Football team stopped by Brick
By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
BRICK — Princeton High’s first football playoff appearance since 2009 didn’t end the way the Little Tigers had hoped.
But even a 48-12 loss to Brick Township in the Central Jersey Group IV playoffs on Friday night couldn’t put a damper on an incredible season.
”There is nothing wrong with a great 8-2 season,” said Princeton coach Charlie Gallagher, whose team turned around an 0-10 season last year to win eight games this season. “There are only so many teams that are going to win out at the very end. We fell victim to a good ball squad and this is something to build on going into next year going from 0-10 to 8-2.
”And we want to be competitive again next year. That was the goal going into this thing. I didn’t know if it would lead to 8-2 but the kids put it on their shoulders and it led to a great season.”
Princeton ran into a tough foe in second-seeded Brick Twp., which won the CJ IV title last year. After an unsuccessful PHS onside kick to open the game, the Green Dragons scored on their first possession and jumped out to a 21-0 lead before the Little Tigers got on the board with a David Beamer touchdown run. But Brick would score twice in the final two minutes of the first half to extend the lead to 35-6.
”I think they just got out ahead on us,” Gallagher said. “We were so close to getting that first onside kick but we missed it and they marched down the field on us. We just didn’t have too many answers for their offense. I thought we moved the ball nicely on offense here and there.
”I thought our guys hung in there without a doubt. It was a valiant effort. They were a better football team than we were today.”
Princeton came out in the second half and put together an 11-play, 70-yard drive that included a pair of fourth-down conversions and concluded with a Beamer to Rory Helstrom touchdown pass. Trailing 35-12, the Little Tigers converted the ensuing onside kick but could not put together a drive.
”We were excited,” Gallagher said. “If we had scored and made it 18 or 19 we would have been down two touchdowns. We held the ball in the third quarter until about four minutes left which was awesome because we had to keep the ball out of their hands. We just didn’t keep it out of their hands long enough.”
In the end, Princeton just wasn’t able to come up with an answer for Brick quarterback Carmen Sclafani, who was every bit as good as advertised. On the Princeton side, Beamer finished 18 of 34 for 228 yards and a touchdown.
”There are not many teams out there at 8-2,” Gallagher said. “We would have liked to have given Brick a better fight. But at the same time the kids played their hearts out all season long. They can hang their head on something like this. This was a great opportunity. We have a lot of kids coming back so hopefully this is a good taste for more to come.”
After going from zero to eight wins in one season, Princeton hopes this is the first in a string of successful seasons.
”We have out quarterback coming back and we have our running back coming back,” Gallagher said. “We’re going to try to do more of the same next year. Dave is going to get better in the offseason. He is committed to being a top-notch quarterback and we want to get him there.”