DePaul Catholic Survives Wild Week Zero Thriller, Down Red Bank Catholic 35–28

If week zero was supposed to ease everyone into the season, nobody told these two teams. DePaul Catholic and Red Bank Catholic turned Richard Wacker Stadium at Rowan University into the best game of the opening weekend, trading punches for four quarters before the Spartans survived 35–28 in a game that genuinely could have gone either way right up until the final seconds.

DePaul came in as the two-time defending Non-Public B champions with plenty of questions after losing a significant group of seniors, including quarterback Derek Zamit who has since moved on to the University of Washington. Junior Frank Morano stepped in as the starter and delivered an impressive opening performance, showing poise in the pocket and the ability to move and throw on the run. Red Bank Catholic entered as an 11-2 team from a year ago, powered by what may be the most exciting sophomore duo in the state — quarterback Rahmir Rivera and running back Gabe Kemp, who combined for over 4,000 yards and more than 40 touchdowns as freshmen last fall.

DePaul struck first on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Morano to John Deitrial in the first quarter. Senior running back Shawn Nevers then broke loose for a 45-yard touchdown run in the second to push the Spartans to a 13-0 advantage. The Spartans looked completely in control. Then the game flipped.

Rivera found Ethan Kennedy wide open down the sideline for a 55-yard touchdown to cut it to 13-7, and then with under a minute left in the half, Rivera used his legs to do the rest — weaving through traffic and taking a scramble 21 yards into the end zone to give Red Bank Catholic a shocking 14-13 lead at halftime. Fourteen unanswered points in under four minutes of game time.

The second half opened even better for the Casey's. Tight end TJ Walsh tipped a Morano pass at the line and took it back for a pick-six to push the lead to 21-13. Red Bank Catholic looked like they were pulling away. DePaul had other ideas. An interception by Avery Kino set up another Nevers touchdown, and then Kino followed that up by catching a 46-yard touchdown pass from Morano and converting on a two-point pass to Kiron Deose — the latter on a play that looked a lot like the Philly Special — to flip the lead back to the Spartans at 27-21.

Back came Red Bank Catholic. Kemp, who spent the entire second half carrying this offense on his back, capped off a 73-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown run to tie things at 28 with just over four minutes left. The place was loud. The game was completely alive.

But DePaul had one more answer. Morano drove the Spartans right back down the field and found senior tight end Aiden Davis in the back of the end zone for a four-yard touchdown with under two minutes to go. Deose caught the two-point conversion to make it 35-28. Red Bank Catholic drove to midfield in the final seconds, but a sack forced a fumble and DePaul recovered to seal it.

Nevers finished with two touchdowns including that electric 45-yard burst in the second quarter. Kino was the game's most impactful player in the second half with a pick, a touchdown, and a two-point conversion. For Red Bank Catholic, Rivera and Kemp showed exactly why the state has been buzzing about them since last fall. Rivera accounted for multiple touchdowns through the air and on the ground, and Kemp was nearly impossible to bring down on short-yardage carries all night.

DePaul Catholic is 1-0 and back to looking like the program everyone will need to beat again this fall. Red Bank Catholic drops the opener but showed enough to make it very clear that losing two of their most important skill players to graduation hasn't slowed them down one bit. With Rivera and Kemp only going to get better, the Casey's are going to be a problem for anyone on their schedule.