Seton Hall Preparatory School, generally called Seton Hall Prep or "The Prep", is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

all boys'

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

located in the suburban community of West Orange in

Essex County, New Jersey Essex County is located in the northeastern part of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 863,728, making it the state's second-most populous county, behind Bergen and Middlesex Counties.

, operating under the supervision of the

Archdiocese of Newark The Archdiocese of Newark is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northeastern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jers ...

. Founded in 1856 with an original enrollment of five boys, Seton Hall Prep was originally located on the campus of

Seton Hall University Seton Hall University (SHU) is a private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesa ...

, where it became commonly known as "The Prep" as a way to distinguish it from "The University." In 1985, The Prep moved to its present location which was, at the time, West Orange High School. Seton Hall is the oldest

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

college preparatory school A college-preparatory school (usually shortened to preparatory school or prep school) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to public, private independent or parochial schools primarily designed to prepare students for higher educat ...

in New Jersey.Our History
Seton Hall Preparatory School. Accessed June 10, 2019. As of the 2019–20 school year, the school had an enrollment of 963 students and 70.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio Student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio is the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students ...

of 13.7:1. The school's student body was 71.4% (688) White, 9.8% (94) Black, 8.6% (83) Hispanic, 5.4% (52) two or more races, 4.0% (39) Asian, 0.5% (5) Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander and 0.2% (2) American Indian / Alaska Native.School data for Seton Hall Preparatory School

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district financ ...

. Accessed March 10, 2022. Seton Hall students follow a college preparatory program, with four-year requirements in the

English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the ...

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

, and

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

. After completing a traditional core program during the first two years, students may establish a curriculum geared to their college and career plans from a wide selection of courses in

science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence ...

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

, language,

fine art In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwor ...

s, English and

physical education Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorat ...

. Seton Hall plans to offer college-level

Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...

(AP) courses in 26 areas during the 2019–20 school year. "The Prep" is accredited by the

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (Middle States Association or MSA) was a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association that performed peer evaluation and regional accreditation of public and private schools in the Mid-Atl ...

Commission on Elementary and Secondary SchoolsSeton Hall Preparatory School

Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 6, 2022. and is a member of the

New Jersey Association of Independent Schools The New Jersey Association of Independent Schools (NJAIS) serves independent elementary and secondary schools throughout the state of New Jersey. The Association consists of 70 member schools with a total enrollment of approximately 26,000 students. ...

History

Founded in 1856, Seton Hall Preparatory School is the oldest Catholic college preparatory school in New Jersey. Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley, first Bishop of Newark and nephew of

Elizabeth Ann Seton Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton (August 28, 1774 – January 4, 1821) was a Catholic religious sister in the United States and an educator, known as a founder of the country's parochial school system. After her death, she became the first person bo ...

, purchased an estate in

Madison, New Jersey Madison is a borough in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 16,937. Located along the Morris & Essex Lines, it is noted for Madison's historic railroad station becoming on ...

