UNION COUNTY, NJ — It’s time to put the 2023 Union County football season to bed with its two longtime Thanksgiving Day clashes this week.
Roselle Park High School seeks its first win against Abraham Clark High School, Roselle, since 2017. A Panther victory against the Rams would also give Roselle Park its first winning season since that same 2017 campaign when the Panthers finished 7-4 in a playoff-qualifying season.
Plainfield High School is out to knock off Westfield High School for the first time since 2011. Although the Cardinals were ousted during the first round of the North 2, Group 5 playoffs and then lost a consolation game, this has been a pretty special season for the Cardinals. With a record of 6-4, win or lose, Plainfield will produce its first winning season since 2005. The Cardinals also made the playoffs for the first time since 2010 and hosted a playoff game for the first time since 2001.
The final two games of the 2023 Union County football season are set.
On Thursday, Nov. 23, the oldest Thanksgiving Day rivalries in Union County will continue for at least another season as Roselle Park (5-5) will host Roselle (4-5) at Roselle Park’s Herm Shaw Field at 10:30 a.m., while Plainfield (6-4) will host Westfield (5-5) at Plainfield’s Hub Stine Field at 11 a.m.
Roselle Park last defeated Roselle in 2017 by the score of 7-6 at Roselle Park. That was the 100th game of the series.
Roselle has won the last three games played, in 2019, 2021 and 2022, but Roselle Park still leads the series at 52-43-8. This is game No. 104. There were no games in 2018 because Roselle Park just fielded a junior varsity team that season and in 2020 due to COVID-19 issues.
Westfield has a 10-game winning streak against Plainfield, winning every game since 2012. There was no game in 2020 because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Plainfield’s last win was a thrilling 22-21 decision at Westfield in 2011. Westfield leads the series 65-45-7.
Both home teams on Thursday morning — Roselle Park and Plainfield — will be very hungry before they eat their holiday turkey, to beat their neighborhood rivals for the first time in a while.
Roselle Park went 3-5 during its eight-game regular season slate and then won two consolation games to get to .500 at 5-5 and have a chance at a winning season.
Roselle Park edged Hudson County foe Secaucus High School, 28-27, at home on Thursday, Oct. 26, and then went to North Warren and won 41-21 on Thursday, Nov. 2.
Roselle started its 2023 campaign the same way it began 2022, at 0-4. The Rams then rebounded again to win their next four games and finish their eight-game regular season schedule at 4-4. However, this time in consolation play, Roselle was upended at home by Lower Cape May Regional High School, 43-7, on Saturday, Oct. 28.
Plainfield, after putting together an impressive 6-2 regular season that saw them get over the hump by beating Elizabeth High School after falling to the Minutemen by one point the last two years and also shutting out two opponents, hosted defending champion Westfield in the first round of the North 2, Group 5 playoffs.
Plainfield was ahead until West Orange High School came back in the fourth quarter to halt the Cardinals, 25-21. West Orange was then ousted in the semifinals. Last year, West Orange won its first sectional state championship in the playoff era.
Plainfield still remains one of only three schools in Union County that have yet to capture a sectional state championship. Governor Livingston and Jonathan Dayton high schools are the others.
Plainfield then traveled south to face Middletown High School South in a consolation game on Thursday, Nov. 9, and was defeated 28-18.
Westfield, once again, qualified for the playoffs out of North, Group 5, following a 4-4 regular season. In North 2, Group 5 action, Westfield blanked Clifton High School, 36-0, in the first round for its second straight shutout and was then defeated at Phillipsburg High School, 49-24, on Friday, Nov. 3, in semifinal round play.
Westfield was one of only three Union County teams to win a playoff game out of the 11 schools that qualified. Union and Summit high schools were the others, both also falling in semifinal round competition.
This was the second straight season that Union County did not produce a state champion, which was for the first time since the 2007 and 2008 campaigns. This was the first time since 2007 that Union County did not have a team reach a sectional state championship game.
Last 12 Roselle-Roselle Park results
• 2022: Abraham Clark High School, Roselle, 44, Roselle Park High School, 2 – at Abraham Clark High School, Roselle.
• 2021:Abraham Clark High School, Roselle, 32, Roselle Park High School, 14 – at Roselle Park High School.
• 2020: No game because of pandemic-related issues.
• 2019: Abraham Clark High School, Roselle, 50, Roselle Park High School, 36 – at Abraham Clark High School, Roselle.
• 2018: First time there was no game because Roselle Park High School fielded only a junior varsity team.
• 2017: Roselle Park High School, 7, Abraham Clark High School, Roselle, 6 – at Roselle Park High School – the 100th game.
• 2016:Abraham Clark High School, Roselle, 42, Roselle Park High School, 20 – at Roselle Park High School.
• 2015:Abraham Clark High School, Roselle, 41, Roselle Park High School, 33 – at Abraham Clark High School, Roselle.
• 2014: Roselle Park High School, 29, Abraham Clark High School, Roselle, 14 – at Roselle Park High School.
• 2013:Roselle Park High School, 24, Abraham Clark High School, Roselle, 12 – at Abraham Clark High School, Roselle.
• 2012: Roselle Park High School, 28, Abraham Clark High School, Roselle, 14 – at Roselle Park High School.
• 2011:Abraham Clark High School, Roselle, 27, Roselle Park High School, 0 – at Abraham Clark High School, Roselle.
Roselle Park High School leads series: 52-43-8
Last 12 Westfield-Plainfield results
• 2022: Westfield High School, 42, Plainfield High School, 13 – at Westfield High School.
• 2021:Westfield High School, 14, Plainfield High School, 0 – at Plainfield High School.
• 2020: First time there was no game because of pandemic-related issues.
• 2019:Westfield High School, 24, Plainfield High School, 0 – at Westfield High School.
• 2018:Westfield High School, 27, Plainfield High School, 0 – at Plainfield High School.
• 2017:Westfield High School, 37, Plainfield High School, 7 – at Westfield High School.
• 2016:Westfield High School, 30, Plainfield High School, 14 – at Plainfield High School.
• 2015:Westfield High School, 32, Plainfield High School, 6 – at Westfield High School.
• 2014:Westfield High School, 6, Plainfield High School, 0 – at Plainfield High School.
• 2013:Westfield High School, 34, Plainfield High School, 0 – at Westfield High School.
• 2012:Westfield High School, 30, Plainfield High School, 16 – at Plainfield High School.
• 2011:Plainfield High School, 22, Westfield High School, 21 – at Westfield High School.
Westfield High School leads series: 65-45-7