THIS WEEKEND IN UNION COUNTY FOOTBALL – NOV. 14-15

PLAYOFFS

FRIDAY, NOV. 14

5-Elizabeth (6-2) at 4-Union (6-2), 7 p.m. – I believe this will be only the second home playoff game on a Friday night for Union in its long history of playoff success. The last one was in 2000 when the Farmers lost to Linden 31-24 in the quarterfnals one week after beating the Tigers 20-13 at home in Watchung Conference play. That was also the last time Union faced the same team in consecutive weeks. After that playoff setback, Union went 4-0 at home in the playoffs – all Saturday afternoon games – including two wins in 2003 and one each in 2005 and 2006. Union last beat a team twice in 2003 when it defeated Plainfield in conference play and again in the North 2, Group 4 quarterfinals. Union has also defeated Elizabeth twice during the 1985, 1991, 1992 and 1993 seasons. In last week’s 35-10 win at Elizabeth, Union’s first victory at Williams Field since 1998 and its first triumph over the Minutemen since 2005, the Farmers rushed for nearly 400 yards and held Elizabeth to under 80 yards rushing. The stats probably won’t read the same way Friday night. Union has game-breakers in senior Reginald Swinney and junior Isaiah McLean and punishing tacklers in seniors Michael Larrow and Bobby Lisowski. Elizabeth has game-breakers in seniors Raymond Graham and Jaheed Mayers, while senior two-way standout James Frazier was banged up in last week’s contest. Expect this game to have big-time fourth quarter drama.

Union has a 5-2 record against Elizabeth in the playoffs, with this being their first North 2, Group 4 game since 1997.

North 2, Group 4 quarterfinal at Cooke Memorial Field’s field turf surface.

2008: Union 35, Elizabeth 10 – at Elizabeth, Nov. 7

JR’s pick: Elizabeth

6-Westfield (6-2) at 3-Ridge (8-1), 7 p.m. – The visiting Blue Devils, in the playoffs for the second straight season, bounced back nicely after falling at Irvington and at home to Elizabeth by soundly beating Scotch Plains 35-12 at home. Westfield, sparked by senior quarterback Tony DiIorio, junior end Pat Gray and senior running back Ricardo Johnson, reached the North 2, Group 4 semifinals last year in its first playoff season since 2003. Ridge, in North 2, Group 4 for the first time since spending the last five seasons situated in North 2, Group 3, suffered its only loss at Immaculata 21-14 after a 3-0 start. The Red Devils have won five straight and their regular season is complete. Ridge - en route to an 11-1 season - defeated Scotch Plains 27-0 in the 2003 North 2, Group 3 championship game at Giants Stadium.

This will be the first playoff encounter between Westfield and Ridge.     

North 2, Group 4 quarterfinal in Basking Ridge.

JR’s pick: Westfield – upset special

6-Rahway (7-1) at 3-Roxbury (8-1), 7 p.m. – After reaching the Central Jersey, Group 2 semifinals the past four seasons, Rahway is back in North 2, Group 3 where it last qualified in 1999. That was the last year Rahway reached a sectional final, falling to two-time defending champion Morristown. The Indians, winners of six straight since an 18-12 loss at North 2, Group 2 top seed Hillside, will seek their first road playoff win since beating second-seeded Cranford 20-13 in the 2004 Central Jersey, Group 2 quarterfinals. Rahway is led by senior quarterback Troy Eastman and other skill position threats in receivers Roy Eastman – his twin brother – Ricky Draughn and Visalle Fish, in addition to junior running back Giovanni Smith. Roxbury, in North 2, Group 3 after spending the last two seasons situated in North 1, Group 3, has won eight straight since falling at home to West Morris 21-14 in Iron Hills Conference-Iron Division action back on Sept. 12. Both head coaches – Rahway’s Gary Mobley and Roxbury’s Cosmo Lorusso – were standout players for Lou Rettino at Union in the 1980s. Lorusso guided Pequannock to the 1999 and 2000 North 2, Group 2 championships.

This will be the first playoff encounter between Rahway and Roxbury.

North 2, Group 3 quarterfinal at Roxbury.

JR’s pick: Roxbury  

7-Summit (4-5) at 2-Hanover Park (6-3), 7 p.m. – Second-year Summit head coach John Liberato has the Hilltoppers back in the playoffs for the first time since 2003. His first playoff game at the helm of Summit will be against the team he coached to the 1999 North 2, Group 2 championship game – Hanover Park. The teams played on a Saturday afternoon in East Hanover two weeks ago, with Hanover Park coming away with a 40-28 victory. Both teams concluded IHC-Hills Division play last week with losses – so each will be hungry to atone for that.