using money donated by Catholic Charities that would become the site of Seton Hall Prep. Five priests and eight laymen formed a Board of Directors to establish a Catholic preparatory school, college, and seminary. The inaugural class of five students first met on December 1, 1856. Seton Hall President Rt. Rev. Bernard McQuaid purchased an estate in South Orange in 1857, to which the school moved in 1860 to accommodate a larger student body. The Prep would spend the next 125 years on the institution's South Orange campus. Until 1928, the President of Seton Hall College was also the head of the Preparatory Division. At that time, Rev. D.A. Mulcahy became the high school's first director. The following year, Rev. William Bradley was named director, then principal, and ultimately the school's first headmaster in 1938. The prep school's population grew further over the next decades, with peaks in enrollment during World War II and in the mid 1970s. The school occupied three main buildings on the university campus: Mooney Hall, Duffy Hall, and Stafford Hall. A significant portion of the student body lived on campus until the last of the boarding students graduated in the mid-1950s. In the early and mid twentieth century Prep drew its students principally from Essex and Union counties, but as the state's transportation system expanded in the 1960s and 1970s, the school began to draw students from Morris, Bergen, Hudson, Passaic and Middlesex counties. This led to growth in the number of students attending the school — in 1975, enrollment surpassed 1,100. In 1980, Rev. Michael E. Kelly became the first alumnus headmaster. Five years later, the Prep acquired an campus of its own in nearby West Orange. Expansion continued to be a priority for the Prep as the 21st century arrived. In 1993, the school purchased a tract of land on nearby Prospect Avenue, overlooking the New York City skyline. Seton Hall Prep broke ground for construction of the Edward D. and Helen M. Kelly Athletic Complex (KAC) on this site in 1999. The project would span several years; the final phase of construction would not begin until 2014. In 2013, the John J. Murphy '52 Science Center was opened, adding a new wing of classrooms and science labs to the school. In 2014, Rev. Kelly became the school's first president. Rev. Msgr. Robert Harahan was appointed headmaster in his place. In 2015, as the now-open KAC was being completed, the school celebrated its 160th anniversary. In 2019, alum Michael Gallo, class of 1979, was appointed as the first lay headmaster.

Prep life

The Prep offers a co-curricular activities program, with numerous academic, service, performance, cultural, publication, and recreation clubs and activities. Additionally, the Prep offers 16 varsity sports, most with accompanying sub-varsity level teams. The school reports that around 70% of its students participate in athletics at some point during their time at The Prep. The main campus, accessible to Interstate 280 and several bus and train routes, is augmented by a nearby site, the Kelly Athletic Complex (KAC), providing auxiliary athletic facilities, including a 400m all-weather track, a game field for lacrosse and soccer, and practice fields.

Demographics

The students attending Seton Hall Prep hail from several New Jersey counties, and some have even lived in

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey b ...

and

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

during their time at the school. The Prep draws its student population from points as far as Jamesburg and Edison, to

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

and Denville, to Lyndhurst and Montville, to Pompton Plains and

Kinnelon Kinnelon () is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States, located approximately west of New York City. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 9,966, a drop of 282 (-2.8%) from the 2010 census count of 1 ...

as well as Paterson and

Hoboken Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,69 ...

. At the same time more than 80 students come from West Orange itself, 75 from neighboring South Orange/ Maplewood and East Orange, and large contingents from close by Bloomfield, Cedar Grove,

The Caldwells The Caldwells are a group of three municipalities in Essex County, New Jersey, all of which have the word ''Caldwell'' in their name. All of these communities are named after the Reverend James Caldwell, a Patriot who played an active role suppo ...

Verona Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city municipality in the region and the second largest in nor ...

, Morristown, Florham Park, East Hanover,

Summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used only for a m ...

Livingston Livingston may refer to: Businesses * Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010) * Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline * Livingston International, a North American customs ...

and Morris Plains.

Extracurricular activities

The Prep offers many activities. Most students are involved in some type of after school program. Some of these clubs are as follows. *Performing Arts — Band, Brass/Wind Ensemble, C Tonians

A Cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

Group, Chamber Music Club, Fall Drama, Jazz Band, Music Ministry, Spring Musical. *Interscholastic Competition Clubs — Chess Club, Forensics/Debate, Math Team,

Mock Trial A mock trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisti ...

, Model UN Team, Quiz Bowl, Robotics Team, Stock Market Club. *Student Organizations — Ambassadors, Gregory Elementary School/Hazel Avenue Elementary School Tutoring Program,

Kairos Kairos ( grc, καιρός) is an ancient Greek word meaning 'the right, critical, or opportune moment'. In modern Greek, ''kairos'' also means 'weather' or 'time'. It is one of two words that the ancient Greeks had for 'time'; the other be ...

, Math Honor Society,

National Honor Society The National Honor Society (NHS) is a nationwide organization for high school students in the United States and outlying territories, which consists of many chapters in high schools. Selection is based on four criteria: scholarship (academic achi ...

