Seton Hall Prep football team falls to DePaul, gears up for playoffs

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Seton Hall Prep football team traveled to Wayne to take on DePaul Catholic High School on Friday night, Oct. 29. The Pirates dropped a 20-6 decision to the Spartans.

DePaul scored two touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 14-0 halftime lead. The score remained the same until the fourth quarter as the defenses took control of the game and both teams combined for eight punts. 

After a DePaul punt, the Pirates took over on their own 45-yard line. They drove 55 yards in five plays and scored a touchdown when senior quarterback Jaden Craig hit senior wideout Nick Dunneman with a 26-yard scoring pass with 5:43 left and the conversion run failed as the Pirates trailed, 14-6. During the drive, the other big plays were passes to senior tight end Aidan Mack of 23 yards and a 33-yard pass to Dunneman. 

Later in the quarter, DePaul scored a touchdown with 1:42 left; the extra point was blocked by Jackson Collins, to make the final score 20-6. Before the game, senior Owen Cook was honored with the Steve DiGregorio Man of the Year Award, presented by the Super Football Conference. The award was created to honor the former Nutley head football coach who passed away last month from cancer. 

Later this fall, the New York Jets will also honor Cook.

On Sunday, Oct. 31, at the NJSIAA headquarters in Robbinsville, the Non-Public Group committee met to seed the upcoming state tournament. Seton Hall Prep received the No. 5 seed and will host No. 12 seed St. John Vianney High School from Monmouth County on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 1 p.m. at Brendan P. Tevlin Memorial Field in West Orange in a first-round game. This will be the first-ever meeting between the Pirates and the Lancers. The Group A tournament has 13 teams battling for the state title. The winner of this game will face the winner of the game between No. 13 seed Pope John of Sparta and No. 4 seed St. Peter’s Prep of Jersey City next weekend in the quarterfinal round.

SHP game stats vs. DePaul: 

• Passing: Craig, 8-28, 116 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions. 
• Receiving: Dunneman, three catches, 80 yards, one touchdown. 
• Defense: Senior linebacker James Palaia, 15 tackles; senior linebacker Jackson Dowd, 13 tackles; junior linebacker Kelvin Williams, 12 tackles; senior defensive tackle Jackson Collins, 10 tackles, 1 blocked extra point; sophomore safety Jaylen McClain, seven tackles, one interception.

  Seton Hall Prep football