Princeton leaves home to face Red Dragons
Written: Oct 07, 2011
 By JIM NELSON
for the Daily Telegraph
PRINCETON — Wrapping up a testing stretch of three road games in three weeks, Princeton travels to St. Albans in Mountain State Conference football action tonight.
The Tigers enter the contest with some momentum, having extended George Washington High before losing, 20-8 two weeks ago, followed by last Friday’s 41-7 win at Graham.
“We’ve handled the challenge of playing on the road, so far,” Princeton coach Ted Spadaro said. “Sometimes, when you are on the road, it helps you to bond together as a team.
“We’ll need to stay focused and avoid the type of mistakes that can hurt us, especially tonight against St. Albans.
“They are big (with three starting offensive linemen who weigh 280+ pounds), but this is the MSAC and you’re going to face big teams on a regular basis.”
St. Albans tailback Zack Walke is the centerpiece of the Red Dragons’ attack. He rushed for 161 yards and all three St. Albans touchdowns in last week’s 32-22 loss to South Charleston.
Multipurpose back DeShawn Alexander and fullbacks Kevin Cantley (245 pounds), Drew Kirby keep defenses from focusing solely on Walke, and quarterback Taylor Clark has an excellent receiving corps, headed by wideouts Dylan Medley and Tyler Robinson.
For the Tigers, one key will be their health.
“We will have a few players who will probably be out of the lineup this week,” Spadaro continued.
Running back Tre’ Hopkins is still recovering from an Achilles injury, and tight end David Brewster is recovering from surgery.
“However, some players are now available after missing time earlier because of injury,” Spadaro said. “We have also gotten a lift from several players who have stepped in and filled a need.”
Princeton has been led this season by Tahj-Sho Johnson, who has run for 717 yards and 10 touchdowns. Storm McPherson has thrown for 413 yards and four touchdowns, three to Euneke Diaz. Brett Carroll and Corey Mann play a key role as fullbacks behind one of the area’s biggest offensive lines.
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