{"id":8767,"date":"2026-08-29T19:29:37","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T19:29:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/princetonillinois.com\/?p=8767"},"modified":"2026-08-29T19:29:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T19:29:37","slug":"sign-of-the-times-princeton-seniors-make-their-college-plans-official-shaw-local","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/princetonillinois.com\/?p=8767","title":{"rendered":"Sign of the times: Princeton seniors make their college plans official – Shaw Local"},"content":{"rendered":"


Nine Princeton High School seniors participated in the Tigers’ signing day on Tuesday evening at Prouty Gym. They are (front from left), Keighley Davis, Camryn Driscoll, Kathy Maciczak and Avery Waca; and (back row), Bradyn Kruse, Common Green, Casey Etheridge, Augustus Swanson and Rhett Pearson. <\/span>(Kevin Hieronymus)
Nine Princeton High School seniors put the finishing touches on their future plans at the Tigers\u2019 2nd Annual College Signing Day at Prouty Gym on Tuesday.
There are three student-athletes going off to play college football, two to play volleyball and one to play basketball, one to run cross country and one to wrestle while one senior will serve his country with the U.S Coast Guard.
Each was accompanied by their parents, family members and coaches.
Common Green and Rhett Pearson will be teaming up again to play football at Aurora University and room together. They say they both can cook.
\u201cWe\u2019re both over 200 pounds. I think we can cook pretty well,\u201d Pearson said with a laugh. \u201cWe\u2019ll be fine.\u201d
Green said he liked Aurora for the cost and that it\u2019s close to home. He will study athletic training to work up to become a physical therapist.
Pearson, who will be an interior defensive lineman for the Spartans, liked the coaching staff at Aurora, led by head coach and former Super Bowl star Don Beebe.
\u201cThey really preach faith and hard work and that really resonates with me,\u201d he said.
Both were happy to be reunited with former Tiger teammate Arthur Burden, who will be a sophomore at Aurora.
\u201cHaving Arthur is definitely really helpful. Having someone who you trust and believe what they say. And he has nothing but good things to say about Aurora,\u201d said Pearson, who plans to study biology and then go on to an optometry school.
Princeton senior Keighley Davis (front, center) was accompanied for her college signing Tuesday evening by her parents, Spencer and Annette; and (back row) PHS coaches Gina and Andy Puck and her brothers Wyatt, Teegan and Drake. <\/span>(Kevin Hieronymus)
Keighley Davis, a three-sport standout, picked William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa to play volleyball in her mother\u2019s home area.
\u201cI got a lot of family up there. I really like the atmosphere. It\u2019s not too big of a school and I like that. And it has a pretty good nursing program,\u201d she said.
Her running mate in basketball, Camryn Driscoll, has signed to continue her hoops career for Illinois Central College. She attended ICC\u2019s open gyms last summer in East Peoria and fell in love with the Cougars and coach Karrie Redeker.
\u201cI really loved Coach Redeker\u2019s energy and the way she carried herself at the open gyms,\u201d said Driscoll, who plans to study elementary education. \u201cThe girls were very inviting of me even on the first day of open gym I showed up to. It made me feel welcomed to the program quickly.
\u201cI think their program is a great culture to join and I\u2019m very thankful that I\u2019ve been given the opportunity.\u201d
Princeton senior Camryn Driscoll (front, center) was accompanied for her college signing Tuesday evening by her parents, Garey and Courtney; and (back row) brother Evan and sister Lauren. <\/span>(Kevin Hieronymus)
Augustus Swanson, who became just the second four-time state wrestling qualifier for PHS, placing second at state this year, will continue his wrestling career for St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. He said he had several offers and made a couple of visits, but St. Ambrose stood out from the rest.
\u201cI\u2019d say being on St. Ambrose campus and wrestling with the wrestlers off season made me feel a part of the team even before I decided. And as a bonus they made me a really great offer I couldn\u2019t pass,\u201d said Swanson, who plans to study Sports Management.
Kathy Maciczak will also be heading to St. Ambrose to play volleyball for the Bees. She plans to major in Human Performance and Fitness to become an Occupational Therapist.
\u201cI decided to choose St. Ambrose, because I enjoyed the environment,\u201d Maciczak said. \u201cEveryone there including the coaches and players are very welcoming and friendly. I see myself fitting in and meeting great new people. I also feel like St. Ambrose will help push me to becoming a better athlete and help me develop as a player.\u2019
Casey Etheridge, who became the all-time leading rusher in Bureau County history, will rush off to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville to play football.
\u201cIt felt at home there as soon as he went there. They also gave me the option to stick with running back and seemed like the best school for my academics,\u201d said Etheridge, who plans to study Civil Engineering.
Etheridge was a state runner-up in wrestling and will be contender for state in hurdles in track this spring.
Avery Waca is opting to stay closer to home to run cross country on the Hilltop at IVCC. She plans to major in elementary education to become a teacher.
Senior Bradyn Kruse made his commitment with the United States Coast Guard.
Roman Pearson, 6, tries on his brother’s helmet during Tuesday’s college signing night at Princeton High School. Rhett Pearson will be playing football for Aurora University. Their father is Tigers head coach Ryan Pearson. <\/span>(Kevin Hieronymus)
Kevin has provided award-winning coverage for the BCR since 1986, covering Bureau County\/IL Valley Sports. Was previously sports editor of the St. Louis Daily News and a regular contributor for the St. Louis Cardinals Magazine. He is a member of the IBCA and Illinois Valley Hall of Fames. <\/p>\n

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Nine Princeton High School seniors participated in the Tigers’ signing day on Tuesday evening at Prouty Gym. They are (front from left), Keighley Davis, Camryn Driscoll, Kathy Maciczak and Avery Waca; and (back row), Bradyn Kruse, Common Green, Casey Etheridge, Augustus Swanson and Rhett Pearson. (Kevin Hieronymus)Nine Princeton High School seniors put the finishing touches on their future plans at<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t