UNION / CRANFORD, NJ — The boys soccer season begins in the sweltering heat of August, when players are dreaming of a cold front during the first few days of practice. Then, in November, if teams are lucky enough to play deep into their sectional state tournaments, they are sometimes found wishing for a bit […]
SPRINGFIELD, NJ — Nick Iannacone paid attention the past two seasons. Now the Bulldogs will be paying attention to him. So far the first-year head football coach at Jonathan Dayton High School, who was an assistant on former head football coach Mike Abbate’s staff in 2020 and 2021, says he likes what he sees from […]
UNION COUNTY, NJ — The first day of official high school football practice in New Jersey, with shoulder pads, is now less than two weeks away: Wednesday, Aug. 10. That means teams can scrimmage one week later, with most of the 17 Union County football-playing schools slated to compete in their first scrimmages on Wednesday, […]
BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ — This was the beginning for Danny Serretti: “My father put a bat in my hand as soon as I could stand,” Serretti recalled. “As soon as I could start walking, there was a ball in our front yard. “He wanted me to be a lefty, so at age 2 he had […]
ELIZABETH, NJ — Believe it or not, Elizabeth High School football has finished less than .500 the past three seasons and five of the last six. Hard to believe, on some levels, that the biggest school in the state has endured a period such as this one. First-year head coach John Fiore, who guided the […]
MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ — There are only three football-playing schools in Union County that have not won a state championship in the playoff era, which began in 1974. Governor Livingston High School is one of them, and first-year head coach Pete Ramiccio’s ultimate goal is to knock that number down to two. Ramiccio, who was hired […]
UNION COUNTY, NJ — The Big Central Conference has a completely different look this season. There are now 12 divisions, two more than last year, and they have all been realigned for the 2022 and 2023 football campaigns. Plainfield High School, situated in North, Group 5 last year — the classifications for the 2022 season […]
KENILWORTH, NJ — Jesse Boyden was one of the nicest, coolest, respectful and well-spoken athletes with whom I ever had the privilege of conversing. To hear of his death last week was a shock. One of the best athletes ever to come out of Union County and one of the all-time greatest student-athletes that David […]
UNION COUNTY, NJ — Believe it or not, the commencement of high school football practice in New Jersey is now less than five weeks away. Official practices for all schools in the Garden State may begin Wednesday, Aug. 10, according to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Scrimmages may start one week later, on […]
CRANFORD, NJ — For the second straight year, the Cranford Cougars will open their football season with a home game against North Hunterdon Regional High School. Last year’s season opener at Memorial Field didn’t disappoint, as Cranford High School came back from a 16-point deficit in the game’s final five minutes to force overtime and […]