UNION COUNTY, NJ — The beginning of official high school football practice in New Jersey is now less than two weeks away.
It seems to creep up earlier and earlier, digging deeper and deeper into the month of August and August vacation time.
That is the reality.
The first practices with pads can begin on Monday, Aug. 11, with the first scrimmages being able to be played on Monday, Aug. 18.
Week Zero, the first week of the high school football season, this year begins on Thursday, Aug. 28, and extends to Friday, Aug. 29, and Saturday, Aug. 30.
Week One, the second week of the season, this year will be Thursday, Sept. 4; Friday, Sept. 5; and Saturday, Sept. 6.
All 17 Union County football schedules are now also on www.gridironnewjersey.com, in addition to comparing them on unioncountyconference.com, bigteams.com or max preps.
Several of the Union County schedules have been revised, including Governor Livingston High School now hosting Lakeland Regional High School in its season-opener on Thursday, Aug. 28, at 4 p.m., instead of Saturday, Aug. 30, at 1 p.m.
Ten Union County schools – Westfield, Plainfield, David Brearley, Union, Rahway, Summit – Roselle Park, Jonathan Dayton, Hillside, Abraham Clark, Arthur L. Johnson, Scotch Plains–Fanwood and New Providence – commence Week One.
All 17 Union County football-playing schools are scheduled to play during Week One.
Week Zero is Labor Day Weekend, with Labor Day being the earliest it can be this year on Monday, Sept. 1.
Week One begins the same time the first weekend of National Football League play commences on Thursday, Sept. 4. No Union County schools are scheduled to play on Sept. 4. All of Week One action involving Union County schools is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 5, and Saturday, Sept. 6. NFL Week One Sunday is Sunday, Sept. 7.
There are two Union County common games scheduled for Week Zero. For the first time before Thanksgiving, Westfield and Plainfield high schools will clash, this time to open the season against each other on Thursday, Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. at Plainfield’s Hub Stine Field.
Westfield vs. Plainfield was the oldest Thanksgiving Day rivalry in Union County, more than 100 years old.
That leaves Abraham Clark High School vs. Roselle Park High School as the only Union County football remaining for Thanksgiving. This year, Roselle Park hosts the game, scheduled for Thanksgiving morning on Thursday, Nov. 27, at 10 a.m., at Roselle Park’s Herm Shaw Field.
The 100th game in the series took place in 2017 at Roselle Park, with the host Panthers edging the visiting Rams, 7-6.
On max preps, it lists this year’s game to be played on Thanksgiving night, Thursday, Nov. 27, at 6 p.m., at a neutral site.
The other Union County common matchup for Week Zero is Elizabeth at Linden on Friday, Aug. 29, at 7 p.m., at Cooper Field in Linden.
Union County Football 2025
Week Zero
Thursday, Aug. 28 = four games
Lakeland at Governor Livingston, 4 p.m.
Union at Woodbridge, 6 p.m.
Westfield at Plainfield, 6 p.m.
Wallington at David Brearley, 6 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 29 = four games
Willingboro at Rahway, 6 p.m.
Summit at Morristown, 6:30 p.m.
Elizabeth at Linden, 7 p.m.
Cranford at Bernards, 7 p.m.
Off: Roselle Park, Jonathan Dayton, Hillside, Abraham Clark, Arthur L. Johnson, Scotch Plains–Fanwood, New Providence.
Week One
Friday, Sept. 5 = 11 games
Bayonne at Elizabeth, 6 p.m.
New Brunswick at Plainfield, 6 p.m.
Abraham Clark at Spotswood, 6 p.m.
Cranford at Somerville, 6:30 p.m.
Hillsborough at Union, 7 p.m.
Rahway at Scotch Plains–Fanwood, 7 p.m.
Linden at Sayreville, 7 p.m.
Summit at Montgomery, 7 p.m.
David Brearley at Arthur L. Johnson, 7 p.m.
Middlesex at Roselle Park, 7 p.m.
Jonathan Dayton at South Hunterdon, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 6 = three games
Phillipsburg at Westfield, 1 p.m.
Bernards at Hillside, 1 p.m.
New Providence at Governor Livingston, 1 p.m.
Off: None.
