Seton Hall Prep football team shuts out Union in season opener

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WEST ORANGE, NJ — With an experienced defense and an offense that needs time to mature, Seton Hall Prep opened the 2024 season with a 34-0 win over Union High School at Brendan P. Tevlin Memorial Field in West Orange on Friday, Aug. 30. A stellar effort by the defense held the Farmers to just 59 yards rushing and 45 yards passing. Most of that aerial yardage came on their last drive of the game.

The Pirates registered their first shutout since defeating Red Bank Catholic, 17-0, in 2022.

On their second drive of the game, after the Union punt, the Pirates drove 75 yards in six plays, with sophomore quarterback Kahden Davis running it in from the five-yard line. The two-point conversion run failed for a 6-0 lead with 7:00 left in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, sophomore defensive back Taylor Daniels forced a Union fumble and senior linebacker Nolan Eilender recovered the fumble on the Union 15-yard line. On the third play, Davis hit junior running back Bryce Robbins in the left flat and he scored from the eight-yard line. Junior Dylan Farrell kicked the first of three extra points to make the score 13-0 with 6:24 left in the second quarter.

On the next Union drive, on fourth down, the ball was snapped over the Union punter’s head and out of the end zone for a safety to increase the Pirates lead to 15-0 with 3:01 left. On the Pirates’ next drive, they drove from the Union 49 to the Union 22 and Farrell kicked a 39-yard field goal to increase the lead to 18-0 with :20 left.

In the third quarter, senior linebacker Justin Cook scooped up a Union fumble that was created after a big hit initiated by junior linebacker Michael Wellet III and returned the ball 21 yards for the touchdown to increase the Seton Hall lead to 25-0 with 10:51 left.

Just six minutes later, the Pirates would cap a nine-play, 54-yard drive with a one-yard TD run by sophomore running back Colin Moore to make it 32-0. Shortly after the Pirates’ TD, they benefited from a second safety recorded in the contest because of a high Union snap over the quarterback’s head into the end zone for a 34-0 lead.

Following the game, SHP head coach Bill Fitzgerald said, “We had zero returning starters on our offense today, and I have never been part of a situation like that before and they did a great job. They have gotten so much better in the last two weeks. It was important for our defense to set the tone and carry us until we get our feet under us a bit more on the offensive side of the ball. Our younger classes are very talented, and they are willing to learn. Our seniors have done an unbelievable job of understanding the situation and taking control of it, and I am very proud of them.”

Cook added, “Our defense came to play today and that is what we needed and what we expect from ourselves.”

“We have a lot of veteran guys back on defense who know what it takes and we are prepared to go up against the best O-lines in the state in the coming weeks,” said senior defensive end Tyler Amato. “We have a lot of new guys on offense, but in the four years that I have been here, this is the best young talent we have had and I think a lot of big things are ahead for these guys and we are trying to do our best to be the leaders for them.”

A staple for each season for Seton Hall is its excellent kicking game, led this year by Farrell, who had four touchbacks, booted a 39-yard field goal and added three extra points. Farrell said, “I am just trying to follow in the footsteps and carry on

the tradition of kickers here at the Prep, like Zach Hoban, Nick Conforti and Jack Catchpole.”

SHP game stats

Passing