Below are revised Union County football schedules as of Thursday, July 19 for all 16 teams.
With Roselle Park deciding to play JV only this season for safety reasons, Brearley and Dayton picked up new opponents, while New Providence and Roselle didn’t and now have 8-game schedules to start.
For the most part now, if you don’t play on Thanksgiving, you start with an 8-game schedule. If you do play on Thanksgiving you start with a 9-game slate.
There are exceptions. Union and Linden decided to move their Thanksgiving Day game up to Week Zero (Aug. 31 for them this year). They both still start with 9-game schedules.
New Providence and Gov. Livingston are still playing each other on Thanksgiving. As of July 19, New Providence had not yet found an opponent to replace its game against Roselle Park, thus the Pioneers now start with an 8-game schedule.
According to New Providence head coach Chet Parlavecchio Jr., New Providence was sent an e-mail that stated it would receive a forfeit win if it was not able to find a replacement team.
“We’ve tried and will continue to try (to find an opponent), but it’s not easy,” Parlavecchio Jr. said.
Roselle’s schedule was totally revised. Not only will the Rams not play Roselle Park on Thanksgiving (or Thanksgiving weekend) for the first time since 1918, but they have twice as many games against Middlesex County opponents (4 to 2) than Union County foes.
The only two Union County teams Roselle is scheduled to play are Hillside and Johnson.
Also, Roselle’s Arminio Field is still not playable, thus the Rams will play all four home dates at Rahway River Park. Roselle also played its home games at Rahway River Park last year.
Rahway River Park’s new field turf field became Rahway’s new home field in 2016.
Hillside is in the process of getting field turf. The Comets only have two home dates – Oct. 20 and 27. Head coach Barris Grant said that he hopes Hillside’s Wood Field Stadium will be finished by those dates.
Brearley will now open Sept. 7 at home against Highland Park. The Bears also play Middlesex County school Dunellen at Dunellen on Oct. 26.
Dayton will now play at Middlesex on Oct. 12. The Bulldogs also play at Middlesex County school Highland Park on Sept. 28.
Two Union County schools – Cranford and Gov. Livingston – do not have a Middlesex County opponent. Roselle has four and Westfield three, including a home game against Piscataway on Oct. 27. That will be the weekend before the playoffs begin.
The only really big-time team Westfield did not face in the North 2, Group 5 playoffs during its present state-best 37-game winning streak – that includes a program-best 3 straight state championships – was Piscataway.
UNION FARMERS
Aug. 31 Linden, 7 p.m.
Sept. 7 Elizabeth, 7 p.m.
Sept. 15 at Plainfield, 1 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Phillipsburg, 7 p.m.
Sept. 28 at South Brunswick, 7 p.m.
Oct. 5 Westfield, 7 p.m.
Oct. 12 at Hunterdon Central, 7 p.m.
Oct. 19 Watchung Hills, 7 p.m.
Oct. 26 Bridgewater-Raritan, 7 p.m.
BREARLEY BEARS
Sept. 7 Highland Park, 7 p.m.
Sept. 14 Dayton, 7 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Manville, 7 p.m.
Sept. 28 at Bound Brook, 7 p.m.
Oct. 5 Belvidere, 7 p.m.
Oct. 12 at New Providence, 7 p.m.
Oct. 19 South Hunterdon, 7 p.m.
Oct. 26 at Dunellen, 7 p.m.
DAYTON BULLDOGS
Sept. 7 Belvidere, 7 p.m.
Sept. 14 at Brearley, 7 p.m.
Sept. 21 New Providence, 7 p.m.
Sept. 28 at Highland Park, 7 p.m.
Oct. 5 at Bound Brook, 7 p.m.
Oct. 12 at Middlesex, 7 p.m.
Oct. 19 Manville, 7 p.m.
Oct. 26 South Hunterdon, 7 p.m.
GOV. LIVINGSTON HIGHLANDERS
Aug. 30 Johnson, 3 p.m.
Sept. 7 at Voorhees, 7 p.m.
Sept. 14 at Cranford, 7 p.m.
Sept. 21 North Plainfield, 7 p.m.
Sept. 29 at Somerville, 1 p.m.
Oct. 13 Scotch Plains, 1 p.m.
Oct. 19 at Delaware Valley, 7 p.m.
Oct. 27 Rahway, 1 p.m.
Nov. 22 at New Providence, 10:30 p.m.
SUMMIT HILLTOPPERS
Sept. 7 at Montgomery, 7 p.m.
Sept. 15 Warren Hills, 1 p.m.
Sept. 22 North Hunterdon, 1 p.m.
Sept. 29 at Scotch Plains, 1 p.m.
Oct. 6 Colonia, 2:30 p.m.
Oct. 12 at Cranford, 7 p.m.
Oct. 19 St. Joseph’s, Metuchen, 7 p.m.
Oct. 26 at Immaculata, 7 p.m.
ELIZABETH MINUTEMEN
Aug. 31 Bridgewater-Raritan, 7 p.m.
Sept. 7 at Union, 7 p.m.
Sept. 14 Linden, 7 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Watchung Hills, 7 p.m.
