The Harnett Central Trojans will look to take advantage of their home-field for the first time this season as they take on the Princeton Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Given that both suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.
Harnett Central is headed into their home opener looking to turn things around after opening their season on the road. They fell just short of West Johnston by a score of 37-34 on Friday. The Trojans haven't had much luck with the Wildcats recently, as the team's come up short the last three times they've met.
Despite their loss, Harnett Central saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. DJ Brown, who picked up 160 receiving yards and three touchdowns, was perhaps the best of all. Another passer making a difference was Koby Howard, who threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns while completing 73.1% of his passes.
Harnett Central didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Logan Huffman, Eli Muhammad, and Nolan Bullock picked up one apiece. Deacon Stewart was another major factor on D, picking up 1.5 sacks and making 11 total tackles (5.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Princeton couldn't capitalize on their home-field advantage in their season opener. They and South Johnston were almost perfectly matched up on Friday, but Princeton suffered a 21-20 defeat.
Even though they lost, Princeton was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 221 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 180 rushing yards in 14 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Harnett Central came up short against Princeton in their previous matchup back in August of 2023, falling 28-22. Will Harnett Central have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
