UNION COUNTY, NJ — Undefeated football in Union County?
There’s just one team with that distinction remaining.
The David Brearley High School Bears hold that distinction at 5-0 after producing their third shutout, a 14-0 win at home on Friday, Sept. 30, against 3-1 South Hunterdon Regional High School.
David Brearley, which has outscored five foes by an impressive 156-46 margin, also clinched the Big Central Conference’s Freedom Gold Division championship outright. David Brearley’s final divisional game is on Friday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m., at Highland Park High School, which is 0-6 and on a 39-game losing streak.
Westfield High School also clinched the BCC’s American Gold Division title outright. The Blue Devils, which are 4-1 overall and on a four-game winning streak, are 3-0 in the division and will play their final divisional game on Friday, Oct. 7, at Somerville High School.
Hillside and Arthur L. Johnson high schools, both now 4-1, suffered their first losses on Friday, Sept. 30, Hillside falling at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, 17-7, and Arthur L. Johnson downed at New Providence High School, 27-14.
Abraham Clark and Plainfield high schools were Union County’s last two winless schools until Abraham Clark won at Metuchen High School, 42-0, on Friday, Sept. 30, and Plainfield defeated North Bergen High School by the same score at home on Saturday, Oct. 1, at Hub Stine Field in Plainfield.
The BCC’s Patriot Silver Division title will be decided this weekend. Hillside High School is 3-0, and Arthur L. Johnson and New Providence high schools are both 2-1. All three will play their final divisional game this weekend. Hillside is at Arthur L. Johnson on Friday, Oct. 7, and New Providence is at Metuchen High School on Saturday, Oct. 8.
If Hillside wins, then the Comets will win the division outright at 4-0. However, if Arthur L. Johnson beats Hillside and New Providence wins at Metuchen, then there would be tri-champions, all finishing 3-1. Hillside would have beaten New Providence, Arthur L. Johnson would have beaten Hillside and New Providence would have beaten Arthur L. Johnson.
If Arthur L. Johnson beats Hillside and New Providence loses to Metuchen, then Arthur L. Johnson wins the division outright at 3-1 and with the tiebreaker win against Hillside.
Roselle Park High School won at 4-1 Spotswood High, 26-22, on Saturday, Oct. 1, to improve to 2-3. The Panthers have won two straight for the first time since starting the 2017 season 4-0.
David Brearley High School is 5-0 for the first time since 2018 and has won five straight for the first time since 2019.
Here’s a look at Week Six of the 2022 campaign, with just three more weekends of play before the state playoffs commence on Friday, Oct. 28, and Saturday, Oct. 29.
Friday, Oct. 7
• Rahway High School (3-2) at St. Thomas Aquinas High School (5-1), 6 p.m. Rahway has been shut out the last two weeks, at Summit High School, 20-0, on Saturday, Sept. 24, and at home to Cranford High School, 35-0, on Friday, Sept. 30. St. Thomas Aquinas has won five straight, including its big 17-7 home win against 4-0 Hillside High School on Friday, Sept. 30. St. Thomas Aquinas’ only loss was at home to Timber Creek High School, 26-21, on Friday, Aug. 26.
• Ridgefield Park High School (4-1) at Abraham Clark High School (1-4), 6 p.m. The Bergen County Scarlets are coming off a 35-28 home win against Tenafly High School on Friday, Sept. 30. Their only loss so far was the week before at home against Ramsey High School, 42-20. Roselle finally prevailed after several close losses, blanking Metuchen High School, 42-0, on Friday, Sept. 30, in Metuchen. Three of Roselle’s four losses have come by a combined total of just 12 points.
• Middlesex High School (3-2) at Roselle Park (2-3), 6 p.m. High-scoring, high-flying Middlesex has won two straight, including once in overtime and totaling 80 points. On Friday, Sept. 30, the team won at Belvidere High School, 37-12, after topping Dunellen High School, 43-42, at home in OT. Roselle Park is coming off a big win at Group 2 Spotswood High School and will be seeking a third straight victory for the first time in five years.
• Elizabeth High School (2-3) at Union High School (1-4), 7 p.m. Not the traditional power matchup featuring two of the top teams in North, Group 5, but, nonetheless, a big game for both as far as sneaking into a playoff spot. Union’s given up only 78 points in five games but has scored just 66. Elizabeth’s up-and-down season saw the Minutemen fall at home to Somerville High School, 27-7, on Saturday, Oct. 1, at Williams Field. Union has won four straight against Elizabeth, starting with a playoff victory in 2018 and shutout triumphs the past three seasons.