North 2, Group 2 quarterfinal at Hanover Park.

2008: Hanover Park 40, Summit 28 – at Hanover Park, Nov. 1

JR’s pick: Hanover Park

8-Glen Ridge (5-3) at 1-Brearley (8-0), 7 p.m. – The home team Bears only surprised others by going 8-0 for the second time in three years. With seniors Tom Mannix, quarterback, and Jim Stafford, two-way lineman, leading the way as part of a small group of returning players, the Bears will now seek to get out of the first round for the first time since winning North 2, Group 1 two years ago. Glen Ridge is in the state playoffs for the first time since 1983 after not having enough power points to qualify in North 2, Group 1 last year with a 6-2 record at the cutoff.   

North 2, Group 1 quarterfinal at Ward Field’s grass field in Kenilworth.

JR’s pick: Brearley – best bet

7-Somerville (5-4) at 2-Johnson (6-2), 7 p.m. – The visiting Pioneers are in the playoffs for the first time since 2005. Greg Arekelian succeeded Kevin Carty as head coach beginning last year. Johnson is back in the mix in CJ, G2 after a one-year absence. The Crusaders, sparked by senior quarterback Dan Dugan and senior running back Lou Caporaso, are seeking their first playoff win since capturing North 2, Group 2 in 2002. Johnson is the only Union County team in the playoffs participating in a Central Jersey section this year.

This will be the first playoff encounter between Somerville and Johnson.

Central Jersey, Group 2 quarterfinal at Nolan Field’s field turf surface in Clark.

JR’s pick: Johnson

SATURDAY, NOV. 15

8-Plainfield (4-4) at 1-Piscataway (7-1), 1 p.m. – The visiting Cardinals, sparked by the play of sophomore quarterback Tyrone Johnson, are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2005. Plainfield’s last two playoff games – quarterfinal contests in 2003 and 2005 – were setbacks at Union. Plainfield is seeking its first playoff win since 1998 when it beat Elizabeth 20-12 at Rutgers in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals to reach the final for the second consecutive season. Piscataway has won five straight since losing at Sayreville 27-22 after a 2-0 start. The Chiefs won North 2, Group 4 the first two years in it in 2003 – as the eighth seed – and in 2004 – undefeated. Since then, Piscataway has lost in the finals to Phillipsburg in 2005 and to Hunterdon Central in 2007 and in between was defeated at home by Linden 13-12 in the 2006 quarterfinals after shutting out Linden in the quarters in 2004 and 2005.

This will be the first playoff encounter between Plainfield and Piscataway.

North 2, Group 4 quarterfinal at Piscataway.

JR’s pick: Piscataway

8-Orange (4-4) at 1-Hillside (7-2), 1 p.m. – The visiting Tornadoes, out of the Northern Hills Conference, were given only an eight-game regular season schedule, so if they lose Saturday, they are done. Orange is back in the playoffs in this section since losing at home to Chatham in the 2005 semifinals. Hillside is back in for the first time since losing at Summit in the 2003 quarterfinals. This is also Hillside’s first winning season since 2003. The Comets are led on offense by senior quarterback Carron McCluney and senior end Malachi Jones and on defense by senior linebacker Marquis Spruill and junior lineman Eric Oleka. Both teams participated in the 7-on-7 passing drills at West Orange this July. Hillside has only one playoff win – in 2000 – since winning this section for the only time in 1985. Orange has never won a playoff championship. Hillside has also completed its regular season after playing Brearley on Thanksgiving from 2000-2007. 

This will be the first playoff encounter between Orange and Hillside.

North 2, Group 2 quarterfinal at Wood Field’s grass field.

JR’s pick: Hillside

6-Hackettstown (6-3), at 3-Gov. Livingston (5-3), 1 p.m. – When Tony Villante took over as head coach in 2006, the visiting Tigers went 1-9. They then went 2-8 last year before and are now in the playoffs for the first time since reaching the North 2, Group 2 semifinals in 2005 when they bowed to eventual champion Lodi. GL is in the playoffs for the fifth straight season – every year since Terry Hanratty has been at the helm – and is in the mix in North 2, Group 4 for the first time since 2004 when it fell at eventual champion West Essex in the semifinals. The Highlanders have been sparked by the play of junior quarterback Max Machado and seniors such as lineman Ian Cunningham. Hackettstown is done with its regular season. You can’t always go by comparative scores, but GL came back to beat Johnson 14-13 at home in the season-opener for both, while Johnson defeated Hackettstown 42-7 at home in the middle of the season.

