UNION COUNTY, NJ — Football in August, which began in New Jersey four years ago, is now here to stay.
Some thought it would never happen. Football in August? The season starting before Labor Day? School before Labor Day? Well, now that’s the case.
The 2022 high school football season in New Jersey kicks off this weekend, known as Week Zero on the schedule, with games set to be played Friday, Aug. 26, and Saturday, Aug. 27.
Games started as early as late August in New Jersey for the first time in 2018 and are here to stay, now that the playoffs will extend to crowning overall group champions for the first time in the five public school group sizes.
As far as Union County is concerned, three of its schools will open this weekend. Governor Livingston High School, with new head coach Pete Ramiccio, will take on neighborhood foe New Providence High School in the season-opener for both teams on Friday, Aug. 26, at 6 p.m. at New Providence’s Lieder Field.
No longer will the close-by rivals battle on Thanksgiving Day, which was the case going back 20 years to 2002.
“I know a lot of people really enjoyed the Thanksgiving atmosphere of the game,” said Ramiccio, who is a head coach for the first time, previously coaching as an assistant at Montclair from 2010 to 2020. Last year, he was Montclair’s interim head coach when head coach John Fiore had to step down, due to family reasons, shortly before the start of the season. Fiore is back coaching, but is now the head coach at Elizabeth.
“Hopefully, the alumni can rally around the fact that we will open with New Providence,” Ramiccio said. “I think it’s good for our kids that they have a rival they are more familiar with to go up against to start the season.”
The other Union County school that is opening this weekend is Scotch Plains–Fanwood, which will host North Plainfield High School on Friday, Aug. 26, at 7 p.m.
Guided by fourth-year head coach Austin Holman, who has done a pretty good job trying to get the Raiders back on track as evidenced by a 14-14 overall record the past three seasons. Scotch Plains–Fanwood has a nine-game schedule this season, as do Governor Livingston and New Providence.
All three of those schools will play nine straight weeks through the final week of the regular season, which is Oct. 21-22.
Last year, Scotch Plains–Fanwood was one of a handful of schools in New Jersey that played a 10-game regular season schedule. Most played nine-game or eight-game slates. The Raiders finished 5-6 overall, falling at home to St. Joseph’s High School of Metuchen 24-19 in their consolation season finale, after not qualifying for the playoffs in North, Group 4.
The other 14 football-playing schools in Union County will open next week, with games scheduled to be played on Thursday, Sept. 1, and Friday, Sept. 2, which is known as Week One.
Roselle Park, Roselle, Westfield and Plainfield also have nine-game schedules, because they are still playing on Thanksgiving or the night before. Westfield hosts Plainfield this year on the morning of Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 24. Roselle hosts Roselle Park, now that Roselle has stadium lights, the night before on Wednesday, Nov. 23. When Roselle Park hosts the game, it is usually on Thanksgiving Day. Roselle Park and Roselle played the 100th game in the series in 2017.
The Union/Linden, Arthur L. Johnson/Rahway and Governor Livingston/New Providence Thanksgiving Day rivalries are now a thing of the past. The only Thanksgiving Day rivalry in New Jersey longer than Westfield/Plainfield that is still happening is Millville/Vineland.
Governor Livingston was able to get in two scrimmages. The Highlanders first hosted Dover on Wednesday, Aug. 17, and then, on Saturday, Aug. 20, had a game-scrimmage at Ewing.
“Because of opening early, we had our scrimmages in a Wednesday to Saturday span,” Ramiccio said. “I would have liked to have had one more, but I was pretty satisfied with the level of our effort.”
Taking over the reins at quarterback for Governor Livingston is junior Michael Geertsma. Connor Tracy passed for 700 yards and five touchdowns last year. His father, Bill Tracy, is now the head coach at St. Joseph’s in Metuchen. Former Governor Livingston head coach Dan Guyton is now the defensive coordinator at Millburn.
Geertsma, at 6-0, 175, has some size at the quarterback position.
“He was the backup last year. He started on defense at end,” Ramiccio said. “He put a lot of work in during the spring and summer. He’s getting more comfortable. Our kids have drawn to him as one of their leaders. He’s done a nice job so far of completing short and intermediate passes.”
New Providence, led by sixth-year head coach Chet Parlavecchio Jr., will be seeking a fifth straight winning season. The Pioneers went 9-2 last year and won their first road playoff game in eight years. Last year’s All-State running back, Charlie Barth, is now playing at Rutgers.
New Providence hosted a scrimmage on Wednesday, Aug 17, with David Brearley and Verona high schools and, on Saturday, Aug. 20, participated in a scrimmage at Hanover Park that also included Pequannock Township and Waldwick high schools.
Because they are now in different divisions in the Big Central Conference, New Providence, which remains a Group 2 school, and Group 1 David Brearley will not be playing each other in the regular season for the first time in a long time.
Scotch Plains–Fanwood was scheduled to be at home on Wednesday, Aug. 17, for its first scrimmage and then on Saturday, Aug. 20, had its game-scrimmage scheduled at East Brunswick High School.