I had the good pleasure to attend the Princeton Class of 1990’s 25th reunion over the weekend, hosted by class ring-leader Jay Alter. They were a great group of kids and now adults. My, how they could play football and have a good time doing it.
Talking to those guys Saturday evening, I could still picture them how they looked when Tiger Style roamed wild in ‘89.
Chad Hamel looks like he could still race away from the field, like he did in the big Alleman playoff game victory at Bryant Field. In fact, he was wearing his old No. 1 blue jersey and was looking good in it. He did offer that he probably couldn’t fit in the pads these days.
I saw old fullback Sean Schickel and could picture him still busting through the defensive line. It was Schickel who offered my favorite quotes of the season.
When the Tigers rocked Alleman that day, he remarked, “It used to be, ‘Oh my God it’s Alleman.’ Now it’s, ‘Oh My God, it’s Princeton.’”
He also talked about borrowing a 1989 Tom Petty hit song that the Tigers were “Running Down a Dream.”
Doug Bruyn has been the standard of quarterbacks at Princeton the past quarter of a century with his game-breaking speed and strong arm. I can still see him shaking and baking on the field.
The old linemen looked like, well, old linemen, Brian Drake, Chris “Box” Carr, Bill Kissick, Pat “Murph” Cater, Eric Pierce and Jeff Donarski, and I’m sure could provide a good block or two and a hard hit.
Murph’s proving to be quite the rock and roll star, the lead singer for his group, Snap Shot, that performed for his class reunion. No one was surprised to see their old classmate in this role, remembering how he’d sing in the showers with his boom box blasting.
Kirk Stevens, pound for pound probably the hardest-hitting linebackers I’ve ever seen, was the minister of defense for the Tigers. Now he’s a minister.
Kipp Wahlgren is well-chiseled from years of life in the Navy. He looks like he could still make that key sack against rival Hall to finish off the Tigers’ playoff 13-7 win on the road. It’s no wonder Tiger coach Randy Swinford quit wanting to wrestle Wahlgren in practice when he came back to visit from college.
The boys were happy to see old line coach Steve Kiser, who famously coined the team theme song, “Tiger Style Running Wild.” I kept waiting for him to go play the guitar and sing with Murph.
I have covered many a good football team in Bureau County over the past 29 years. There have been very good teams such as the state champs from Hall (‘95, ‘01) and Bureau Valley (‘05) and runner-ups from the same pair.
The Tigers, the best public school team in 3A (six classes) in 1989, rank right up there with any of them. They had top talent at every position up and down the roster. Unbelievable talent.
Brian Church, retired PHS guidance counselor and former Tigers offensive coordinator, admits coaching that team was pretty easy.
They were also pretty easy to follow and admire. They brought the whole Princeton community together as I’ve never seen it in my 29-year beat covering PHS sports. When the Tigers decisively took down undefeated and heavily favored Aurora Marmion 35-7 in the semifinals, Swinford called it a win for Princeton, Ill., not just PHS.
I was glad in reading the old news clips from scrapbooks Saturday that the old BCR Sports Editor picked the Tigers to win that game 23-13, even though most others did not.
My old pal Daryn Foley from the Class of ‘90, once told me, jokingly, at past class reunion that this team made me in this town when I was just starting out. I didn’t disagree.
Curtis Odell and Nate Norman, a pair of future Tigers coming up behind the ‘89ers, told me they still look in awe at that team when they saw my pictures from the reunion, and always looked up to them coming up the Tiger ranks.
They were a team to emulate for sure. Perhaps this year’s team can one day be looked upon with such high regard. Time will tell.
One thing for sure, the 1989 Tigers football team has withstood the test of time. The town will always talk about that team. Always.
• Tiger trivia: Do you remember who the starters were on the 1989 squad? I want to test your memory. Send me an email and let's see who remembers the Tigers best.
Kevin Hieronymus is the BCR Sports Editor. Contact him at khieronymus@bcrnews.com.