UNION, NJ — Saturday was July 1.
Before you know it, and it gets earlier and earlier now in the Garden State, high school football will be upon us.
With the season starting in late August once again, opening day is Saturday, Aug. 25, and official practice is just five weeks away.
Although, nod nod wink wink, the first official day of practice can’t take place until Aug. 9, according to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, in reality, teams are practicing already.
Nobody is waiting until early August anymore, as schools seek any kind of edge to get a jump on the competition that lies ahead.
Schedules were released on www.gridironnewjersey.com this week. Some teams previously disclosed their schedules on their twitter accounts.
Two Union County schools who did not make the state playoffs last year, but participated in the first Regional Invitational sectional tournaments that were held and won theirs, Summit and Linden high schools, put their schedules out a while ago.
Summit opens on what the state calls Week One, hosting Woodbridge High School on Saturday, Sept. 2, at Tatlock Field.
Linden starts the weekend before, termed Week Zero, as the Tigers will clash with Elizabeth High School on Friday night, Aug. 25, at Kean University’s Alumni Stadium in Union.
Linden has a nine-game regular season schedule and Summit an eight-game one.
Linden is situated in the Big Central Conference’s Liberty Gold Division this year, along with Colonia, Iselin Kennedy, Perth Amboy and Woodbridge.
Summit is in the United Gold Division with St. Thomas Aquinas, Cranford, Rahway and Scotch Plains-Fanwood.
Summit, which finished 6-5 in 2022, won at Linden 28-14 last year. Linden came in at 5-5.
The teams are scheduled to clash this season on Saturday, Oct. 7, at Summit’s Tatlock Field with the kickoff at 1 p.m.
As many as seven of Union County’s 17 football playing schools are opening the weekend before Labor Day. On Friday, Aug. 25, Elizabeth will play Linden at Kean University, New Providence High School will play at Governor Livingston High School, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School will play at Monroe, Rahway High School will host Perth Amboy High School at Rahway River Park and, on Saturday, Aug. 26, Union High School will battle Rancocas Valley Regional High School at Ocean City High School in the third annual Battle at the Beach.
Linden Tigers 2023
Aug. 25, Elizabeth at Kean University, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 1, Rahway, 6 p.m.
Sept. 8, at Woodbridge, 6 p.m.
Sept. 15, Colonia, 7 p.m.
Sept. 22, at Perth Amboy, 7 p.m.
Sept. 29, Iselin Kennedy, 6 p.m.
Oct. 7, at Summit, 1 p.m.
Oct. 13, at Cranford, 7 p.m.
Oct. 20, Montgomery, 6 p.m.
Summit Hilltoppers 2023
Sept. 2, Woodbridge, 1 p.m.
Sept. 8, at Cranford, 7 p.m.
Sept. 15, St. Thomas Aquinas, 7 p.m.
Sept. 22, at Rahway, 6 p.m.
Sept. 30, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 1 p.m.
Oct. 7, Linden, 1 p.m.
Oct. 13, at Colonia, 6 p.m.
Oct. 21, at St. Joseph’s, Metuchen, 1 p.m.