UNION COUNTY — Another football season, and another one that commences in August, is about to kick off.
High school football began in August going back to 2018. The twist now is that more and more of New Jersey also has students in the classroom well before Labor Day.
This year, Labor Day is the latest, Monday, Sept. 7, so the first two weekends of the 2026 season – Week Zero and Week One – will be completed before it.
Since the websites gridironnewjersey.com and unioncountyconference.com no longer exist, trying to report accurate schedules has become increasingly more difficult.
What I have below is from going on school websites, although not all of them provide the necessary information.
To the best of my knowledge, there are 10 games total scheduled to be played Week Zero this weekend involving Union County schools. Those 10 games include 12 Union County schools, with one common game Thursday night, Aug. 27, and one common game Friday night, Aug. 28.
That means 12 of Union County’s 17 schools open Week Zero and the other five: Linden, Abraham Clark, Cranford, Arthur L. Johnson and New Providence high schools, open next weekend on Week One. As a matter of fact, all 17 Union County schools are scheduled to play Week One.
The common games this weekend include Scotch Plains–Fanwood High School vs. Westfield High School on Thursday, Aug. 27, at 4 p.m., at Westfield’s Gary Kehler Stadium and Jonathan Dayton High School vs. Governor Livingston High School on Friday, Aug. 28, at noon at Governor Livingston’s Frey Field in Berkeley Heights.
Jonathan Dayton was originally scheduled to host Governor Livingston in the season-opener for both, but its new field turf is not ready for play this weekend. On Jonathan Dayton’s athletics schedule, its next game against Bound Brook High School is scheduled to be played at Jonathan Dayton on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m.
Week Zero Football for Union County Schools
Thursday, Aug. 27
Scotch Plains–Fanwood (0-0) at Westfield (0-0), 4 p.m. – These Union County rivals will clash on the gridiron for the first time since Westfield produced a 31-0 win at Scotch Plains–Fanwood in 2023. They will be playing at Westfield’s Gary Kehler Stadium for the first time since Westfield won 30-0 in 2022.
Union (0-0) at Edison (0-0), 6 p.m. – Union went 3-8 last year under first-year head coach Barris Grant and Edison 2-8. Union is seeking to produce its first winning season since 2021 and get back to the playoffs out of North, Group 5 for the first time since 2023.
Rahway (0-0) at Willingboro (0-0), 6 p.m. – Rahway lost a tough 33-31 decision at home to Willingboro last year in the season-opener for both. Rahway still went on to qualify for the playoffs out of North, Group 4 and finished 6-4.
Roselle Park (0-0) at Wood-Ridge (0-0), 6 p.m. – Roselle Park doesn’t normally open Week Zero and rarely in Bergen County, where fellow Group 1 school Wood-Ridge is located. This is the first time with head coach Greg Dunkerton, who has been at the helm since 2020, that Roselle Park is opening the early weekend. Roselle Park went 6-4 in 2025, its second winning season in the last three years.
David Brearley (0-0) at Wallington (0-0), 6 p.m. – Following a rare 0-10 season in 2024, David Brearley began 2025 with a home game against Wallington and fell 20-13. David Brearley will begin 2026, in the same manner as rival Roselle Park, in Bergen County against a Wallington team guided by first-year head coach Michael Negron. David Brearley is led by second-year head coach Elliot Platt, who guided the Bears to a 5-5 record last year, which saw David Brearley snap a 15-game losing streak, win four straight and then two weeks later triumph at 6-1 Jonathan Dayton by the score of 10-7 to qualify for the playoffs out of North, Group 1.
Friday, Aug. 28:
Jonathan Dayton (0-0) at Governor Livingston (0-0), noon – These Union County rivals are playing each other for the first time in some time and both are coming off solid seasons. Governor Livingston won its last two games last season to finish 5-5 in addition to winning the Big Central Conference’s United Silver Division championship with a perfect 4-0 league mark. Jonathan Dayton went 7-2 in 2025 and just missed making the playoffs out of North, Group 2. Jonathan Dayton is now back in North, Group 1.
Colonia (0-0) at Summit (0-0), 1 p.m. – Summit, 9-3 in 2025, was hit hard by graduation after reaching last year’s North 2, Group 3 final for the first time since winning it in 2018. Colonia went 7-4 a year ago and reached the North 2, Group 4 semifinals. Summit has moved to North, Group 4 for the next two seasons.
Hillside (0-0) at Columbia (0-0), 6 p.m. – This is a rare Union County at Essex County matchup that will take place at Columbia’s Underhill Field. Hillside is coming off a 3-6 season under head coach Isa Abdul-Quddus, who made his head coaching debut last year. Columbia also fashioned a final record of 3-6 in 2025 with first-year head coach Lys Rubens Blanc.
Elizabeth (0-0) at Carteret (0-0), 7 p.m. – This is a rare Union County vs. Middlesex County contest that features teams who have never clashed or have not in some time. Elizabeth went 5-5 last year and made the playoffs out of North, Group 5, while Carteret went 4-5 in 2025 and did not qualify for the playoffs out of North, Group 4.
Plainfield (0-0) at Sayreville (0-0), 7 p.m. – Plainfield went 4-6 last year with first-year head coach Donald Jones and qualified for the playoffs out of North, Group 5. Sayreville went 9-2 last year and lost a tough 28-27 decision at home to Old Bridge in the Central Jersey, Group 5 semifinals.
2026 Union County Football
Week Zero
Thursday, Aug. 27 = five games
Scotch Plains–Fanwood at Westfield, 4 p.m.
Union at Edison, 6 p.m.
Rahway at Willingboro, 6 p.m.
Roselle Park at Wood-Ridge, 6 p.m.
David Brearley at Wallington, 6 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 28 = five games
Jonathan Dayton at Governor Livingston, noon
Colonia at Summit, 1 p.m.
Hillside at Columbia, 6 p.m.
Elizabeth at Carteret, 7 p.m.
Plainfield at Sayreville, 7 p.m.
Off: Linden, Abraham Clark, Cranford, Arthur L. Johnson, New Providence.
Photo by JR Parachini
