Middlesex vs. Roselle Park – Rivalry at a Glance

Posted on by Big Central Gridiron
Middlesex vs. Roselle Park – Rivalry at a Glance

Middlesex and Roselle Park will play each other for the 33rd time on Thursday night at Mountain View Park in Middlesex. Middlesex has won the last 8 meetings in the series since 2004. The Blue Jays also maintain a 19-13 lead in the series.

Blue Jays Looking for First Victory as well as Continue Series Streak

METUCHEN, NJ – On Thursday night, Middlesex will host Roselle Park in a Week 1 contest. The meeting will be the 32nd between the two schools going back to 1970. The Blue Jays will be looking to build on its 8-game winning streak in the series. More importantly, though, the Jays will try to even its record at .500 after losing its season opener at Metuchen last week (14-6).

Middlesex finished 7-2 overall on the season in 2023 and qualified for the state playoffs before losing to Burlington City in the first round. Roselle Park didn’t qualify for the playoffs a year ago but won 4 of its last 5 games. Victories included a 41-21 win at North Warren on November 2nd and a 20-14 win over Roselle on Thanksgiving Day. The Blue Jays defeated the Panthers, 14-6 in last year’s meeting.

Senior Jax Jarvis provided the only Blue Jays scoring in last week’s season-opening loss at Metuchen. Jarvis scored on a 43-yard jaunt in the third quarter that closed the gap to 7-6. A year ago, Jarvis carried the ball 72 times for 409 yards and 11 TDs. Thursday night’s contest against Middlesex will be the season opener for Roselle Park. Sophomore Nick Salas is one of the top returning players for the Panthers.

Middlesex leads the all-time series 19-13.  The Blue Jays won the first 10 meetings between the two schools until Roselle Park won in 1984.  The Panthers’ win in 1984 sparked a 10-game Roselle Park win streak in the series. Roselle Park won 13 of 14 meetings from 1984 to 1997. Middlesex has won eight straight since the rivalry resumed in 2004.  Check out the Blue Jays-Panthers rivalry at a glance.

YearWinnerWinning ScoreLoserLosing Score
1970Middlesex18Roselle Park0
1971Middlesex40Roselle Park20
1972Middlesex8Roselle Park0
1973Middlesex16Roselle Park0
1974Middlesex32Roselle Park6
1975Middlesex28Roselle Park8
1976Middlesex17Roselle Park13
1981Middlesex15Roselle Park0
1982Middlesex20Roselle Park6
1983Middlesex9Roselle Park0
1984Roselle Park25Middlesex7
1985Roselle Park20Middlesex14
1986Roselle Park34Middlesex2
1987Roselle Park10Middlesex8
1988Roselle Park40Middlesex7
1989Roselle Park19Middlesex0
1990Roselle Park33Middlesex3
1991Roselle Park18Middlesex6
1992Roselle Park45Middlesex0
1993Roselle Park43Middlesex0
1994Middlesex15Roselle Park14
1995Roselle Park23Middlesex7
1996Roselle Park35Middlesex20
1997Roselle Park34Middlesex13
2004Middlesex21Roselle Park7
2005Middlesex42Roselle Park6
2006Middlesex21Roselle Park20
2007Middlesex18Roselle Park16
2008Middlesex42Roselle Park26
2021Middlesex20Roselle Park14
2022Middlesex7Roselle Park0
2023Middlesex14Roselle Park6
A look at the rivalry between Middlesex and Roselle Park through the years.
  • Middlesex leads the overall series 19-13 dating back to 1970.
  • Roselle Park has outscored Middlesex by a margin of 541-490, or by an average of about 17-15 per contest.  
  • Middlesex’s first win was in 1970.
  • Roselle Park’s first win was in 1984.
  • Middlesex has 6 shutouts.
  • Roselle Park has 3 shutouts.
  • Longest winning streak:  Both teams have won 10 straight. Middlesex from 1970 to 1983 and Roselle Park from 1984 to 1993.
  • Roselle Park won 13 of 14 games from 1984 to 1997.
  • Middlesex has won the last 8 games in the series since 2004.
  • Seven games have been decided by 7 points or less.
  • Most points scored in a game:  45 by Roselle Park in 1992.  Middlesex scored 42 on two occasions in 2005 and 2008.
  • The largest margin of victory:  45 by Roselle Park (43-0 in 1992).  Middlesex defeated Roselle Park by 36 in 2005 (42-6).
  • The two schools will only play for the fourth time since 2008 on Thursday night.