SHP players huddle during the season opener in Ireland.
WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Seton Hall Prep football team, which went 6-6 last fall, returns 28 seniors this season.
Among them is senior quarterback Liam Londergan, who went 180-of-296 passing for 1,811 yards with 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions, and he ran for a team-high 436 yards on 65 carries and five touchdowns last season.
Their top returning receiver is senior Julius Vicari with 37 catches for 426 yards and four touchdowns.
Among the top returning defensive players is senior defensive back Jaylen McClain. The Ohio State commit had 83 tackles a year ago. Senior linebacker Christian Black had 72 tackles and two sacks, senior linebacker Christopher Peralta had 62 tackles and senior defensive tackles Jack Tierney had 40 tackles and AJ Bicksler posted 34 tackles and two sacks last season.
Other top offensive returning players are senior left tackle Tyler Dunn, and senior running backs Luigi Pantano (98 carries for 405 yards and three touchdowns) and Michael Dunmore (57 carries for 245 yards, two touchdowns; 16 catches for 158 yards and two touchdowns). The top receivers are senior Danny Easter (11 catches, 106 yards and two touchdowns) and senior tight end Casey O’Sullivan (8 catches for 76 yards and two touchdowns).
Senior top kicker-punter Jack Catchpole is also returning where he went 20-of–20 in extra points and 4-of-4 on field goals. Sophomore Declan Farrell was 10-of-10 on extra points.
SHP head coach Bill Fitzgerald, entering his sixth year at the helm, commented on the season.
“We have gotten better over this summer,” Fitzgerald said. “Our leadership and attention to detail is very good. The seniors have invested a lot of time the last four years and they are looking to experience a lot of success this season. Our coaching staff has really prepared the team and now the players have to execute the schemes. The schedule that we have is one of the toughest in the state because we play in one of the toughest conferences/divisions in the country. Because of this, we better come ready to play every single week.”
The Pirates traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to kick off the 2023 season, facing Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tenn., in the Global Ireland Football Tournament at Energia Park in Donnybrook Stadium on Friday, Aug. 25. SHP lost, 42-7.
Notes: The following SHP players have received collegiate offers: Dunn – Merrimack; O’Sullivan – Bucknell, Columbia, Holy Cross and Villanova; Londergan – LIU-Post; and sophomore Kenyon McClain, Jaylen’s brother, – Rutgers, Syracuse, Penn State, West Virginia and Boston College.
The Pirates return seven starters on offense and six starters on defense. The Pirates will play two night games this season on Friday, Sept. 22, at Irvington and on Friday, Oct. 6, at Paramus Catholic, both at 7.
All Pirate home games will be played at Brendan P. Tevlin Memorial Field at the Kelly Athletic Complex in West Orange.
Schedule
- Aug. 25: loss, Baylor School, Chattanooga, Tenn., 42-7*
- Sept. 2: at Pope John XXIII, noon.
- Sept. 16: vs. Bergen Catholic, 1 p.m.
- Sept. 22: at Irvington, 7 p.m.
- Sept. 30: vs. Red Bank Catholic, 1 p.m.
- Oct. 6: at Paramus Catholic, 7 p.m.
- Oct. 14: vs. Don Bosco Prep, 1 p.m.
- Oct. 21: at St. Joseph of Montvale, 1 p.m.
- Oct. 28: vs. St. Peter’s Prep of Jersey, 1 p.m.
* The game was played at Energia Park in Donnybrook Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.
Photos Courtesy of Seton Hall Prep Athletics
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