LAST STAND: Princeton High football player Ethan Guerra battles in the trenches during a game earlier this fall. Senior Guerra starred on both the offensive and defensive lines for the Little Tigers. PHS ended the season by falling 38-13 to Monroe last Saturday in an NJSIAA regional crossover game, leaving it with a final record of 1-9. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

For Ethan Guerra, getting carried off the field by a group of his teammates after his final game for the Princeton High football team last Saturday was the perfect way to end a memorable four-year ride with the program.

Enjoying the PHS tradition by which each senior receives a special farewell trip off the field got Guerra to thinking about his football experience.

“This game felt like the end of this era for me,” said the 5’9, 215-pound Guerra, who starred on both the offensive and defensive lines over the last three falls for the Little Tigers.

“This is a big part of my life for my high school career, especially the last three years when I was varsity. This is like my whole thing.”

Although PHS lost the finale, falling 38-13 to Monroe in an NJSIAA regional crossover game, Guerra wasn’t focused on the scoreboard.

“It is a game and in the end, I am here to enjoy it; I am not going to be too upset,” said Guerra.

“My freshman year, we were 0-10 and my next year we were 8-2. I have gone from winning almost all of our games to winning almost none of our games. I just learned to play for the sport and to just play to enjoy. I have got to enjoy it if I want to be out here.”

Three-year starter Guerra has enjoyed passing on what he has learned to his younger teammates.

“I am the last starter on the line from the 8-2 season so I have been starting for a while; all of my other guys have graduated out,” said the bearded Guerra.

“I feel like the old man on the team. I help out the other guys because most of the other guys this year are first-year starters. I have been doing this for three years, playing both ways. I give tips out to the guys whenever they need them.”

As he moved up the ranks of the program, Guerra was mentored by older players.

“It is just the family you have through playing football,” said Guerra. “There was a guy who was on the 8-2 team, Omar Moustafa, and we were real tight. We were like brothers. I still talk to him all the time and he wanted me to take his number and carry on his legacy. That motivated me forward to keep working. It was his legacy before me and mine now.”

PHS head coach Charlie Gallagher was hoping Guerra’s legacy would include a win in the finale against Monroe.

“We wanted to send the seniors off with a win, that was important,” said Gallagher, whose team finished the fall at 1-9.

“We didn’t get that job done. We also wanted to start a winning streak we didn’t get that. We are going to wait to start our winning streak in game one in 2017 but that’s OK. We will keep patient, we will work hard.”

PHS worked hard against the Falcons, drawing to within 8-7 in the first quarter and 22-13 midway through the third quarter but couldn’t get over the hump.

“We had a little bit of a passionate halftime speech,” said Gallagher. “We were down. We had a couple of dumb penalties in the first half; we needed to eliminate that. I think we had a turnover in the second half but they did a nice job on the penalties in the second half which was good. Now we need to learn.”

Noting that PHS had a number of underclassmen see action this season, Gallagher sees that as a head start in the preparation for next season.

“We have a lot of tape we can look at over the break, we have got a lot of young guys,” said Gallagher. “It is nice because we can see them on tape. We know what a lot of guys look like.”

While Gallagher had hoped for more wins this fall, he believes his returning players will benefit from the experience.

“I think you can go all the way back to 2013, we were 0-10 but got a lot of underclassmen on the field,” said Gallagher.

“In 2014, we had a really good run. I am looking at this year as a very similar year to 2013. I think we are in a better spot than 2014. If these kids can learn from that, we will be OK and be ready for a really good 2017.”

In Gallagher’s view, there is a good foundation in place going forward.

“Not only did we have so many sophomores and juniors, they are good football players,” asserted Gallagher, who got two touchdowns from junior star Jakob Green in the loss to the Falcons.

“They are going to get better. We are going to enjoy watching them play other sports. We have a good slew of guys who do a lot of good things. We are going to watch them and see them grow up a little more and become better athletes and better young men. I am excited for that.”

The team’s senior class showed good growth over their four years. “They have done a really great job,” said Gallagher,” whose Class of 2017 includes Kyle Angelucci, Aaron DiGregorio, Matt Hawes, Samardi Jeedigunta, Alex Solopenkov, Biagio Toto, and Will Wright in addition to Guerra.

“Ethan is a really talented ball player, we are going to miss him. Aaron DiGregorio and Will Wright are kids that have been here for four years and just doing a great job. These are the freshmen that I started with as head coach. I will graduate with them a little bit. It has been four good years.”

For Gallagher, forging those bonds with his players is the most meaningful aspect of his role.

“It is a real honor to be the coach,” said Gallagher. “Any time you are out here on the football field, it is a great season. Any time you get out there and you get to participate, compete, and be with the young men, it is a great feeling. I am truly blessed.”

Having turned the page on his football career, Guerra will now be competing in his final wrestling campaign. “I am looking forward to that; I love all of my sports,” said Guerra.

“I play them to enjoy them. I always look forward to the next game or the next practice. I think that is more important that anything else. That is why you play sports in high school, because you enjoy it.”