Football: Britton, Cates, Culbreath, Paski named captains at spring game

The event started with the naming of the captains. A season ago, Princeton anointed three captains for the first time in program history. This year, the Tigers will have four, a first in the program’s 141-year history.

Junior linebacker Scott Britton and junior defensive back Wilson Cates will represent the defense. Britton earned an All-Ivy Honorable Mention a season ago after finishing second on the team and eighth in the Ivy League with 81 tackles. Cates finished third on the team with 67 tackles last year and also led the team with 41 solo tackles.

On the offensive side of the ball, Princeton will be represented by junior offensive lineman Mark Paski and junior running back Jordan Culbreath. Paski, who has started all 30 games of his career, has been a rock on the Tigers’ offensive line since the day he set foot on campus.

“It was obviously something that was very exciting,” Paski said. “It’s a great bunch of guys, and any one person in our class could’ve stepped up into that role. I’m just fortunate and glad enough to have it.”

Culbreath received unanimous first-team All-Ivy honors after finishing last season with 1,206 yards rushing and 10 total touchdowns. His 120.6 rushing yards per game was good for ninth in the Football Championship Subdivision.

After the naming of the captains, the team went through drills and situational scrimmages before taking a short break. The Tigers then emerged from the locker room in their game jerseys and played the white vs. black game, a full 60-minute scrimmage. The white team came away with a 17-2 victory.

The scrimmage helped to paint a picture of next year’s team, but certain game rules made it difficult to draw many conclusions about what’s to come. Culbreath received the LaDainian Tomlinson treatment and was not used at all. Because defensive players were not allowed to tackle the quarterback in the backfield, many plays ended prematurely when a defensive lineman grazed the opposing quarterback. It was also difficult to predict the play of the new-look defensive line, which returns only one starter in junior Joel Karacozoff.

The high point of the day came on a long pass from freshman quarterback Tommy Wornham to sophomore wide receiver Trey Peacock. Sturdy blocking by the offensive line gave Wornham good time to throw, and Peacock was able to gain separation on a deep post pattern. The score was the white team’s second touchdown of the day.

Freshman quarterback Harrison Daniels led the black team. Daniels moved the ball effectively during his time under center, but he was often victim to the scrimmage’s aforementioned sack rule..

A number of other young offensive players got in the mix early and often during the game. Sophomore running back Kenny Gunter was quite effective. Gunter’s return, along with the continued improvement of sophomore defensive back Meko McCray and the return of freshman linebacker Jonathan Meyers from the men’s lacrosse team, could put the icing on the cake for a Princeton running game that will likely boast the best offensive line and best running back in the Ivy League next season.

Freshman wide receiver Tommy Stewart made a number of fine grabs in traffic. At six feet, three inches and 205 pounds, Stewart brings great size to the position. Stewart, along with sophomore Matt Ransom, freshman Isaac Serwanga and a host of other young receivers, will look to get on the field next season behind likely starters Peacock and Andrew Kerr.

Junior guard Andrew Hauser, who was moved to center during spring practices, was injured for the game and was replaced on the first line by freshman center Kevin Mill, who did not see any action last season. Despite the personnel changes, Paski said he remains optimistic about the offensive line’s performance next year.

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“Our expectations are very high for the running game,” Paski said. “This year we’re going to do our best to protect against any kind of pass rush to try and give the younger quarterbacks a chance to sit in the pocket and throw a little bit. We’ve really developed a great chemistry among the front five ... which has really contributed to our ability to play together.”

Defensively, the biggest play of the game came from sophomore cornerback Glenn Wakam, who intercepted an underthrown pass before using his size to shed tacklers during the return. Wakam will be among the numerous defensive backs competing for playing time in a crowded secondary next season.

Princeton will play all 10 of its 2008 opponents again in 2009. The Tigers open the season Sept. 19 against The Citadel at Princeton Stadium. Two-and-a-half weeks later, Princeton will host Colgate in the Tigers’ first-ever Thursday night game. The game will be covered by ESPNU. Four of Princeton’s last six games will be on the road.