UNION, NJ — The Union Farmers are gearing for another August start to their football season.
This time, it will be the weekend before Labor Day weekend – the second time in three years.
For the second time, Union High School football will open at Ocean City High School, playing in one of the games scheduled to be played in the third annual Battle at the Beach at Carey Stadium.
Games are scheduled for Friday, Aug. 25, beginning at 10 a.m.; Saturday, Aug. 26, beginning at 9:30 a.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 27, beginning at 10 a.m.
Union is scheduled to host Rancocas Valley Regional High School on Saturday, Aug. 26, at 3 p.m.
Rancocas Valley, located in the Burlington County town of Mount Holly, is the high school where former Penn State and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris starred back in the late 1960s. Harris, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, died last December at the age of 72.
Irving Fryar, a Pro Bowl player with the New England Patriots who also played wide receiver with three other NFL teams, also attended Rancocas Valley in the 1970s, before starring at the University of Nebraska.
Two years ago, a veteran Union team made some costly turnovers that hurt them in a 31-28 setback to Millville High School in the first year the Battle of the Beach games were contested at Ocean City High. Union rebounded to win its next nine games and was the favorite to repeat as North 2, Group 5 state champions, before its season was halted due to several players testing positive for COVID-19.
“We had a very young team last year, so I didn’t want to start that early,” Union head coach Lou Grasso said. “We have a more experienced team this year.”
Union went 2-7 last year, including a state tournament setback at season’s end. The Farmers lost their first three games by a combined total of only 18 points.
When sophomore quarterback O’Malley King was behind center, he managed to throw for 724 yards and six touchdown passes.
The third of four games on Friday, Aug. 25, pits 2022 state champions Millville vs. Toms River North High School. Overall group state champions were crowned for the first time in New Jersey high school football history last year.
Toms River North captured the first Group 5 state championship and Millville got the first Group 4 state championship.
Two of the remaining three games on Friday, Aug. 25, include Mainland Regional High School vs. Washington Township High School and Pleasantville High School battling Ocean City High School in the nightcap.
Other games so far confirmed include IMG Academy, Fla., vs. St. Joseph’s Preparatory School out of Philadelphia and Paul VI High School of Haddonfield against St. Thomas Aquinas High School of Edison.
The complete three-day schedule of games has yet to be released.
Union captured the North 2, Group 5 state championship for the first time in 2019, which was the program’s first state championship since the 1993 team three-peated as North 2, Group 4 state champions.
Grasso will be entering his 11th season at the helm of the Union Farmers.
Last year, the Farmers competed in the American Gold Division of the Big Central Conference.