Eleven got in.
How many will get out?
Union County is well represented in playoff football that commences this weekend.
Eleven of the 17 football playing schools in Union County qualified.
Last week I wrote that nine would get in.
Rahway and Roselle also snuck in as eighth seeds in their sections – the Indians making the grade in Central Jersey, Group 3 for the first time and Roselle in Central Jersey, Group 2 for the second straight season.
Cranford is the top seed for the second straight season in North 2, Group 3 and is also 9-0 for a second straight perfect regular season.
After two blowout wins at home in the playoffs a year ago, the Cougars were upset by Parsippany Hills 20-13 in the N2, G3 final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, finishing 11-1.
Cranford, with the most points of any Union County team at 361 (40.11 average) has unfinished business this year for sure. The Cougars, who repeated as the Mid-State 38 Conference’s Raritan Division champion, seek to capture the section for the second time in five seasons.
Brearley is 9-0 and the top seed in North 2, Group 1 both for the first time since 2008. The Bears just defeated a 7-0 New Providence team 27-19 at home last Friday night to capture their first Valley Division crown.
Brearley head coach Scott Miller is one win away from obtaining victory No. 100. This is his 14th season at the helm of the Bears.
Westfield is 8-0 for the first time in a long time and for the first time under the guidance of 10th-year head coach Jim DeSarno. The Blue Devils have won seven of their eight games by double digits and have yielded the least amount of points of any Union County team – 62 for a 7.75 average.
Westfield is the second seed in North 2, Group 5. Last year the Blue Devils lost at eventual champion Linden 14-6 in the semifinals, shutting out the Tigers in the second half.
Also making the grade in North 2, Group 5 were 2012 champion Elizabeth and 2013 finalist Union.
Roselle Park is in the North 2, Group 1 playoffs for the third time in four years under fourth-year head coach Terry Hanratty.
Summit, in its first year in the section, qualified in North 2, Group 4. The Hilltoppers have won four playoff championships each in North 2, Group 3 and North 2, Group 2.
Johnson has won five straight and is in the Central Jersey, Group 2 field for the second straight season under second-year head coach Anthony DelConte.
New Providence, in its first year in the section, made the grade in Central Jersey, Group 2.
There are 10 opening round games this weekend involving the 11 Union County teams that made the playoffs.
The only common one is fourth-seeded New Providence (7-1) hosting fifth-seeded Johnson (5-3) Friday night at 7 at Lieder Field.
PLAYOFF NOTES:
-Roselle (3-5) had one power point more than 6-2 Metuchen.
-Roselle beat a Group 4 school in Summit and a Group 3 school in Rahway, which was huge for the Rams.
-Friday night’s 33-26 win at Bernards enabled the Rams to edge Metuchen.
-Metuchen lost at Spotswood 27-24 Saturday. Spotswood got the seventh seed, two points ahead of Roselle.
-Metuchen is the only team in the entire state to not have enough power points to qualify at 6-2 in their section.
-In 2010, Linden – in N2, G4 – and Delaware Valley – in CJ, G2 – did not make it with 6-2 records.
-Four 5-3 teams did not qualify in North 1, Group 1 this year.
-In CJ, G3, Rahway had six more power points than 4-4 Monmouth and 10 more than 4-4 Ewing.
-Saturday’s 21-20 win at Gov. Livingston was a big part of deciding factor for Rahway.
LOOKING BACK – Roselle defeated visiting Rahway 7-0 in the season-opener for both back on Sept. 12. Roselle committed seven turnovers and Rahway three. Both went on to produce sub-.500 records for their first eight games – each going 3-5 – yet both somehow still managed to qualify for the playoffs as the eighth and final seeds in their sections.
HERE’S A LOOK AT THE 6 PLAYOFF SECTIONS
INVOLVING UNION COUNTY FOOTBALL TEAMS
NORTH 2, GROUP 5:
Friday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.
8-East Orange Campus (3-5) at 1-Bridgewater-Raritan (9-0)
5-Ridge (5-4) at 4-Elizabeth (7-2)
Saturday, Nov. 14, 1 p.m.
7-Columbia (5-4) at 2-Westfield (8-0)
6-Union (4-4) at 3-Piscataway (6-2)
* Elizabeth reached the final last year, while defending champion
Linden did not return. Westfield, sparked by senior running back
Jack Curry, is 8-0 for the first time in a long time and for the
first time under 10th-year head coach Jim DeSarno. Union, which
did not qualify last year after reaching the final in 2013, played
BR and Elizabeth tough, losing at BR 13-7 and at Elizabeth 10-7.
Union and Westfield did not face each other last year and this year.