, Peer Leadership, Chinese National Honor Society, Italian Honor Society, National Latin Honor Society,

Spanish Honor Society Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

, Student Council. *Publishing — ''Pirate'' (School Newspaper), ''Spectrum'' (Literary Publication), ''Tower'' (Yearbook). *Recreational Activity Clubs — Aerospace Club, Aquarium Society, Car Club, Cinema Club, Fishing Club, Guitar Club, Martial Arts Club, Museums Club, Ping Pong Club, SHP

Eagles Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, jus ...

Club, Ski/Snowboard Club, Video Game Club. *Science Clubs — Engineering Club, Environmental Club. *Culture Clubs — Chinese Club,

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...

Society, Italian Club, Japanese Club, Spanish Club,

West Indian A West Indian is a native or inhabitant of the West Indies (the Antilles and the Lucayan Archipelago). For more than 100 years the words ''West Indian'' specifically described natives of the West Indies, but by 1661 Europeans had begun to use it ...

Organization. *Service Organizations — Autism Big Brothers, Knights of Setonia, Operation Smile, Service Club, Wounded Warrior Project. *Career Clubs —

Future Business Leaders of America The Future Business Leaders of America, or FBLA, is an American career and technical student organization headquartered in Reston, Virginia. Established in 1940, FBLA is a non-profit organization of high school ("FBLA"), Middle Level ("FBLA ...

, Future Lawyers Club, Future Medical Leaders. *Political Organizations — Conservative Society, Democratic Society, Free Thinkers Society. *Athletic Organizations — Pirate Nation, Seton Hall Prep Network (SHPN). In 1958–59, 1964–66, and again in 1968, the school's chess team was the New Jersey high school team champion, winning the Father Casimir J. Finley Trophy. Several of the school's clubs are run almost entirely by students. A notable example is SHPN, a sports news and information network dedicated to the coverage of Prep athletics. Founded by four seniors in 2016, the students involved with the club have produced highlight videos and even full-length documentary

vlog A video blog or video log, sometimes shortened to vlog (), is a form of blog for which the medium is video. Vlog entries often combine embedded video (or a video link) with supporting text, images, and other metadata. Entries can be recorded i ...

s chronicling the successes and failures of the school's athletic program.

Athletics

The Seton Hall Prep PiratesSeton Hall Preparatory School

New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) is an association of hundreds of New Jersey high schools that regulates high school athletics and holds tournaments and crowns champions in high school sports. State championsh ...

. Accessed October 2020. compete in the

Super Essex Conference The Super Essex Conference (SEC) is a high school athletic conference located in Essex County, New Jersey. The conference was formed in 2009 by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association and was a result of a larger realignment that ...

, which is comprised of public and private high schools in the county and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the

(NJSIAA). Prior to the NJSIAA's 2010 realignment, the school had competed as part of the

Iron Hills Conference The Iron Hills Conference was an athletic conference of twenty high schools located in Essex County, Morris County and Union County in New Jersey, United States. The Iron division was often regarded as one of the most competitive in the state. ...

, which included public and private high schools in Essex, Morris and Union counties. With 1,454 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public A for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 381 to 1,454 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group II for public schools). The football team competes in the Patriot Blue division of the North Jersey Super Football Conference, which includes 112 schools competing in 20 divisions, making it the nation's biggest football-only high school sports league. The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Non-Public Group IV for football for 2018–2020.

