PETERSBURG – The combination of big plays offensively on the ground and through the air, and a swarming defense that stifled its opposition, led to the Head Coach Derek Archer-led Princeton Community Tigers earning a 49-6 road victory over the Pike Central Chargers on Friday night.

After the Chargers won the coin toss and deferred to the second half, the Tigers received the opening kickoff. After senior RB/ATH Karwin Pope returned the opening kickoff 53 yards, the Tigers were off-and-running, as Pope capped the Tigers’ first drive of the contest with a two-yard touchdown run. Following a successful point-after kick by senior K Charlie Wilhite with 10:37 remaining in the opening quarter, Princeton Community led, 7-0.

On Pike Central’s ensuing possession, Princeton Community senior DL Logan Stocker strip-sacked Chargers’ quarterback Carson Wiscaver deep in Pike Central territory, and the fumble was recovered by junior LB Conor Marsh.

Following the Pike Central turnover, Princeton Community senior QB Cale Beloat dashed for a two-yard touchdown on a sweeping run to the right end with 8:29 left in the opening quarter. Wilhite’s extra-point attempt was good, and the Tigers’ lead grew to 14-0.

On the Chargers’ following possession, the Tigers forced a turnover on downs. Shortly thereafter, the explosive Pope broke free from a would-be Pike Central tackler and then sprinted down the right sideline for a 71-yard touchdown run with 5:21 left in the first quarter. Following a botched snap on the extra-point attempt, Princeton Community held a 20-0 lead.

The Tigers’ big first quarter continued following a Pike Central punt, as Beloat found a wide-open Logan Stocker, who also plays wide receiver for the Tigers, on a seam pass, and Stocker raced the remaining yards to give the Tigers their fourth touchdown of the contest, this one a 40-yard touchdown pass, with 2:06 left in the first period. Following a botched snap on the extra-point attempt, senior RB/S Drake Cox, the Tigers’ holder, ran around left end and converted a two-point conversion run to make it 28-0.

In the second quarter, the Tigers took advantage of a high snap on a Pike Central punt and took over on the Chargers’ one-yard line. Marsh, who also plays fullback, plunged in from a yard out for the Tigers’ fifth touchdown of the first half with 11:40 left in the first half. Wilhite’s kick was good, and the Tigers entered ‘running-clock’ territory in holding a 35-0 lead.

Princeton Community’s final touchdown of the opening half came on a 25-yard ‘jump ball’ of a touchdown pass from Beloat to sophomore WR Quintyn Voltz, in which the athletic Voltz snagged Beloat’s looping pass inside the five-yard line before then making his way into the end zone for the Tigers’ sixth touchdown of the first half. Wilhite’s extra-point attempt was good, and the Tigers’ lead grew to 42-0 with 9:14 left in the half, and the Tigers took that lead into the halftime intermission.

With the clock running throughout the entirety of the second half due to the IHSAA’s ‘Mercy Rule’, two touchdowns were scored in the second half, and both came in the fourth quarter.

Marsh’s huge day defensively continued with a ‘Pick-Six’, as the junior standout snagged a Pike Central pass and raced 70 yards to complete an interception return for a touchdown with just over nine minutes left.

Pike Central scored its lone touchdown when senior Grant Boyd took a handoff and ran around right end for a two-yard touchdown with 2:52 remaining.

Pope led the Tigers’ ground attack with 133 yards (on eight carries), while Beloat ran for 59 yards (on six carries. Marsh added 16 yards on the ground (on three carries), while Cox ran for nine yards in the contest. 

Beloat’s three completions netted 71 yards, led by Stocker’s 40 yards, while Voltz (26 yards receiving) and Cox (five yards receiving) rounded out Princeton Community’s production through the air. 

With the win, the Tigers moved to 2-0 (0-0 Pocket Athletic Conference Large School Division) on the season ahead of next week’s PAC home game at Tiger Stadium against Heritage Hills. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. on September 5. 

The Tigers’ 2-0 start is the first season since 2016 that Princeton Community has opened the gridiron season with a pair of victories, and the 43-point victory for the Tigers on Friday night is their largest margin of victory since 2015, which came in a 75-31 win at Pike Central on August 28 of that year. 

In addition, the six points allowed by the Tigers in Friday’s contest are the fewest Princeton Community has allowed in seven years, which came in a 14-6 road victory at Mount Carmel (Illinois) on September 7, 2018. 

The Chargers, meanwhile, fell to 0-2 (0-0 Pocket Athletic Conference Small School Division) on the season ahead of a PAC road game at Tell City on September 5.