Banged-up Tigers working to remain in chase for playoffs

By JONATHAN GREENE

Bluefield Daily Telegraph

PRINCETON — When Princeton takes the field tonight against Spring Valley, they may feel like they are looking into a mirror.

Like the Tigers (3-4), the Timberwolves (3-3) have had an up-and-down season.

Spring Valley started off with three straight wins, but have lost their last three. Meanwhile, Princeton is coming off a disappointing 20-6 loss to St. Albans and have dropped three of their last four.

“We had an opportunity to make some big plays there in the first half,” Princeton head coach Ted Spadaro said. “As a result of some of the injuries we had, we couldn’t make them. It was nip and tuck, back and forth.

“I think after a while, their two-person platoon got us a down and we couldn’t get it done. That was a game if I had a couple of the kids that were on the sideline injured in the game, it would have been different.”

Spadaro said the Tigers were without Tre Hopkins, Euneke Diaz and their leading rusher Tahj Sho-Johnson against the Red Dragons. Their replacements in the backfield could only manage 62 yards.

“The ones we had in there played hard and worked hard,” Spadaro said. “I was real pleased with their effort. I wasn’t pleased with the loss.”

Johnson will be back, according to Spadaro after having a “good week of practice.” Hopkins and Diaz though could be out for the season.

Princeton will turn to Jake Palmer and Brett Carroll along with Aaron Saunders to help pace Johnson, who has 717 yards this season and 10 touchdowns.

“Those kids have stepped up and helped carry the load,” Spadaro said. “I was real pleased with their effort. The only thing they lack is experience.”

Spring Valley will bring in plenty of experience with senior quarterback Cameron Roam and junior running back Elijah Wellman. Those two bring size as well, especially Wellman who is 6-foot-3, 225 pounds.

“They’re going to run it a right at us like they have in the past,” Spadaro said. “They run the old version of the wing-T. They run the spread offense.

“They have a big line blocking in front of them. They’re a good football team on both sides of the ball. They’ve had some bad breaks like us. They need to win this game to get in the playoffs and of course, we do to.”

The Tigers have worked all week on preparing for the Timberwolves’ rushing attack. Princeton allowed St. Albans to run for 185 yards last week.

“We’ve worked all week long on our tackling drills,” Spadaro said. “We always like to put the pad below the knees and lock up instead of grabbing. That’s all football is about — blocking and tackling.

“We didn’t very good a times with our blocking or tackling. We’re going to have to be more focused this week and have our mind on football. Take care of business — that’s all I ask them to do.”

The Tigers had three turnovers last week and were only able to manage six points and 224 total yards of offense. They will need to turn that around this week if they want to have any type of chance against Spring Valley.

“With the kids who stepped up that I mentioned, I look for all them to have a good night,” Spadaro said. “I look for our offensive line to do a much better job than they did. They blocked well, but they didn’t block well enough.

“I do look for that improvement, because we’ve had a good week of practice.”

Spadaro will also have to fight off the distraction which comes with homecoming week.

“I try to emphasis to them that homecoming is, of course, for the school and community and I want everyone to enjoy themselves,” he said. “But I don’t want them to take away from what their real main purpose is to win the game so after the game the football team can enjoy themselves.

“We want to be focused on the game and we want to win the game. All these other extracurricular activities will be great after the game.”

A win will help keep Princeton’s playoff hopes alive. The Tigers are currently ranked 26th in Class AAA with a 4.71 rating. Spring Valley is one spot out of the playoffs in 17th with an 8.00 rating.

“It’s a very important game,” Spadaro explained. “Spring Valley is sitting in there and they want to win to go to the playoffs. Our kids want to go too.

“If we beat them and go onto Cabell Midland and Greenbrier East, you’re looking at a lot of points. We have a chance to edge a few of those teams out. Our main focus has to be to win this game cause after Friday night, there is not much of chance to get in.

“There will be some 6-4 teams get in and they’re coming from the MSAC which the toughest conference in West Virginia I think.”

The key to coming away with a victory will be turnovers and field position.

“We have to stay focused on the play calls that we get, the defensive formations that we call and field position,” Spadaro said. “Field position and turnovers can come back to haunt you if you’re not focused and not doing the things you are suppose to be doing out there.”

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. tonight at Hunnicutt Stadium.

— Contact Jonathan Greene

at jgreene@bdtonline.com