Football

Seton Hall Prep's football program was its first sport that was run without influence from the university. After gaining independence following the 1907 season, the team, often referred to as "The Olympians," was disbanded and replaced by a rugby team. Football returned to the Prep in 1912 and has remained in place ever since.Football Tradition
Seton Hall Preparatory School Athletics. Accessed June 19, 2019. In 1926, the Prep shut out St. Benedict's on their way to their first ever championship — the fittingly named Catholic Prep School Championship. Twenty years later, newly appointed headmaster Rev. William J. Duffy brought substantial changes to the Prep's entire athletic program. Faced with an unheard of enrollment of 1,300 students, Rev. Duffy banned postgraduates from competing for any of Seton Hall Prep's teams. As a result of the upheaval that followed, several new coaches were brought into the program, including Anthony J. Verducci in 1950. In the playoff era that started in 1974, the football team has won the Non-Public A North state sectional championship in 1974 (awarded by NJSIAA), 1976-1978, 1981 and 1985. In 1954, Verducci became head coach, a position that he would hold until 1988. His tenure was highlighted by 11 of the Prep's 12

NJSIAA The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) is an association of hundreds of New Jersey high schools that regulates high school athletics and holds tournaments and crowns champions in high school sports. State championsh ...

Parochial A North championships and seven undefeated seasons. 1976-77 was perhaps the best season in program history, as the team finished 110 for the first time in school history and won the first of three straight state championships, having shut out their opponents eight times that season. The 1977 team finished the season with a 10-0-1 record and outscored their opponents 2906, including a state record ten shutouts, among them a 15–0 win over Bergen Catholic in the state championship game. The Prep was undefeated again in 1978, as Verducci finished with an 11-0 record and extended his winning streak to 38 games with a 22-10 win against Bergen Catholic in the Parochial A North championship game. The Pirates surrendered only 72 points in their three consecutive championship seasons. Verducci would retire with a 214-75-16 record, including 104 shutouts. The 1981 team finished the season with an 11-0 record after winning the Parochial A North title with a 20-12 defeat of

Bergen Catholic High School Bergen Catholic High School is an all-male Roman Catholic high school in Oradell, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Coll ...

in the championship game. The Pirates' best season since Verducci's retirement came 199798, when they went 101, losing only to St. Joe's of Montvale in the Parochial A title game. In 2005, the team started 02 before winning their next eight games, losing the state championship game to powerhouse

Don Bosco John Melchior Bosco ( it, Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco; pms, Gioann Melchior Bòsch; 16 August 181531 January 1888), popularly known as Don Bosco , was an Italian Catholic priest, educator, writer and saint of the 19th century. While working ...

. Former Prep players who reached the NFL include John Schmitt,

Chet Parlavecchio Chester Louis "Chet" Parlavecchio (born February 14, 1960) is an American football coach and former linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) who later became an assistant special teams coach and linebackers coach with the Tennessee Tita ...

, Stanley Anthony “Tony” Woods, and Jarrod Johnson.

Baseball

Seton Hall Prep currently has 30 state baseball championships, including 15 in a 17-year period between 1948 and 1964.Baseball Tradition
Seton Hall Preparatory School Athletics. Accessed June 10, 2019. The baseball team won the Non-Public Group A North state championship in 1959-1962, 1964, 1969 and 1970, and won the Non-Public Group A state championship in 1971 (defeating Holy Cross High School in the tournament final), 1995 (vs. Paul VI High School), 2001 (vs. Christian Brothers Academy), 2003 (vs. Christian Brothers), 2005 (vs. Christian Brothers), 2006 (vs. Bishop Ahr High School), 2007 (vs. St. Joseph High School of Metuchen) and 2016 (vs.

Saint Augustine Preparatory School :''This article discusses the school in Richland, New Jersey. For other institution of the same name, see St. Augustine's (disambiguation)'' St. Augustine Preparatory School

). The program's eight state group titles are tied for second-most in the state. The 1971 team won the Parochial A title with a6-1 win against Holy Cross in the tournament final. The 2003 team finished the season with a 30-1 record after tying the game with three runs in the bottom of the seventh and scoring the winning run in the 11th to defeat Christian Brothers by a score of 6-5 in the Parochial A championship game. Following the 2007 season, the Pirates were ranked as the top team in the country by a number of media outlets. They were led by pitcher Rick Porcello, who was considered by some to be the best high school prospect in the country, ahead of future MLB all-stars such as Jason Heyward and

Madison Bumgarner Madison Kyle Bumgarner (born August 1, 1989), commonly known by his nickname, "MadBum", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, he pitched for the San Francisco Giants ...

