The Princeton Tigers, at 4-7, will not be boasting one of the best records of the 16 teams remaining in the Missouri Class 1 football playoffs, but the story of this year’s Tiger turnaround is as riveting as any in the state, as Princeton recovered from giving up a game-opening 84 yard kickoff return for touchdown to win at Maysville, 46-22 on Friday night, in Class 1, District 8 semifinal action.
In a game broadcast on KTTN FM 92.3, Princeton pulled away in the game’s final 16 minutes from a tight affair to snare the road win, ending the Wolverines season at 8-3 (with losses to Hamilton, Trenton, and Princeton), with a co-championship in the Grand River Conference’s 11 man division.
The Tigers, a 2-7 team coming into the postseason, have scored a total of 171 points in their last 11 quarters, using that offense, including a dynamic passing attack led by junior quarterback Andrew Smith, to a district surge. The two victories in district play leaves Princeton as the only 11 man GRC team still in action, as Princeton will prepare for a trip to Hamilton on Friday night to challenge the unbeaten, #3 ranked, #1 seed Penney Hornets. Kickoff from Alumni Field is slated for 7 o’clock on KTTN FM 92.3. Additional broadcast information will be announced throughout the upcoming week. The winner moves into the state quarterfinal round on Friday, November 11th. Penney advanced to the District 8 championship game with a 52-0 win over visiting Putnam County on Friday night.
Other district semifinal results, from Friday, October 28th:
CLASS 1, DISTRICT 5:
Mark Twain 43, Scotland County 41
Monroe City 28, South Shelby 22
CLASS 1, DISTRICT 6:
Marceline 55, Fayette 6
Westran 53, Sweet Springs 7
CLASS 1, DISTRICT 7:
Plattsburg 23, Wellington-Napoleon 18
East Buchanan 34, Mid-Buchanan 7
CLASS 2, DISTRICT 8:
Lexington 56, Trenton 13
Lawson 61, Bishop LeBlond 31
CLASS 3, DISTRICT 8:
Maryville 45, St. Pius X (Kansas City) 7
Richmond 21, Chillicothe 18
CLASS 4, DISTRICT 8:
Kearney 59, Lafayette 7
Platte County 39, Smithville 14
8-MAN, DISTRICT 1:
Rock Port 78, Albany 32
Stanberry 68, Worth County 36
8-MAN, DISTRICT 2:
North Andrew 54, St. Joseph Christian 6
South Holt / Nodaway-Holt 58, Mound City 26
8-MAN, DISTRICT 3:
Southwest Livingston 66, North Shelby 14
King City 72, Stewartsville 14
8-MAN, DISTRICT 4:
Greenfield 2, Northwest (Hughesville) 0 – FORFEIT
Sedalia Sacred Heart 67, Norborne 0
