Changing Of The Guard Occurs
In Eventful Union County Season

By JR Parachini
For sidelinechatter.com

This has been a changing of the guard type of season in Union County so far.

Playoff teams from a year ago – Elizabeth, Rahway and Johnson – are a combined 0-7 so far.

Elizabeth is 0-3 for the first time since who knows when.

Rahway and Johnson are both 0-2 after having leads in state championship games at Rutgers just last December.

Elizabeth has a streak of 28 consecutive seasons (1981-2008) of finishing over .500. The last time the Minutemen did not was in 1980 when they finished 4-5. With games still remaining at Hunterdon Central (3-0), at Phillipsburg (2-0) and at Union (3-0), this might be the year that Elizabeth finishes under .500.

Union and Linden are both 3-0, have both looked very strong, and both have one comeback victory to their credit, each showing they can overcome a fourth-quarter deficit to pull out a dramatic victory.

Could Union and Linden – who needed overtime to decide last year’s Thanksgiving game between the two – be headed on a collision course toward this year’s North 2, Group 4 final?

Union has not reached the final since 2003 and has not won it since 1993.

Linden has never reached the final and last reached the semifinals in 2006.

Dayton is 3-0 for the second consecutive season, but might have a schedule a bit more conducive to qualifying for the first time in North 2, Group 1. The Bulldogs last made the playoffs in 1988, which was in North 2, Group 2.

Perennial playoff teams Governor Livingston and Brearley clashed in Berkeley Heights Saturday afternoon, with GL winning 17-7 to start 2-0.

Brearley is now 2-1 and had a 16-game regular-season winning streak snapped. Its last regular-season defeat was at home to New Providence 35-26 on Sept. 28, 2007. The Bears won their final six regular season games in 2007, all eight in 2008 and their first two in 2009.

The regular-season road loss was Brearley’s first since falling at Johnson 14-13 on Sept. 17, 2005 – the day Johnson was celebrating its 50 th anniversary of football in Clark. Brearley’s regular-season road winning streak ended at 14.

Brearley last lost a regular-season road game to a fellow Group 1 opponent on Sept. 26, 2004 when the Bears were defeated by New Providence 22-14 at Lieder Field.

Roselle is 2-1 and one play away from being 3-0. The Rams bounced back with two convincing victories after a tough 22-19 home loss to Somerville.

Hillside is also 2-1 and has bounced back nicely with two road wins following a 42-0 season-opening loss at Summit.

Summit is 3-0 for the first time since 2003 and might have the best offense in Union County. The Hilltoppers have outscored three foes 139-35, averaging 46.33 points per game.

Are the Hilltoppers the favorite now in North 2, Group 2? They appear on their way. Summit last won the section in 1994 and last reached the final in 1995. The Hilltoppers reached the semifinals last year for the first time since 2003. Summit’s last winning season was its 9-1-1 campaign in 2003.

Scotch Plains and Westfield are both 1-2 and might struggle with their schedules in this first year of the Mid-State 39 Conference.

Cranford found a way to come back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to edge North Plainfield 21-20 Friday night and avoid a 0-3 start with all three games being played at home.

The struggles continue for Plainfield and Roselle Park, with both joining Elizabeth at 0-3.

New Providence was the only Union County team that had this weekend off.

LINDEN 26, ELIZABETH 12 – Friday night at Elizabeth

It had been nine years since Linden defeated Elizabeth. However, none of that mattered to the kids playing the game.

“The kids are young and were not aware of the fact that we had not beaten Elizabeth in some time,” second-year Linden head coach Deon Candia said.

Linden snapped an eight-game regular season losing streak against Elizabeth and an overall 10-game slide that included playoff defeats in 2002 and 2006. Before Friday night, the last time Linden defeated Elizabeth was Oct. 14, 2000 by the score of 27-6 at Linden’s Cooper Field. In the 10 straight losses, Linden averaged just 5.4 points.

Linden went 2-8 vs. Elizabeth in the regular season this decade.

Senior quarterback Trell Myers ran for two touchdowns and passed for another. He led Linden on a 13-play drive on its first possession.

“Trell has grown so much,” Candia said. “Our success has a lot to do with him being a seasoned guy. He spreads the ball around and pushes our younger players to do well.”

Candia quickly gave credit to offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Al Chiola for the improved play of the offensive line.

“The blocked well and really made strides from our first two games,” Candia said.

Junior running backs Will Ingram and Kevin Rodriguez both rushed for over 100 yards, Ingram finishing with 187 and a touchdown and Rodriguez with 104.

“We sensed this about our team at the end of last season and the commitment level continued in the off season,” Candia said. “Every game has been different so far.

“In the first game we proved that we could come from behind. In the second game we had a lead and were able to maintain it. In the third game we were in a fight all the way through and didn’t back down. We battled and kept on fighting.”

JR’S 2009 UNION COUNTY

TOP 10 FOR WEEK OF SEPT. 28

1-Union (3-0)

2-Linden (3-0)

3-Summit (3-0)

4-Gov. Livingston (2-0)

5-Brearley (2-1)

6-Roselle (2-1)

7-Hillside (2-1)

8-Scotch Plains (1-2)

9-Westfield (1-2)

10-Dayton (3-0)

Others: New Providence (1-1), Cranford (1-2), Rahway (0-2),

Johnson (0-2), Elizabeth (0-3), Plainfield (0-3), Roselle Park (0-3).