. Porcello was selected by the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

as the 27th pick overall in the first round of the

2007 Major League Baseball Draft The 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players and was held on June 7, 2007 and June 8, 2007. The first day session of the draft included the fir ...

. He signed a contract with the Tigers in August for $7 million, the richest deal ever for a high school player. In its May 28, 2007 update, ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...

'' ranked Seton Hall Prep third in the country, the only New Jersey school on its Top 50 ranking. The team won the North A state sectional championship with a 30 shutout of Immaculata High School in the tournament final. They would later win the North A state championship with a 101 win against St. Joseph High School. Porcello would go on to pitch for the Tigers and the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

, with whom he won the 2016

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league b ...

Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Ha ...

. Porcello is not the only former Pirate to be drafted by a major league team. In

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A ...

, second baseman

Eric Duncan Eric Anthony Duncan (born December 7, 1984) is an American former professional baseball second baseman and quality control coach for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). Considered an excellent high school baseball player, Dunca ...

was selected in the first round by the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...

. Like Porcello, Duncan was considered one of the country's best high school prospects and was taken 27th overall. Another pitcher on the 2007 team, Evan Danieli, was selected by the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

in the 33rd round in 2007; he opted to attend Notre Dame instead of signing and was later drafted in the 24th round of the 2010 draft by the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in ...

. Other draftees include students who graduated in 1969, 1983, 2001 ( Joe Martinez), 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015. The team won the Greater Newark Tournament in 1971, 1983, 1990, 1997-2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2013-2017. The program's 17 titles are the most in tournament history. The team won the 2017 Greater Newark Tournament title won the program's fifth straight championship, defeating

Nutley High School Nutley High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school in the Township of Nutley, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as the lone secondary school of the Nutley Public Scho ...

4-2 in the finals.

Basketball

Seton Hall Prep was a basketball powerhouse for many years, winning the

title 20 consecutive times before joining the

in 2010.Basketball Tradition
Seton Hall Preparatory School Athletics. Accessed June 19, 2019. The Pirates have won 14 Non-Public A state titles. The team has only had three head coaches since 1948: Frank "Finn" Tracey, Prep legend Bob Farrell, and current head coach Kevin Williams. The boys' basketball team won the Non-Public Group A state title in 1961 (defeating runner-up Trenton Catholic High School in the tournament final), 1964 (vs. St. Joseph's High School of Camden), 1986 (vs. Christian Brothers Academy), 1991 (vs. McCorristin Catholic High School), 1992 (vs. St. Joseph High School of Metuchen), 1993 (vs.

Camden Catholic High School Camden Catholic High School (CCHS) is a four-year comprehensive private coeducational Roman Catholic high school, located in the Philadelphia metropolitan area in Cherry Hill, Camden County,in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school operate ...

), 1996 (vs. Camden Catholic), 1997 (vs.

Eustace Preparatory School Bishop Eustace Preparatory School is a Catholic high school in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey. Founded in 1954 by the priests and brothers of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate (The Pallottines), the school operates under the auspices of ...

), 1998 (vs. St. Joseph of Metuchen), 1999 (vs. St. Joseph of Metuchen), 2000 (vs. Christian Brothers), 2005 (vs. Christian Brothers), 2006 (vs. Christian Brothers) and 2007 (vs. Christian Brothers). The program's 14 state titles are tied for second-most in the state. The team was the 2005 Non-Public North A state sectional champion, defeating Saint Joseph Regional High School, 6354 in the final game. The team went on to win the state championship and the 2005 Tournament of Champions, with a 63–60 win over St. Patrick's High School, in a game played at

Continental Airlines Arena Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor arena facility located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The arena is located on ...

