While we have become used to the passing-dominated football we see every week on Saturday and Sunday, some games harken back to the past of smash-mouth football where the running game was king. Friday night at Rahway River Park, the old-fashioned game was on display when Cranford was able to overcome Rahway’s second-half performance to hold on to a 14-13 victory. 10/4 - 7:00 PM Football Final Cranford 14 RAHWAY 13 “It’s that old Rocky line about ‘It’s not how hard you can hit, it’s how hard you can get hit’,” Cranford head coach Erik Rosenmeier said after the win.
“Both teams took punches from each other, it’s a coin flip game every year.” This contest was a tale of two halves, as the Cougars (3-2, 1-1) came out dominant in the first two quarters and were able to hold a 14-0 lead at halftime. Their opening drive took over seven minutes and was capped off by an 18-yard touchdown pass from senior Tyler Veltre to junior Joseph Acinapura.
Their defense held up as well, limiting the Indians (4-2, 1-1) to under 50 total yards in the first half. A 4-yard score from sophomore Gabriel Worrell punctuated the half and gave Cranford a two-score lead going into the break. “It had us feeling really good,” Worrell said.
“We knew we had to keep going, treat it like a 0-0 game all day.” Rahway would receive the ball and immediately cut into the lead as junior Andrew Avent continued his impressive season, running through a defender and breaking off a 49-yard touch.