• Westfield High School (4-1) at Somerville High School (2-4), 7 p.m. Westfield is one of the hottest teams in the state, with a four-game winning streak that has seen the Blue Devils outscore the opposition 103-44. Somerville snapped a three-game losing streak with its 27-7 win at Elizabeth High School on Saturday, Oct. 1. Westfield defeated 3-1 St. Joseph High School of Metuchen, 14-10, on Saturday, Oct. 1.
• Plainfield High School (1-4) at Watchung Hills Regional High School (4-2), 7 p.m. Plainfield was the last team in Union County to win its first game, as the Cardinals drubbed visiting North Bergen High School, 42-0, on Saturday, Oct. 1, at Hub Stine Field. Watchung Hills has won its last two, including 38-14 at Bridgewater–Raritan High School on Thursday, Sept. 22, and 33-0 at Montgomery High School on Friday, Sept. 30. Watchung Hills is not that far away from being 6-0, with losses by only 1 and 4 points.
• Cranford High School (3-2) at Scotch Plains–Fanwood High School (1-5), 7 p.m. The Cougars have won three of their last four after falling at home to North Hunterdon High School, 34-7, in its season opener. Much-improved North Hunterdon is now 5-0. Cranford’s only loss since then is a 27-24 setback at home to St. Thomas Aquinas High School, which is now 5-1 and on a five-game winning streak. Cranford’s next two opponents before playoff time are much tougher, Linden High School (3-2) and North Brunswick High School (5-0). Standout senior all-purpose player Liam Godwin produced a game to remember vs. Rahway High School. Godwin completed four-of-five passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for three touchdowns, carrying the ball nine times for a game-high 126 yards. Godwin also successfully kicked all five Cranford extra points. Scotch Plains–Fanwood has lost five straight and has scored only 38 points in that stretch after opening with a 38-16 home win against North Plainfield High School on Friday, Aug. 26.
• Summit High School (2-3) at Linden High School (3-2), 7 p.m. After giving up 11 touchdowns in its first two games, Summit has yielded only three in its last three to get back into the thick of things in North, Group 3. Linden is making a strong case for a playoff berth in North, Group 4 after winning at John F. Kennedy Memorial High School at Iselin, 34-6, on Friday, Sept. 30. Summit is coming off a 20-0 home win against Rahway High School on Saturday, Sept. 24, and a 27-7 triumph at Scotch Plains–Fanwood High School on Friday, Sept. 30.
• Governor Livingston High School (3-3) at Carteret High School (5-1), 7 p.m. Governor Livingston scored against 4-0 South Plainfield but was thwarted 47-22 at home on Saturday, Oct. 1. The Highlanders will be going up against another top-notch opponent on Friday, Oct. 7, with Carteret’s only loss coming by a 13-12 score at South Plainfield High School on Sept. 9. Since then the Ramblers have won their last three games by a combined score of 115-25.
• Hillside High School (4-1) at Arthur L. Johnson High School (4-1), 7 p.m. Both teams are coming off their first losses of the season, which took place on Friday, Sept. 30, and both by double digits. Hillside lost at 4-1 St. Thomas Aquinas High School, 17-7, while Arthur L. Johnson fell at 2-3 New Providence High School, 27-14. Arthur L. Johnson has given up only 39 points and Hillside only 44, each with two shutouts.
• David Brearley High School (5-0) at Highland Park High School (0-6), 7 p.m. David Brearley has shut out its last two opponents and three of the last four. Senior quarterback Matt Sims continued his stellar season by rushing for a touchdown and throwing a touchdown pass in Brearley’s home win against South Hunterdon on Friday, Sept. 30.
Saturday, Oct. 8
• Jonathan Dayton High School (3-2) at Spotswood High School (4-2), 1 p.m. The Bulldogs will be seeking to win four games for the first time since 2015, when they closed a 5-5 campaign with three straight victories. Jonathan Dayton scored a season-high 35 points in its 35-13 win at Highland Park on Friday, Sept. 30.
• New Providence High School (3-3) at Metuchen High School (2-4), 2 p.m. New Providence evened its record with a big 27-14 home win against 4-0 Arthur L. Johnson High School. Metuchen has lost four of five after opening on Saturday, Aug. 27, with a 40-6 home triumph against Highland Park. On Friday, Sept. 30, the Metuchen Bulldogs lost at Abraham Park High School, 42-0.