Seton Hall Prep football preview: Pirates look to keep building success

WEST ORANGE, NJ – Seton Hall Prep had reason to feel excited last season when Bill Fitzgerald became the head coach.

The West Orange school brought in Fitzgerald, who became a head coach for the first time following a successful stint as the offensive coordinator at powerhouse St. Peter’s Prep from 2008 to 2017.

When Fitzgerald arrived at SHP, he emphasized a patient approach.

The Pirates bought into that mindset as they shook off an 0-2 start and reeled off four straight wins on their way to a berth in the rugged Non-Public Group 4 playoffs. They blanked Paramus Catholic, 17-0, in the quarterfinals before losing to Bergen Catholic in the semifinals to finish 5-6.

The Pirates, indeed, want to continue making strides.

The top returning seniors are running back/wide receiver/defensive back Matt Colantuono, tight end/linebacker Dominic Busby, wide receiver/defensive back Tim Macko, wide receiver Nicholas Gullace, running back/defensive back Xavier Lewis, linebacker Andrew Mitzak, tight end/linebacker Tyler Cook, offensive lineman Thomas Grippo, wide receiver/defensive back Ryan Monteleone and 6-foot-4, 285-pound two-way lineman Lucas Giordano.

Busby has received dozens of collegiate scholarship offers from such schools as Rutgers, Maryland, Army, UMass, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Cornell, UPenn, Lehigh, Miami of Ohio, Western Michigan, Georgetown and Buffalo.

Giordano is drawing interest from Rutgers, Boston College, James Madison, UMass, Central Connecticut State and East Carolina.

The key returning juniors are kicker/punter Austin Kuterka and wide receiver/defensive back Giye Jenkins.

Among the newcomers are sophomore wide receiver/defensive back Nick Dunneman, sophomore running back/wide receiver/defensive back Myles Thomason, sophomore offensive lineman/linebacker Jackson Collins, senior defensive lineman Wilson Brito III, junior two-way lineman Patrick Herbert and junior tight end/defensive lineman Jack Larsen.

During the Super Football Conference Media Day on Aug. 15 at Wayne Valley High School, Fitzgerald and some of his players commented about their upcoming season.

Said Fitzgerald: “We have a good group of guys who come ready to compete each and every day. We have strong numbers (73-man roster) and very good senior leadership. We have a lot of experience on the offensive line and most of the skill positions, which should also help us quite a bit.”

Monteleone, Colantuono, senior quarterback Zander Zebrowski and Busby shared their thoughts about the team’s chances this season.

Monteleone said, “We have made a lot of progress from last year in the offseason and we are ready to make a big statement this season.”

Said Colantuono: “We have a lot of depth, especially with the skill positions. Our senior offensive line is something we can rely on in the red zone.”

Zebrowski will replace since-graduated Aidan Gilman-at quarterback. “Aidan Gilman will be tough to replace, but I’ll do my best, and I know there are a number of weapons I can turn to in order to make our offense click,” Zebrowski said.

Busby said, “The team is coming along well and I really like the talent on our offense. We have the experience and skill at a number of positions in order for us to put together a successful season.”

Schedule

August 31, Archbishop Carroll  (Radnor, Pa.), at Rutgers, 5 p.m.

Sept. 6, at DePaul, 7 p.m.

Sept. 21, Passaic County Tech, 1 p.m.

Sept. 27, at Paramus Catholic, 6 p.m.

Oct. 5, East Orange Campus, 2 p.m.

Oct. 12, at Montclair, 1 p.m.

Oct. 19, Delbarton, 1 p.m.

Oct. 26, St. Joseph (Montvale), 2 p.m.

Nov. 2, at Pope John (Sparta), 2 p.m.

Jeff Goldberg contributed to this article.