UNION COUNTY — We’re now just one month away from the beginning of another high school football season.
The first official day of practice is Monday, Aug. 10, with scrimmages allowed to commence one week later on Monday, Aug. 17.
Week Zero, the first week of the season, is Thursday, Aug. 27; Friday, Aug. 28; and Saturday, Aug. 29.
Week One, the second week of the season, is Thursday, Sept. 3; Friday, Sept. 4; and Saturday, Sept. 5.
Some Union County schools will open Week Zero and some Week One. Accurate schedules have not been finalized yet for internet publication.
Union County has been in a bit of a drought recently, when it comes to winning state championships. For the past four seasons now – 2025, 2024, 2023 and 2022 – the county has not claimed one.
Last year, Summit and New Providence high schools reached sectional finals, with the Hilltoppers losing at West Morris Central High School, 35-0, in the North 2, Group 3 final and the Pioneers falling at home to Cedar Grove High School, 37-13.
The Cranford High School Cougars were the last Union County team to win a sectional state championship, which was the North 2, Group 3 crown at home in 2021.
Cranford opens its 2026 season at Bernards High School on Friday, Sept. 4, and will then open at home six days later on Thursday, Sept.10, against Scotch Plains–Fanwood High School.
Although Cranford has finished at less than .500 two of the last three years, including 4-6 last year, the Cougars still have a streak of qualifying for the playoffs every year since 2011. That includes nine straight seasons from 2011 to 2019 and then five more from 2021 to 2025. There were no playoffs in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The divisions of the Big Central Conference have been tweaked a bit this year and the new football classifications for the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 school years will soon be released on the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association website.
Opening scrimmages for several Union County teams:
Thursday, Aug. 20
North Hunterdon at Governor Livingston, 5 p.m.
Plainfield at Long Branch, 10 a.m.
Friday, Aug. 21
Summit at Union, 11 a.m.
Saturday, Aug. 22
Arthur L. Johnson at David Brearley, 10 a.m.
Hillside at Weequahic, 10 a.m.
Scotch Plains–Fanwood at Abraham Clark, 10 a.m.
Jonathan Dayton at Millburn, 11 a.m.
Key dates for the 2026 season
First Practice: Monday, Aug. 10
First Scrimmage: Monday, Aug. 17
Week Zero: Aug. 27-29
Week One: Sept. 3-5
Playoff Cutoff Weekend: Oct. 24-25
Regular Season Ends: Oct. 29
Public School Playoffs
Round 1: at higher seed: Oct. 30, 31
Round 2: at higher seed: Nov. 6, 7
Sectional Finals: at higher seed: Nov. 13, 14
Group Semifinals: higher UPR ranking: Nov. 20 or 21
Group Finals: at Met Life or Rutgers: Nov. 27, 28 or 29
Photo by JR Parachini
