Saturday, September 23, 2000
Princeton 49, Middletown 28
Harrison leads reborn Vikings
By Carey Hoffman
Enquirer contributor
On the third play of the game Friday night, Princeton rolled the dice.
“It was a guess,” Princeton coach Scott Miltenberger said. “When we saw Middletown's formation, 80 percent of the time they throw a bubble pass out of it. (Dan Haag) was sent in there to make the interception, and he did it.”
Haag returned the ball 39 yards for a touchdown, setting the stage for Princeton's convincing 49-28 victory over the Middies.
Princeton is now 4-1 and tied for the top spot in the Greater Miami Conference with a 3-0 record. This comes after the school's proud football program suffered through a 2-8 record a year ago, the worst mark for a Princeton team in 41 years.
“I think we've accomplished a lot,” senior linebacker James Freland said. “Some people picked us as low as last in the GMC. You look at the previous year's record, but this year we've got great senior leadership.”
Princeton moved into The Enquirer's Division I poll for the first time this week, checking in at No.9.
“We want to be up there,” said senior running back VaShaun Harrison, who ran 21 times for 218 yards and two TDs Friday. “We want to make the playoffs. Game by game, we're working as hard as we can.”
Harrison is the embodiment of Princeton's newfound fire in 2000. Friday he ran through numerous arm tackles and at other times carried tacklers on his back as he struggled for extra yardage.
“When I touch the ball, I don't like to go down,” said Harrison, whose older brother, Vince, was Princeton's star quarterback three seasons ago. “I give a lot of credit to (offensive tackle) Myron Hillman and the right side of the line for what I got tonight.”
Middletown stayed with Princeton into the second quarter, pulling to within 21-14 following a TD run by Harrison when Tyran Thompson went 60 yards for a TD 9:24 before halftime.
But Princeton turned again to Harrison, who broke through traffic for a 37-yard TD run 3:51 before halftime. He also carried four times for 39 yards on a drive early in the second half that resulted in a 4-yard TD run by Robert Bradford that put Princeton in control at 35-14.
Miltenberger said this was the most complete team effort his team has produced this season, a year that is turning out more like what the second-year coach and longtime Princeton assistant envisioned when he accepted the Princeton job.
“The biggest thing I can say is, from Day One, these kids asked for extra conditioning, asked for extra weightlifting and asked for extra hitting in practice. They're a special group.”
Princeton has 36 seniors this year, compared to six a year ago. “These kids are just pulling together,” Miltenberger said. “It's got nothing to do with coaching.”
MIDDLETOWN ....... 7 7 0 14—28
PRINCETON ....... 14 14 14 7—49
P - Haag 41 interception return (Jackson kick)
M - Thompson 2 run (Hamilton kick)
P - Lawson 31 run (Jackson kick)
P - Harrison 1 run (Jackson kick)
M - Thompson 60 run (Hamilton kick)
P - Harrison 37 run (Jackson kick)
P - Bradford 2 run (Jackson kick)
P - Lawson 8 pass from Carress (Jackson kick)
P - Daniels 28 run (Thompson kick)
M - Hunter 7 pass from Hamilton (Hamilton kick)
M - Hunter 20 pass from Hamilton (Hamilton kick)
Records: M 1-4 (1-2 GMC), P 4-1 (3-0 GMC).
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Next week's games
Aiken 15, Mt. Healthy 14
Anderson 41, Northwest 7
Bethel-Tate 21, Western Brown 6
Campbell County 47, Newport 14
CHCA 37, New Miami 0
Colerain 54, Milford 0
Dayton 26, Raceland 12
Edgewood 53, West Carrollton 22
Elder 40, Indianapolis Bishop Chatard 16
Fairfield 21, Sycamore 7
Goshen 24, Kings 19
Hamilton 21, Lakota East 10
Hamilton Badin 25, Roger Bacon 7
Harrison 48, Amelia 0
Highlands 63, Lex. Paul Dunbar 25
Holmes 35, Woodford County 12
James.Greenview 36, Cin. Country Day 26
Lakota West 14, Oak Hills 3
Lebanon 28, Wilmington 18
Lex. Tates Creek 21, Dixie Heights 14
Lexington Henry Clay 38, Simon Kenton 26
Little Miami 18, Norwood 13
Loveland 34, Ross 27
Madeira 21, Deer Park 12
Madison Central 36, Scott 7
McNicholas 28, Chaminade-Julienne 27
Miamisburg 41, Talawanda 22
Moeller 33, La Salle 20
New Richmond 58, Clermont NE 7
North College Hill 21, Landmark Christian 0
 Princeton 49, Middletown 28
Reading 49, Finneytown 34
Ryle 3, Lexington Bryan Station 0
St. Xavier 45, Indianapolis Tech 0
Summit Country Day 59, Lockland 0
Turpin 7 Glen Este 0
Walnut Hills 35, Taft 0
Western Hills 49, Hughes 15
Williamsburg 28, Hillsboro 9
Winton Woods 20, Mason 17
Withrow 19, Woodward 0
Wyoming 21, Mariemont 13
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