Princeton calls audible, practice moved to Washington

Princeton coach Ryan Pearson has called his first audible of the summer season.

The Tigers were scheduled to host Washington High School for a joint practice at Princeton’s Little Siberia practice field on Thursday morning. Due to the recent heavy rain, they will now shift sites to utilize Washington’s turf facility.

The varsity-only practice will still run from 10 a.m. to noon.

“We basically treat it just like a normal practice for our kids. Now during drills, they get to compete against someone from Washington as opposed to our own kids,” Pearson said. “I have a lot of respect for the Washington program. Going against a team of this caliber will only help us in our preparation for the season.”

Pearson said he has been great friends with Washington coaches Darrell Crouch and Todd Stevens since his time in the Mid-llini Conference at Canton, where he coached before coming to PHS in 2017.

Stevens, the Panthers’ defensive coordinator, is a 1990 Princeton graduate and member of the Tigers’ 1989 state runners-up. His title was changed to associate head coach this year and he is in line to take over as head coach when Crouch retires after this year.

Stevens joked that he was disappointed missing out on the trip back to Princeton to eat at the Pizza Cellar with his old teammate, Erik Sorenson.

Washington, which has an enrollment of 1,429, went 6-4 a year ago, finishing second in the Mid-Illini, before falling in the first round of the 6A playoffs. The Panther have made 35 playoff appearances (38-34) in program history, capped by a 4A state championship in 1985.

Princeton’s bus time is 8 a.m. Pearson said all players will need to bring their shoulder pads, practice jersey and cleats.

On Saturday, Princeton will host its annual 7 on 7/Lineman’s Challenge beginning at 9 a.m. at Bryant Field and Little Siberia.