Wrestling:
As always, expectations were high, and as always Cranford’s Wrestling team delivered. Overall, the team finished with a remarkable 20-4 record. Some of the highlights of the team season was Cranford capturing their 10th straight county title. In case that wasn’t enough, Cranford also steamrolled their way through the sectional tournament capturing back to back sectional titles. In the finals, Cranford hardly had to break a sweat as they defeated South Plainfield by a commanding score 47-20. Ultimately the team season ended with a heartbreaking loss in the state semifinal to Brick Memorial. With the team season now over, Cranford now turns their attention to the individual events where several wrestlers hope to leave their mark.
Boy’s Basketball
The boy’s basketball team currently sits at a record of 7-17 as they make their final preparations for the state tournament. Despite the difficult record, Cranford looks to play their best basketball in the final stages of the season. The team has been victorious in two of their last three matches, with impressive victories coming against Hillside and Voorhees. The two teams have a combined record of 31-17. Senior Josh Ketschke has led the offensive charge for the Cougars averaging an impressive 12 points per game followed by junior Enzo Madrini with 10 points per game and senior Jack McGuire with 9.5 points per game. If Cranford keeps up their high play, they have a chance to shock Colonia who they face in the first round of states on February 26.
Girl’s Basketball
The girl’s basketball team has completely flipped the script on their season. After a 4-9 start to the season, the team has been on a tear going 7-2 in their last games and getting the opportunity to host a state tournament game. Some of their most impressive victories have come against 16-7 Union Catholic, 15-10 Plainfield, and 14-9 Jonhson. The Cougars host Millburn in the first round of states on February 26. Leading the way for Cranford is senior Bella Curanovic with a whopping 16.3 points per game, and junior Lily Costello with an impressive 10.7 points per game. Curanovic is also the newest member of the 1,000 point club, a career total she eclipsed this season.
Boy’s Hockey
The boys hockey team has had an up and down season. After winning one of their first 8 games, the team evened out and fixed their play, even going on a 3 game win streak. However, Cranford is winless in their last 6 games as they get ready to face Middletown North on February 24 in the state tournament. Cranford will enter with a 6-16 record. Despite the poor record, Cranford has a chance to stun Middletown North on February 24. In their meeting earlier in the season, the Cougars were victorious against Middletown North winning a back and forth game 7-6. Seniors have led the way for the Cougars. Senior Ryan Callahan leads the team in points with 44, followed by Christian Adamski with 29 and Dylan Borys with 22. Callahan is also leading the team in goals and assists, and joined the very exclusive 100 point club this season. In the net, freshman Evan Ramos has stopped 330 shots on 407 attempts which is good for an .811 save percentage. Cranford looks for some magic as they get set for the state tournament.
Girl’s Hockey
In the third year of the program, the girl’s hockey team once again showed great signs of growth and improvement. This year, the team went 6-9-1 which sets a new record for wins in a season. This mixed with a run to the finals of the Annis Cup shows the great strides the program has made. Emerson Murphy led the way for Cranford in goals, assists, and points with 22, 5, and 27. The point total was followed by freshman Violet Baldoni with 10 and sophomore Alafare Sezer with 9. In the net, senior Emma Yager boasted an impressive .856 save percentage.
Boy’s Swimming
The boy’s swim team finished their season with a record of 3-5. The Cougars dominated in all their victories against Union, Plainfield, and Elizabeth. The win total matches their number of victories last season, and with several less games. The Cougars will look to build on their victories next season.
Girl’s Swimming
The season was a memorable one for the girl’s swim team. The team ended their season with an impressive record of 7-3. This included dominant victories against Union, Plainfield, Scotch Plains, and Oak Knoll. The Cougars even earned a berth into the state tournament. However the highlight of their season was defeating Westfield for the first time in their history. The meet was neck and neck and ultimately, Cranford only won by 10 points. This season was no doubt a great success for Cranford.
Indoor Track
The track season has been a successful one for the Cougars. Recently, both the boys and the girls teams competed at the Garden State State Invitational. At the event, the girls 4x800m relay team made history. Claire Kelly, Anna Klapinski, Ellie Semple, and Caitlin Owens set the school record in the event with an impressive time of 9:53.28. On the boys side, sophomore Brandyn Grant broke the school record for the triple jump at a distance of 43’11’’. The triple jump record now goes along with his long jump record at CHS.
