UNION COUNTY, NJ — The second week of the high school football season in New Jersey is called Week One. It might sound a bit confusing, but that has actually been the case for some time now, with the first weekend named Week Zero.
Not all schools are able to open the same weekend, thus, some open on the earliest one possible and the rest the following weekend, resulting in the names of the week: Week Zero and Week One.
College football has also adopted the name Week Zero for its season, with just a few teams opening two weekends ago and the rest last weekend.
As far as Union County high school football is concerned in this 2025 campaign, 10 of its 17 schools opened last weekend during Week Zero. Those schools included Union, David Brearley, Summit, Governor Livingston, Elizabeth, Linden, Rahway, Cranford, Westfield and Plainfield.
The seven teams opening this weekend, Week One, include Roselle Park, Jonathan Dayton, Hillside, Roselle, Arthur L. Johnson, Scotch Plains–Fanwood and New Providence.
Union County High School Football
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.
Middlesex at Roselle Park 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 War Memorial, 7 p.m.
Summit at Montgomery, 7 p.m.
David Brearley at Arthur L. Johnson, 7 p.m.
Jonathan Dayton at South Hunterdon Regional, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 6 = three games
Phillipsburg at Westfield, 1 p.m.
New Providence at Governor Livingston, 1 p.m.
Bernards at Hillside, 1 p.m.
Off: None.
There are 11 games involving Union County schools on Friday, Sept. 5, and three more on Saturday, Sept. 6. The three common games for Week One feature Rahway at Scotch Plains–Fanwood and David Brearley at Arthur L. Johnson on Friday, Sept. 5, and New Providence at Governor Livingston on Saturday, Sept. 6.
Game-scrimmages on Thursday, Aug. 28, that featured Union County schools against each other included Abraham Clark at Scotch Plains–Fanwood in the morning and New Providence at Roselle Park at night.
Here’s a look at this weekend’s Week One matchups:
Friday, Sept. 5 = 11 games
Bayonne at Elizabeth, 6 p.m. – Both teams opened on Friday, Aug. 29, with Hudson County’s Bayonne High School facing Morris Knolls High School in the Mountaineer Classic at West Orange High School and Elizabeth High School playing at Linden High School. For the third straight season, Elizabeth and Linden opened with each other, with Linden winning in 2023 and Elizabeth in 2024.
New Brunswick at Plainfield, 6 p.m. – These teams also opened during Week Zero, with Plainfield High School hosting Westfield High School on Thursday, Aug. 28, and New Brunswick High School at Freehold Boro High School on Saturday, Aug. 30. This is the second of three straight home games to start the season for Plainfield and the second of three consecutive road games to start the season for Middlesex County school New Brunswick.
Abraham Clark at Spotswood, 6 p.m. – Spotswood High School opened at home against Middlesex High School last week and just as Plainfield has three home games in a row to start the season, this one being the second. Abraham Clark lost a close 26-20 decision at home to Spotswood last year and takes a three-game winning streak into its 2025 season-opener.
Middlesex at Roselle Park, 6 p.m. – The Panthers will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak when they host the Blue Jays in their season-opener at Herm Shaw Field. Middlesex has finished over .500 the past two seasons. Roselle Park last produced a winning campaign in 2023. Middlesex opened on Thursday, Aug. 28, at Spotswood.
Cranford at Somerville, 6:30 p.m. – After opening with a one-point 21-20 home win against Hillsborough High School, Somerville High School then won its next 11 games by double-digits last year, culminating with the capturing of the Central Jersey, Group 3 sectional state championship. With a record of 12-0 going into the Group 3 semifinals, the Pioneers lost at home to South Jersey, Group 3 champion Mainland Regional High School, 36-35, in overtime to finish 12-1. Cranford High School made the playoffs for the 13th straight time last year, again in North 2, Group 3, and finished 7-3. Both of these teams opened on the road on Friday night, Aug. 29, Somerville at Arthur P. Schalick High School and Cranford at Bernards High School.
