When Morris Hills gets on the bus and takes the short trip to Hamilton Field in Dover on Aug. 30, it’ll feel like old times.

And it’ll be one of the games to keep an eye on this coming football season.

These two neighboring schools are former rivals from the old Iron Hills days. Dover, now in the Patriot Red, comes back to the area after spending time in the Ivy Division. Morris Hills remains in the Liberty Blue.

This is what crossover games should be all about – games with a little extra meaning, not ho-hum games to fill out the schedule.  

What a great way for the Tigers to make their return. Welcome back, Dover!

High school football games mean many things to many people, but when the calendar flips to the 2024 season, some games will have a little more pizzazz than others.

Here are some games to keep an eye on this coming season.

West Morris at Mendham, Aug. 30

The Wolfpack are in the midst of a three-year dynasty of back-to-back-to-back sectional championships but lose a lot to graduation again. The Minutemen have a stellar running game in place and plenty of returnees. They would love to begin their season by beating their sister school. Could this be the year?

Weequahic at Mountain Lakes, Aug. 30

Does this game spell playoffs, or what? This game has a November feel to it. These are two of the best Group I programs in all of New Jersey and just might face one another down the road with a lot more at stake.

Morris Knolls at West Morris, Sept. 6
Knolls graduate Bryan Gallagher takes over for legendary coach Bill Regan, who stepped down after 49 years. The Golden Eagles will have a new feel against an old rival.

Mount Olive at Roxbury, Sept. 6

The Marauders went into the Gaels house and won a sectional title in dramatic fashion last November – a short time after the Gaels stormed into Mount Olive and captured an important Liberty White game on the way to winning the league championship. The difference now is Olive has a lot back and the Gaels do not.

Morristown at Randolph, Sept. 6

A classic tone-setting game. The Colonials would love a statement win to set the tone for the season. The Rams and new coach Dave Albano would love to set a standard for the program in his first game. 

Pequannock at Mountain Lakes, Sept. 6

The Golden Panthers are a team on the rise. The Herd are always in the mix come playoff time. But can Lakes’ inexperienced team rise to the occasion so early in the season?

Parsippany at Boonton, Sept. 6

Ex-Bomber Sean Norton takes the reigns from Gallagher and will try to win the Old Shoe in a timeless rivalry that took root in 1965. Raise your hand if you remember the late, great Jersey Hills Conference.

Hanover Park at Madison, Sept. 7

One of the few negatives with the nine-team divisions before 2009 was that natural rivalries like this one couldn’t take root unless it was a playoff game. Since the forming of the NJAC in 2009 and the Super Conference in 2016, these two have frequently matched up in games that turned out to be a neighborhood war.

Lenape Valley at Newton, Sept. 13

Things are a bit muddled in the American Blue in the preseason, but my best guess is that these are the two best teams. The winner here is probably in the driver’s seat for league supremacy.

Mountain Lakes at Hanover Park, Sept. 13

Mountain Lakes became the first area school to win an overall Group championship when it beat up Glassboro last December. But a funny thing happened on the way to the title: The Hornets upset the Herd early last season. Hanover cracked the Wing-T code. Can the Hornets do it again? This will be an interesting early-season matchup. 

Boonton at Hopatcong, Sept. 20

Norton had something big building in Hopatcong in his two seasons there, guiding the Chiefs to one win in his first year and four the next. He enjoyed his stay but couldn’t turn down a chance to return home to where he played in high school. Welcome back, Sean! Assistant Mark Certo takes over for Norton at Hopatcong.

Delbarton at St. Peter’s Prep, Sept. 20

With early-season games against such non-league opponents as Iona Prep, Malvern Prep and Msgr. Farrell behind them, the Green Wave begin their daunting North Jersey Parochial schedule against a St. Peter’s team that the Green Wave defeated on the way to being Non-Public A runnerups last year.

Mountain Lakes at Boonton, Sept. 27

Many of these players played in the same Boonton Grayhawks youth program growing up before separating to their respective high schools. No wonder this is one of the top rivalries in all of Morris County. It is always an emotional game – no matter what the score is.

Vernon at Sparta, Sept. 27

Things are a bit muddled right now, but my money is on these two schools to emerge as the best in the Patriot Red. This game could set the tone in the race for divisional championship honors.

Pope John at Delbarton, Oct. 5

On paper, this is the highest-level game in the Morris-Sussex area. If you want to see what college-bound athletes look like, you get your chance to watch them up close and personal. 

Morris Hills at Morris Knolls, Oct. 10

When its sister school comes calling, Knolls will turn on the lights. Arrive to this one early, parking and bleacher seats will be at a premium.

Roxbury at Randolph, Oct. 11

Morris County’s biggest rivalry goes all the way back to the 1960s, when soon-to-be coaching legend John Bauer Sr. left Roxbury and took a coaching job at Randolph, where he built the Rams into one of the best programs in New Jersey during his tenure. 

Montville at Mendham, Oct. 18

These two might be at the top of the heap in the Liberty Blue by this time and could be battling for the league title. That’s why this one figures to have a playoff-type atmosphere.

Roxbury at West Morris, Oct. 18

Which school is better at rebuilding? We’ll know by the time this game is over. Both were hit hard by graduation.

Bergen Catholic at Delbarton, Oct. 19

How does a traditional New Jersey powerhouse look, up close and personal? Well, you’ll get you chance to see when Bergen comes to Morris County. These were New Jersey’s two best teams last year. Bergen beat the Green Wave in the Non-Public A final last year, 24-14.