Some Union County boys basketball teams are looking up as season begins

David Brearley High School second-year basketball coach Brian Cunado speaks with his players at a recent game. Cunado’s squad has already started the season with a 2-0 record and looks to continue its winning ways.

UNION COUNTY, NJ — From the worst feeling to winning again.

The David Brearley High School boys basketball team snapped an 18-game losing streak on Wednesday, Feb. 11, with a 62-57 home win against an 0-20 East Brunswick Magnet High School squad. The Middlesex County school finished 0-24 last year.

David Brearley didn’t fare much better, closing its 2024-2025 season with another loss to finish at 1-18.

It was not the greatest of starts for first-year head coach Brian Cunado.

Sort of in the same manner as the football team, however, the Bears have turned things around in a hurry.

David Brearley produced victories in its first two games this year and took that 2-0 record to Springfield on Saturday, Dec. 20, to face arch-rival Jonathan Dayton High School. The Bulldogs were 0-1 with first-year head coach Joe Pulice, who has succeeded longtime, highly-successful mentor Bobby Martin.

David Brearley went from losing 18 in a row to, beginning with last year’s lone win, capturing three out of four games prior to facing Jonahan Dayton in Union County Conference–Valley Division play.

David Brearley began its 2025-2026 campaign with a 66-61 win at Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School on Wednesday, Dec. 17, and followed that up with a 57-48 Valley Division triumph against Roselle Park High School on Thursday, Dec. 18. David Brearley had healthy leads in both games entering the fourth quarter.

Scoring in double-figures for the Bears against Somerset Tech were senior Brody Zawacki with 20 points and sophomore Ryan Nelson with 12. Netting eight points were senior Greg Scalise, junior Josia Bilewu and sophomore John Beronio. Scalise and Beronio also grabbed 10 rebounds and Nelson nine.

Tyler Zawacki, also a senior, led the Bears with 21 points against Roselle Park. He also contributed five rebounds, four assists and one steal. Tyler poured in a team-high four three-point field goals.

Also scoring in double-digits for David Bearley were Nelson with 12 points and Scalise with 10.

David Brearley began 2-0 for the first time in more than 15 years.

Jonathan Dayton’s first game was a 68-38 Valley Division setback at Abraham Clark High School on Thursday, Dec. 18. Abraham Clark turned a close game – the score was in favor of the host Rams 17-14 after the first eight minutes – into a big lead of 39-25 by halftime, after they won the second quarter, 22-11.

Junior forward Adrian Bernknopf, the quarterback of the Jonathan Dayton football team that just had a successful 7-2 season, paced the Bulldogs in scoring with 10 points and rebounding with 15 boards.

Scoring in double-figures for the host Rams were seniors Carl King with 17 points, Isaiah Morrison with 15 and Zaire Hopson with 14.

Last year’s Valley Division champion, Arthur L. Johnson High School of Clark, moved up to the Mountain Division. Scotch Plains–Fanwood High School, which captured the Mountain Division title, rose to the Watchung Division. Eventual Group 4 state champion Plainfield High School and Roselle Catholic High School shared last year’s Watchung Division championship.

Here’s the UCC’s division alignment for the 2025-2026 season that just tipped off.

Union County Conference Boys Basketball alignment for 2025-2026 season

Watchung Division = seven schools

Elizabeth

Linden

Plainfield

Roselle Catholic

Scotch Plains–Fanwood

Union Catholic

Westfield

Defending co-champions: Plainfield (10-2) and Roselle Catholic (10-2)

Mountain Division = seven schools