TITLE PURSUIT: Princeton High boys’ lacrosse player Tooker -Callaway, left, pursues a foe in recent action. Last Saturday, junior star and co-captain Callaway helped key the defensive effort as second-seeded PHS defeated No. 7 Hightstown 14-5 in the Mercer County Tournament quarterfinals. The Little Tigers, who improved to 10-3 with the win, were slated to face third-seeded Robbinsvillle in the MCT semis on May 10 with the winner advancing to the title game on May 12 at WW/P-N to face the victor of the other semi, which pitted top-seeded Princeton Day School against fifth-seeded Hopewell Valley. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Tooker Callaway got a battlefield promotion in the preseason for the Princeton High boys’ lacrosse team when his leadership on defense prompted the coaches to make him a team captain.

The junior star has embraced the responsibility of guiding things along the PHS backline.

“I try not to scream at them but we have to keep it coordinated back there so I try and keep everything running smoothly,” said Callaway, who also stars on defense for the PHS boys’ hockey team.

“We have two great sophomore poles, we have the Jacobs brothers (Patrick and Ian) there. We have been doing a great job, I think.”

Hosting seventh-seeded Hightstown in the Mercer County Tournament quarterfinals last Saturday, second-seeded PHS didn’t do a very good job in the first half, clinging to a 6-5 lead at the break.

“We took way too many penalties and they capitalized on those; they had a good man up play,” said Callaway.

“The halftime message was that we knew what we needed to do. We just had to execute our game plan and know our slides and the personnel on their team.”

The Little Tigers got it done in the second half at both ends of the field, outscoring the Rams 8-0 as they pulled away to a 14-5 win and improved to 10-3. PHS is slated to face third-seeded Robbinsville in the MCT semis on May 10 with the winner advancing to the title game on May 12 at WW/P-N to face the victor of the other semi, which pitted top-seeded Princeton Day School against fifth-seeded Hopewell Valley.

“It was the execution and we were able to wear them down as well,” said Callaway.

“Leo (Godefroy) had a big game for us in goal; he has been great. He has been on point, he makes tons of big saves. He plays well in big games.”

Reaching the MCT semis was a big step for the Little Tigers, who fell to PDS in the 2015 MCT quarters.

“To get back there, it is what we work for all season,” said Callaway. “We prepare each game to make it to the playoffs and be at our best so it means a lot to just get one more game and keep playing with the guys I spend so much time with and who I love.”

PHS head coach Chip Casto loves the way Callaway is leading the PHS defense.

“He is our quarterback; he is making the calls and he sees the adjustments,” said Casto.

“He is making instant decisions for us and we have 100 percent faith in him to do that. He has been great, he has risen to the role and the occasion. That is why he was named captain in early March; we saw that early and went with it.”

At halftime of the Hightstown game, Casto urged his players to get back to basics in order to rise to the occasion.

“We have had close games, like our Notre Dame game, where we came back when we were down late, that was a good example that we pointed to,” recalled Casto.

“So it was relax, let’s get the next goal and stay with our simple basic philosophy. We just started marching a little more and the defense got all fired up to try to shut them out in the second half.”

The PHS attack marched through the Rams in the second as junior stars Eamonn McDonald and Johnny Lopez-Ona caught fire.

“It was good stuff, that is what we preach, just basically throw it to the open guy,” said Casto, who got seven goals on the day from McDonald with junior standout Lopez-Ona chipping in four tallies.

In Casto’s view, the Little Tigers can emerge as county champions if they stick to their stuff.

“It is fun; this is good,” said Casto. “I am glad that we have county tournaments so there is tension in the game. There is a Final 4 coming up and a doubleheader and that is good, fun tension for the kids. Everything we do, it is just do it more consistently, that is what we try to preach. It is fun to see it start to click, we want to be playing our best in May.”

Callaway, for his part, believes things are clicking for PHS. “I think we just have to play our game,” said Callaway. “We need to play simple and move the ball and keep possession a lot and just try to grind teams down until we can grit it out.”