SHP junior quarterback Liam Londergan is shown during the game against Delbarton this season.
WEST ORANGE, NJ — Junior quarterback Liam Londergan found Julius Vicari in the back right corner of the end zone with a 2-yard touchdown fade pass with 7.4 seconds remaining to give the Seton Hall Prep football team a 34-30 win over St. Joseph Regional of Montvale in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Non-Public A quarterfinal game. SHP improved to 6-5 on the season.
This sends Seton Hall to the semifinals for the first time since 2010. The team will face Don Bosco Prep on Friday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. The Ironmen defeated the Pirates, 35-21, back on Oct. 14. This will be a school-record 12th football game this season for Seton Hall Prep.
Seton Hall got the ball on their 45-yard line with 1:18 left in the game, and it was all Londergan either passing or running. The team drove 55 yards in 10 plays, and Londergan was four-of-six for 28 yards during the drive. The winning touchdown capped a comeback that started when the Pirates were trailing 23-7 with 9:16 left in the third quarter.
St. Joseph opened the scoring in the first quarter with a touchdown and a field goal to take a 10-0 lead before the Pirates scored when junior Michael Dunmore caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Londergan with 10:42 left in the second quarter to cut the lead to 10-7; freshman Declan Farrell added the extra point. The Green Knights added a touchdown with 3:49 left in the second quarter to take a 17-7 lead into halftime. On their first drive of the third quarter, St. Joseph extended their lead to 23-7 with a touchdown before the Pirates mounted their comeback. Senior Andrew Daly capped a 12-play, 72-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown run, and Brody Davis made a great catch on the conversion pass from a falling-down Londergan to cut the Green Knight lead to 23-15 with 3:20 left in the third quarter.
Senior Mason Mac took a St. Joe’s punt on the Seton Hall 43-yard line and returned it to the St. Joe’s 42-yard line. The Pirates drove 42 yards in five plays, with Londergan hitting Mac with a 14-yard scoring pass to cut the St. Joe’s lead to 23-21. The Green Knights scored a touchdown on their next drive to extend their lead to 30-21 with 10:58 left in the fourth quarter. Senior Darren Burton II intercepted a pass on the St. Joe’s 37-yard line and returned it to the 26-yard line. The Pirates drove 26 yards in six plays, with Londergan scoring from the 1-yard line to cut the Green Knight lead to 30-28 with 5:11 left.
Following the game, head coach Bill Fitzgerald said, “I am so proud of our guys. There were a lot of moments where things were going against us, but we clawed and fought all the way back.”
SHP stats vs. St. Joe’s
Passing
- Londergan: 25 of 41, 229 yards, 3 TDs.
Rushing
- Londergan: 18 carries for 96 yards, 1 TD.
- Mac: 9 catches for 81 yards, 1 TD.
Defense
- Senior defensive back Elijah Rippey: 14 tackles.
- Senior linebacker Christian Black: 14 tackles.
- Junior defensive back Jaylen McClain: 13 tackles.
- Junior linebacker Christopher Peralta: 13 tackles.
The Pirates are ranked in the following polls:
- Star-Ledger: No. 14 in New Jersey, No. 2 in Essex County, No. 6 in nonpublic schools.
- MaxPreps: No. 7 in New Jersey.
- USA Today Network: No. 10 in New Jersey.
Photo Courtesy of PJ Candido
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