CHARLIE COMPANY: Princeton High football head coach Charlie Gallagher plots his next move in a game earlier this season. Gallagher’s leadership helped PHS make the state playoffs, where the seventh-seeded Little Tigers fell to second-seeded Brick Township 48-12 last Friday in an opening round contest. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Despite the daunting prospect of facing defending sectional champion and second-seeded Brick Township in the opening round of the Central Jersey Group 4 state playoffs last Friday evening, the seventh-seeded Princeton High squad was cautiously optimistic.

“The kids were real excited, we thought we had a good game plan and that it was a good matchup for us,” said PHS head coach Charlie Gallagher, reflecting on the program’s first state playoff appearance since 2009.

“We had told them before the game that yardage was at a premium. It was a playoff game, we were playing a high caliber opponent that doesn’t give up a lot of points. We are going to have to battle for every yard.”

But the contest quickly turned into an uphill battle for the Little Tigers as they fell behind 14-0 early in the first quarter.

“We opened up with an onside kick because they only had four on the line; we thought this set up well because most teams have five guys,” said Gallagher.

“They didn’t catch it. We kicked it out of bounds, they had a short field and scored in three or four plays. We had a third and long on our next possession and we had a 30-yard catch and then we fumbled the ball. Even though they didn’t have good field position, they were able to march in for another score.”

After PHS quarterback Dave Beamer scored on a one-yard touchdown run to make it 21-6 in the second quarter, Gallagher thought the Little Tigers were back in business.

“No doubt, we thought we were in the game,” said Gallagher. “We have been down before this season and made comebacks. But that Sclafani (Brick quarterback Carmen Sclafani) kid was real talented. We didn’t have an answer for him. We matched up well against the rest of the team but they had one kid who was real special. He was a dual threat, he could run and he could pass.”

Ultimately, Sclafani proved to be the difference, rushing for two touchdowns and passing for another as Brick pulled away to a 48-12 win.

Despite the final margin, PHS wasn’t hanging its heads in the wake of the defeat, which marked the final chapter of a heartening reversal of fortune that saw the team post an 8-2 record after going 0-10 last fall.

“We talked about how proud we were of the team,” said Gallagher, recalling his postgame message.

“The seniors had a great run, they put so much into it. Going 8-2 was a remarkable turnaround. Most guys picked us at the bottom of the division in the beginning of the season. We had no number of wins in mind, we just wanted to compete. We competed at a high level and got eight wins, the guys should be very proud.”

For second-year head coach Gallagher, there were a number of proud moments this fall.

“The first win stands out (a 28-7 victory over Hamilton in the season opener) although it seems like a long time ago,” said Gallagher, crediting senior captains Sam Smallzman, Brian Tien, and Colin Buckley with setting a positive tone.

“The second win over Ewing on homecoming under the lights was a great event. It was great to see such a huge crowd. People told me it was one of the most memorable sporting events they had seen at PHS. Even though it was a loss, the Winslow game stood out. I liked how the kids rebounded. There were lessons that needed to be learned and learned quickly.”

Gallagher likes the program’s future prospects. “We have an up and coming line that got better every week,” said Gallagher, noting that linemen Noah Ziegler, Matt Toplin, and Ethan Guerra will return to wreak havoc in the trenches.

“We have Beamer and Rory Helstrom back; it is good to have continuity on offense. We have to fill a couple of holes but the future is bright. The guys are excited to get back to it.”

The excitement surrounding PHS’s memorable fall has Gallagher optimistic that others will want to join the fun.

“I think the kids had a really great time,” said Gallagher. “The tale of the tape will be next year in August. I hope kids from John Witherspoon and Cranbury want to play for a quality football team because we have it right now. Winning attracts kids.”