.

The Bulldogs and Knights combined to score 19 touchdowns on 26 offensive series. The 3-hour, 16-minute affair included two lead changes and four ties in regulation -- and three additional ties in overtime.

Princeton had the only punt of the night.

"Amazing," Princeton head coach Travis Gaster. "I've never been a part of anything like this with the effort on both teams. We were running our best stuff and they were clicking on their best stuff. At the end of the night, we made one more play than they did."

Wilkins' play almost didn't happen.

Riverside (8-3) grabbed a 44-36 lead on Jadakis Bonds' 7-yard touchdown pass from Markel Freeman. The two hooked up for the conversion pass. The Knights moved into scoring position on a fourth-down, 41-yard pass play.

Princeton didn't lose its poise.

Senior quarterback Adam Crocker orchestrated a textbook 14-play, 55-yard drive finished off by Matt Stallworth's 5-yard dive. Gibson Jr. added the two-point run.

Just 27 remained on the clock.

"Our O-line felt comfortable that we could move the ball and not do much fancy stuff with it," Gaster said. "(Just) try to move and get a little bit of yards at a time, trust our system instead of trying to gain a lot and panicking.

"Our coaches did a good job of play calling, not panicking with the short time, trusting the offensive line and knowing our backs running with power could get it done for us."

Riverside's one last gasp -- a 38-yard pass -- was stopped 1 1/2 yards short of the goal line as time expired.

Tied 64-all after three OT sessions, Princeton stepped up to the 10-yard line for its next series. Gibson Jr. got knocked back a yard on first down, but answered with a 10-yard burst on the next play.

Crocker tried a QB sneak and found no daylight.

Fourth-and-goal at the 1.

Gaster burned a timeout.

"We just discussed that we had worked too hard to get stopped by them," Crocker said. "The weight room showed, especially for our O-line. We knew we were going to run the same thing again, I just followed my entire O-line (into the end zone)."

The Knights halted the two-point conversion.

Freeman's first pass to Bonds was broken up near the back of the right-corner pylon. His next pass dropped into Wilkins' out-stretched arms and he rushed toward the Princeton bench that erupted into a frenzied celebration.

"Coach said 'go make a play,'" Wilkins said.

Game notes:

EARL'S NIGHT

* Gibson's seven rushing TDs equaled the school's single-game record set by Johnny Frazier, who is now at N.C. State. Frazier also holds the school record for total touchdowns in game (8 -- seven rushing, one receiving).

Gibson toted the mail 42 times -- tying him for 13th all-time in the NCHSAA record book. PHS alum Mike Atkinson holds the school record (49).

And finally, Gibson's 46 points -- seven TDs and pair of two-point conversions -- ranks him among the top-10, single-game scoring efforts documented by the NCHSAA.

EFFICIENCY

* Princeton converted 10 of 17 third-down plays and was a perfect 5 of 5 on fourth-down tries.

Five offensive series lasted nine or more plays, and each resulted in a touchdown.

"We were able to capitalize when we had a short-yardage situation," Gaster said. "They didn't give us the 'home runs' that we've had in previous games, but they (Riverside) were solid up front. (Our kids) believed in our system."

ANOTHER RECORD CHECK

* Princeton won an opening-round playoff game for the fifth time in its last six tries. The Bulldogs last won a first-round road game in 2012 when they reached the east 1-A championship game.

The team's 70-point outburst tied a single-game playoff record set in the first round against Northampton in 2014.