BR won the Mid-State 38 Conference’s Delaware Division title.
Westfield is a win at home over Plainfield on Thanksgiving away
from winning the Watchung Division title for the first time.
NORTH 2, GROUP 4:
Friday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.
8-West Windsor North (5-4) at 1-Middletown South (8-0)
5-Sayreville (5-4) at 4-Middletown North (6-2)
7-Woodbridge (5-3) at 2-Phillipsburg (7-1)
6-Summit (6-3) at 3-Colonia (7-2)
* This is Summit’s first year in this section. The Hilltoppers, led by
junior QB Jake Froschauer, have rebounded nicely from a mid-season
slump with a three-game winning streak.
NORTH 2, GROUP 3:
Friday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.
8-Voorhees (5-3) at 1-Cranford (9-0)
5-Ridgefield Park (6-3) at 4-Orange (7-2)
Saturday, Nov. 14, 1 p.m.
7-West Essex (5-4) at 2-Nutley (8-1)
6-Chatham (7-2) at 3-Barringer (8-0)
– at Schools Stadium, Newark
* Cranford – guided by senior QB Jack Schetelich – is the prohibitive
favorite to win this section after falling just short a year ago. The
Cougars have won playoff games the last four years, including two
in this section to capture it for the first time in 2011.
Cranford repeated as the Mid-State’s Raritan Division champ.
NORTH 2, GROUP 1:
Friday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.
8-North Arlington (4-5) at 1-Brearley (9-0)
5-Roselle Park (5-3) at 4-Belvidere (6-3)
7-Glen Ridge (5-4) at 2-Hoboken (6-3)
6-Weequahic (3-5) at 3-Newark Collegiate (7-2)
– at Schools Stadium, Newark
* Brearley – led by senior QB Sebastian Montesdeoca – is seeking to
win this section for the first time since 2006.
Brearley won its first Mid-State Valley Division crown.
CENTRAL JERSEY, GROUP 3:
Friday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.
8-Rahway (3-5) at 1-Rumson-Fair Haven (7-1)
5-Matawan (6-3) at 4-Hopewell Valley (7-2)
7-Hamilton (4-4) at 2-Ocean Township (7-1)
6-South Plainfield (6-2) at 3-Red Bank (8-0)
* Rahway won at Gov. Livingston 21-20 Saturday to sneak in
as the eighth and final seed.
CENTRAL JERSEY, GROUP 2:
Friday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.
5-Johnson (5-3) at 4-New Providence (7-1)
7-Spotswood (7-2) at 2-Delaware Valley (7-1)
6-Raritan (3-5) at 3-Point Pleasant Boro (8-1)
Saturday, Nov. 14, noon
8-Roselle (3-5) at 1-Lincoln (9-0)
– at Caven Point, Jersey City
* Top-seeded Lincoln has won eight of its games by double digits,
scored at least 50 points four times, at least 64 twice and at one
point in the season produced four straight shutouts. The Lions have
outscored nine foes 380-50. Johnson has won five straight, while
New Providence just had a seven-game winning streak snapped.
UNION COUNTY
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
THIS WEEK’S NJSIAA PLAYOFFS:
Friday, Nov. 13 (7 games)
North 2, Group 5
5-Ridge at 4-Elizabeth, 7 p.m.
North 2, Group 4
6-Summit at 3-Colonia, 7 p.m.
North 2, Group 3
8-Voorhees at 1-Cranford, 7 p.m.
North 2, Group 1
8-North Arlington at 1-Brearley, 7 p.m.
5-Roselle Park at 4-Belvidere, 7 p.m.
Central Jersey, Group 3
8-Rahway at 1-Rumson-Fair Haven, 7 p.m.
Central Jersey, Group 2
5-Johnson at 4-New Providence, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 14 (3 games)
Central Jersey, Group 2
8-Roselle at 1-Lincoln, noon
North 2, Group 5
7-Columbia at 2-Westfield, 1 p.m.
6-Union at 3-Piscataway, 1 p.m.
CONSOLATIONS:
Thursday, Nov. 12 (3 games)
Linden at Bayonne, 7 p.m.
Gov. Livingston at Parsippany Hills, 7 p.m.
Bogota at Dayton, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 14 (3 games)
Perth Amboy at Plainfield, 1 p.m.
West Windsor-Plainsboro South
at Scotch Plains, 1 p.m.
Robbinsville at Hillside, 1 p.m.
