Moments of the Year is a series of stories reflecting on performances, plays or games that occurred during the 2021-22 school year. Installations of the series will be released regularly throughout the summer, leading in to the beginning of the 2022-23 school year.
Princeton football took a step forward in 2020, making the postseason for the first time under Chris Pedigo. In 2021 Pedigo’s squad continued to build brick by brick, establishing themselves as the best team in the county.
It wasn’t easy after years of being the little brother, but in an action-packed game on Sept. 3, 2021 at Hunnicutt Stadium, the Tigers bucked that label, securing their first win in the series since 2016 and improving to 2-0 early in the year.
Tied at 36 after a second-half in which Bluefield scored 30 points, Princeton needed a stop and a way to move into field goal position.
With over a minute left the defense held up its end of the bargain, forcing Bluefield to a three-and-out and the offense moved the ball down to the Bluefield 16 with 2.4 seconds left. That’s when Pedigo called kicker Casey Geso’s number in an attempt to win the game.
“Coming into the fourth on the last play of (Bluefield’s) drive I knew I had to be ready,” Geso said, with the game ball in hand. “I got ready and I was nervous, but my teammates got my back. They just told me it’s another kick, just like practice. So I went in there strong and acted like I knew I was going to make it and made it.”
Princeton wins 39-36 on a last second FG#wvprepfb pic.twitter.com/XpORh1epMs
— Tyler Jackson (@TJack94) September 4, 2021
With a swing of his right leg Geso did just that, splitting the uprights as time expired to avenge five consecutive losses to the Beavers dating back to Pedigo’s first season as the head coach at his alma mater.
“I think that’s a sign of a football team that’s bought in to brick-by-brick and building the foundation and not quitting,” Pedigo said after the win. “This football team did it last year. I told other people that after last year we were learning how to win and we were learning how to put teams away and this game right here just showed we’ve got no quit in us.”
