<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3Dw1hq_1H2MUnv500" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3Dw1hq_1H2MUnv500" width="1920" height="1080" ><figcaption>Ethan Clark Photo by: ©Alex Miller 2025</figcaption></figure>PrincetonTigersFootball.comRivalry games mean a little more during your senior year, so when his Clarkston football team fell behind early to Lake Orion during a 2022 showdown, Ethan Clark put the blinders on and just focused on the comeback.There was drama coming in, as Clark was within striking distance of the Clarkston career rushing mark. Chasing individual glory fell by the wayside whe his team trailed, as every carry from there on out was about battling back for a final win over his hometown rival. With his offensive line dominating up front, Clark took over the game; he felt like he carried it on every play of a 45-41 comeback road win.He may have done a double take when he saw the final stat sheet, though. Not only did he smash the career rushing mark, but he took down a slew of single-game records by running for 410 yards in the victory."I thought I might be in the 300-yard range," Clark remembers. "When I saw the 4, I couldn't believe it."Clark poured his heart and energy into making that senior season a memorable one. A Detroit News First-Team Dream Team honoree, he led Clarkston to the state semifinal while rushing for 2,662 yards that season. The memories from that season have stayed with Clark, who wanted to experience the same type of big games at Princeton. That journey didn't go quite as straight-forward, but he's exactly where he wants to be.• • • The son of a former Navy football player, Ethan Clark grew up in the heart of Michigan Wolverine country. He loved the sport and always dreamed of playing football at the highest level possible. Those dreams surely included running out of the tunnel at the Big House, especially as he became a stalwart player on the Clarkston varsity as a freshman.Michigan did reach out, but it's offer was as a walk-on."I had the philosophy of go to a place that loves you and wants you," Clark said. "Princeton was that place for me."Clark had become accustomed to a couple things throughout his football career. He played a lot, and his teams won. Freshman year at Princeton may have introduced a bit of culture shock; Clark saw limited action during the year, and the team finished with a .500 record."It starts with just getting used to everything, especially at a place like Princeton," Clark said about his freshman year. "Then there was the playbook. In high school, we would always huddle and the plays were pretty simple, so learning everything and all the signals took some time. I knew I needed some improvement in my speed and strength as well, but once I felt like I had the playbook down, I felt like another jump was coming."That jump came against an unlikely foe.• • •Clark did show improvement heading into his sophomore season, and he quickly moved into a three-man rotation with John Volker and Dareion Murphy. The first three weeks were a bit of a roller coaster for both the team and the running back rotation, and they also left Volker and Murphy unavailable for an early October showdown against #7 Mercer.At the time, the Bears had the #1 rushing defense in the FCS, a unit that allowed fewer than 30 ground yards per game. On the other side was Clark, who had yet to rush for more than 20 yards in a single game. Mismatch, right?Clark had other ideas. He took advantage of the full workload, rushing for 117 yards and a touchdown in a breakout performance. The Tigers lost the game, but he established himself as somebody who could put the offense on his shoulders, just as he did two years earlier at Lake Orion. Over the next season and a half, Clark would become the face of the Princeton offense; he rushed for 594 yards and six touchdowns en route to All-Ivy League honors as a junior.He was playing — and achieving — at a level he was accustomed to, but the wins still weren't there. Princeton won six games between the 2024 and 2025 seasons, but Clark felt like his senior class could lead a turnaround."This class is talented, and it's a big class with a lot of leaders," he said. "We were tired of losing. I think the high majority of us came from schools that win all the time. There was an unspoken thing between us that we would turn it around."Princeton heads to New Haven this weekend in a first-place tie with Harvard atop the Ivy League standings, and two wins away from the program's first title since 2021. Clark was right that his group would turn it around, but it's been a frustrating journey getting there.• • • It was Week 2 against Albany when something felt wrong. Clark didn't believe it would be season-ending, but he also knew it wasn't nothing. That injury would keep him out a month and a half, testing the patience — but not the dedication — of this football lifer."It was frustrating because I want to compete, and I had always tried to come back too early," he said. "I knew if I came back and re-injured it, that would be it. I couldn't let that be the case."He didn't simply rehab on his own. He was locked in with the running back room, doing all he could to help them get ready. Backup Kai Honda had his own version of Clark's Mercer game during the 2026 Ivy opener, rushing for 219 yards and four touchdowns in a win at Columbia. It would be weird if Clark didn't feel a hint of jealousy that he wasn't on the field, but mostly he just felt good for his friend and the team.The team banked enough wins to grab a share of first place heading into last week, when Clark could return and help the Tigers claim a 21-14 victory over Dartmouth."It's great to have Ethan back in the lineup and healthy," Surace said. "He's been one of the most productive running backs in our league the past three years, and he is an exceptional leader."While the early-season injury will cut into Clark's career numbers, he had already put together an impressive resumé. He eclipsed the 1000-yard mark earlier this season, and he has scored 12 touchdowns (10 rushing, two receiving) during his time at Princeton. The league coaches showed their respect by putting him on the 2025 All Ivy League team.It's all nice, just like the 400-yard performance was against Lake Orion.But don't ever forget what powered that night. Clark wanted a win against a rival. He wanted success for his team. He wanted a special senior season.A familiar path awaits these next two weeks. Doubt Clark at your own peril.</div></body>

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Rivalry games mean a little more during your senior year, so when his Clarkston football team fell behind early to Lake Orion during a 2022 showdown, Ethan Clark put the blinders on and just focused on the comeback. There was drama coming in, as Clark was within striking distance of...

Ethan Clark '27: Heart and Energy

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Rivalry games mean a little more during your senior year, so when his Clarkston football team fell behind early to Lake Orion during a 2022 showdown, Ethan

Ethan Clark '27: Heart and Energy

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