Last year, because of various scheduling conflicts, Union was unable to have a game-scrimmage before its 2016 season commenced.
Brearley will have the same situation this season because Pingry left the Mid-State 38 Conference, which now has 37 schools.
Last year Pingry was situated in the Mid-State’s eight-team Union Division along with Brearley, Roselle Park, New Providence, Bound Brook, Belvidere, Manville and South Hunterdon.
Brearley was not able to schedule a team for Week One – the weekend of Sept. 8-9 – and so the Bears have that weekend off.
Brearley will open Week Zero on Sept. 1 vs. Holmdel. The game will be Brearley’s home-opener at Ward Field in Kenilworth, with a kickoff time of 6 p.m.
Shore Conference member Holmdel was situated in Central Jersey, Group 2 the last two seaons after jumping around from CJ, G3 and CJ, g2, with one year in North 2, Group 3 in 2005.
The Hornets last had a winning season and last made the state playoffs in 2007 when they went 10-1 and as the top seed in CJ, G2 were defeated at home in the semifinals by Rumson-Fair Haven 14-7. Carteret then defeated RFH 20-14 in the final.
Holmdel has also had four head coaches the past for seasons. Frank Papalia’s last of five seasons was in 2013, followed by Jay Graham in 2014. Greg LaCava was the head coach for one year in 2015 before present head coach Jeff Rainess took over in 2016.
Brearley, coming off a 5-5 playoff season in North 2, Group 1 that saw the Bears get out to a 4-1 start, is guided by 16th-year head coach Scott Miller.
Brearley has scrimmages scheduled at Verona Aug. 19 at 10 a.m. and at home against South River Aug. 25 at 10 a.m.
Union has all four of its scrimmages on the road, including its first game-scrimmage since 2015, which will be vs. Summit Aug. 31 at 11 a.m. at Tatlock Field.
“They’re important to get the kinks out,” said Union head coach Lou Grasso, Jr., now in his fifth season at the helm of the Farmers. “Last year I thought we still did a good job without one. Sometimes they’re anticlimactic.”
