UNION COUNTY, NJ — Just like that and the regular season is done.
The high school football playoffs begin in New Jersey this weekend, with 10 of the 17 Union County football-playing schools having qualified.
The 10 that made it include David Brearley, Summit, Elizabeth, Linden, Rahway, Cranford, Arthur L. Johnson, Westfield, Plainfield and New Providence.
All 10 will be facing foes outside of Union County in first-round action, seeking three wins to capture their section.
Union County is in a bit of a drought, as far as winning a sectional state championship. The last team to do so was 2021 Cranford High School, capturing North 2, Group 3 for the third time.
The only Union County school to reach a sectional state championship game last year was New Providence High School falling at Cedar Grove High School in the North 2, Group 1 final. The 2025 Pioneers are the only undefeated Union County team, heading back to North 2, Group 1 this time with an 8-0 record.
David Brearley High School qualified for the first time out of North, Group 1 in three years by winning at Jonathan Dayton High School, 10-7, on Saturday, Oct. 25. As a result, the host Bulldogs slipped to 6-2, had a five-game winning streak snapped and fell short of qualifying out of North, Group 2. Jonathan Dayton was seeking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
David Brearley won for the fifth time in six games to improve to 5-4.
Cranford is, once again, in the North 2, Group 3 field and has now made the playoffs 14 straight seasons, 2011-2019 and 2021-2025. There were no playoffs in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following is a look at the first-round matchups involving Union County schools.
Dates and times of games this weekend were not made official as of press time:
North 2, Group 5:
8-Linden (3-6) at 1-Bridgewater–Raritan (6-3) – Linden High School lost 28-27 at home to Plainfield High School on Friday night, Oct. 24, but still managed to make it. The Tigers have lost by one touchdown, in overtime and by one point, so their record is not as bad as it sounds. Linden last played the Bridgewater–Raritan Regional High School Panthers in 2017, falling 28-12 at Bridgewater–Raritan.
6-Bayonne (6-3) at 3-Elizabeth (5-4) – The Bees from Hudson County will return to Elizabeth High School’s Williams Field to face the Minutemen for a second time this season. Bayonne High School defeated Elizabeth, 26-21, on Friday, Sept. 5, in Elizabeth’s home-opener. Bayonne has won five straight and averaged 40 points in those wins while giving up just 21 total. Elizabeth has won three in a row.
7-Plainfield (4-5) at 2-Piscataway (7-2) – Plainfield High School is in the playoffs for the third year in a row and snapped a two-game losing streak with its one-point win last weekend at Linden High School. Piscataway High School has won three straight and has captured 10 sectional state championships in the playoff era. Plainfield is one of only three Union County schools not to have won a sectional state title since the playoffs began in 1974. The other two are Governor Livingston and Jonathan Dayton.
North 2, Group 4:
6-Westfield (4-5) at 3-Montgomery (6-3) – Westfield High School has won two of its last three, while Montgomery High School has lost two of its last three. Montgomery was defeated at Rahway High School, 28-7, at Madden Field in Rahway on Friday night, Oct. 24. Westfield is coming off a big 14-7 home win on Saturday, Oct. 25, vs. 5-2 Ridge High School.
7-Rahway (6-3) at 2-Woodbridge (7-2) – Rahway High School, sparked by two-way senior standout Andrew Avent, has won three in a row and has averaged more than 30 points in those triumphs, while Woodbridge High School has lost two straight, following a 7-0 start. The Barrons lost at home to 5-2 Summit High School, 10-7, two weeks ago and then again last weekend at 7-0 St. Joseph High School, Metuchen, by the score of 17-0.
North 2, Group 3:
5-Cranford (4-5) at 4-Roxbury (6-3) – This will be the first playoff meeting between these schools. Cranford High School has lost two in a row, including the 23-22 single-overtime loss at Hillside High School on Saturday, Oct. 25. Roxbury High School is coming off a 27-23 win at Morristown High School on Friday night, Oct. 24.
7-Warren Hills (5-4) at Summit (7-2) – Warren Hills Regional High School has won three of its last four, including last weekend’s 48-20 win at Hackettstown High School. Summit High School has won two straight and is in the playoffs for the third year in a row.
North 2, Group 1:
8-David Brearley (5-4) at 1-Mountain Lakes (6-2) – David Brearley High School is in the playoffs for the first time since 2022, when the Bears lost at Mountain Lakes High School 16-6 in the North 1, Group 1 sectional state championship game. David Brearley has followed a 15-game losing streak with a 5-1 record in its last six games. Mountain Lakes has won five in a row.
6-Secaucus (5-3) at 3-New Providence (8-0) – Secaucus High School has won its last two, while New Providence High School heads into the playoffs at 8-0 for the first time since 2018. The Pioneers have won all eight of their games by double digits. The most points they gave up was 14 in a 37-14 win against Arthur L. Johnson High School in the season-opener on Friday, Sept. 12. That was Arthur L. Johnson’s only loss, as the Crusaders head into their playoffs with a 7-1 mark.
Central Jersey, Group 2:
5-Arthur L. Johnson (7-1) at 4-Manasquan (7-1) – Arthur L. Johnson High School has won six in a row and is in the playoffs for the fourth straight year. The Crusaders are seeking their first playoff win since 2017. Shore Conference school Manasquan High School is riding a five-game winning streak.
Union County Football Week Eight Scoreboard
Friday, Oct. 24 = seven games
Elizabeth 28, Union 23 – at Elizabeth
Abraham Clark 40, John P. Stevens 6 – at John P. Stevens
Arthur L. Johnson 34, Perth Amboy 8 – at Johnson
Spotswood 26, Roselle Park 16 – at Spotswood
New Providence 32, Delaware Valley 7 – at Delaware Valley
Rahway 28, Montgomery 7 – at Rahway
Plainfield 28, Linden 27 – at Linden
Saturday, Oct. 25 = five games
David Brearley 10, Jonathan Dayton 7 – at Jonathan Dayton
Hillside 23, Cranford 22 (OT) – at Hillside
Westfield 14, Ridge 7 – at Westfield
Governor Livingston 35, New Brunswick – at GL
Summit 35, Scotch Plains–Fanwood 7 – at Summit
Off: None.
