UNION COUNTY, NJ — The beginning of official high school football practice in New Jersey is now a little more than five weeks away.
It seems to creep up earlier and earlier, digging deeper and deeper into the month of August and August vacation time.
That is the reality.
The first practices with pads can begin on Monday, Aug. 11, with the first scrimmages being able to be played on Monday, Aug. 18.
Week Zero, the first week of the high school football season, this year begins on Thursday, Aug. 28 and extends to Friday, Aug. 29, and Saturday, Aug. 30.
Week One, the second week of the season, this year will be Thursday, Sept. 4; Friday, Sept. 5; and Saturday, Sept. 6.
All 17 Union County football schedules have now been released on line either on unioncountyconference.com, bigteams.com or max preps.
Schools on unioncountyconference.com include Abraham Clark, Elizabeth, Governor Livingston, Hillside, Jonathan Dayton, Linden, New Providence, Rahway, Roselle Park, Scotch Plains–Fanwood, Summit, Westfield and Union. Schools on bigteams.com are David Brearley and Arthur L. Johnson. Plainfield schedules can be found on max preps, in addition to all of the other Union County schools.
Nine Union County schools: Westfield, Plainfield, David Brearley, Union, Rahway, Elizabeth, Linden, Cranford and Governor Livingston, open on Week Zero and the other eight: Roselle Park, Jonathan Dayton, Summit, Hillside, Abraham Clark, Arthur L. Johnson, Scotch Plains–Fanwood and New Providence, open Week One.
All 17 Union County football-playing schools are scheduled to play during Week One.
Week Zero is Labor Day Weekend, with Labor Day being the earliest it can be this year on Monday, Sept. 1.
Week One begins the same time the first weekend of National Football League play commences on Thursday, Sept. 4. No Union County schools are scheduled to play on Sept. 4. All of Week One action involving Union County schools is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 5, and Saturday, Sept. 6. NFL Week One Sunday is Sept. 7.
There are two Union County common games scheduled for Week Zero. For the first time before Thanksgiving, Westfield and Plainfield will clash, this time to open the season against each other on Thursday, Aug. 28, at 6 p.m., at Plainfield’s Hub Stine Field.
Westfield vs. Plainfield was the oldest Thanksgiving Day rivalry in Union County, dating back more than 100 years.
That leaves Abraham Clark in Roselle vs. Roselle Park as the only Union County football game scheduled for Thanksgiving. According to both school schedules on max preps, this year’s game is scheduled for Thanksgiving night, Thursday, Nov. 27, at 6 p.m., at a neutral site not yet disclosed.
The other Union County common matchup for Week Zero is Elizabeth at Linden on Friday, Aug. 29, at 7 p.m., at Cooper Field in Linden.
Union County Football 2025
Week Zero
Thursday, Aug. 28 = two games
Westfield at Plainfield, 6 p.m.
Wallington at David Brearley, 6 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 29 = four games
Union at Woodbridge, 6 p.m.
Willingboro at Rahway, 6 p.m.
Elizabeth at Linden, 7 p.m.
Cranford at Bernards, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 30 = one game
Lakeland at Governor Livingston, 1 p.m.
Off: Roselle Park, Jonathan Dayton, Summit, Hillside, Abraham Clark, Arthur L. Johnson, Scotch Plains–Fanwood, New Providence.
Week One
Friday, Sept. 5 = 10 games
Abraham Clark at Spotswood, 6 p.m.
Bayonne at Elizabeth, 6 p.m.
Cranford at Somerville, 6:30 p.m.
Hillsborough at Union, 7 p.m.
Rahway at Scotch Plains–Fanwood, 7 p.m.
Linden at Sayreville War Memorial, 7 p.m.
Summit at Montgomery, 7 p.m.
David Brearley at Arthur L. Johnson, 7 p.m.
Middlesex at Roselle Park, 7 p.m.
Jonathan Dayton at South Hunterdon Regional, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 6 = four games
Phillipsburg at Westfield, 1 p.m.
Bernards at Hillside, 1 p.m.
New Providence at Governor Livingston, 1 p.m.
New Brunswick at Plainfield, 6 p.m.
Off: None.