The beginning of the fall season has been very successful for the Cougars. Teams try to gain momentum heading into county and state tournaments. Many of Cranford’s athletic teams seem poised to go on a great run.
Football:
The football team finished 4-4 in the regular season last year and exited in the first round of state playoffs. Cranford has already matched last season’s win total with 2 more games to go this season. The Cougars stumbled out of the gate losing 32-14 against Sommervile before responding with two victories, beating Carteret 21-0 and South Plainfield 38-0. The win streak was stopped after a 21-7 defeat on the road against Summit. Cranford’s last two games have been impressive victories as they beat a 5-2 Rahway team on the road in a physical, defensive battle before a 45-13 rout of Scotch Plains. The Cougars currently sit at 4-2. Cranford has gotten great contributions from their defense this season. Justin Hoeffler leads the team in tackles with 45. Brandon DiPaolo leads the team in tackles for losses with 4, and Luciano Fiorenza and Dylan Jones each have an interception. On the offense, senior Tyler Veltre has 517 passing yards. Gabe Worrell leads the team with 471 rushing yards, and Ryder Connors leads the team with 142 receiving yards.
Boys’ Soccer:
The boys’ soccer team entered this season coming off a solid 2023 season. Last year the Cougars finished 10-7-1. This season, they have started on an absolute tear. The Cougars sit at 9-3-1. The Cougars got off to a strong start going 2-1 with impressive wins against Governor Livingston and Dayton before their first defeat of the season at the hands of New Providence. After their first loss, the Cougars went on a 5 game unbeaten run. Josh Ketschke has been a star for Cranford. After leading the team with 17 goals last season, he has picked up right where he left off, tallying 14 goals in the first 13 games of the season. Freshman Gabe Malin leads the team in assists with 6, and junior Jakub Braitling has been the team’s top goalkeeper with an impressive 47 saves, and 3 shutouts.
Girls’ Soccer:
The girls’ soccer team entered the 2024 season coming off of a 8-10 season in 2023. The team currently sits at 8-4 with a 3-0 record in conference play. The Cougars got off to a slow start losing 2 of their first 3 games before going on a great run and winning 5 of their next 6. Thanks to their strong record in conference play, Cranford currently sits at the top of the Mountain Division in the Union County Conference. Senior Selena Rivera leads the team in goals with 13. Juniors Lexi Nofi, Sarah Suh, and freshman Isabella Reibarkh follow up with 5 goals each. Sarah Suh leads the team with 10 assists, followed by Nofi and Rivera with 6. Through the first 10 games of the season, junior Vanessa Kelly has helped lock down the goal with 84 saves in the first 12 games.
Field Hockey:
The field hockey team has had an unlucky season and currently sit at a 4-8-1 record. Despite the record, the team has been very competitive with 7 of their first 10 games being decided by 1 goal or fewer. The team still has at least 5 games to go as they try to go on a run in the Union County Tournament. Junior Jenna Connell leads the team with 4 goals, followed by Lily Costello and Adrienne Lettinni with 3. Connell and Costello also lead the team in assists with 4 each. Cranford has received great contributions defensively with Olivia Torsone having 4 defensive saves and Caitlin McDonald having 3. In goal, senior Ella Deal has recorded 86 saves in her 10 games this season.
Volleyball:
The volleyball team has seen a major improvement from their 6-win season last year. They already have 10 wins on the year with a few more matches to go. The team was on fire to start the season, winning 7 of their first 8 matches and only dropping 4 sets while doing so. Some of the standout victories from the run included 2-0 victories against Scotch Plains, Roselle Park, and Union. The team has since won 3 of their last 7 matches, including a Union County Tournament victory against Linden. Senior Sanaa Wright leads the team in kills and aces with 66 and 20. Lilyana Szczesny leads the team in digs with 145, and Addison Rivera is leading the team in assists with 154.
Gymnastics:
The gymnastics team has had a strong team season. The team struggled in the beginning, losing the first two meets against Westfield and Scotch Plains, two very strong opponents. The team has since rebounded, tallying three straight victories against Summit, Union, and Union Catholic. The meet against Union saw the Cougars tally 104.55 points, which was good for a season high. The team still faces Old Bridge and sees Union Catholic in a rematch following the Union County Championships.
Girls’ Tennis:
The girls’ tennis team saw a massive improvement last season as they went from 0-10 in 2022 to 4-8 in 2023. This year, they have improved even more, currently at 8-4. The team has been on an absolute tear and went on a 7 game win streak which came after a 1-2 start. The team also reached the quarterfinals of the state tournament, beating Vorhees before losing 3-2 to a 1 loss Parsippany Hills team. The team still has 3 matches to go as they look to end this great season on a high note.
Cross Country:
The cross country team has gotten some great performances this season. The girls’ team dominated the Union County Conference Championship, placing 5 runners in the top 10. Ellie Semple, Caitlin Owens, Courtney Toy, Ava Orr, and Claire Kelly were responsible for this achievement. This helped the Cougars run away with the meet, placing first with an average time that was 30 seconds faster than second place Elizabeth. At the same meet, Ethan Klapinski and Ryan Hutton finished in the top 10 and helped lead the Cougars to a 6th place finish. The Cougars prepare for the Union County Championships on October 16, and the NJSIAA Championships on November 2.
