PHS sets up final push for playoffs

Duo has Little Tigers’ football team in position after latest win

By: Bob Nuse
   HIGHTSTOWN — Neither Doug Borchert nor Joey Cifelli expected to be playing a prominent role for the Princeton High football team this year.
   In fact, neither really expected to be playing much at all.
   But as the Little Tigers brace for their biggest game since 1993, the two sophomores are not only playing, but they’re playing very well.
   "They’re both talented kids," said Princeton High coach Steve Everette, whose team can secure its first playoff berth since 1993 with a win over undefeated West Windsor-Plainsboro South on Saturday. "We know with those two and Elliot (Schreffler), we have three solid linebackers. They’re both young guys who just like to go out there and hit people. They just run wild on the field."
   Both Cifelli and Borchert are sophomores who have stepped right in and contributed to the Little Tigers’ success. On Friday night, they helped a defensive effort against Hightstown that lifted Princeton to a 28-13 win. The win was the fifth in a row for the Little Tigers, who opened the season with two straight losses.
   "We knew this was going to be a tough game," Everette said. "We knew it would be rough and tumble. It’s a rivalry game because our Cranbury kids and their kids from East Windsor play together when they’re young. And this was their Homecoming game, so you knew they would be pumped up to beat us."
   Princeton was able to shake off 125 yards in penalties, as well as four turnovers, and come away with a win that puts it into position to qualify for the Central Jersey Group III playoffs with a win over WW-P South.
   Winning that game won’t be easy, but Princeton is pumped up and ready to give it a shot.
   "I think we’ve matured as a team," Everette said. "This is our seventh game and they know how to react to some adversity. We’re learning as we go. We’ve got a lot of young kids playing for us and they’re learning each week."
   Two of those young kids are Cifelli and Borchert, who are part of a defense that had allowed just seven points in the previous three games.
   "We’ve worked hard in practice and we just go out and try to make the plays," Cifelli said. "We want to be as tough as we can be out there. We want to make the playoffs and we know that to do that, we need to win."
   A year ago, both Cifelli and Borchert were freshmen. Now, they’re right in the middle of Princeton’s biggest season in more than a decade.
   "Coach told us last year that we were going to have to step up big and play varsity this year," said Borchert, who scored his first touchdown of the season late in the fourth quarter to put the game away. "I just go out there and give 110 percent every play. It’s great to be able to just go out there and hit people. It’s a great position to be in."
   Borchert has certainly made the most of his opportunity. As a linebacker, he’s in on just about every play. And as the backup to Alexz Henriques at tailback, he even gets to run the ball from time to time.
   "I love it," Borchert said. "This is the first year that I’ve been able to play at this level. I knew coming into the season that I had a lot to learn, I just try to keep going out and learning each week."
   Princeton got by Hightstown with its usual script, a solid defense and a big-play offense. After falling behind, 7-0, in the second quarter, the Little Tigers got even on a 78-yard touchdown pass from John Mitko to Ben Guervil.
   On the opening drive of the second half, Princeton took the lead for good when Henriques scored on a 15-yard touchdown run. Mitko hooked up with Marc Andre on a 74-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-7. After Hightstown got to within 21-13, Borchert sealed it with his 34-yard touchdown run.
   "Now we get ready for the biggest game of the year," Everette said. "We have West Windsor South and we know that game will be a war. They’re undefeated and they’ve played well this year. This is the playoffs for us. We need to win to get into the playoffs. We’ll be ready to play."