Princeton has been a big dog in the IHSA Class 3A playoffs since 2019.

The Tigers were a No. 1 seed in 2019, losing to Byron in the semifinals.

They were were a No. 2 seed in 2021, falling to No. 6 IC Catholic in the quarterfinals.

They were a No. 1 seed in 2022, bowing out to No. 4 IC Catholic again in the quarterfinals

They went back to a No. 2 seed in 2023, falling to No. 6 Lombard Montini Catholic in the quarterfinals.

They were a No. 4 seed last year, falling to No. 9 Lombard Montini once again in the quarterfinals.

This year, they’re going to take a different approach. They will be the underdog instead of a big dog.

Princeton (6-3) is a No. 14 seed as it makes its seventh straight playoff appearance, opening on the road for the first time since 2018 to face No. 3 Bloomington Central Catholic (9-0).

It is Princeton’s lowest seed in 15 postseason appearances.

The Tigers welcome the challenge of playing the underdog role.

“I think it’s definitely a change of pace but it shouldn’t change our mentality at all,” senior running back/defensive back Casey Etheridge said. “Whether we are going in 6-3, 8-1, or 9-0 it’s the same goal. Win and advance. It shouldn’t be any different than before.”

“We are ready and this will be a huge test for us but just like every year we expect to be able to hang with anyone come playoffs,” senior lineman Grady Cox said.

“I’m ready for the playoffs and I don’t mind being the underdog at all it makes us want it more,” senior quarterback/defensive back Gavin Lanham said.

Kick off is 1 p.m. Saturday at BCC on the east side of Bloomington located at 1201 Airport Rd.

The last time the Tigers played the underdog role, they took the No. 9 seed to play at No. 8 Elmwood-Brimfield in 2018, defeating the Trojans 39-12.

Here’s a look at Princeton’s other past playoff seeds in years past: 1984 (3A) - no seeds given; 1986 (3A) - No. 13; 1988 (3A) - No. 7; 1989 (3A) - No. 5; 1993 (3A) - No. 5; 1997 (4A) - No. 6; 2002 (4A) - No. 1; 2003 (4A) - No. 5; 2015 (3A) - No. 2.

Don’t doubt us

Every year, Tiger coach Ryan Pearson allows his seniors to choose a team slogan, or “mantra,” as he calls it. This year they chose “Doubt us” because of personnel departed from the previous two quarterfinalists.

“I think it’s because of the amount of talent we graduated the year before and everybody thought this Princeton team was not going to be very good,” Pearson said. “I think it truly embodied what their mentality is that everybody can doubt us all they want but the guys inside the huddle know what we’re capable of.”

“We’ve got something to prove. I think towards the end of the season we started to kind of see what this team could be all about and then we kind of put it all together last week (defeating Erie-Prophetstown 48-0). I’d rather that to happen Week 9 than Week 1, that’s for sure.”

Pearson knows BCC will be no easy task.

“Bloomington Central Catholic has a heckuva football team. They’ve got athletes all over the place,” Pearson said. “I think they have a couple [NCAA] Division I athletes. I know the (Valshub) Powe kid has signed with Illinois State and the (Matthew) Brady kid has been quite a few Division I schools’ radar. They know what kind of talent they possess, but at the same time our kids are kind of like, ‘well, they haven’t played anybody like us either.’

“And that’s really how they’ve approached it. As a coach, I’m thinking, ‘well, I don’t fault them one bit.’”

Having a history

While Saturday’s playoff game will be the first meeting in the playoffs against the Saints, the two schools 91 miles a part have a history.

They first met in 2000 in a dramatic finish with the Tigers winning 27-26 at ISU’s Hancock Stadium on a 17-yard TD pass from Shane Jones to Matt Wright with just 50 seconds left to play in Week 3. The Saints (6-4) just missed what would have been a game-winning, 35-yard field goal with 4 seconds remaining.

Cory Scott, a bruising back for Princeton, matched his own school rushing record with 341 yards, 240 coming in the second half.

The Tigers did not make the playoffs that year with a 5-4 record while the Saints lost in the first round.

A year later, the Saints turned the tables on the Tigers (3-6) for a 34-14 win at Bryant Field on the way to reaching the 3A quarterfinals, falling to Hall 27-0. The Red Devils went on to capture the state championship.