Princeton High School Football Team Keeps Pace in Playoff Race

One year removed from a winless season, the Princeton High School football team remained in the thick of the playoff race with a 47-21 win over West Windsor-Plainsboro North, according to nj.com.

Rory Helstrom had three rushing touchdowns, on carries of 74, 1 and 9 yards.

Colin Buckley scored on runs of 58 and 21 yards.

Dave Beamer hit Joe Hawes with a 17-yard pass for a score, and Sam Smallzman scored on a run from 50 yards out.

Princeton improved to 8-1 at the playoff cutoff one year after an 0-10 season.

Princeton came into the week in fifth place in Central Jersey Group IV.

Brick Township and Jackson Memorial also won on Friday to improve to 8-1, but Freehold Borough lost to Middletown South to fall to 7-2. All four teams were ahead of Princeton in the standings, and Middletown South improved to 6-2.

Sixth-place Neptune also won, as did No. 8 Burlington Township.

West Windsor-Plainsboro North was No. 7 coming into the week.

The top eight teams in each group after the first eight games of the season qualify for the playoffs. Only a team’s seven best wins of their first eight games count toward qualifying for the playoffs.

Power points are calculated based on the size of the schools a team has defeated, and the number of wins that team has.

The playoffs begin next weekend, and matchups will be announced on Sunday.