SUMMIT, NJ Two great seasons came to an end on Friday, Nov. 14, as Union County’s top two football teams were defeated in sectional state championship games. In Long Valley, it was top-seeded and undefeated West Morris Central High School beating second-seeded Summit High School, 35-14, to win North 2, Group 3. At Lieder Field at New Providence High School, it was fourth-seeded and defending champion Cedar Grove High School besting third-seeded and undefeated New Providence, 37-13. Union County Football Last Weekend Playoffs Sectional Finals Friday, Nov. 14 North 2, Group 1 Cedar Grove 37, New Providence 13 North 2, Group 3 West Morris 35, Summit 14 Consolation Thursday, Nov. 13 Henry Snyder 28, Abraham Clark 16 Summit saw one of its best seasons ever come to a conclusion at 9-3. Summit’s regular season losses were to Somerville High School, which finished 8-2, and Bernards High School, which closed at 9-1 and lost its only game by one point in its sectional playoffs. West Morris improved to 12-0 and won its 12th straight game at home. The Wolfpack have lost only twice at home since 2020, both of those times by just one point. West Morris (12-0) will next play at North 1, Group 3 champ Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan (11-0) on Friday night, Nov. 21, in a Group 3 semifinal. New Providence is 14-2 in its last 16 games. However, both losses came to Cedar Grove in consecutive North 2, Group 1 sectional state championship games. The second one was played last weekend at home for the Pioneers, but Cedar Grove still prevailed, 37-13. New Providence, which won 10 games for the first time since last winning the section in 2010, closed at 10-1. The Pioneers won their first nine games by double-digits. Cedar Grove (9-3) will play at North 1, Group 1 champ Butler High School (11-0) on Friday night, Nov. 21, in a Group 1 semifinal. An undefeated Cedar Grove team defeated New Providence in last year’s North 2, Group 1 final by the score of 35-14 in Cedar Grove. New Providence finished 2024 at 9-3. Summit senior back Alex Schwark rushed for 60 yards on eight carries and a touchdown for the Hilltoppers against West Morris. Schwark also had 78 receiving yards. West Morris was led by running back Deacon Frayne who rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns. The Wolfpack as a team rushed for more than 300 yards. West Morris captured its 11th sectional state championship in the playoff era and first since winning North 1, Group 3 in 2023. Schwark did a fine job filling in at quarterback this season for injured senior Cole Sabol. Summit got out to a pretty solid 5-0 start before the back-to-back setbacks at home to Somerville, 41-20, and to Bernards, 17-14. The Hilltoppers rebounded with a huge 10-7 win at 7-0 Woodbridge High School. After taking care of Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, 35-7, at home in their regular season finale, came the Cooper Smoragiewicz field goal playoff victories at home against seventh-seeded Warren Hills Regional High School, 24-21, and then against third-seeded West Essex High School, 31-28. Summit went 5-1 this year in games decided by exactly three points. As for Union County football, this was the fourth straight season that no team won a sectional state championship, beginning with the 2022 campaign, which was also the first year the state advanced the playoffs to overall group semifinals and finals. The four years in a row now is the longest stretch that no Union County team has won a sectional state championship since playoff games began in 1974. The previous longest consecutive season streak was three: 2005, 2004 and 2003. Cranford, in 2021, continues to be the last Union County team to win a sectional state title. The Cougars captured North 2, Group 3 that year for the third time. From 2009 to 2021, at least one Union County team won a sectional state championship every year for 12 straight seasons, not including 2020, when there were no playoffs that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was only the second time Summit lost in the North 2, Group 3 final. The Hilltoppers were defeated at Randolph High School, 12-7, in the 1986 title game. That was the first of four straight North 2, Group 3 crowns won by Randolph, which then went on to win North 2, Group 4 in 1990, en route to a then-state record 59-game (58-0-1) unbeaten streak that Union halted in 1991. In the first round of the North 2, Group 3 playoffs in 1986, Summit won at 8-0 and defending champion Linden High School, 10-7. Summit is now 5-2 in the North 2, Group 3 final and 4-3 in the North 2, Group 2 title game. New Providence is now 4-12 in the North 2, Group 1 final and 1-2 in the North 2, Group 2 final. The Pioneers won North 2, Group 2 declared in 1974. Summit’s last sectional title was winning North 2, Group 3 in 2018. New Providence’s last sectional title was winning North 2, Group 1 in 2010. Summit lost in a sectional final for the first time since falling to Madison High School, 47-7, in the 2011 North 2, Group 2 title game played at Kean University’s Alumni Stadium in Union. Summit Hilltoppers (9-3) Aug. 29 (A) Summit 14, Morristown 11 Sept. 5 (A) Summit 31, Montgomery 28 Sept. 13 (H) Summit 35, Hillside 20 Sept. 19 (A) Summit 21, Carteret 0 Sept. 26 (A) Summit 24, Cranford 19 Oct. 4 (H) Somerville 41, Summit 20 Oct, 11 (H) Bernards 17, Summit 14 Oct. 17 (A) Summit 10, Woodbridge 7 Oct. 25 (H) Summit 35, Scotch Plains-Fanwood 7 Nov. 1 (H) Summit 24, Warren Hills 21 Nov. 8 (H) Summit 31, West Essex 28 Nov. 14 (A) West Morris 35, Summit 14 New Providence Pioneers (10-1) Sept. 6 (A) New Providence 42, Governor Livingston 7 Sept. 12 (H) New Providence 37, Arthur L. Johnson 14 Sept. 20 (A) New Providence 30, Metuchen 0 Sept. 26 (H) New Providence 41, Abraham Clark 6 Oct. 3 (A) New Providence 46, Middlesex 7 Oct. 10 (H) New Providence 21, Verona 10 Oct. 17 (H) New Providence 49, Bound Brook 3 Oct. 24 (A) New Providence 32, Delaware Valley 7 Nov. 1 (H) New Providence 38, Secaucus 0 Nov. 7 (A) New Providence 28, Hasbrouck Heights 21 (OT) Nov. 14 (H) Cedar Grove 37, New Providence 13.
https://unionnewsdaily.com/sports/summit-football-falls-in-sectional-final
Summit football falls in sectional final
