2023 NewsTribune Offensive Football Player of the Year

After the 2022 season in which the Princeton football team went 11-1, won a fifth consecutive conference title and reached the Class 3A quarterfinals, the Tigers lost a lot of talent.

Especially on offense.

Princeton graduated all-state quarterback Teegan Davis (1,638 passing yards, 20 TDs, 766 rushing yards, 17 TDs) and its top two running backs in Augie Christiansen (1,082 yards, 19 TDs) and Connor Hickey (555 yards, 9 TDs).

So the Tigers needed some younger players to fill the voids.

“I thought it was real important for the younger guys to step up after the older guys left,” Princeton sophomore Casey Etheridge said. “You can learn a lot from them. They’re amazing players and amazing leaders. They really helped us step up. They showed us how to control ourselves on the field. Teegan and Augie, they never got rattled. They kept even keeled and kept going.”

Christiansen took the lessons to heart and certainly stepped up for the Tigers.

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound sophomore became the star of the Princeton offense, helping carry the Tigers to a 10-2 record, a sixth straight Three Rivers Conference East Division title and a fourth consecutive quarterfinal berth.

Etheridge ran for an area-best and school-record 1,897 yards – 972 yards more than the area’s No. 2 rusher – on 223 carries and 29 touchdowns. He averaged 158.1 yards per game and 8.5 yards per attempt.

We kind of knew what we had with Casey going in to the year. Yeah, we were missing our top two running backs from the year before, but we knew we kind of had a diamond in the rough that not a whole lot of people knew about.

—  Ryan Pearson, Princeton coach

For all he accomplished this season, Etheridge is the 2023 NewsTribune Offensive Football Player of the Year.

“We kind of knew what we had with Casey going into the year,” Princeton coach Ryan Pearson said. “Yeah, we were missing our top two running backs from the year before, but we knew we kind of had a diamond in the rough that not a whole lot of people knew about.

“He’s a pretty awesome talent to have. He’s a very hardworking, humble young man who’s willing to do all the little things we need our kids to do to be successful. He’s not worried about personal accolades, he just wants to do whatever he can for the team to be successful. That’s the kind of kid he is.”

Etheridge burst into the spotlight in his first game as Princeton’s featured running back.

He rushed for 234 yards and four touchdowns on 13 carries in the Tigers’ 40-0 win over Monmouth-Roseville in the season opener.

“Casey developed a lot from his freshman to sophomore year,” senior offensive lineman Payne Miller said. “He was obviously no slouch. He played hard and finished runs. Even in tough situations, a lot of guys will get nervous. If he was, he sure didn’t show it. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

Etheridge ran for more than 100 yards in nine of 12 games and went over 200 yards four times. He scored in every game, including scoring multiple touchdowns in nine games.

“A lot of work in the offseason,” Etheridge said about his success. “I feel like our work as a team in the offseason was awesome. At camp, we learned plays quickly, and we were at a great place because we scrimmaged Washington, and the 7-on-7 helped a lot.”

Etheridge hopes to have a better season next fall.

“I think we need to make it to the semifinals and state,” Etheridge said. “We have a lot of talented backs, a lot of talented linemen and very talented coaches, and I think we can make it far for what we have.”