Linden’s offense here at left is guided by junior quarterback Dazzmen Johnson (No. 7).
I originally reported a couple of weeks ago that 10 Union County football teams qualified for the state playoffs.
Make that 11.
Linden snuck in in North 2, Group 4 after posting its first home win of the season, defeating Bridgewater-Raritan 23-21 Saturday at Cooper Field.
As a result, the Tigers (2-6) earned the seventh seed and will probably play at second-seeded Scotch Plains (5-4) next Saturday at 1 p.m. in a quarterfinal.
Linden is one of two Union County teams that made it with a record under .500, which was a new qualifying rule this year. The other is Dayton, which at 4-5 – 3-5 at the cutoff – earned the eighth and final seed in North 2, Group 1.
Ironically, Linden did not qualify in North 2, Group 4 in 2010 with a 6-2 record at the cutoff date. The Tigers finished ninth in the power points and became the first team ever in N2, G4 to not make it with a record of 6-2 at the cutoff. Linden went on to finish 7-3 two years ago.
The 11 Union County teams that qualified and their seeds are:
NORTH 2,GROUP 5: 1-Elizabeth, 5-Union.
NORTH 2, GROUP 4: 2-Scotch Plains, 7-Linden.
NORTH 2, GROUP 3: 1-Summit, 2-Cranford, 6-Rahway.
NORTH 2, GROUP 1: 2-Roselle Park, 3-New Providence, 8-Dayton.
CENTRAL JERSEY, GROUP 2: 8-Johnson.
Here is how the playoff picture will most likely wind up for Union County teams entering next weekend’s quarterfinal round of games:
PROBABLE QUARTERFINAL (NOV. 16, 17) ROUND
PLAYOFF MATCHUPS INVOLVING UNION COUNTY TEAMS:
NORTH 2, GROUP 5
8-Edison (4-4) at 1-Elizabeth (8-0)
5-Union (5-2) at 4-Franklin (5-3)
NORTH 2, GROUP 4
7-Linden (2-6) at 2-Scotch Plains (5-4)
NORTH 2, GROUP 3
8-Newark West Side (3-6) at 1-Summit (9-0)
7-South Plainfield (4-4) at 2-Cranford (6-2)
6-Rahway (5-3) at 3-Palisades Park (7-2)
NORTH 2, GROUP 1
8-Dayton (4-5) at 1-Hoboken (7-1) and at Union City Nov. 11
7-Secaucus (4-5) at 2-Roselle Park (6-2)
6-Bound Brook (5-4) at 3-New Providence (6-2)
CENTRAL JERSEY, GROUP 2
8-Johnson (5-3) at 1-Carteret (8-0)