PRINCETON — It wasn’t exactly Kevin Dyson falling one yard short for the Titans against the Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV, but it was a similarly epic scenario with the season potentially on the verge of ending for the Princeton High football team. These coming-of-age Tigers, as they have throughout the fall, rose to the challenge Saturday afternoon on their home turf. With West Windsor-Plainsboro driving to tie the game, Travis Petrone stuffed quarterback Conor Sattiraju at the 6-yard line. Then as West Windsor quickly snapped the ball before time expired for one last play, Princeton’s defense stepped up again by gang-tackling Matthew Raeter at the 1-yard line with Julian Frevert leading the way to secure a 21-13 victory. “That was pretty crazy,” Princeton running back Carmine Carusone said. “He tried to reach (over the goal line) and he fumbled the ball. It was very big.” That pivotal moment sent Princeton the state playoffs for the first time in 10 years and also gave the Tigers their first co-Valley Division championship with Trenton. Princeton (5-4) held the 16th and final playoff spot in South Jersey Group IV coming into the week, and the next three closest teams all lost this weekend. “Whoever we play, they’re gonna be tough,” said Charlie Gallagher, who last took Princeton to the playoffs in the second year of his tenure as head coach. “But it’s being in that game, it’s the atmosphere, it’s something that these kids haven’t experienced. It’s playing for something that means something.” Carusone, a junior, led Princeton by setting career highs in total yards (166) and touchdowns (three). Petrone, in addition to his strong work at defensive back, threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 36 yards. Carusone had receiving touchdowns of 39 and 30 yards in the second quarter, and then he capped Princeton’s 94-yard drive — the Tigers’ longest of the day — with a 19-yard scoring run with 6:36 remaining in the fourth quarter. “As a receiver I was mainly blocking, but sometimes I saw the linebackers shift over and I saw wide open on that side, so I just went out for a route and Travis, with great vision, saw me and threw very good passes,” Carusone said. “As a runner I was just powering my legs and just not going down by one man. That’s the rule. Coach Petrone taught me that.” Carusone has become a complete running back this season with 633 rushing yards and 285 receiving yards, which he attributes to camps he attended to develop his footwork with cone drills. That has helped Princeton’s offense evolve along with the versatility and durability of Petrone, who connected on 10 of 17 passes to four different receivers and carried the ball six times despite limping around the field at times. “He just had the will to win, and he was gonna do whatever it took on the field regardless of how nicked up he got,” Gallagher said. “He’s just a gamer. He just shows up, he’s a great leader on the field, he really rallies the troops. But sometimes you get the guys that are rah, rah, rah guys, and then sometimes maybe the plays don’t back it up per say. But he does it on both ends.” Princeton’s defense pitched a second-half shutout after Langsdon Hinds ended the second quarter with an interception as the Tigers were nursing a 14-13 lead. Sattiraju had two 7-yard rushing touchdowns in the first half to supply a pair of early leads for West Windsor (2-7), which seemed poised to retake the lead during a 14-play drive spanning 10:38 at the start of the third quarter. But Princeton came up with another big stop in the red zone. “They’re good at controlling the ball, but in the end, what do they say?” Gallagher said. “Bend don’t break.” Persevering through a war of attribution between two banged up football teams ultimately lifted Princeton to glory on Senior Day. The Tigers’ reward is the right to play in a historic game next weekend. “Getting in the playoffs is great and all, but adding that it’s been like 10 years was just another plus,” Carusone said. “It felt so good for us to come through with the win.” WW-P (2-7) 7 6 0 0 – 13 Princeton (5-4) 0 14 0 7 – 21 First Quarter WW – Sattiraju 7 run (Davenport-Bray kick) Second Quarter P – Carusone 39 pass from Petrone (Carusone kick) WW – Sattiraju 7 run (kick failed) P – Carusone 30 pass from Petrone (Carusone kick) Fourth Quarter P – Carusone 19 run (Carusone kick)