Wait is on for PHS football
By: Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
The Princeton High football team has done its part.
Now, the Little Tigers just need to wait and hope a few games go their way. If they do, the team will find itself in the state playoffs for the first time since 1993.
Princeton is 5-3 following a 24-14 loss to West Windsor-Plainsboro South last Saturday. The Little Tigers felt they had chances to be 6-2 or possibly even 7-1. They’ll look back at an upset-loss to Hightstown and feel like that was a game that got away. Or they’ll look at tough second halves against Notre Dame and WW-P South and wonder if the result could have been different.
But those games are behind them now. And for the Little Tigers, it basically comes down to this — as long as no more than one from the group of Nottingham, Wall and Neptune wins this weekend, Princeton is in the playoffs.
Princeton is currently seventh in power points in Central Jersey Group III. The top eight teams in the section will make the playoffs. The Little Tigers have 46 power points, with a chance to earn two more if Steinert beats Hopewell Valley and Nottingham beats Hamilton.
Wall is currently eighth in the standings with 40 points. The Crimson Knights will host a 6-1 Lacey team Saturday. If they lose, they can not catch Princeton in the standings. With a win, Wall earns another 11 power points and moves past Princeton.
Nottingham is currently ninth with 39 power points. The Northstars are at Hamilton on Saturday. If they lose, they can not catch Princeton in the standings. With a win, Nottingham earns another 10 power points and moves past Princeton.
So, as long as one of those teams loses, Princeton should earn a playoff berth.
The only other team in CJ III with a chance to catch Princeton is Neptune, which needs a lot to go its way to get past Princeton. Neptune currently has 30 points and hosts a 6-1 Red Bank Catholic team on Saturday.
With a win, the Scarlet Fliers would pick up 14 power points to get to 44. But they would still need at least two points to catch Princeton and possibly three or four. The most they could get to is 48 if all four of their residual games break the right way. But those four teams have won six games combined and every one would be an underdog.
So, while everything is out of Princeton’s hands right now, the chances of making the playoffs are still fairly good. And whether the Little Tigers get into the playoffs or not, they’ve had a season to be proud of.
”We’re sitting at 5-3 and by no stretch of the imagination is this a disappointing season,” Princeton coach Steve Everette said after the loss to WW-P South on Saturday.
Princeton opened the season with two impressive wins. It has a chance to get to six wins for the second time in 15 years with a win at Trenton on Saturday. The Little Tigers already have a share of the CVC Valley Division championship.
A trip to the CJ III playoffs would be a nice topper to the season.
For now, the Little Tigers have done all they can to make sure that happens.