GETTING HIS KICKS: Princeton High football player Carmine Carusone boots the ball in recent action. Last Friday night, sophomore defensive back/running back Carusone kicked a 27-yard field goal to give PHS its only points as it fell 7-3 to the West Windsor-Plainsboro United football co-op. The Tigers, now 4-4, play at Palmyra on October 21. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Evan Pease put in extra work over the summer to get ready for his senior season on the Princeton High football team.

Doing offseason training with teammate and fellow senior Tyler Goldberg, Pease gained strength and confidence.

“We were lifting every day at his house,” said running back/linebacker Pease.

“It was 5 a.m. lifts then straight into 7 a.m. practice. We came back as a new breed.”

The new, improved Pease, though, hit a roadblock when he was laid low by illness early in the season.

“I had mono, I took a hit in my spleen,” said Pease. “I missed three, four games. That set me back, it was tough.”

Last Friday night as PHS hosted the West Windsor-Plainsboro United football co-op for its annual Homecoming game under the lights, the Tigers got off to a tough start as they trailed 7-0 at halftime.

“The offense wasn’t really stepping up so our defense had to,” said Pease. “We have had four shutouts this year, we came in going for another one. They have a good running back an some good guys back there.”

At halftime, PHS decided to emphasize its running game in the third quarter.

“It was put some points on the board, we switched up the scheme for offense,” said Pease. “We switched to 20 personnel. I picked up a few good runs on that. It is all about momentum.”

Pease started the second half with a 30-yard run down the sideline. He later added a 25-yard jaunt on that possession to set up a field goal by Carmine Carusone as the Tigers narrowed for gap to 7-3

“Coach likes to run me in the outside plays,” said Pease. “I am gone once I start going outside.”

Early in the fourth quarter, Pease broke loose up the middle and sprinted 60 yards to the WW/P 26-yard line before getting caught by a WW/P defender.

“My legs gave out,” recalled Pease. “I didn’t see the guy come from behind and he stripped the ball, it was a good play by him.”

Four plays later, PHS came up inches short on a fourth and six and never got the ball back as it lost 7-3 and moved to 4-4.

It was a disappointing ending to an evening that started with the Tiger players sprinting en masse before kickoff to the PHS student section of the crowd that packed
the stadium.

“It was really hyped,” said Pease, who ended up with 125 yards on nine carries. “We have done a lot better than most of our teams. We had high expectations tonight — we just couldn’t pull through at the end. It sucks, but we fought.”

PHS head coach Charlie Gallagher credited his defense with fighting hard all night.

“I am proud of our defense, they have good backs and our defense was gang tackling,” said Gallagher. “They were swarming to the ball, they have been doing that all year. So my hat is off to the defense. Coach [Brandon] Williams is doing a great job with the defense, they are all over the place.”

In the second half, PHS looked to get Pease and fellow running back Goldberg untracked.

“We had a little bit of success on that first drive with our 20 personnel which has Evan and Tyler in the backfield,” said Gallagher. “We got away from it a little bit, we have a lot of different packages. We have more of a running package, we have a passing package. We are trying to be balanced, maybe balance isn’t what we are, maybe we are a two-back backfield.”

Gallagher was excited to see Pease have success. “We are really happy with him,” said Gallagher. “He was sick but he is back and made a great recovery. We probably need to get him the ball more.”

With PHS playing at Palmyra on October 21 in its regular season finale and then playing a New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) postseason contest, Gallagher is looking for a great effort from this players.

“We have weeks to go, there are wins to be had,” said Gallagher. “I know these guys are upset, but we have to get back at it tomorrow in practice. We have to review the game and find a way to get better. It will be a short practice but I want those guys to still be together. It is a great group of guys. I admire the Phillies, the other night they won the Division series and you just see them mucking it up in the locker room. They are so tight. These guys are pretty tight, they remind me a little bit of the Phillies.”

The squad’s senior group has played a key role in producing that camaraderie and the program’s progress as it already quadrupled its win total from last year.

“The score was not what we wanted for this senior class,” said Gallagher. “I know this is the thing they don’t want to hear but they are helping put Princeton back on the map for football. We have got a lot of kids out here. That is a credit to a lot of these guys on the field, making football relevant again. It will carry over, we are doing a lot of great things.”

Pease and his classmates are determined to produce a great finish in their final weeks together on the field.

“We have got to look ahead; we have got Palmyra next week, we beat them last year,” said Pease. “It is more than a game to us to be honest, there a lot of brothers out there in the classroom and on the field.”