Although it is against teams that are a combined 0-7, the Hillside Comets are on a bit of a roll the past two weekends.
Hillside followed up a 42-7 win at New Providence by downing Bernards by the score of 42-0 at home this past Saturday.
Bernards reached last year’s Central Jersey, Group 2 final.
The last time the Mountaineers came to Hillside they left with a 36-12 triumph in 2014.
Dating back to last season, Hillside has three shutout victories in its last eight games.
The closest Hillside has come to scoring at least 40 points in consecutive games since 1991 was in 1996 when the Comets first beat Middlesex 41-7 at home in Game 5 and then won at Manville 33-6 in Game 6.
Hillside finished 1996 with a 5-4 record in a non-playoff season.
Another really big test for this year’s Hillside squad – along the lines of its season-opener vs. Rahway – is this Friday night’s Mid-State 38 Conference-Valley Division clash against arch rival Roselle.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Rahway River Park. It’s a home game for Roselle, with its Arminio Field being renovated with field turf this season.
Johnson leads the Valley Division standings at 3-0, with Hillside next at 2-0 and defending champ Roselle third at 2-1.
Hillside is 1-9 vs. Roselle the last 10 seasons (2007-2016), with the lone win a 16-13 decision at Roselle in 2015. That snapped an eight-game Hillside losing streak vs. the Rams.
In a battle of 2-0 teams for the second straight season, Roselle lost at Johnson 23-13 last Friday night.
Hillside and Roselle are both 2-1 overall.
First-year senior quarterback Tajee Irby threw four touchdown passes – two each to Nahree Biggins and Boris-Nicolas Paul – in Hillside’s win against Bernards. Irby and junior Brian Ugwu scored Hillside’s other touchdowns.
ROSELLE PARK 4-0 FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1996
Roselle Park is 4-0 for the first time since 1996. The Panthers also produced a shutout to get to 4-0 that season, beating New Providence 28-0 at home.
That Roselle Park team got to 8-0 and was the No. 1 seed for the North 2, Group 1 playoffs. However, Roselle Park was upended by fourth-seeded New Providence 16-13 at home in the first round.
Roselle Park concluded a fine 9-1 campaign with a 29-7 Thanksgiving Day victory at home over Roselle.
New Providence lost in the North 2, Group 1 final to third-seeded Butler 16-8. That was the third of four straight seasons that Butler won the section.
New Providence would not win the section again until 2010.
The 1996 Roselle Park squad outscored 10 opponents by an impressive 266-107 margin that included two shutouts and a 4-0 record on the road.
Brearley at Roselle Park this Friday night at 7: Brearley produced its first victory last Friday night, winning at South Hunterdon 41-13. Losses by five points and three points came before, so the Bears are not that far away from being 3-0 or 2-1.
Roselle Park leads the Mid-State’s Union Division with a 3-0 record, while Bound Brook is next at 2-0, Belvidere third at 2-1 and Brearley and Manville tied for fourth at 1-1.
Seniors Khalid Bonnet (tailback) and Mike Ramos (quarterback) both rushed for over 100 yards vs. South Hunterdon, with Bonnet scoring twice and Ramos once.
UNION COUNTY
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE:
Thursday, Sept. 28 (5 games)
Watchung Hills at Westfield, 4 p.m.
Voorhees vs. Rahway at RRP, 6 p.m.
Cranford at North Plainfield, 7 p.m.
New Providence at Bernards, 7 p.m.
Highland Park at Dayton, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 29 (6 games)
Ridge at Plainfield, 2 p.m.
Scotch Plains at Summit, 4 p.m.
Elizabeth at Linden, 7 p.m.
Hillside vs. Roselle at RRP, 7 p.m.
Johnson at Delaware Valley, 7 p.m.
Brearley at Roselle Park, 7 p.m.
Off: Union, Gov. Livingston.
LAST WEEK’S RESULTS:
Friday, Sept. 22 (8 games)
Elizabeth 42, Union 26
Westfield 23, Franklin 7
Linden 55, Ridge 48
Cranford 24, Rahway 14
Warren Hills 20, Summit 17
Johnson 23, Roselle 13
Roselle Park 35, Belvidere 0
Brearley 41, South Hunterdon 13
Saturday, Sept. 23 (6 games)
Hillsborough 48, Plainfield 0
Immaculata 56, Scotch Plains 23
Gov. Livingston 36, Plainfield 29
Hillside 42, Bernards 0
Delaware Valley 40, New Providence 0
Manville 42, Dayton 6
Off: None.
THIS WEEK’S PICKS (11):
Westfield over Watchung Hills
Rahway over Voorhees
Cranford over North Plainfield
New Providence over Bernards
Dayton over Highland Park
Ridge over Plainfield
Scotch Plains over Summit
Linden over Elizabeth
Hillside over Roselle
Johnson over Delaware Valley
Roselle Park over Brearley
Best bet: Westfield
Upset special: Scotch Plains
Last week: 9-5
This year: 26-15 (.634)
Best bets: 3-1
Upset specials: 2-2
JR’S UNION COUNTY
TOP 10:
1-Westfield (3-0)
2-Elizabeth (2-1)
3-Linden (2-1)
4-Union (2-1)
5-Johnson (3-0)
6-Roselle (2-1)
7-Summit (1-2)
8-Cranford (1-2)
9-Rahway (2-1)
10-Hillside (2-1)
Others:
Roselle Park (4-0)
Gov. Livingston (1-2)
Brearley (1-2)
Plainfield (0-3)
Scotch Plains (0-3)
New Providence (0-3)
Dayton (0-3)