Princeton’s passing game was a work in progress last season, one they hope to see major improvements on in 2023.

With a young roster, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, the Panthers’ worked much of the year to find a rhythm on offense. By the end of the year, they were able to carve out some explosive plays against the top teams in the district like Lovejoy and Melissa.

For head coach Ervin Chandler, that experience will be invaluable to his receivers, who learned throughout the season how to get separation,

“They’re going to be an experienced group for us as well,” Chander said. “Like the rest of the team, they were very young but got chances to start that should help us going forward. We’re a little undersized at the receiver spots, but we’re going to be creative with them and use their special skill sets that are going to shine in our offense.”

Leading the pack is Azaan Stoughtenborough, the Panthers’ leading receiver in 2022. He had 346 receiving yards and a touchdown last season, becoming a go-to target in the Princeton offense.

“He’s a silky smooth route runner and he’s had a great offseason,” Chandler said. “He gets open a lot and is a guy we’re going to lead our receiving group.”

While Stoughtenborough’s numbers won’t overwhelm anyone, it was the work put in off the field that made the difference on the field.

After some early season struggles for the entire Princeton offense, Stoughtenborough had three straight games in October of 80 or more receiving yards, capped off with a 124-yard and one-touchdown performance against Denison on Oct. 21, 2022. That growth throughout just one varsity season is what have the Panthers excited for more heading into 2023.

“He just continues to work on his craft,” Chandler said. “He was young and kind of messing around in the beginning of the year, but when he works on his craft he has no choice but to get better. He’s going to move around the offense and be real big for us next year.”

Beyond him, Princeton has several other players competing for reps, including Vyron Hambric, Ja’keylen Perkins, LaDon McKinney and CJ Bruce. All four players got several reps on the offensive side of the ball last season, with Bruce second in receiving with 209 yards and a touchdown, he’ll be the second guy on the outside for the Panthers.

“Those guys have all gotten a little faster and a little stronger this offseason,” Chandler said. “We hope to see a little different speed from our guys this season, and it’s been a product of the work we’ve put in.”

Hambric is another player who’s moved all around the field, lining up at receiver, running back, defensive back and quarterback in different situations. While he nurses a shoulder injury that will hold him out of the early season games, McKinney is a player with a similar skill set to step in.

“He’s comfortable in all types of situations for us,” Chandler said. “He’s kind of our Swiss Army Knife because LaDon can play in the backfield and catch passes and block well. He’s an important piece.”

Speed will be an important part of the Princeton offense this season, especially in the passing game. Only one of their receivers stands over 5-foot-8, meaning that the ability to create big plays after the catch will be key.

With the experience gained last season and how the players performed by the end, coach Chandler believes that is possible.

“The name of the game now is offense, so we have to find ways to maximize these guys and find them ways to make them successful,” Chandler said. “They were all first-time varsity players last season, and they’re here working every day to get better and put the effort in. I’m excited to see how they’ve grown.”

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