Oct. 5 Plainfield, 7 p.m.
Oct. 12 at Franklin, 7 p.m.
Oct. 20 at Westfield, 1 p.m.
Oct. 26 Old Bridge, 7 p.m.
HILLSIDE COMETS
Sept. 7 at Middlesex, 7 p.m.
Sept. 14 at Roselle, 7 p.m. (RRP)
Sept. 21 at Delaware Valley, 7 p.m.
Sept. 28 at Bernards, 7 p.m.
Oct. 5 at Johnson, 7 p.m.
Oct. 13 at South River, 1 p.m.
Oct. 20 North Plainfield, 1 p.m.
Oct. 27 Cranford, 1 p.m.
LINDEN TIGERS
Aug. 31 at Union, 7 p.m.
Sept. 7 Westfield, 7 p.m.
Sept. 14 at Elizabeth, 7 p.m.
Sept. 21 Plainfield, 7 p.m.
Sept. 28 at Franklin, 7 p.m.
Oct. 5 at Watchung Hills, 7 p.m.
Oct. 12 South Plainfield, 7 p.m.
Oct. 19 Hillsborough, 7 p.m.
Oct. 26 at Ridge, 7 p.m.
RAHWAY INDIANS
Sept. 7 Somerville, 7 p.m.
Sept. 14 at Voorhees, 7 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Cranford, 7 p.m.
Sept. 28 at North Plainfield, 7 p.m.
Oct. 5 Carteret, 7 p.m.
Oct. 12 Immaculata, 7 p.m.
Oct. 19 North Hunterdon, 7 p.m.
Oct. 27 at Gov. Livingston, 1 p.m.
Nov. 22 at Johnson, 10:30 a.m.
ROSELLE RAMS
Aug. 31 at Bishop Ahr, 7 p.m.
Sept. 8 South River, noon
Sept. 14 Hillside, 7 p.m.
Sept. 21 Johnson, 7 p.m.
Sept. 28 Metuchen, 7 p.m.
Oct. 5 at Delaware Valley, 7 p.m.
Oct. 12 at Bernards, 7 p.m.
Oct. 20 at Spotswood, 1 p.m.
All home games at Rahway River Park.
CRANFORD COUGARS
Sept. 7 at North Plainfield, 7 p.m.
Sept. 14 Gov. Livingston, 7 p.m.
Sept. 21 Rahway, 7 p.m.
Sept. 28 Voorhees, 7 p.m.
Oct. 5 at Somerville, 7 p.m.
Oct. 12 Summit, 7 p.m.
Oct. 19 at Immaculata, 7 p.m.
Oct. 21 at Hillside, 1 p.m.
JOHNSON CRUSADERS
Aug. 30 at Gov. Livingston, 3 p.m.
Sept. 7 Delaware Valley, 7 p.m.
Sept. 15 at Metuchen, 1 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Roselle, 7 p.m. (RRP)
Oct. 5 Hillside, 7 p.m.
Oct. 12 at North Plainfield, 7 p.m.
Oct. 19 at Bernards, 7 p.m.
Oct. 26 Spotswood, 7 p.m.
Nov. 22 Rahway, 10:30 a.m.
WESTFIELD BLUE DEVILS
Sept. 7 at Linden, 7 p.m.
Sept. 14 at Watchung Hills, 7 p.m.
Sept. 22 Old Bridge, 1 p.m.
Sept. 29 St. Joseph’s, Metuchen, 1 p.m.
Oct. 5 at Union, 7 p.m.
Oct. 12 at Phillipsburg, 7 p.m.
Oct. 20 Elizabeth, 1 p.m.
Oct. 27 Piscataway, 1 p.m.
Nov. 22 at Plainfield, 11 a.m.
PLAINFIELD CARDINALS
Aug, 30 at Voorhees, 7 p.m.
Sept. 7 at Watchung Hills, 7 p.m.
Sept. 15 Union, 1 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Linden, 7 p.m.
Sept. 28 at J.P. Stevens, 7 p.m.
Oct. 5 at Elizabeth, 7 p.m.
Oct. 20 Franklin, 1 p.m.
Oct. 27 Edison, 1 p.m.
Nov. 22 Westfield, 11 a.m.
SCOTCH PLAINS RAIDERS
Sept. 7 at North Hunterdon, 7 p.m.
Sept. 14 at Montgomery, 7 p.m.
Sept. 22 Immaculata, 1 p.m.
Sept. 29 Summit, 1 p.m.
Oct. 6 Warren Hills, 2 p.m.
Oct. 13 at Gov. Livingston, 1 p.m.
Oct. 19 at Colonia, 7 p.m.
Oct. 27 New Brunswick, 1 p.m.
NEW PROVIDENCE PIONEERS
Aug. 30 at Middlesex, 7 p.m.
Sept. 7 at South Hunterdon, 7 p.m.
Sept. 14 Bound Brook, 7 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Dayton, 7 p.m.
Sept. 29 Manville, 1 p.m.
Oct. 12 Brearley, 7 p.m.
Oct. 26 at Belvidere, 7 p.m.
Nov. 22 Gov. Livingston, 10:30 a.m.