PRINCETON (WVDN) – The Greenbrier East Spartans will head to Mercer County this Friday night, Oct. 28, for a battle with one of their oldest rivals, the Princeton Tigers.
After a close victory at home last season against the Tigers, the Spartans know that a huge challenge awaits them this time around.
Princeton is 5-2 on the year and are averaging 33 points per game and are allowing just 20.7 to their opponents. The Tigers have had an extremely successful year. Their only loss in the state is to Hurricane — they lost to Lord Botetourt, Va. — and they are coming off a 34-29 victory over Top 5 Bridgeport last week. Bridgeport is the only team this year to defeat top-ranked Parkersburg South who the Spartans lost to last weekend.
So, long story short, the Tigers are a good, well-coached and fundamental football team.
Princeton Players to Watch:
Grant Cochran
Dominick Collins
Marquel Lowe
Khamrin Proffitt
Brodee Rice
Cochran has been a starter since his freshman year, and the senior has put up huge numbers in his career. This season he has thrown for 1,410 yards and 19 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He has also completed 61% of his passes. Once a sure-fire FBS-level prospect, Cochran cooled down a little from that hype, but is still a college-ready quarterback at some level.
His favorite target is Collins, and the junior is one of the top pass-catchers in the state. He has hauled in 42 receptions for 763 yards and 14 TDs. In the victory over Bridgeport, Collins had six catches, 74 yards and three scores. So, no matter the competition, Collins will show out in a big way.
Lowe and Rice are the one-two punch out of the backfield with Lowe racking up 429 yards and three touchdowns and Rice contributing 268 yards and six scores as more of the third-down/short-yardage back. Rice is also a terror on defense and is second on the team in tackles trailing only Proffit, who averages over 11 tackles per game.
The Spartans come in with upset on the mind after falling to top-ranked Parkersburg South a week ago. East played really well in the first quarter and even had an early lead before the Patriots pulled away late in the first half and into the second.
Other than Ian Cline running for 178 yards and two scores, the biggest story of the night was the health of quarterback Monquelle Davis. The senior scrambled for extra yardage and got hit awkwardly. He was helped off the field and never returned after that play. Davis is expected to play against the Tigers, and it will be interesting to see how effective he can be. If he is close to full strength, he is always a threat to be a game changer and the Princeton coaches know him well.
East’s defense will be the key, however, against the Tigers.
As stated above, they played well last week for much of the first half before wearing down as the game moved forward. Their task is tough this week.
Keys to the Game:
Princeton likes to throw the football with Cochran but will mix in Lowe and Rice periodically to keep opposing defenses honest. If the run is effective, they will use it a lot to then set up the passing game, so for the Spartans it would then become a pick-your-poison type of game.
With Princeton eyeing a high playoff seed, they will be determined to make quick use of East. The game is also on the Tigers’ home field which makes this an uphill battle for the Spartans.
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