. This would be the Pirates' second TOC victory, with the other triumph occurring in 1999. Coach Bob Farrell achieved his 700th career win during the 200708 season, the same night that then-senior Ashton Gibbs broke Keven McDonald's all-time over 30-year-old scoring record of 1,774 points. Gibbs attended the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...

and saw considerable playing time as a freshman, including in the

Elite Eight In the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship, the "Elite Eight" comprises the final eight teams, representing the regional finals, or national quarterfinals. In Division I and Divis ...

loss to

Villanova University Villanova University is a private Roman Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Augustinians in 1842 and named after Saint Thomas of Villanova. The university is the oldest Catholic university in Pennsy ...

on March 28, 2009. Farrell finished his coaching career in 2011 with 777 wins. Seton Hall Prep alumni — including

Ira Bowman Ira Bowman (born June 11, 1973) is a retired American professional basketball player formerly in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently an assistant men's basketball coach for Auburn University. He attended Providence Colleg ...

, Brevin Knight, and Brandin Knight — have gone on to play in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...

, and

Spencer Weisz Spencer Weisz (ספנסר וייס; born May 31, 1995) is an American-Israeli professional basketball player for Hapoel Haifa of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He played college basketball for the Princeton Tigers, completing his college ...

has gone on to play in the

Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl ( he, ליגת העל, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is the top-tier level league of professional competition in Israeli club basketball, making it Israel's primary basketball c ...

. Once known as a feeder school for the Seton Hall University basketball program, the school now sends players to a variety of universities. Alumni

( Auburn), Brandin Knight (

Rutgers Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and w ...

), and Marcus Toney-El (

Fairleigh Dickinson Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university with its main campuses in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Founded in 1942, Fairleigh Dickinson University currently offers more than 100 degree programs to its students. In addition to its tw ...

) are all currently Division I assistant basketball coaches, and Michael Malone is the head coach of the NBA's

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

Cross country

The boys' cross country team won the Non-Public Group A state championship in 1946, 1948-1950, 1960 and 1961.

Lacrosse

The lacrosse team won the Group IV state championship in 2004, defeating Christian Brothers Academy in the championship game. In 2019, the team won its seventh consecutive Essex County Tournament title, defeating

Glen Ridge High School Glen Ridge High School (GRHS) is a comprehensive six-year public middle school / high school serving students in seventh through twelfth grades from Glen Ridge, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary scho ...

by a score of 12–4 in the final game of the tournament. Including the win in 2019, the program has won the Essex County Tournament in 10 of the 17 years it has been played since it was established in 2004. The team has also had many Division 1 lacrosse players come through their program, including professional Jules Heningburg.

Soccer

The boys soccer team won the Non-Public Group A state championship in 2007 (defeating Christian Brothers Academy in the tournament final), 2009 (vs. Christian Brothers) and 2019 (vs, St, Augustune Preparatory School). The soccer team won the 2005 North A state sectional championship with a 50 win over Don Bosco Preparatory High School. In 2007 the team achieved a number one statewide ranking from ''

The Star-Ledger ''The Star-Ledger'' is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to '' The Jersey Journal'' of Jersey City, ''The Times'' of Trenton and the '' Staten Island Advance'', all of ...

'' and a number five ranking in a national coaches' poll. The 2007 team won the North A state sectional championship with consecutive 3-2 wins over No. 1 ranked Don Bosco, and then the new No. 1 team and rival

Delbarton Delbarton School is a private all-male Catholic college-preparatory school in Morristown, New Jersey for young men in seventh through twelfth grades. It is an independent school directed by the Benedictine monks of St. Mary's Abbey and is loca ...

in the North Jersey Final. The team moved on to win the Non-Public A state championship with a 2–0 win over Christian Brothers Academy. They finished the season at 22–1, with several school records: 16 shutouts, 22 wins, 95 goals. In 2009, the Seton Hall Prep soccer won another state championship; defeating Christian Brothers Academy 10. SHP finished the season number 1 in the state and ranked 8th in the nation. In 2010, the Seton Hall Prep soccer team was ranked first in the nation but failed to secure back-to-back championships. In 2019, Seton Hall Prep soccer won another Non-Public A state title after beating St. Augustine 1–0. The Pirates also won the sectional title after defeating

Pingry School The Pingry School is a coeducational, independent, college preparatory country day school in New Jersey, with a Lower School (K–5) campus in the Short Hills neighborhood of Millburn, and a Middle (6–8) and Upper School (9–12) campus ...