LAST WEEK’S RESULTS:
Friday, Nov. 6 (7 games)
Westfield 33, Hunterdon Central 14
Cranford 50, North Plainfield 8
Johnson 40, Somerville 29
Roselle 33, Bernards 26
Brearley 27, New Providence 19
Roselle Park 57, Manville 12
Dayton 27, Pingry 24
Saturday, Nov. 7 (5 games)
Elizabeth 25, Linden 7
Hillsborough 22, Plainfield 18
Summit 38, Hillside 6
Rahway 21, Gov. Livingston 20
Phillipsburg 48, Scotch Plains 13
Off: Union.
THIS WEEK’S PLAYOFF PICKS (10):
Elizabeth over Ridge
Colonia over Summit
Cranford over Voorhees
Brearley over North Arlington
Roselle Park over Belvidere
Rumson-Fair Haven over Rahway
Johnson over New Providence
Lincoln over Roselle
Westfield over Columbia
Piscataway over Union
Best bet: Cranford
Upset special: Roselle Park
Last week: 9-3
This year: 82-30 (.732)
Best bets: 9-0
Upset specials: 3-6
JR’S UNION COUNTY TOP 10:
1-Cranford (9-0)
2-Westfield (8-0)
3-Elizabeth (7-2)
4-Union (4-4)
5-Brearley (9-0)
6-Linden (3-5)
7-New Providence (7-1)
8-Summit (6-3)
9-Johnson (5-3)
10-Roselle Park (5-3)
Others: Rahway (3-5),
Gov. Livingston (3-5),
Hillside (3-6), Dayton (4-5),
Roselle (3-5), Plainfield (1-7),
Scotch Plains (0-9).
BREARLEY HEAD COACH SCOTT MILLER
ON VERGE OF OBTAINING 100TH VICTORY –
HIS RECORD IS 99-45-1 (.688)
HERE’S A LOOK AT MILLER’S RECORD AT BREARLEY:
2015: (9-0) – top seed in North 2, Group 1 playoffs
2014: (5-4-1) – lost in North 2, Group 1 quarterfinals
2013: (5-5) – lost in North 2, Group 1 quarterfinals
2012: (2-8) – did not qualify in North 2, Group 1
2011: (4-6) – did not qualify in Central Jersey, Group 1
2010: (4-6) – did not qualify in North 2, Group 1
2009: (7-4) – lost in Central Jersey, Group 1 semifinals
2008: (9-1) – lost in North 2, Group 1 semifinals
2007: (8-2) – lost in North 2, Group 1 quarterfinals
2006: (12-0) – won North 2, Group 1 championship at old
Giants Stadium. First Union County team to go 12-0.
2005: (10-2) – lost in Central Jersey, Group 1 final at Rutgers
2004: (9-2) – lost in Central Jersey, Group 1 semifinals
2003: (6-4) – lost in Central Jersey, Group 1 quarterfinals
2002: (9-1) -lost in North 2, Group 1 quarterfinals at Union
Record: 99-45-1 (.688). Playoff record: 7-9 (.438).
Playoff seasons: 11. Years won playoff games: 5.
Sectional semis: 5. Sectional finals: 2. Sectional titles: 1.
BREARLEY IN PLAYOFFS UNDER MILLER:
2014: (0-1) – lost at Belvidere 19-8 in North 2, Group 1 quarters
2013: (0-1) – lost at Roselle Park 28-20 in North 2, Group 1 quarters
2009: (1-1) – lost at Asbury Park 28-6 in CJ, G1 semifinals
won at South River 26-15 in CJ, G1 quarterfinals
2008: (1-1) – lost at home to Verona 36-7 in N2, G1 semifinals
defeated Glen Ridge 14-13 at home in N2, G1 quarterfinals
2007: (0-1) – lost at home to Verona 28-12 in N2, G1 quarters
2006: (3-0) – defeated Verona 21-20 in N2, G1 final at Giants Stadium
defeated Belvidere 33-14 at home in N2, G1 semifinals
defeated Wood-Bridge 36-0 at home in N2, G1 quarterfinals
2005: (2-1) – lost to Florence 19-6 in CJ, G1 final at Rutgers
defeated Burlington City 20-0 at home in Cj, G1 semifinals
defeated Keyport 35-7 at home in CJ, G1 quarterfinals
2004: (1-1) – lost at Florence 33-20 in CJ, G1 semifinals
defeated Middlesex 45-26 at home in CJ, G1 quarterfinals
2003: (0-1) – lost at New PRovidence 42-20 in CJ, G1 quarters
2002: (0-1) – lost to Boonton 14-7 in N2, G1 quarters at Union
Brearley was a No. 2 seed in its section in 2002, 2005, 2006
and 2007.
Brearley was a top seed in its section in 2008 and 2015.