Of the nine games involving the 10 teams from Union County that qualified for the playoffs, seven of them are playoff rematches.
The only two that have no history are first round Central Jersey, Group 2 encounters. They include third-seeded Johnson hosting sixth-seeded Holmdel tomorrow night and seventh-seeded Hillside at second-seeded South River Saturday. Those teams never faced each other before in the playoffs.
The NJSIAA playoffs commence with first-round action this weekend. The semifinals follow next weekend and the state finals – at neutral sites – are the first weekend in December.
Union County teams that made the grade include top-seeded Westfield and fifth-seeded Elizabeth in North 2, Group 5; fifth-seeded Linden in North 2, Group 4; fourth-seeded Summit, fifth-seeded Rahway and seventh-seeded Cranford in North 2, Group 3; sixth-seeded Roselle Park in North 2, Group 1 and third-seeded Johnson, fourth-seeded Roselle and seventh-seeded Hillside in Central Jersey, Group 2.
Westfield hosts eighth-seeded Ridge Saturday. The teams met twice before in the playoffs, with Ridge winning 49-13 at home in a first round 2008 N2, G4 contest and then again at home 35-28 in a first round 2013 N2, G5 clash.
Elizabeth is at East Orange Campus for the second straight season in the 5-at-4 first round N2, G5 affair. Elizabeth rolled to a rather decisive 42-13 triumph 12 months ago.
Linden plays at Irvington tomorrow night. In a 2004 first round N2, G4 game at Irvington, Linden prevailed 14-6. Irvington defeated Linden at Linden 41-20 in the regular season that year.
In the 1980 N2, G3 championship game played at Giants Stadium, Summit defeated top-seeded and two-time defending champion Rahway 10-7.
Cranford and Parsippany Hills clashed in two of the past six N2, G3 title contests, with Cranford winning 27-0 at Kean in 2011 and Parsippany Hills holding on for a 20-13 triumph at MetLife Stadium in 2014.
Also in 1980 in a championship game, Glen Ridge won at home over defending champion Roselle Park 20-6 in that season’s N2, G1 final.
Roselle will host Shore Conference power and defending champion Manasquan tomorrow night at Rahway River Park. In the semifinals last year at Roselle’s Arminio Field, third-seeded Manasquan defeated second-seeded Roselle 31-27, handing the Rams their only loss in a record-setting 10-1 campaign.
UNION COUNTY
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE
NJSIAA PLAYOFFS:
Friday, Nov. 10 (5 games)
North 2, Group 5
5-Elizabeth at 4-East Orange, 7 p.m.
North 2, Group 4
5-Linden at 4-Irvington, 7 p.m.
North 2, Group 3
7-Cranford at 2-Parsippany Hills, 7 p.m.
Central Jersey, Group 2
5-Manasquan at 4-Roselle, 7 p.m.
6-Holmdel at 3-Johnson, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 11 (4 games)
North 2, Group 5
8-Ridge at 1-Westfield, 1 p.m.
North 2, Group 3
5-Rahway at 4-Summit, 1 p.m.
North 2, Group 1
6-Roselle Park at 3-Glen Ridge, 1 p.m.
Central Jersey, Group 2
7-Hillside at 2-South River, 1 p.m.
CONSOLATIONS:
Thursday, Nov. 9 (4 games)
New Providence at Dayton, 6 p.m.
Plainfield at Kearny, 7 p.m.
Union at Hackensack, 7 p.m.
Dunellen at Brearley, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 11 (2 games)
Gov. Livingston at Chatham, 1 p.m.
Hopatcong at Scotch Plains, 1 p.m.
LAST WEEK’S RESULTS:
Thursday, Nov. 2 (1 game)
B-Raritan 35, Elizabeth 0
Friday, Nov. 3 (9 games)
Hunterdon Central 24, Union 21
Linden 39, Franklin 7
Rahway 35, North Plainfield 12
Cranford 28, Delaware Valley 18
Johnson 41, Gov. Livingston 6
Roselle 31, Bound Brook 7
Belvidere 21, New Providence 7
Manville 15, Roselle Park 14 (OT)
South Hunterdon 38, Dayton 16
Saturday, Nov. 4 (3 games)
Westfield 35, Scotch Plains 14
Somerville 42, Summit 36 (OT)
Hillside 21, Brearley 15
Off: Plainfield.
PLAYOFF PICKS (9):
Linden over Irvington
Parsippany Hills over Cranford
Manasquan over Roselle
Johnson over Holmdel
East Orange over Elizabeth
Westfield over Ridge
Summit over Rahway
Glen Ridge over Roselle Park
South River over Hillside
Best bet: Johnson
Upset special: Linden
Last week: 9-4
This year: 69-38 (.645)
Best bets: 8-2
Upset specials: 2-8
JR’S UNION COUNTY
TOP 10:
1-Westfield (8-0)
2-Johnson (7-1)
3-Linden (5-3)
4-Summit (6-3)
5-Cranford (6-3)
6-Rahway (5-3)
7-Hillside (6-3)
8-Elizabeth (4-5)
9-Roselle (6-2)
10-Union (2-6)
Others:
Brearley (4-5)
Roselle Park (5-3)
Gov. Livingston (1-7)
Dayton (1-8)
Plainfield (0-8)
New Providence (0-8)
Scotch Plains (0-9)