5–3, and won the Essex County Tournament after besting Montclair High School by a score 1–0. In addition to county and state championships, the boys soccer team won the Super Essex Conference by finishing first in regular season play and thus completed the triple crown. Beyond trophies, the 2019 season was highlighted by program records where the team tied the school record of 22 wins in one season and set a new record with 20 shutout games.

Track

Since the program's inception, the Pirates indoor and outdoor track teams have produced individuals and relay teams that consistently compete on the conference, state, and national level. A number of former Pirates have competed on the international level for the United States and Jamaica. The track team won the Non-Public Group A spring track state championship in 1950, 1959, 1960, 1970, 1984, 1986 and 2007. The boys track team won the Non-Public indoor relay state championship in 1970 and 1971.

Hockey

For decades, the Pirates have been among the elite of New Jersey high school hockey programs, along with long-standing rivalries with Bergen Catholic and

(which had even been mentioned in an episode of HBO's ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying his difficulties as he tries to balance ...

''). Their home ice is South Mountain Arena at the Richard J. Codey Ice Rink in West Orange, the former practice facility of the NHL's

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The club was founded as the Kan ...

. The ice hockey team won the Non-Public state championship in 1997-1999 and 2004, and won the overall state championship in 1998, 1999 and 2004. The team won the Gordon Cup in 1978, 1983, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000-2002, 2006 Former coach Peter Herms, who had coached the team for 14 years until his resignation in 2010, was inducted into the inaugural class of the New Jersey High School Ice Hockey Hall of Fame. Herms, along with co-coach John Warchol (who is also a member of the inaugural class of the Hall of Fame), led Seton Hall to six Gordon Cups, four

Non-Public titles, and three Tournament of Champions titles, which were won in 1998, 1999 and 2004. The 1997-98 team was inducted into the New Jersey High School Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.

Swimming

Swimming is arguably the Prep's most dominant sport. In 2019, Seton Hall won its 22nd consecutive Essex County Championship. Since 1980, the swim team has won 27 out of a possible 28 county championships (there was no championship meet in 1984, and from 1987 to 1997, team scoring was not used, and thus a team champion was not named). The Pirates have won a conference title every year since 1994, with two exceptions, 1997 and 2009. On February 26, 2022, Seton Hall Prep won the first NJSIAA Non-Public A state championship in school history, defeating Christian Brothers Academy by 93-77 in the finals. Seton Hall Prep swimmers have been the recipient of the

Cullen Jones Cullen Andrew Jones (born February 29, 1984) is an American former competition swimmer and Olympic gold medalist who specializes in freestyle sprint events. As part of the American team, he holds the world record in the 4×100-meter freestyle ...

Award, given annually to the most valuable swimmer at the Essex County Championships, seven times since the award's creation in 2009, Including a student who won the honor three consecutive times from 2017 to 2019, the award's second three-time winner.

Wrestling

The wrestling team won the Non-Public Group A North state sectional championship in 1981-1983, 1987 and 1989, and won the Non-Public A state championship in 1983.NJSIAA Wrestling Team Championship History
,

. Accessed November 20, 2020. Six Seton Hall Prep wrestlers have won individual state championships.

Notable alumni

List of Seton Hall Preparatory School alumni

References

External links

Seton Hall Preparatory School WebsiteData for Seton Hall Preparatory School

{{Authority control 1856 establishments in New Jersey Boys' schools in New Jersey Educational institutions established in 1856 Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools New Jersey Association of Independent Schools Private high schools in Essex County, New Jersey Catholic secondary schools in New Jersey Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark West Orange, New Jersey