UNION COUNTY, NJ — Union High School found a way to win in overtime to, this time, beat Bridgewater-Raritan High School in a close one.
Cranford High School got off to a rousing start by venturing into Hunterdon County and coming away with a 41-0 triumph against North Hunterdon Regional High School.
Linden High School handled Rahway High School 28-20 at its own Cooper Field to become Union County’s first 2-0 squad.
Governor Livingston High School didn’t want to be 0-2 before September began. The Highlanders went out and topped an improving Arthur L. Johnson High School squad 33-21 in the Week One Union County opener in Berkeley Heights on Thursday, Aug. 31.
Now we move on to Week Two this weekend.
All 17 Union County football playing schools are in action again.
Here’s a look at each clash:
Friday, Sept. 8
• Hunterdon Central Regional High School (2-0) at Elizabeth High School (0-2), 6 p.m.: This is Elizabeth’s home-opener after the Minutemen opened, with games at fellow Union County foes Linden High School at Kean University and Plainfield High School at Plainfield’s Hub Stine Field. Hunterdon Central remained undefeated after producing a thrilling 28-27 home overtime victory against Group 5 rival Piscataway High School. Elizabeth lost by five to Linden as the road team, 27-22 at Kean University, and then lost by seven at Plainfield, 33-26. Elizabeth is 9-28 in its last 37 games.
• Lincoln High School (1-0) at Rahway High School (1-1), 6 p.m.: Lincoln of Jersey City opened on Thursday, Aug. 31, with a 30-0 blanking of visiting North Bergen High School at Caven Point in Jersey City. Rahway saw its record even at 1-1, following a 28-20 loss at Linden.
• New Providence High School (1-1) at Abraham Clark High School (0-1), 6 p.m.: New Providence and Abraham Clark were both defeated on the road on Friday, Sept. 1, New Providence at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Edison, 41-0, and Abraham Clark at Delaware Valley High School, 27-9. Last year, New Providence edged Abraham Clark 21-20 at New Providence.
• Roselle Park High School (0-1) at Jonathan Dayton High School (0-1), 6 p.m.: Roselle Park and Jonathan Dayton also opened with defeats last weekend. Roselle Park, at its Herm Shaw Athletic Field, was bested by South Hunterdon Regional High School, 34-8. Jonathan Dayton was downed at Dunellen High School, 18-7.
• Westfield High School (0-1) at Union High School (1-1), 7 p.m.: The Farmers defeated Bridgewater-Raritan High School 27-21 in overtime in Somerset County to avoid a second straight 0-2 start and improve to 1-1. Union was edged at home by Bridgewater-Raritan 7-6 early last year. Westfield opened on Saturday, Sept. 2, with a 34-20 setback at home to Watchung Hills Regional High School.
• Plainfield High School (1-0) at Montgomery High School (2-0), p.m.: Montgomery has opened with decisive home wins over Robbinsville High School 34-7 and vs. Franklin High School 49-6. Plainfield opened with a 33-26 win at home against Elizabeth High School on Saturday, Sept. 2. The Cardinals lost to the Minutemen by one point each of the past two seasons, which were pivotal in Plainfield not qualifying for the playoffs out of North, Group 5 and Elizabeth making it both times.
• Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School (1-1) at St. Thomas Aquinas High School (2-0), 7 p.m.: Scotch Plains-Fanwood was downed in its home-opener by Colonia High School 21-12 on Thursday, Aug. 31. St. Thomas Aquinas is off to a predicted dominant start with wins against Paul VI High School at Ocean City, 42-7, and at home against New Providence High School.
• Linden High School (2-0) at Woodbridge High School (1-1), 7 p.m.: Linden was the home team in its season-opening 27-22 win against Elizabeth High School and, last weekend, received two more touchdowns from senior quarterback Tequan Thomas in its first victory of the season at its own home field. “Thomas is amazing,” coach Al Chiola said. “So far, our kids have been in two dogfights and have responded well.”
• Summit High School (1-0) at Cranford High School (1-0), 7 p.m.: Cranford has a four-game winning streak against Summit, with wins in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022. The teams did not clash in 2020. Cranford won at Summit, 42-23. Summit opened with a 46-36 home win against Woodbridge High School on Saturday, Sept. 2.
• Governor Livingston High School (1-1) at North Plainfield High School (0-2), 7 p.m.: The Highlanders are seeking a 2-1 start for the first time since the COVID-shortened season of 2020. This will be their first game on the road and is coming against a team that has been outscored 82-14 so far.
• Bound Brook High School (0-1) at Arthur L. Johnson High School (0-1), 7 p.m.: Arthur L. Johnson and Bound Brook both opened on the wrong end of scores last weekend. Bound Brook fell at home to Middlesex High School, 34-14.
Saturday, Sept. 9
• Metuchen High School (1-0) at Hillside High School (0-1), 1 p.m.: In what is believed to be the first time Metuchen and Hillside clashed, the Comets last year won 45-0 at Metuchen to improve to 2-0. Metuchen opened on Saturday, Sept. 2, with a 14-6 win at South River, while, on the same day, Hillside opened at home with a 28-12 setback at rival Bernards High School.
• David Brearley High School (0-1) at Spotswood High School (2-0), 1 p.m.: David Brearley fell at home to Manville High School 12-7 last weekend, while Spotswood won a squeaker at Belvidere High School, 9-8. Including a season-opening 14-0 win at Bordentown Regional High School, the Group 2 Chargers of Middlesex County have yielded only eight points so far.