UNION, NJ — When Union football players tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday, Nov. 10, Union Superintendent of Schools Scott Taylor, after consulting with the county health department, decided to cancel Union’s sectional semifinal playoff game against Paterson Eastside.
Though some of the same Union players tested negative for COVID-19 on Thursday, Nov. 11, others tested positive, and Taylor said he felt confident that he’d made the right decision.
“Thanks to the health department, I am making the best decision for their physical interests,” said Taylor.
Schools officials said that, according to New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association guidelines, the game could not be rescheduled.
“At 11:30 a.m. on Friday, we were still expecting to play,” Union head coach Lou Grasso Jr. said.
The NJSIAA made it official on Friday, Nov. 12. Union, riding a nine-game winning streak and the favorite to win, had to forfeit its game against 6-3 Paterson Eastside.
As a result, top-seeded Union was halted in its attempt to win a 12th state championship in the playoff era and repeat as North 2, Group 5, champs. Union won North 2, Group 5, in 2019 for the first time.
Eastside was coming off its third playoff win ever. The Ghosts have never won a state championship in the playoff era and are now appearing in their second-ever state championship game.
Fifth-seeded Eastside will play at second-seeded Clifton (9-2) in the North 2, Group 5, final on Friday, Nov. 19. Union, at home as the top seed, defeated Clifton 42-28 in the 2019 North 2, Group 5, final. Clifton has won only one state championship in the playoff era, which began in 1974.
Nutley was hit with a similar COVID-19 situation the week before and had to forfeit its first-round playoff game against Old Tappan.
“We’re just all devastated from top to bottom,” Union Athletic Director Linda Ionta said on Friday, Nov. 12, speaking on behalf of the team. “These poor kids are just devastated to have this taken away from them.”
According to a letter delivered districtwide on Thursday, Nov. 11, from Taylor, two players from the squad had felt ill on Wednesday, Nov. 10, and subsequently tested positive for the coronavirus. That prompted teamwide testing for players and coaches late Thursday, Nov. 11. Results released the morning of Friday, Nov. 12, by the Union County Board of Health revealed an undisclosed number of additional cases.
Union players, led by senior captain and Division 1-A recruit Davison Igbinosun, were still protesting the decision as of Monday, Nov. 15.
Union, also sparked by the play of senior quarterback Jaden Stewart and many others, was ranked among the top 20 teams in the state and was the favorite to win not only North 2, Group 5, again, but the following Group 5 regional game against the North 1, Group 5, state champion.
Union won North 2, Group 5, in 2019 with a 12-0 record and then lost to Ridgewood at MetLife Stadium in its season-ending Group 5 regional game.
“No matter what, we are still very proud of our kids,” Ionta said.
Union finishes another very strong year at 9-2, which is its fourth-straight winning season. Union captured the Big Central Conference’s Division 5A championship outright with a perfect 4-0 record.
Since 2018, the Farmers are 33-9, including 5-3 in the playoffs.
Grasso took time to reflect after a brutal weekend of what-ifs.
“We will figure out a way to honor the team once some time passes. We all still have just a real empty feeling now. There is still a lot of pain and disappointment,” said Grasso on Monday, Nov. 15.
“When the final decision was made we were, obviously, disappointed and heartbroken,” added Grasso. “To think our kids have to live with this.
“You start in December, you lift and have workouts, and the adults and coaches also put in a lot of time and hours,” he continued. “We do that so we try to put ourselves in the best position possible to point toward still playing right now.
“This past weekend has been almost like a state of mourning,” said the head coach. “You are so used to preparing and watching films. It’s been a long, long couple of days. It’s still really emotional.
“The crazy thing is that this team is physically dominant. It’s a legendary team,” added Grasso. “Seven of our 10 games, we had the running clock.”
The running clock is a mercy rule for when a team is ahead by at least 33 points.
“This team ranks right up there with the best I’ve ever been around,” Grasso said. “We’re a couple of plays away in the Millville game from being 10-0.”
Union’s only loss this year was a 31-28 defeat against Millville at Ocean City High School on Saturday, Aug. 28.
“I could not be prouder of the way our kids have handled themselves,” continued the head coach. “They have handled the situation with poise and integrity. I’m nothing short of impressed with them and really proud.
“There’s just nothing you could do to make the situation better. It really sucks,” said Grasso. “We’re all going to have to learn to live with it. It’s still going to be tough for a while. The seniors are going to have to deal with that.
“We could not have done anything better to prevent what happened,” he continued. “COVID just didn’t go our way.
“We have 20 seniors on the team, with 90 percent of them starters,” Gesso said. “We’ll be back, but it will take some time to get back to the level of success we had this year.”
Hundreds of students walked out of Union High School classes on the morning of Monday, Nov. 15, to protest outside of the Board of Education building. A change.org petition asking Taylor and the NJSIAA to allow the game to happen had received 8,830 signatures by Thursday, Nov. 18.