UNION COUNTY, NJ — Football scrimmages are now almost as highly-anticipated as the first weekend of regular season games across the state, especially since the start of the high school football season in New Jersey seems to be earlier now than it ever was before.
Official practice, shoulder pads and all, commences for every school around the state on Wednesday, Aug. 9.
The start of scrimmages is allowed to take place beginning exactly one week later on Wednesday, Aug. 16.
Summit, Hillside, Linden, Rahway, Arthur L. Johnson, Westfield, Plainfield, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, and New Providence high schools all have their first scrimmages scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 16.
It’s never too early to try to get a jump on your competition.
Allen Phillips’ philosophy at David Brearley High School: The lone new head coach in Union County this year is first-year David Brearley mentor Phillips, a 2010 David Brearley graduate. Phillips is a head coach for the first time. He played in college at Montclair State University and was on Scott Miller’s staff at David Brearley for five seasons from 2018 to 2022.
“Right now we’re sticking to the basics,” Phillips said.
Both of David Brearley’s scheduled scrimmages are on the road, the first one in Essex County and the second in Middlesex County.
David Brearley is scheduled to face Montclair-Kimberley Academy in its first scrimmage on Tuesday, Aug. 22, in Montclair, which is the field you can see right off Bloomfield Avenue.
The Bears will then have their game scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 26, at Metuchen High School.
“We’re focusing on development right now,” Phillips, 31, said. “We’re working on speed, agility and quickness.”
David Brearley is seeking to finish better than .500 for its sixth straight season. Since 2018, the Bears sport an overall record of 37-11. David Brearley last had a losing season when it finished 2-8 in 2012.
“There will be no special treatment at all for our players who are older than others,” Phillips said. “The best 11 will be on the field.”
Quad scrimmages are fashionable: Governor Livingston High School at Kittatinny High School, Rahway and Arthur L. Johnson high schools at John F. Kennedy Memorial High School and Linden and Westfield high schools at home are all involved in popular quad scrimmages.
On Wednesday, Aug. 16, at John F. Kennedy in Iselin, there will also be Rahway, Arthur L. Johnson, and Freehold high schools.
On the same date at Kittatinny High School, the other two schools include Belvidere High School and Central High School in Newark.
On Wednesday, Aug. 16, at Linden High School, joining the host Tigers will be South Plainfield, Barringer, and Somerville high schools.
On the same day at Westfield, joining the host Blue Devils will be Bayonne, Lacey Township and Long Branch high schools.
Scrimmage schedules
for most Union County Schools
Roselle Park
• Friday, Aug. 25, 6 p.m., J.P. Stevens, game scrimmage.
David Brearley
• Tuesday, Aug. 22, 10 a.m., at Montclair-Kimberley Academy.
• Saturday, Aug. 26, 10 a.m., at Metuchen, game scrimmage.
Jonathan Dayton
• Thursday, Aug. 17, 10 a.m., at Lodi.
• Thursday, Aug. 24, 5 p.m., at Madison, game scrimmage.
Governor Livington
• Thursday, Aug. 17, 10 a.m., quad at Kittatinny; Belvidere, Governor Livingston, Newark’s Central, Kittatinny.
• Saturday, Aug. 19, 10 a.m., Spotswood, game scrimmage.
Summit
• Wednesday, Aug. 16, Immaculata, TBD.
• Saturday, Aug. 19, 10 a.m., Chatham.
• Friday, Aug. 25, 7 p.m., at Ridge, game scrimmage.
Elizabeth
• Saturday, Aug. 19, 10 a.m., at Hillsborough, game scrimmage.
Hillside
• Wednesday, Aug. 16, 11 a.m., Plainfield.
Linden
• Wednesday, Aug. 16, 10 a.m., quad at Linden; South Plainfield, Barringer, Somerville, Linden.
• Saturday, Aug. 19, 10:30 a.m., at Pascack Valley, game scrimmage.
Rahway
• Wednesday, Aug. 16, 10 a.m., quad at John F. Kennedy in Iselin; Rahway, Freehold, Arthur L. Johnson, John F. Kennedy.
Cranford
• Friday, Aug. 18, 10 a.m., Ramapo.
• Thursday, Aug. 24, 10 a.m., Westfield, game scrimmage.
Arthur L. Johnson
• Wednesday, Aug. 16, 10 a.m., quad at John F. Kennedy; Rahway, Freehold, Arthur L. Johnson, John F. Kennedy.
• Thursday, Aug. 24, 6 p.m., Morris Hills, game scrimmage.
Westfield
• Wednesday, Aug. 16, 10 a.m., quad at Westfield; Bayonne, Lacey, Long Branch, Westfield.
• Saturday, Aug. 19, 10 a.m., Randolph.
• Thursday, Aug. 24, 10 a.m., at Cranford, game scrimmage.
Plainfield
• Wednesday, Aug. 16, 11 a.m., at Hillside.
• Saturday, Aug. 19, 10 a.m., at West Orange.
• Friday, Aug. 25, 4 p.m., Newark’s West Side, game scrimmage.
Scotch Plains-Fanwood
• Wednesday, Aug. 16, 10 a.m., River Dell.
• Saturday, Aug. 19, 10 a.m., East Brunswick.
• Friday, Aug. 25, 6 p.m., at Monroe, game scrimmage.
New Providence
• Wednesday, Aug. 16, 10 a.m., at Verona.
• Saturday, Aug. 19, 10 a.m., Millburn, game scrimmage.
As of Monday, July 31, Union and Abraham Clark high school scrimmage schedules were not listed on their school websites at unioncountyconference.org.
Photo by JR Parachini