At the beginning of the year, who would have thought students at Princeton would be referring to “after the game” on a regular basis and planning their Saturdays around the football schedule? After two seasons of being almost completely irrelevant in the Ivy League, this season was more than just an effort to improve the record; it was also a push for respect and a drive to bring excitement for athletics back to the community.
As I sat in my organic chemistry lecture on Thursday morning, watching members of the Triangle Club advertise their show in cheerleading outfits and hearing them announce their show as starting “at 8 p.m., after the bonfire,” it struck me that I had never heard students at Princeton refer to football as a focal point of their calendars or even something they were attending. No longer did people leave tailgates at the back of Lot 21 and walk back past the football stadium to hang out on main campus or do work on a Saturday afternoon; instead, they made the trip to New Haven to see the football team beat Yale and earn a bonfire or lined up to cheer in the stands of Princeton Stadium.
The seniors all played hard in their last game in Tiger uniforms against Dartmouth on Saturday, even if it was not reflected on the scoreboard, but senior linebacker Andrew Starks especially stood out, as he recorded a team-high 16 tackles in the game to finish second in the Ivy League in takedowns. He and his teammates tried to put the defeat behind them as they got excited for the bonfire that had the school so hyped.
“I think we don’t really have a choice but to go to a bonfire right now because this campus and this community’s waited such a long time for it,” Starks, a cocaptain, said after the game. “To not have the right mindset and go out there and enjoy it with them would be a slap in the face to them and the support they’ve given us this year, and everything this campus has done to get students to the Yale Bowl and support us there. So to mope through an event that is so difficult to acquire would just be wrong, and wouldn’t be the way to finish out the four years this senior class has had.”
There are only a limited number of players who can say that they beat Harvard and Yale in the same season, making it an overwhelming experience for many. At the same time, there was a lot of focus on how it was a school-wide experience, not simply a chance to celebrate for the football team, as Saturday marked the first bonfire for every undergraduate on campus.
“People at Princeton have so many responsibilities and things going on in their lives that sometimes they forget to just let their hair down and enjoy themselves, and we were so proud to have given this University community an opportunity to come together as one to celebrate Princeton and everything that is so special about it, together,” senior receiver Tom Moak said.
Not only was the bonfire an enjoyable, exciting experience for the community, it was etched unforgettably in the minds of everyone who was there — especially the players themselves.
“The bonfire was a great symbol of everything we accomplished this year, and I know that image at the fire will burn in the retuning players’ minds, so that when they return next year they will bring this program to even newer heights,” senior defensive end and cocaptain Mike Catapano said after setting the pyre on fire on Saturday night.
He also made another piece of Princeton history on Saturday, as he finished his final season with a team-high 12 sacks, the most a Tiger player has posted since 1998 and the Ivy League’s best this season.
“It means everything to me to be able to be a part of such a historic and proud Princeton tradition. The seniors worked so hard to turn this program around and to bring pride back to this University and community,” Catapano said.
In many ways, the bonfire was a vindication and representation of all the effort the team put in over the last four years. To be able to contribute to Princeton’s history and its football legacy in this way brought the pride in Princeton athletics to the rest of the student community.
There was nostalgia for many players as their time representing Princeton on the field came to a close. They remembered all of the good, bad, hard and unforgettable moments they had as Tigers, of which the bonfire was certainly one of the latter.
“[The bonfire] was a great culmination of an unforgettable four years here for my classmates and I, and to have such a memorable send-off from the Princeton community was something we’ll never forget,” Moak said.
But it was also a defiant show to all those who doubted or mocked a program and its participants after consecutive 1-9 seasons.
“There’s a lot of people here that doubt the merit of athletics at Princeton, but to be a part of a tradition that dates back to 1869, that literally invented football, is such a privilege me and my classmates will come to understand as probably the greatest opportunity we’ve ever had in our lives,” Moak added. “To have the support of some members of this university community the past four years, especially this year and last night, made the experience so meaningful.”
Being able to contribute to Princeton’s history and football legacy by bringing home a bonfire is certainly something no one on the team will ever forget. It was a moment of pride for them, but also for the school as a whole and, they hope, a promise of what is to come from this program in the following years.
The graduating seniors can only hope that the bonfire is a tradition that will be continued by the classes that remain, and that they may soon have the opportunity to return and relive the experience as alumni.
Read More
No. 7 women’s lacrosse season ends in NCAA quarterfinals against No. 1 UNC
Hayk YengibaryanWith the loss, the career of senior attacker Mackenzie Blake comes to an end. Blake finished her career with a program-best 231 career goals and three first-team All-Ivy selections.
With the loss, the career of senior attacker Mackenzie Blake comes to an end. Blake finished her career with a program-best 231 career goals and three first-team All-Ivy selections.
No. 3 men’s lacrosse season ends in NCAA quarterfinals after 19–18 loss to No. 5 Syracuse
Hayk YengibaryanWith the win, Syracuse advances to the final four for the first time since 2013. For the Tigers, their season ends along with the career of senior standout attacker Coulter Mackesy.
With the win, Syracuse advances to the final four for the first time since 2013. For the Tigers, their season ends along with the career of senior standout attacker Coulter Mackesy.
Preview: No. 3 men’s lacrosse plays No. 5 Syracuse in NCAA quarterfinals
Hayk YengibaryanShould the Tigers beat the Orange, they will advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2022 as they look to win their first national championship since 2001.
Should the Tigers beat the Orange, they will advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2022 as they look to win their first national championship since 2001.