Princeton offense runs wild on Timberjacks

Every time the Princeton High football team had the ball they ended the drive with a touchdown during a 52-6 drubbing of Hayfork on Senior Night in Princeton on Friday.

The Timberjacks offense put together two long drives in the first half, scoring on the second one, but the Eagles defense allowed just four first downs after Hayfork scored with 8:05 left in the first half.

Hayfork opened the game with a 10-play drive that ended in a punt, and Oscar Espinoza took the Eagles' first play from scrimmage 66 yards for a touchdown and Eduardo Valencia ran in the two-point conversion for an 8-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Princeton (4-3, 2-1 South 8-Man) forced the Timberjacks to punt on the next drive and Rod Angus returned the punt 38 yards, and three plays later Espinoza took the ball around the left side for a 13-yard touchdown and a 16-0 lead.

The Timberjacks responded with a 13-play, 65-yard drive capped off by a 13-yard touchdown pass from Edgar Castellanos to Joseph Nagle but the Eagles stuffed the conversion try.

From that point on it was all Princeton. Valencia, a senior, ran a sweep around the right side for a 66-yard touchdown on the first play of the next drive and, after Hayfork turned the ball over on downs, capped off a 56-yard drive with a 34-yard touchdown run for a 32-6 halftime lead.

"The line did a great job, their blocking was terrific," Valencia said.

The Eagles adjusted to Hayfork's option attack and were able to control the game from then on, Valencia said.

"It was our first time running against an offense like that, so we were just getting used to it," he said.

Hayfork couldn't convert on a fourth-and-seven on their first drive of the second half and Valencia made them pay two plays later with a 44-yard touchdown run.

The Timberjacks couldn't get to a squib kick on the ensuing kickoff and Angus dove on it on the Hayfork 30-yard line. Espinoza took the next play in for a touchdown on a sweep to the left.

Valencia finished off the scoring with an 11-yard touchdown after Jacob Chrestensen's 16-yard run brought the Eagles into the red zone.

Valencia carried the ball six times for 180 yards and four touchdowns. Espinoza added 10 carries for 176 yards and three touchdowns. Chrestensen carried five times for 25 yards. Lucas Hubbard completed his only pass attempt, a 17-yard strike to Espinoza.

Hubbard and Juan Falcon led the Eagles with a solo sack each, and the duo converged on the quarterback for another takedown.

"I just chipped the guard, he kept trying to down block me and I just slipped the block and I was right there," Falcon said.

The Eagles gained 398 yards on 22 plays on offense, and Hayfork (1-6, 1-3 North) managed just 134 yards on 50 plays.

Castellanos completed 2 of 4 passes for 23 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 33 yards for the Timberjacks, and Brandon Klopfer led Hayfork with 68 yards rushing on 20 carries.

The Eagles won their second game in a row and will try to move into second place in league on Friday when they travel to Greenville (5-2, 3-0).

CONTACT Kirk Barron at 458-2121 or kbarron@tcnpress.com.