On November 11, 2023, Delbarton (2) matched up with Don Bosco Prep (15) in the NJSIAA Non-Public A Football Quarterfinal. Despite Delbarton’s challenging schedule, they entered the game at an impressive 8-1. The no. 15 seeded Ironmen from Ramsey had high hopes but low statistics. With losses to St. Joe’s Regional and DePaul, among others, Bosco’s 5-5 record was much inferior to Delbarton’s.
The Green Wave relied on their defense to point the momentum in the right direction. On their first offensive play, Phillip Folmar ran for 65 yards. Ryan Trafford, a Navy Lacrosse commit, pushed through for the score on the next play with a 1-yard run. Bosco later responded with a pick-six off an errant Christian Zebrowski pass when senior lineman Andrew Lynch ran it back for the 26-yard touchdown.
At the end of the first half, Kyle Checchio scooped the football near Delbarton’s one-yard line and ran it to the endzone for the Green Wave defensive touchdown, their second in two games. The 99-yard run was a momentum swinger and put the Green Wave in prime position for victory. Though Bosco’s only true threat was a safety that made the game 14-9, the second half was hard-fought, and it was clear the game was not over yet.
Delbarton’s incredible defense held on drive after drive until they forced a turnover on downs that led to the 14-9 victory. The Green Wave improved their record to a near-perfect 9-1 and clinched a spot in the state semi-finals.
In the other bracket, Seton Hall Prep squared off with no. 3 St. Joe’s Regional and won in a 35-28 thriller. Delbarton is the last team expected to celebrate SHP’s victory, but this time, it meant bypassing a strong St. Joe’s roster and instead facing off against their biggest rivals.
The rivalry was always grand, but on May 11th, 2023, the competition between the two teams took a wild turn. After SHP lacrosse team defeated the Green Wave in an 11-10 overtime victory at Delbarton, their students paraded around Delbarton’s campus, jumped in the senior fountain, and attempted to force their way inside the school. The outcome of the game and the actions afterward lit a fire in every Delbarton student’s heart.
The Green Wave later made it to the NJSIAA Lacrosse Championship, where they beat SHP in the same fashion they lost a month earlier, in an overtime battle that ended with a score of 10- 9. The rivalry continued to grow when SHP responded with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Delbarton in soccer on November 7 to win the North Non-Public A Final.
That said, the tensions coming into Saturday’s matchup are incredibly high. After speaking with the Headmaster of Delbarton School, Father Michael Tidd, earlier this week, he estimated a crowd of 4,000-5,000 would attend the semi-final game.
The Green Wave football players had similar attitudes of anticipation and excitement. One of Delbarton’s cornerbacks, Troy Bailey, shared that the team’s goal from day 1 of practice has been to get to MetLife and that it will be tough for anyone to stop them.
When I asked Phillip Folmar, Delbarton’s top receiver, about the potential journey to MetLife, he responded similarly. “It means a lot. Playing for our seniors. Living for another game. Trying to be the best in the state. It’s what we’ve worked for.” When I asked him if the rivalry would impact the game, he answered humbly and honestly, saying, “No, not really. It’s just another playoff game that we need to win to get to our goal of MetLife. The rivalry is not important to me; winning and playing our best as a team is.”
So, the stage is set. On November 18th, 2023, Delbarton and its community fully expect one of the most significant events on their campus in recent years. Delbarton’s Regan Stadium, recently nicknamed “Death Valley” by Senior Council Member and Culinary Master Topher Royse, will likely be filled to the brim with Green and Blue. However, only one team can leave the valley victorious. Will it be the Waves or the Ships? Green or Blue? Delbarton or Seton Hall Prep? Time will tell.