Every Fall, you can count on the leaves changing colors and falling and the temperatures beginning to drop.

And in Bureau County, you can count on the Princeton Tigers football team making another deep postseason run.

The Tigers made their fifth straight appearance in Class 3A quarterfinal play this season, led by the talents of three All-State players - seniors Noah LaPorte and Cade Odell and junior Casey Etheridge.

LaPorte made his first splash setting school single-game records for receptions as a sophomore. He continued to shine over the next two seasons as a two-time First-Team All-Stater, getting on nearly every college’s radar in the Midwest.

On Wednesday, the 6-foot-6 senior became the second Princeton player in two years to move on to the Big Ten, signing with the Northwestern University Wildcats.

Etheridge rushed for 234 yards and 4 touchdowns in his very first varsity start as a sophomore and has continued to shine. He rushed for 1,706 yards and 25 TDs this year and is on target to become the all-time leading rusher in Bureau County.

Odell has been a four-year stalwart on the Tigers’ offensive and defensive lines, earning First-Team All-State and unanimous Three Rivers East All-Conference along the way.

For all of their accomplishments, the Tiger trio is recognized as the 2024 co-BCR Players of the Year. LaPorte and Etheridge also shared the honors last year.

Tiger coach Ryan Pearson likes to refer to the players as the “Poster Childs” of his program.

“Three great kids that have been absolute stalwarts. Fortunately, we got one of the three back,” Pearson said. “Just great ambassadors for our program, because they’re kids the little kids look up to. After every single game, I see kids bringing up hats and footballs and t-shirts having them sign. From a coaching standpoint, those three are very gifted, God-given talent wise. They work extremely hard to hone their craft.

“Just three fantastic young men. I wouldn’t want anybody else to be poster childs of our program.”

Admiration for one another

Each player has a deep appreciation for their teammates abilities and what they bring to the team.

On Odell, Etheridge said, “Everything starts up front and I think Cade really led our team as a whole. The best teams have the best line. They’re the ones who open up your holes. You’re not a running back without good linemen. Cade’s a big part of that. He brought them together. His knowledge of the game is so in depth. It just brought our whole line together when Cade’s there.”

On LaPorte, Odell said, “I just remember playing with him since the fifth grade and seeing the dynamic athlete he was. Breaking tackles as a running back in the fifth grade. As we got older, I just remember him his sophomore year, breaking open, finding windows for Teegan (Davis) to hit him and he’s running and trucking guys as a sophomore. This year, I saw a new side of him with his aggressiveness as a ball carrier. His run after the catch just surprised me. I was just astounded.”

Etheridge adds about LaPorte, “I think it’s really his drive for the game. Obviously, he has the ability. That’s what everybody talks about. They don’t see the work he puts in behind the scenes. How hard he works I think really determines who he is as a person. I think that’s what (the Div. 1 coaches) really saw out of him. He might not come from your big Mt. Carmels or Loyolas. Even the small-town kids can give you a fight. And I think he really shows what Princeton is all about with our hard work. He likes to get better every day.”

On Etheridge, LaPorte said, “He’s not too easy to take down. You put the blocks out there for him, he’ll do the rest. He’ll run through arm tackles. You really got to put a hit on him for him to go down. Sometimes I was surprised he was up and running after some of the hits he took. Just a hard-nosed runner who deserves all the credit and media stuff he gets.”

A family affair

The best thing about being a Princeton Tiger, the players say, is having a family within the program.

“Our togetherness and sense of family, Every time we break a huddle, we do, ‘Family on 3.’ And I think that’s representative of how we played together,” Etheridge said. “Playing like a family shows you can make it far.”

LaPorte said the best thing of being a Princeton Tiger is “Playing with all your friends and having the community support you.”

“The family is very important. We just really came together and we enjoyed playing football,” Odell said.

Celebrity status

The Tigers have learned they have many young eyes in the community on every step of the way. LaPorte was high-fived by his cousin and other little Tiger fans in the end zone after scoring a touchdown in the playoff opener with Oregon. Etheridge and LaPorte always have a crowd of kids huddling around them seeking their autograph or just wanting to talk to them.

They’ve learned it’s a pretty big deal.

“Having all those little kids look up to you asking for autographs and pictures, there’s no better feeling than when those kids make you feel like a celebrity when you’re just in high school,” LaPorte said.

“It’s like your own little high,” Etheridge said of the attention drawn on them. “You’re just in high school, just a normal kid, but there’s kids that look up to you and to be a role model for them and knowing that, you know you’re doing something kind of right when you have kids asking you for that.”

Odell gets a kick out of seeing all the attention given to the Tigers’ stars.

“I enjoy observing all the kids gathering around Noah and Casey, all the big stars,” he said. “Kind of cool the amount of eyes watching those two. I’m thankful they have good role models to look up to.”

Learning lesson

While the Tigers had a great season overall and reached the Class 3A quarterfinals once again, it didn’t come without a stumble when they were handed a stunning 31-3 Week 3 loss at Monmouth-Roseville, a team they defeated twice last season by a combined 75-0.

It proved to be a lesson well served.

“That game kind of set us straight. Same thing as last year with Morrison. We kind of get over our heads and they set us straight and allowed us to go deep in the playoffs,” Etheridge said.

“It was a great season. It really sucked to lose to Mon-Rose, but I think it really helped propel us forward and helps us lock in to create the team we were,” Odell said. “Montini was a tough loss. Sadly, that’s the way the cards were dealt.”

“I think losses like that prepare you for deep runs in the postseason like we just had,” LaPorte said. “It’s very tough to end your senior season not any where we wanted to, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. It was a great experience getting to play for Princeton and the kids I grew up with since the fifth grade.”

Looking ahead

The Tiger trio will be breaking up next year with LaPorte on his way to Northwestern and Odell to play for Dordt University in Sioux City, Iowa. They look for Etheridge to take the ball and run with it.

“He’s going to break the record. He won’t say it, but we will,” LaPorte said of Ronde Worrels’ school record. “I’ve seen him since he was a freshman and he’s running all over then. He’s got a chance to do something special. I don’t know how many people that would ever happen. We got to watch Ronde (Worrels) in high school. No one ever thought anybody would ever have a chance to catch up to his record.”

Etheridge has his sights taking the Tigers farther in the playoffs.

“We need to make it past the quarterfinals. We don’t want to end our season there,” he said. “During the season, we have to learn to not get comfortable. We can’t keep having these losses during the season that put us back in the rankings.

“Individually, I want to grow as a leader and be able to be more vocal with my team. Not worry about any stats and just focus on winning with my team and having fun.”