Hillsborough at Union, 7 p.m. – Hillsborough High School opened on Friday, Aug. 29, vs. Washington Township High School at Rowan University in Glassboro. Union High School began its first season under new head coach Barris Grant at Woodbridge High School on Thursday, Aug. 28. When Hillsborough and Union clashed last year, it was the host Raiders who came out on top, 21-14.
Rahway at Scotch Plains–Fanwood, 7 p.m. – Rahway High School opened at home on Friday, Aug. 29, against South Jersey power Willingboro High School. Scotch Plains–Fanwood High School, led by second-year head coach Shawn Johnson, seeks to improve upon last year’s 3-7 finish. As part of a 3-0 start last year, Rahway handled visiting Scotch Plains–Fanwood, 34-7.
Linden at Sayreville, 7 p.m. – Both of these teams finished 4-6 last year and also opened last weekend. Sayreville War Memorial High School was at Colonia High School on Thursday, Aug. 28, and Linden High School hosted Elizabeth High School on Friday, Aug. 29. Linden blanked the Bombers at Cooper Field in Linden last year by the score of 17-0.
Summit at Montgomery, 7 p.m. – The Hilltoppers opened their 2025 campaign at Morristown on Friday night, Aug. 29. Last year, Summit High School opened at home against Montgomery High School and came away with a very convincing 46-7 triumph as part of a 4-0 beginning. Montgomery opened at Hopewell Valley last Friday night.
David Brearley at Arthur L. Johnson, 7 p.m. – This game features new head coaches, Elliot Platt at David Brearley High School and, for the second time, Gus Kalikas at Arthur L. Johnson. David Brearley opened at home against Bergen County school Wallington High School on Thursday, Aug. 28. Kalikas was previously the head coach at Arthur L. Johnson from 2004 to 2008. Arthur L. Johnson opened at David Brearley last year with a 35-2 triumph.
Jonathan Dayton at South Hunterdon Regional, 7 p.m. – This is the season-opener for both, with South Hunterdon Regional High School topping Jonathan Dayton, 30-0, at home this time a year ago. Both teams went on to post 4-6 records last year, Jonathan Dayton winning three of its last four.
Saturday, Sept. 6 = three games
Phillipsburg at Westfield, 1 p.m. – Westfield High School opened at Plainfield High School for the first time on Thursday, Aug. 28, while this is the season-opener for the Stateliners. Phillipsburg High School lost its last two games in an 11-3 season last year that included the Stateliners capturing the North 2, Group 4 sectional state championship. Phillipsburg then lost to Easton, Pa., 17-14, in their annual Thanksgiving Day morning game at Lafayette College in Easton and, a week later, fell to Winslow, 35-0, in the Group 4 state championship game played at Rutgers University. Westfield went 11-11 combined the past two seasons, 5-6 last year and 6-5 two years ago.
New Providence at Governor Livingston, 1 p.m. – Governor Livingston High School opened at home against Lakeland High School, Aug. 28, while this is New Providence High School’s season-opener. The Pioneers went 9-3 last year and reached the North 2, Group 1 final for the first time since last winning it in 2010. Governor Livingston opened at Lakeland High School last year and lost, 35-9. The Highlanders won their final two games to finish 5-5.
Bernards at Hillside, 1 p.m. – Bernards High School opened at home against Cranford on Friday night, Aug. 29, while the Isa Abdul-Quddus era begins at Hillside High School with this game against one of the top public-school teams in the state. Hillside finished 5-5 last year, which was only the second time in nine seasons with previous head coach Barris Grant that the Comets did not close with more than .500. Bernards defeated Hillside the last two seasons, including 30-14 at home last year. The Mountaineers are 23-2 the past two seasons, including their first-ever sectional state championship in the playoff era, when they captured North 2, Group 2 in 2023.
Photo by JR Parachini
