In a bruising battle on a summerlike September Saturday, the Seton Hall Prep Pirates outshined the Chaminade Flyers, grinding out a 10-3 victory on Ott Field at Gold Star Stadium in Mineola.
"Key critical situations, third downs and fourth downs," reflected Seton Hall Prep head coach Bill Fitzgerald on the difference in the tight game. "We made some big plays, batted a couple balls, and got them a little bit off schedule," said Fitzgerald of a Pirates defense that spent the afternoon tightening up when they needed to, surrendering 193 yards of total offense to the Flyers.
Chaminade entered with a 2-0 record after wins over St. Anthony's and John Jay and was looking for its first 3-0 start since 2013. On the other side of the Hudson River, Seton Hall Prep (1-1) began the weekend as the 11th-ranked team in New Jersey, according to MaxPreps.
The Pirates looked every bit the powerhouse program as they struck first on their opening drive. Two impressive runs from quarterback Kahden Davis - one on third down - opened the door for a Matthew Bergwall 16-yard touchdown reception over the middle. Davis finished with 108 yards on the ground and 87 through the air, spearheading what ultimately became the game's lone touchdown drive.
Chaminade responded with a Justin Jones field goal on its next drive, set up by running back Peter Gerbasi's 52-yard reception on third down. Gerbasi took a short screen pass down the left sideline into the red zone to set up the score.
Seton Hall Prep took their opening drive of the second quarter into the red zone, as well. Davis once again used his legs on third down to pick up a sizable gain, this one a 20-yard scamper. However, the Chaminade defensive line stood tall, thanks to a big-time stop on third down in their own territory, forcing a Pirates field goal from Declan Farrell - extending Prep's lead to 10-3.
For the remainder of the first half, the two defenses continued to trade stops. Benjamin Bekiers came up with a big tackle on a key third down for the Flyers, halting Davis to force a punt before halftime.
After receiving the second-half kickoff, the Pirates moved the ball well until Chaminade's Will Handley broke up a pass in the flat, nearly picking it off. Handley racked up five tackles and registered a number of big hits, firing up his teammates throughout the afternoon. A dead ball penalty on the drive also proved costly for the Pirates, who were unable to add to their lead.
On their second possession of the third quarter, the Pirates once again moved the ball into Flyers territory, but again, Chaminade's defense stiffened. Dean Schmitt made clutch tackles on both third and fourth down, resulting in a change of possession. The Flyers forced another turnover on downs to start the game's final frame, with Louis D'Agostino leading the charge.
Chaminade moved the ball into Pirates territory multiple times in the final quarter but twice were stopped on fourth down. On the game's final drive, Tyler Fuscaldo came up with a big third-down sack for the Pirates; on the next play, Chaminade quarterback Tim Murphy threw an incomplete pass, sealing the victory for Prep.
Though it was a tough loss for the Flyers, head coach Tom Claro was still proud of his team's performance:
"We knew it was going to be a dogfight, but we were in it. Our defense kept us in it, and that's really all you can ask," said the first-year Chaminade head coach after the game. "Proud of the guys. I think they played hard."
Up next for Seton Hall Prep is a road game on Friday against DePaul Catholic. As for Chaminade, they are slated to visit St. John the Baptist on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.
