Schedule: Week Zero in the Big Central

The 2022 season is about to being! With a record-high 24 Big Central teams opening up on Week Zero, there’s a lot of “early” activity this year. Here’s a look at the opening weekend slate, with last year’s records noted for each team. Starred games are conference matchups.

Friday, August 26:
Overbrook (8-2) at Bernards (8-3)
Bridgewater-Raritan (6-4) at Passaic Tech (8-4)
*JFK (2-8) at Carteret (3-8)
*New Brunswick (4-6) at Colonia (8-3)
*North Hunterdon (5-5) at Hunterdon Central (2-8)
Keyport (6-3) at Manville (6-3)
Montgomery (3-6) at Robbinsville (5-5)
*Governor Livingston at New Providence
Trenton (3-7) at Old Bridge (6-4)
*North Plainfield (6-4) at Scotch Plains-Fanwood (5-6)
South Hunterdon (7-2) at New Hope/Solebury-PA (4-6)
Timber Creek (3-7) at St. Thomas Aquinas (9-1)
Watchung Hills (2-8) at Bayonne (4-5)
Irvington (11-2, North 4 Reg. Champs) at Woodbridge (7-4)

Saturday, August 27
*Highland Park (0-8) at Metuchen (4-7), 1 pm (LISTEN LIVE on CJSR)
Mastery HS of Camden (DNP) at Somerville (8-3)
Bishop Eustace (2-8) at Spotswood (1-8)

Sunday, August 28
Edison (7-4) vs. Cedar Creek (13-0, South 3 Reg. Champs), 4 pm (Battle On The Beach – Ocean City, NJ)

NOTES:

• The South Hunterdon game vs. New/Hope Solebury of PA is an out-of-state game, meaning it will not count record-wise toward playoff qualification for the Eagles. Nor will it count as a residual game for any of South Hunterdon’s opponents. It only counts toward the maximum number of regular season games allowed by the NJSIAA, which is nine.
• Mastery HS of Camden is a charter school playing its first year of football, and thus has no record for 2021. Their Strength Value, per NJSIAA rule, begins at 20, and will only be affected by any games it plays against New Jersey competition. Currently, Somerville, Lakewood, and KIPP Cooper Norcross – another team playing its first varsity season – are the only New Jersey schools on the Warriors’ schedule.