Tough loss no tonic for hurting Dawgs

Tough loss no tonic for hurting Dawgs
Princeton remembered two from its football family with a heartstrong effort but came up just short against Franklinton.
Members of the Princeton football team release balloons in memory of their lost teammate, Matthew Stewart, and former player, Brandon Baker, before Friday night's game.
PRINCETON - Sometimes football can teach you life lessons. Sometimes football can be a distraction from life itself. And sometimes a football game can just rip your heart right out of your chest.
Already dealing with the loss of two of their own teenagers - one a beloved teammate and one a former player, the town of Princeton and the Bulldog football team took a loss on the scoreboard Friday night, falling to Franklinton 34-28 after a late Rams' kick off return for a touchdown.
In a touching pre-game ceremony, the Bulldogs honored the lives and passing of current teammate Matthew "Big Country" Stewart and former teammate Brandon Baker, who were both tragically lost in an automobile accident earlier in the week.
Before the game, the team circled around midfield and released blue and yellow balloons, one at a time, allowing them to stream through the dusk drenched night sky, while "I'll Fly Away" played over the public address system.
The inspired Bulldogs opened the game with intensity and fervor on both sides of the ball. Junior quarterback Dylan Myers hit Dillon Daughtry for a 68 yard scoring strike on the first play from scrimmage and the defense forced an early fumble that led to another score and a 14-0 lead.
Kwame Corprew took the opening handoff on a fake sweep to the right side before tossing the ball back to Myers. Myers then hit Daughtry in stride over the middle and Daughtry out-sprinted the defense to the end zone for a 68-yard touchdown.
However, the buzz wore off quickly as Franklinton's R'Shad Yarborough recovered a fumble at the Princeton 10 and ran it in for a score to pull the Red Rams to within 14-6.
"I think we spent ourselves a little bit in the first quarter," said Princeton coach Russell Williamson. "It was the most exciting game we've had around here in a long time".
Franklinton cut deeper into the lead in the second quarter by featuring the running skills of Michael Crudup on a 16-play, 88-yard drive that consumed eight minutes and 30 seconds to lead 14-12 at halftime.
Crudup ended the game with an amazing 267 yards and three touchdowns on 44 carries.
Franklinton continued to grind up minutes and yardage in the third quarter and took an 18-14 lead by going on a 15-play, 86-yard drive that took 8 minutes and 50 seconds. The Red Rams overcame three penalties on the drive and converted a first-and-25 situation.
Princeton rebounded and retook the lead with an impressive 55-yard drive of their own that was capped by a 2-yard trounce by Benton Myers. The kick failed and left the Bulldogs clinging to a 20-18 lead at the end of the third quarter.
"We played well tonight. We came out and wanted to play hard to honor our guys and we did that," Williamson said. "Like the emotions flowing through the crowd, so the score went; back and forth."
Franklinton stayed patient and stuck with their ground attack featuring Crudup. Apparently trapped in the backfield for a loss, Crudup spun and broke free around the left side and into daylight for a 25-yard scoring run to put the Red Rams back on top 26-20 with 8:32 left in the game.
"We felt like the last team with the ball would win," Williamson said. "We had fresh legs and thought we had it."
With time running down, Princeton went on what was thought to be that crucial last drive.
More inspired running by Corprew and Benton Myers, including a conversion on fourth-and-3 with 1:47 to play. Then, with hands wringing and hearts pleading, Dylan Myers came up with a 5-yard keeper up the middle to tie the score at 26.
Having missed two previous extra point attempts, Williamson rolled the dice and attempted the PAT once more. The kick was high and right of the goalpost, but a roughing the kicker penalty against Franklinton moved the ball inside the 2-yard line and gave Princeton a chance to go for two.
Corprew took the ball and raced to the corner pylon and two more points for Princeton. While exiting the end zone, Corprew was tackled by a Franklinton defender who was assessed a 15-yard personal foul for unnecessary roughness.
Princeton, in control, prayers securely answered, kicked off from the Franklinton 45. But then, the unthinkable, the unimaginable, the cruelest cut of alls came as Franklinton's Detreich Mitchel scooped the ball up at the 5 and raced untouched down the left side of the field for a 95-yard return for a touchdown and the final score of a gut-wrenching 34-28 loss for the Princeton community.
"We've been through every emotion you could possibly think of this week." coach Williamson said, addressing his team after the game.
"That's life. It has peaks and valleys. How you gonna handle it? You just have to love one another. Live each day to the fullest. Do your best every day."
Even in their loss, the Bulldogs were proud of what they'd done on this night. You could see it on their sweat filled faces and their drenched and dirty Football Jerseys.
They honored their lost brothers and honored themselves with their effort and their spirit.
They hadn't won a football game this night but they had endured another of the most devastating blows there can be in the game of life.
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