UNION COUNTY, NJ — The high school football season beginning in late August has now become a common trend in New Jersey.
That means that official practice now is less than a month away, although most schools have already begun.
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association has listed on its website that the first day teams can practice is Wednesday, Aug. 9.
The 2023 season is set to kick off on Friday night, Aug. 25, which is the beginning of what is annually termed Week Zero. There are also games scheduled that weekend on Saturday, Aug. 26, and Sunday, Aug. 27.
Several games will be played those three days at the third annual Battle by the Beach at Ocean City High School’s Carey Stadium.
Schools that don’t open that weekend will begin the following weekend, which is Labor Day weekend. That means there will be two weeks of football already in the books before some students go back to school.
Week One has games scheduled Thursday, Aug. 31; Friday, Sept. 1; and Saturday, Sept. 2.
2023 football season important dates
as listed on the NJSIAA website
• Monday, Aug. 7: Heat acclimation starts.
• Wednesday, Aug. 9: First practice.
• Wednesday, Aug. 16: First scrimmage.
• Friday, Aug. 25: Opening Day – Week Zero – all levels.
• Thursday, Aug. 31: Opening Day – Week One.
• Saturday, Oct. 21: End of playoff cutoff date weekend for publics.
• Saturday, Oct. 28: End of playoff cutoff date weekend for non-publics.
• Sunday, Nov. 26: Regular season competition ends.
As far as Union County schools are concerned, seven of them open Week Zero and the other 10 on Week One.
The seven that open the earlier of the two weekends include: Elizabeth, Linden, New Providence, Governor Livingston, Scotch Plains–Fanwood, Rahway, and Union.
The other 10 that open the second weekend are: Roselle Park, David Brearley, Jonathan Dayton, Summit, Hillside, Abraham Clark, Cranford, Arthur L. Johnson, Westfield, and Plainfield.
Common matchups that take place during Week Zero, both scheduled for Friday, Aug. 25, include Elizabeth vs. Linden at Kean University and New Providence at Governor Livingston.
Elizabeth and Linden have not clashed since 2019. Linden won the last three meetings, playing in 2019, 2018, and 2017. Elizabeth last defeated Linden in 2016.
New Providence and Governor Livingston no longer face each other on Thanksgiving. This will be the second straight season that the neighborhood rivals Iine up against each other in the season-opener for both. New Providence won last year’s game at New Providence’s Lieder Field by the score of 29-9.
All 17 Union County football playing schools will be in action during Week One. Common matchups include: Arthur L. Johnson at Governor Livingston at Governor Livingston’s Frey Field on Thursday, Aug. 31; Rahway at Linden at Linden’s Cooper Field on Friday, Sept. 1; and Elizabeth at Plainfield on Saturday, Sept. 2, at Plainfield’s Hub Stine Field.
The only head coaching change in Union County is Allen Phillips succeeding Scott Miller as the head coach at David Brearley. Phillips, also the head wrestling coach at the Kenilworth school, was a three-sport standout at Brearley in football, wrestling and baseball. Phillips, 31, is a 2010 Brearley graduate who went on to play football at Montclair State.
Miller, a 1987 David Brearley Regional graduate, was the head coach at David Brearley for 21 seasons, from 2002 to 2022. His record was 148-67-1 or .688. Miller guided David Brearley to the state playoffs 15 times out of a possible 20. His playoff record was 12-14.
Miller led David Brearley to four state championship games and the program’s only state championship since 1991, which was the 2006 North 2, Group 1 crown. The other state championship game appearances came in 2005 for Central Jersey, Group 1; 2015 for North 2, Group 1; and 2022 for North 1, Group 1.
Here’s a look at the first two weeks of the 2023 season and who Union County schools will open against:
Week Zero – Aug. 25-27
Friday, Aug. 25 – four games
• New Providence at Governor Livingston, 4 p.m.
• Scotch Plains-Fanwood at Monroe, 6 p.m.
• Perth Amboy at Rahway, 6 p.m.
• Elizabeth vs. Linden at Kean, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 26 – one game
• Union vs. Rancocas Valley at Ocean City, 3:30 p.m.
Week One – Aug. 31 – Sept. 2
Thursday, Aug. 31 – two games
• Arthur L. Johnson at Governor Livingston, 4 p.m.
• Colonia at Scotch Plains–Fanwood, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 1 – eight games
• South Hunterdon at Roselle Park, 6 p.m.
• Manville at David Brearley, 6 p.m.
• Rahway at Linden, 6 p.m.
• New Providence at St. Thomas Aquinas, 6 p.m.
• Abraham Clark at Delaware Valley, 7 p.m.
• Jonathan Dayton at Dunellen, 7 p.m.
• Union at Bridgewater–Raritan, 7 p.m.
• Cranford at North Hunterdon, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 2 – four games
• Woodbridge at Summit, 1 p.m.
• Elizabeth at Plainfield, 1 p.m.
• Bernards at Hillside, 1 p.m.
• Watchung Hills at Westfield, 1 p.m.