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 (Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption:
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Vieten Stands Tall in Overtime Session To Help PHS Football Earn Dramatic Win
By Bill Alden
After all Mike Vieten has been through in his Princeton High football career, he was ready to step up as the Little Tigers headed into overtime last Saturday against visiting Holmdel.
The stocky 5'9 185-pound senior rammed into the end zone on a two-yard run to help PHS take a 34-27 lead in the first overtime of the NJSIAA consolation match-up.
Then, after Holmdel scored a touchdown and went for a two-point conversion to win the game, Vieten came up from his linebacker position to drive the Hornet ballcarrier into the field turf to secure the Little Tigers' dramatic 34-33 win.
A beaming Vieten maintained that the win was a reflection of the character the team has shown all fall, no matter what the circumstances.
"The whole season we've tried to keep our heads up even when things were going bad," said Vieten, as reflected on the triumph which improved PHS to 5-4 on the season.
"We seniors try to make sure all of the guys are staying up. If someone isn't playing well we come out and say 'let's go.' This team never gives up, it keeps fighting."
That fight has helped the Little Tiger go from zero wins in Vieten's freshman season in 2001 to one win in 2002 to two wins last fall and now five with one game remaining.
In Vieten's view, the formula behind the program's renaissance is simple. "I remember as a freshman, we had no wins and a bad attitude," recalled Vieten, whose versatility has resulted in him scoring six touchdowns and having three sacks.
"I think that as soon as Coach [Steve] Everette came, our attitudes changed. It's all about attitude; our attitudes have been so great the last two years."
The team's good attitude manifested itself in a special resilience last Saturday as it battled the elements on the cold, windy day and a fired up Holmdel team.
Coming out flat, the Little Tigers went into the locker room at halftime trailing 12-0. After getting the lead at 13-12, PHS fell behind 20-13 and 27-20.
With two minutes remaining, the Little Tigers started at their own 20 yard line, going into the wind and behind 27-20. Senior quarterback Vinny Giacalone coolly led the team down the field, recovering an Alexz Henriques fumble at one point to keep the drive alive.
Facing a second down and ten on the Holmdel 18 with 10 seconds remaining, Giacalone found his brother Frank in the end zone and hit him with a scoring strike. Kicker Katy Paxton nailed the extra point to force overtime.
In reflecting on the team's final march in regulation, Vieten said the team had been calm in the huddle.
"We were just saying take it down the field," said Vieten. "This is our game, we're not going to let them take this from us."
PHS head coach Everette, who jokingly called for a defibrillator in the post-game celebration after the topsy-turvy contest, was left nearly speechless by his team's resolve.
"I don't even know what else is left," said Everette. "We go down 12 and then we fight back. We came out a little flat. Luckily after halftime, we got our act together."
Everette credited his seniors with holding things together. "We have a great, great, great senior class," declared Everette.
"They stayed calm on the sidelines; we just said go and execute. Our seniors make sure that we go out and perform. My hat goes out to the senior class; our senior class makes it happen."
Vieten has emerged as a catalyst according to Everette. "When it's crunch time, we depend on Mike to get us tough yards," explained Everette.
"He's the heart of our defense. We don't care if he's 5'8 or 5'9 or whatever, we ask him to go out and knock the crap out of people every week. He goes out and does it every single week. That's what we do."
The win over Holmdel will stand as a highlight in what has turned into a special fall for the third-year head coach.
"Today was nice," said Everette, whose club concludes its season by hosting Nottingham on November 20.
"The whole season has been nice. The kids have been tremendous, they have worked so hard. To have a winning season means a lot, not just to the program but to the whole community."
Everette is hoping to end things in style next week as PHS celebrates senior day in the season finale against Nottingham.
"We have one game left and it's senior day," said Everette. "That's going to be a special day because I'm going to have to say goodbye to some players who have done everything I've asked of them. It's going to be an emotional day."
Vieten, for his part, believes next Saturday will be special for the whole team, seniors and underclassmen alike.
"Our seniors have been extremely tight but we hang out with the younger kids too, it's a whole team bonding together," said Vieten.
"I can't tell you how much it would mean to me to leave this place with six wins, that would be great. We're going to put it all on the line this week and hopefully we'll walk away with a victory."
