WEST ORANGE, NJ — After a competitive first quarter against host Seton Hall Preparatory School, it was pretty much an uphill battle for the visiting Farmers, as they were handled at the line of scrimmage for the most part and out-played in all three phases.
It was sort of back to the beginning in preparation for the clash on Friday night, Sept. 6, at Hillsborough High School, after Union High School was thoroughly beaten by Seton Hall Prep, 34-0, in the first-ever meeting between the storied programs on Friday, Afternoon, Aug. 30, in the season-opener for both at West Orange’s Kelly Athletic Complex.
Union only trailed 6-0 in the second quarter and, before that, in the first, held the Pirates on a fourth down at the Union 37-yard line on a fine stop by Union senior linebacker Bryan Accinot.
Seton Hall Prep then took advantage of a Union turnover and scored a short-drive touchdown to go up 13-0. The Pirates added a field goal and a safety to lead 16-0 at intermission.
Union was held to 43 yards total offense in the first half and not much more in the second, before the running clock started, when Seton Hall Prep went ahead 34-0, following two more touchdowns and another safety.
“I thought we did play well in the first half,” first-year interim Union head coach Jason Scott said. “However, our defense was in bad spots all day and backed up all game.”
It was the fourth straight year that Union lost its season-opener, the Farmers coming off a 5-6 season where they won one playoff game. Union was shut out in a season-opener for the first time since the 2005 squad opened with a 38-0 setback at Irvington High School. That Farmers squad bounced back to go 7-4 and win a playoff game.
“We have to find a way to keep running the ball,” Scott said. “They leaned on us.”
Seton Hall Prep, coming off a 5-7 season, took a 6-0 lead when sophomore quarterback Kahden Davis ran up the middle for a five-yard touchdown to cap a six-play, 75-yard drive that took exactly two minutes. Junior running Bryce Robbins had a 29-yard run to the Union five-yard line for first and goal.
Senior linebacker Dylan Gilmore caused a fumble and fellow senior linebacker Nolan Ellander recovered to give the Pirates a first down at the Union 15. Three plays later, Davis completed an eight-yard touchdown pass at the left to Robbins. Junior placekicker Declan Farrell followed with his first point-after of the season to put Seton Hall Prep up 13-0.
Later in the second quarter, a Union snap out of the end zone provided the Pirates with a safety for a 15-0 cushion.
Then Farrell kicked a career-best 39-yard field goal with 20 seconds left in the second quarter to make the score 18-0.
Union junior running back Ziare Nash carried the ball six times for 33 yards in the first half, while junior quarterback Matthew Nigro completed passes to junior wide receiver Jaydon Forbes and Nash.
Davis completed four-of-seven passes for 31 yards and one touchdown pass and carried the ball five times for 16 yards and one touchdown run the first two quarters.
Robbins carried the ball 10 times for 48 yards and had his one touchdown reception.
Junior linebacker Michael Wellet III hit Nigro hard, jarring the ball loose. Then senior linebacker Justin Cook picked it up and ran 20 yards, untouched, into the end zone for Seton Hall Prep’s third touchdown.
The fourth and final Pirate touchdown of the day was scored by junior running back Colin Moore on a one-yard run in the third quarter.
A second Seton Hall Prep safety came when Nigro was tackled in the end zone with 3:32 left in the third quarter, pushing its lead to 34-0. When a team is ahead by at least 33 points in the second half, the mercy rule states that the clock continues to run except for scoring or injury.
Nigro got hit hard several times, but continued to give it his all right to the end.
“He’s a tough kid,” Scott said. “He showed improvement over the summer.”
Hillsborough also opened with a loss on the road, falling at Somerville High School, 21-20, on Thursday night, Aug. 29.
“We have to get rid of all fixable mistakes,” Scott said. “We have to improve in all three phases: offense, defense and special teams.”
Photos by JR Parachini