With the fall season officially in the books, the student-athletes here at Seton Hall Prep have once again left their mark on the field and course. From the very first practices in the summer to the final whistle, the commitment and hard work put together by the athletes at the Prep have been nothing short of excellence. Whether it was on the gridiron, where the team battled a tough schedule of opponents with grit and courage, on the soccer pitch, where a lot of players stepped up, or in the cross-country races where the team went undefeated in the regular season, each sport showcased “the formation of character, the understanding of fair play and sportsmanship, and the acquisition of life-long interests, friendships and skills.” As we get to look back at the fall season at the Prep, it’s clear why the bar has been set so high.

The football squad finished with a losing record, sitting at 2-8. However, this record does not define this team, as they played some of the most dominant teams in the state including Delbarton, Don Bosco Prep, and Bergen Catholic twice, who would also go on to win the Non-Public A state title game. Coach Fitzgerald described this season as a tough season, “falling short of the expectations.” He was still proud of the way his team fought with resilience throughout the season. The Pirates team was quite young, with only nineteen returning seniors. Eight of those nineteen seniors will be continuing their football careers in college, including Justin Cook ‘25, and quarterback Jack Gilmore ‘25. Coach Fitzgerald was impressed by the way the younger players were able to step into bigger roles when the team needed them to, especially the sophomores who grew and improved throughout the season. The most memorable moment of the season was not any particular game, but instead the “relationships created” as Coach Fitzgerald described it. No matter if a team is 2-8 or 8-2, sticking together as a team and growing as a team is a pivotal aspect that the players on the Pirates were able to display in the locker room. When I asked Coach Fitzgerald about the future of his team, he was optimistic about the team and especially about how hard they work. That work started in December, a month after the season ended, in the weight room.

Coach Berman and the soccer team just wrapped up another winning season. They finished with a 15-6-1 record, following the season, where they won the NJSIAA, Non-Public Championship. The team only had one returning starter, which meant a lot of players had to step into new roles. Coach Berman described his team as a “fun team to coach.” The one factor that made the team’s season even more impressive, was that they had the toughest schedule in New Jersey. The middle of the season was where the team had to battle some adversity, after dropping two games back to back to East Side and West Orange. Coach Berman’s three outstanding captains, Benjamin Mills ‘25, who was the leading scorer of the team and first-team All Super Essex Conference, Daniel Ariza ‘25, second-team All Essex County, and Matthew Maceri ‘25 who was also first team All Super Essex Conference, all had a huge influence in the locker room. Some of the biggest achievements of the season were the team reaching county finals for the tenth consecutive time, beating Columbia in the ECT Semi-Finals, where the team came together in the second half, and upsetting Montclair in overtime, where Jack Bigley ‘27 scored the game-winning goal. After another great season, Coach Berman is hopeful for next season, even though nineteen seniors will be graduating, he is still confident in more players being able to step up.

The Pirates’ Cross Country team had a very impressive season, going undefeated in the regular season, at 10-0. In the last two weeks of the season, they beat both MKA (15-50) and Newark Academy (17-44), which secured the SEC American Division regular season title. Scoring for the Pirates were Andrew Burkitt ’26 (17:14), Charlie Grube ’27 (17:14), Tommy Basinger ’26 (17:52), Preston Townsend’26 (18:48), and Logan Barnett’26 (18:54). Coach Barnitt ’88 was extremely proud and excited about the way his team performed this past season. However, what mattered to him more than anything, was not the wins or losses, but the progress the team and individuals made from the first meet to the last one. Another part of the team that Coach Barnitt takes pride in was the supportive environment created by the team. They licked their wounds as a team and also grew as a team. One of the biggest challenges the team had to face was overuse injuries. The Varsity team would run 35-45 miles a week with practice, seven days a week. When the players are dedicated to their craft and are running consistently, unfortunately sometimes they could suffer from overuse injuries. The team was able to overcome this challenge as younger players would step into the varsity meets. The positives for the future are that no seniors are graduating, meaning Mr. Barnitt will be able to keep his varsity runners from last year and continue to do great things.

All in all, another successful fall sports season ends for the student-athletes here at the Prep. Improvements were made, impressive streaks continued, and many memories were made. Students and fans should be optimistic about the fall sports and the strides they will continue to make.