For the first time in what might be many years, Union County has five 3-0 football teams.
They include North 2, Group 5 schools Union and Westfield; North 2, Group 4 squad Summit; Rahway from Central Jersey, Group 3 and Roselle from Central Jersey, Group 2.
If Westfield wins as expected at 0-3 Watchung Hills this Friday night, Sept. 30 then we will have a 3-0 Union at 4-0 Westield clash on Saturday, Oct. 8 at Westfield’s Gary Kehler Stadium.
Westfield won North 2, Group 5 last year for the first time, with it being the first state championship in the playoff era for the Blue Devils since they repeated as N2, G4 champs in 1977.
Union, seeking its first state championship since capturing N2, G4 for a still-record 10th time in 1993, would like to win N2, G5 this season.
The teams did not play each other in the regular season the past two years, but faced each other in the N2, G5 semifinals at Westfield last year. The host Blue Devils got out to a rare 34-0 lead with still 10 minutes to go in the second quarter en route to a 44-14 triumph.
Union presently leads the Mid-State 38 Conference’s Watchung Division standings at 3-0. Westfield is second at 2-0 and will move to 3-0 with a win over Watchung Hills.
This is the first weekend that any Union County teams have off, with Union and Governor Livingston having their bye weeks.
Roselle Park took Belvidere down to the wire this past Friday night before falling 24-20 in a battle of undefeated, unscored upon teams at Roselle Park’s Herm Shaw Field. The 3-0 County Seaters will be a very tough out in the North 1, Group 1 playoffs come November.
Roselle Park senior linebacker David Forstenhausler – with just two minutes left in the game – willed a way to give the Panthers the ball back and a chance for victory by knocking the ball away from Belvidere standout senior quarterback Jake Thornton.
Roselle, averaging 54 points, is 3-0 for the first time since 1998. That season, the Rams reached the North 2, Group 2 semifinals and finished 8-3.
Roselle has one playoff win since that season 18 years ago. It came at home in 2014.
Rahway is 3-0 for the first time since 2013, Union for the first time since 2009 and Summit for the eighth consecutive season.
Westfield is 3-0 for the second straight season and for the fourth time under present head coach Jim DeSarno. The first two times were in 2008 and 2011.
Rahway’s 40-34 win over Cranford this past Saturday was its first over the Cougars since a 21-20 victory at Cranford’s Memorial Field in 2010. The teams clashed for the first time since 2011.
Hillside lost to a team this past Friday night – Bernards – that averaged 54 points after its first two games. The Comets host Roselle this Saturday, OCt. 1 with the Rams averaging exactly 54 after their first three contests.
GL is 2-1 for the first time since 2009 and Cranford is 1-2 for the first time since 2013. Johnson is averaging 41 points.
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