UNION, NJ — Barris Grant turned around a Hillside High School program that was stuck on just one state championship in the playoff era and it was way back in 1985.
In seasons No. 2, 3 and 4 at Hillside, Grant led the Comets to consecutive state championships in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Union High School has captured just one state championship since 1993 and that came in 2019. The Farmers have finished less than .500 the last three years, after the 2021 squad was denied the opportunity to continue in the playoffs and win a second state title in three years because of a COVID-19 shutdown.
Hillside also had little recent success before Grant was hired to be a head coach for the first time in 2016.
“To me, it’s hard to believe that Union has not had a winning season the last three years,” Grant said. “It’s unbelievable.”
Union went 2-7 in 2022, 5-6 in 2023 and 2-8 last year. The Farmers made the playoffs and immediately lost in 2022, made the playoffs again in 2023 and actually won a playoff game before being ousted and then did not make the playoffs last year, but ended with a positive 34-27 consolation win at Livingston High School.
Sophomore quarterback Elijah Bryant was Union’s signal-caller against Livingston and had a fine game in beating a 4-4 Essex County squad and preventing it from having a winning season, as the Lancers finished 4-5. Bryant completed 11-of-24 passes for 257 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. His longest completion was 79 yards.
In a five-team scrimmage at West Orange High School on Tuesday, Aug. 19, Bryant threw a perfect spiral for a touchdown pass in the right corner of the end zone. On the receiving end was sophomore flanker Josiah Tims, who beat single coverage while catching the ball over his shoulder.
“He’s young and loves the game,” Grant said of Bryant. “He’s also tough.”
Grant has Bryant running a spread-run style offense.
“He’s a drop-back passer,” Grant said. “He has command of the offense so far.
“We need him to be able to communicate with the other new guys.”
Grant describes Union’s team as a “young one,” to say the least.
“We’ve been working non-stop,” senior running back-linebacker Nick Bertolotti said.
Union’s defensive alignment is a 3-3-5. Standouts include Hillside transfer Uyi Igiehon, a senior end, and Elijah Walton-Damiao, a senior linebacker. Igiehon is a Temple University commit who played on the varsity at Hillside the last two years.
“We’re trying to build the program back up, brick by brick,” Grant said. “It’s a work in progress.”
Here’s Grant’s assessment after Union’s scrimmage performances against West Orange, Columbia, Morris Knolls and Burlington Township high schools at West Orange on Tuesday, Aug. 19: “Some good, some bad. Execution needs to improve.”
Union opens at Woodbridge Thursday, Aug. 28. The last time these teams met, which might have been the only time, came in the first round of the North 2, Group 4 playoffs in 2009 at Union’s Cooke Memorial Field. Top-seeded Union, hampered by an injury to standout senior running back Isaiah McLean, was upset by eighth-seeded Woodbridge, then coached by present Rahway mentor Brian Russo, by the score of 23-14 on Nov. 14, 2009.
The week before, a 7-0 Union team was humbled at home by Westfield, 35-14, on a Friday night, just two days after the New York Yankees won the World Series for the last time.
Union closed with a 26-20 loss at Linden High School the night before Thanksgiving to finish 7-3 in 2009.
Woodbridge is guided by second-year head coach Joe Goerge, who guided the Barrons to a 10-1 record last year that included a season-ending 26-7 home loss to Bergen County power Northern Highlands Regional High School in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals.
Goerge, in his first of two head coach stints at South Brunswick High School, led the Vikings to Central Jersey, Group 5 sectional state championships in 2015 and 2017, both teams closing with 11-1 records.
Goerge also led Jonathan Dayton High School to its last winning season in 2010, which was a 9-2 record for the Springfield school, which that season reached the North 2, Group 1 semifinals.
Union will be seeking to capture its first season-opener since winning at Eastern Regional High School, 39-15, in 2020. Union lost at Millville High School, 31-28, in 2021; at home to Bridgewater–Raritan Regional High School, 7-6, in 2022; to Rancocas Valley Regional High School, at Ocean City, 21-6, in 2023; and at Seton Hall Preparatory School, 34-0, in 2024.
Union’s 0-6 start last year, before the Farmers won their first game at South Brunswick, 35-7, included two losses by a touchdown and another by a field goal.
Union Farmers 2025
Friday, Aug. 28, at Woodbridge, 6 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 5, Hillsborough, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 12, St. Joseph, Metuchen, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 20, at Westfield, 1 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 26, at Hunterdon Central Regional, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 4, Ridge, 2 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 9, South Brunswick, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 17, at Phillipsburg, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 24, at Elizabeth, 6 p.m.
