Two traditionally strong boys soccer powers, Columbia and Scotch Plains, met each other in a pre-season scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 28th. (Photo by JR Parachini)

Columbia's Gene Chyzowych (left) has been one of the state's more colorful and successful boys soccer coaches for nearly a half century. (Photo by Doug Allen)

Scotch Plains coach Tom Breznitsky is starting his 36th year. (Photo by JR Parachini)

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“Scotch Plains has a very good team,” Chyzowych said. “They hustle and they move the ball around nicely. They know how to play on Astroturf.

“We don’t practice or play on Astroturf, we play on grass, so this was our first opportunity to play on Astroturf in a scrimmage game.”

While Columbia will continue to be greatly challenged with scrimmages remaining at home vs. Union City Tuesday, Aug. 31 at 10 a.m., at Dickinson Sept. 4 at 10 a.m. and home against Union Sept. 7 at 4 p.m., Scotch Plains might have the toughest scrimmage schedule in the state.

The Raiders will host Pingry Tuesday, Aug. 31 at 10 a.m., remain at home for a session against West Orange Thursday, Sept. 2 at 4 p.m., will host Princeton Saturday, Sept. 4 at 10 a.m. and then scrimmage at Harrison Sept. 7 at 4 p.m.

On the pitch at Scotch Plains Tuesday will be Bugliari and his squad.

Coaches such as Chyzowych, Bugliari, Gibney and Breznitsky continue to field winning teams season after season.

“I still love to coach, it’s my passion,” Chyzowych said. “I’m still very excited and energetic to develop the players to become the best they can be.

“I enjoy that and I will continue doing that.

“It’s exciting to have Tommy around me and Miller, they’re both great coaches.”

Columbia opens at Orange Sept. 11 at 11 a.m. and will next face Wallington in its home-opener Sept. 13 at 4 p.m. at Meadowlands Park.

“We’re going to have a great season,” Chyzowych said. “We play in a very tough league - Essex County - we play teams like Seton Hall, which is ranked No. 1 in the nation this year I understand. We play teams like West Orange and Montclair – top Group 4 teams.

“I think today showed me that we can do the job. I think we can go places and be tough on the competition for the Essex County Tournament as well as the state tournament.”

Scotch Plains lost 15 seniors to graduation and almost all of its starters, but does return nine lettermen.

“Win or lose it doesn’t matter to me, we saw what we needed to see,” Breznitsky said. “They’ve got a good attitude, they’re very coachable and they’re willing to learn.

“I was exceptionally pleased with that today. They did a good job of keeping the ball on the floor and they worked hard. I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people.”

Scotch Plains opens at home against South Plainfield Sept. 9 at 3:30 p.m. and is then scheduled to host conference foe Union Sept. 11 at 4 p.m.

Scotch Plains is quite familiar with facing strong Essex County teams. Here, the Raiders go at it against a terrific Millburn team in state tourney match. (Photo by Sean Buldiger)

The two legendary coaches Gene Chyzowych of Columbia and Tom Breznitsky of Scotch Plains spend time together during teams' pre-season scrimmage. (Photo by JR Parachini)

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