North 2, Group 2 quarterfinal at GL’s field turf surface field.

JR’s pick: Governor Livingston

5-Verona (7-1) at 4-New Providence (7-1), 1 p.m. – Visiting Verona has won five straight since a 15-8 home loss to Mountain Lakes on Oct. 3, while host New Providence has won six in a row since falling at home to Brearley 20-13 the week before on Sept. 27. Both teams are stingy on defense, with Verona allowing only 56 points and the owners of four shutouts, while New Providence has yielded only 63 and has posted three shutouts. Verona came back to beat New Providence in the semifinals at home in 2005, with both teams were eliminated in the semifinals last year. The Hillbillies are led by Notre-Dame-bound standout Carlo Calabrese, while New Providence has size on the defensive line in the way of stellar performers Greg Dinerman, AJ Thomson and Ben Zepnick.

North 2, Group 1 quarterfinal at Lieder Field’s field turf surface field.

JR’s pick: New Providence

CONSOLATIONS – all games scheduled according to the NJSIAA

and subject to change without notification.

FRIDAY, NOV. 14

North 2, Group 4: Linden (4-4) at Bayonne (4-5), 7 p.m. – Bayonne is done for the season after this game, while Linden has improved a great deal from last year’s 1-9 finish. The Tigers are led by junior southpaw quarterback Trell Myers on offense and by senior standout Jihaad Burns on defense.

JR's pick: Linden

North 2, Group 1: Roselle Park (2-6) at Lyndhurst (4-4), 7 p.m. – Roselle Park will venture to the beginning of Bergen County to face a team that will also be playing home on Thanksgiving (Roselle Park will host Roselle, while Lyndhurst will host Becton). The Panthers, who last qualified for the playoffs in 2001, have won at least their last five sectional consolation games dating back to the 2003 season. They take this game seriously every year, just ask the next town over – North Arlington – two years ago, or Harrison last year. Roselle Park defeated North Arlington 34-8 at home in 2006 andd won at Harrison 28-8 last year.

JR's pick: Lyndhurst

Central Jersey, Group 2: Cranford (2-7) at Allentown (2-6), 7 p.m. – Cranford will seek to close its 2008 campaign on a winning note, with sophomore quarterback Joe Papandrea and sophomore running back Justin Van Ostenbridge key players for the future. Allentown will wrap at Pinelands Nov. 22.

JR's pick: Cranford

Central Jersey, Group 2: Roselle (3-4) at North Plainfield (5-3), 7 p.m. – The road to a first winning season since 1998 continues Friday night at Krausche Field for the visiting Rams, who last Saturday came back to edge Hillside 14-13 after being down 13-0 at the half. Seniors such as Anthony Obery have had quality seasons. Roselle wraps at Roselle Park on Thanksgiving, while North Plainfield concludes at South Plainfield.

JR's pick: Roselle

SATURDAY, NOV. 15

North 2, Group 3: Warren Hills (1-8) at Scotch Plains (2-5), 1 p.m. – The visiting Blue Streaks have lost six straight since its only win of the year, which was a 15-12 triumph at Voorhees on Sept. 26. The home team Raiders have wins over Newark East Side and Kearny and now are supposed to play at Shabazz next week before wrapping at Elizabeth the night before Thanksgiving.

JR's pick: Scotch Plains 

North 2, Group 1: Belvidere (3-5) vs. Dayton (5-4), 1 p.m. at Union’s Cooke Memorial Field – The visiting County Seaters, this year coached by former Westwood and Summit mentor George DiGrande, have lost four straight since a 3-1 start. Both teams have defeated South Hunterdon and Manville and lost to Bound Brook. Every game is big – as Dayton head coach Joe Goerge says – but this is really a big one for Dayton, who has had an outstanding year, with four shutouts to its credit. A Dayton victory would clinch the program’s first winning season since the Bulldogs defeated Brearley on Thanksgiving in 1999 to finish 6-4. Since that season, Dayton went 0-10 in 2000, did not have football from 2001-2004, came back with JV football in 2005 and went 3-5-1, then went 0-10 in 2006 and 1-9 in 2007. Like 2006, Dayton has not played a true home game this year, with this one against Belvidere its fourth as the home team at Union’s Cooke Memorial Field. This is it for Dayton, while Belvidere will wrap at North Warren Nov. 26. Goerge and his staff have done a nice job since bringing football back to Dayton four years ago.

JR's pick: Dayton