IHSA 3A Playoffs: Princeton gets ‘journey’ started with opening round win

Ryan Pearson told his Princeton Tigers the journey is just beginning.

That journey got off to a fast start in Saturday’s Class 3A playoff opener at Bryant Field.

The Tigers scored the first six times they touched the ball, including five touchdowns in the first half, on the way to a 44-7 win over visiting Paxton-Buckley-Loda. Junior running backs Casey Etheridge and Ace Christiansen each scored twice in the first half.

“We came out right off the bat, showing them what we’re all about. Felt great getting the first win at home,” said junior end Noah LaPorte, who had a touchdown catch. “We put in all the work all year around. We expected to be here. We’re in the position right here.”

“The regular season is obviously important, but it’s way more important what starts now this week. The playoffs are where we expected to be and this means a lot more,” said senior Preston Arkels, who capped the Tigers’ scoring with a third-quarter touchdown.

The No. 2 ranked Tigers (9-1) will play at No. 10 Monmouth-Rosevile (6-4) in the second round next Saturday at 5 p.m. The Titans won on the road Friday night at No. 9 Poplar Grove North Boone, 35-14.

The Tigers beat the Titans 40-0 in the season opener at Monmouth.

“It was awesome. Great atmosphere here in the Jungle,” PHS coach Ryan Pearson said. “Our kids came out came ready to play. They were dialed in to our game plan and I thought they executed it extremely well in the first half. I don’t think we punted the entire football game.

“I don’t know how many yards they had in the first half. Outside of that one long jet sweep, I don’t think they had much of anything. I’m proud of our kids. The name of the game is survive and advance and now we get to move on to Monmouth next week.”

Etheridge capped a seven-play, 63-yard scoring drive on the game’s opening possession, weaving his way through traffic like he was late for work.

Christiansen found himself wide open in the end zone with nary a defender around for a 19-yard touchdown pass from Will Lott. Etheridge added the conversion run to make it 14-0.

Christiansen then stayed on the ground for a 5-yard touchdown run with Arthur Burden catching a conversion toss from Lott to send the Tigers a 22-0 lead at quarter’s end.

The Tigers couldn’t have scripted the first quarter out any better.

“It was a pretty good effort from everyone and we just followed the game plan and they did exactly what they told us they were going to do. And we just executed what we needed to,” Arkels said. “We had to change some things few things a little bit, but it was pretty good overall.”

The fun was only beginning for the Tiger fans.

Etheridge stretched out to reach the goal line for his second score of the day, a 13-yard TD with 4:53 left in the second quarter.

LaPorte, a 6-7 standout in basketball, won a jump ball over the smaller PBL defender in the end zone for a 30-yard TD reception from Lott with 39 seconds left in the first half. Lott ran in the conversion to send the Tigers to half with a 38-0 lead.

“It was a jump ball. Those are my favorite,” he said with a smile. “I love getting the chance. Coach believes in me, (so) get up and get that ball. Went up and came down with it.”

Pearson just let LaPorte call and make his own play.

“I told him, ‘You’re going to get single coverage. I’m going to let you call the route.’ And he wanted the fade,” he said. “Sometimes you just got to let your players go up and make plays.”

Arkels, who has made his name this season as a crunching lead blocker, got his own number called on the Tigers last scoring drive of the day. He carried the ball six times in a 11-play, 89-yard scoring drive, capped by a 2-yard dive.

“It’s fun. It’s nice to do when you block all the time,” he said.

Princeton racked up 402 net yard offense, including yards rushing on 47 attempts. Etheridge led the Tigers with 101 yards on 17 carries with Christiansen adding 83 yards and Arkels 72 yards, each on 10 carries.

Lott completed 7 of 10 passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

While the Tigers defense was scored upon for the first time in four weeks, they held the Panthers to just 157 nets yards on the day, 101 by rushing. LaPorte and Lott each had interceptions and Common Green, Payne Miller, Cade Odell and Burden each recorded sacks.

The bulk of the Panthers’ rushing totals came on Robert Boyd-Meents’ 49-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter and a 26-yard gainer at the end of the third quarter.

“Our kids work at it all year round. Everything we do weight room wise, all the stuff we do in the summer, it builds to moments like this,” Pearson said. “I’m glad our kids got to experience the fruits of their labor today.”