UNION COUNTY, NJ — Now that the first day of official practice commenced last week and the first scrimmages are scheduled for this week, it’s time to take a look at the playoff histories of all 17 Union County football playing schools.
The 2023 season is set to kick off Friday, Aug. 25, with games scheduled for what is termed “Week Zero” on Aug. 25, 26, and 27.
Union County did not produce a state champion last year for the first time since 2008. David Brearley High School in North 1, Group 1 and Hillside High School in North 1, Group 3 reached sectional state championship games last year, but both fell. The Bears lost at Mountain Lakes High School 16-6 and Hillside lost at Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan 28-14.
After playing down to regional champions for three years in 2018, 2019, and 2021 — there were no playoff games in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic — last year was the first year group champions were realized on the public school side.
The first public school group state champions that were produced in 2022 included Woodbury Junior/Senior High School winning Group 1, James Caldwell High School winning Group 2, Old Tappan winning Group 3, Millville High School winning Group 4, and Toms River North High School winning Group 5.
The parochial state champions were Bergen Catholic High School capturing Non-Public, A and DePaul Catholic High School winning Non-Public, B. Bergen Catholic, with an 11-1 record, finished as the No. 1 ranked team in the state.
This will be the 49th season of New Jersey high school football that includes playoff games. The first year was 1974, with a short list of games all played in Atlantic City that season, and then the first year of four teams qualifying in each section beginning in 1975.
The playoffs were expanded to eight teams qualifying in each section in 1998.
Although it took the Union High School Farmers 26 years to win their next state championship in 2019, and first in North 2, Group 5, they still lead Union County with 11 state titles captured in the playoff era.
Summit High School is second with nine, Elizabeth High School is third with eight, and New Providence High School is fourth with five.
Following is a complete list, including each team’s playoff record, and the last year each team won a state championship. The only schools in Union County that have not won a state championship in the playoff era include Plainfield, Governor Livingston, and Jonathan Dayton high schools.
Union County football teams
Total number of state championships won, their playoff records and the the most recent year they won a state championship.
• Union (11): 38-24 (.612) – 2019;
• Summit (9): 32-20 (.615) – 2018;
• Elizabeth (8): 29-22 (.568) – 2012;
• New Providence (6): 34-32 (.515) – 2010;
• Westfield (5): 21-18 (.538) – 2017;
• David Brearley (5): 22-19 (.536) – 2006;
• Hillside (4): 17-9 (.653) – 2019;
• Cranford (3): 15-12 (.555) – 2021;
• Roselle Park (3): 10-13 (.434) – 1993;
• Rahway (3): 21-21 (.500) – 1984;
• Linden (2): 11-17 (.392) – 2014;
• Arthur L. Johnson (2): 11-19 (.366) – 2002;
• Scotch Plains-Fanwood (1): 9-15 (.375) – 1990; and
• Abraham Clark (1): 7-13 (.350) – 1989.
Teams that have not won
• Plainfield: 5-11 (.312);
• Governor Livingston: 5-10 (.333); and
• Jonathan Dayton: 2-6 (.250).
The only Union County team to win a regional championship was Hillside in 2019, going a perfect 12-0 that season after winning South Jersey, Group 2 for the first time.
Hillside is also the only Union County school to win a sectional state championship in Central Jersey and South Jersey. The Hilltoppers won Central Jersey, Group 2 in 2017, repeated in 2018 and in 2019 won South Jersey, Group 2. Hillside went 1-1 in Regional Championship games, losing in 2018 and winning in 2019.
Union County went 1-4 in regional championship games, with Summit losing in 2018 after winning North 2, Group 3; Union losing in 2019 after capturing North 2, Group 5 for the first time, and Cranford losing in 2021 after winning North 2, Group 3 for the third time.
David Brearley High School was the first Union County school to go 12-0, doing so in 2006 after winning North 2, Group 1 for the first time since 1991.
Summit was the next school to do so in 2009 after winning North 2, Group 2. Summit went 12-0 again in 2012 and 2013.
Westfield High School went 12-0 three years in a row while winning North 2, Group 5 in 2015, 2016, and 2017.
Cranford High School also went 12-0 in 2015 and Hillside in 2019.
Following is a list of Union County schools that went 12-0 and their head coaches:
• 2006 Brearley (12-0): head coach Scott Miller;
• 2009 and 2012 Summit (12-0): head coach John Liberato;
• 2013 Summit (12-0): head coach Kevin Kostibos;
• 2015, 2016, 2017 Westfield (12-0): head coach Jim DeSarno;
• 2015 Cranford (12-0): head coach Erik Rosenmeier; and
• 2019 Hillside (12-0): head coach Barris Grant.
Union in 2019 and Cranford in 2021 went undefeated in the regular season and then moved on to the playoffs to win their sections, but ended up falling in their regional championship games for their only losses those seasons. Union finished 12-1 in 2019 and Cranford finished 11-1 in 2021.
The last year Elizabeth was a state champion, 2012, the Minutemen finished 11-0. They would have won the very first North 2, Group 5 crown with a 12-0 record had they played their regular season game at Plainfield, which ended up finishing 0-9. The game was postponed and then ultimately canceled due to the changing of the schedule as a result of Superstorm Sandy.
Following is a look at the years each Union County team won their state championships in the playoff era.
Union County football state champions in the playoff era: 1974-2022
• Union (11): 1978, 1989, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2019;
• Summit (9): 1976, 1980, 1988, 1993, 1994, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2018;
• Elizabeth (8): 1981, 1988, 1989, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2006, 2012;
• New Providence (6): 1974 (declared), 1976, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2010;
• Westfield (5): 1976, 1977, 2015, 2016, 2017;
• David Brearley (5): 1981, 1985, 1986, 1991, 2006;
• Hillside (4): 1985, 2017, 2018, 2019;
• Cranford (3): 2011, 2015, 2021;
• Roselle Park (3): 1979 (declared), 1992, 1993;
• Rahway (3): 1978, 1979, 1984;
• Linden (2): 1985, 2014;
• Arthur L. Johnson (2): 1995, 2002;
• Scotch Plains-Fanwood (1): 1990; and
• Abraham Clark (1): 1989.
Teams that have not won
• Plainfield: 0-4 in sectional finals, losing the North 2, Group 4 title games in 1976, 1978, 1997 and 1998.
• Governor Livingston: 0-2 in sectional finals, losing the North 2, Group 1 title game in 1989 and the North 2, Group 2 contest in 2008.
• Jonathan Dayton: 0-1 in sectional finals, losing the North 2, Group 2 final in 1981.
Regional championships
• Hillside (1) 2019.
Group state championships
None.