Undefeated Cougars Look To Hold Onto Perfect Season In Matchup Against Rahway

The only year Cranford has not lost to Rahway under head coach Erik
Rosenmeier’s tenure was his first season at the helm of the Cougars in 2005.
There’s a good reason for that. The teams did not face each other that
season.

Since 2006, Rahway has defeated Cranford the past five seasons. In a big Mid-State 39 Conference-East B Division clash this weekend, the Cougars will attempt to crash that streak. Actually, Cranford (5-0) will be seeking to beat Rahway (3-1) for the first time in 14 years. Also, the last time the Cougars scored more points than the Indians at Veterans Field – where Saturday’s game will kick off at 1 p.m. – you have to go back 17 years.

Overall, Rahway has an eight-game winning streak against Cranford, including a playoff triumph the last time the Cougars qualified. To say that Cranford is due to finally knock off Rahway, especially after dropping last year’s game by one point at home, would be an understatement.

In a year so far that has been described as Cranford has done this for the first time since so and so and that for the first time since so and so, the Cougars will be seeking to beat Rahway for the first time since 1997 and for the first time at Rahway since 1994.

RAHWAY’S WINNING STREAK OVER CRANFORD AND THE LAST TIME CRANFORD BEAT RAHWAY:

2010: Rahway 21, Cranford 20 – at Cranford

2009: Rahway 38, Cranford 7 – at Rahway

2008: Rahway 41, Cranford 7 – at Cranford

2007: Rahway 26, Cranford 0 – at Rahway

2006: Rahway 18, Cranford 7 – at Cranford

2004: Rahway 20, Cranford 13 – at Cranford – CJ, G2 quarterfinal

1999: Rahway 47, Cranford 6 – at Rahway

1998: Rahway 35, Cranford 8 – at Rahway

1997: Cranford 34, Rahway 6 – at Cranford

The last time Cranford defeated Rahway was by the score of 34-6 on
Nov. 15, 1997 in Cranford. The last time the Cougars beat the Indians at Veterans Field was by the score of 21-14 on Oct. 15, 1994. Rahway head coach Gary Mobley, in his eighth year at the helm of the Indians, is 6-0 vs. Cranford. Rosenmeier is 0-5 vs. Rahway. All of that means nothing in the preparation for Saturday’s game. However, with a rare 5-0 start Cranford is serving notice that this could be a very special season for the Cougars. Not only has Cranford locked up its first playoff berth in seven years and the program’s fifth overall, the Cougars are also going after an East B Division crown that could come down to their home game against Summit Oct. 28.

Summit, also 5-0 overall, leads the East B Division. The defending champion Hilltoppers are 3-0, Cranford is 2-0 and Rahway 1-1.

“One of our goals is to win a division title and if we’re going to do so we’re going to have to go through Rahway and Summit,” Rosenmeier said. “Summit and Rahway have been the two best teams in the division.”

The first of those two hurdles, with Hillside in between, is a very demanding Rahway squad this weekend. Cranford has a major challenge right now in trying to stop Rahway and is coming up with a game plan to somehow contain all the perimeter speed the Indians possess.

“Rahway has had our number,” Rosenmeier said. “We feel like we’ve closed the gap. Now we have to get over that hump.”

Both Cranford and Rahway have been led by the outstanding play of their quarterbacks. Cranford junior signal-caller and first-year varsity QB Reggie Green rushed for three touchdowns and passed for another in his team’s convincing 44-20 East B Division home win over Governor Livingston Thursday night.

Rahway senior and returning varsity quarterback Hakeem Kornegay rushed for three touchdowns, returned a punt for another score and passed for one TD in Friday afternoon’s home-opening 53-12 dominant East B Division victory over Hillside. Rosenmeier saw in person how well Kornegay also throws the ball, with senior receiver Tyler Zihlbauer being Kornegay’s main target, in a – for the most part – evenly matched 24-14 Summit home division win over Rahway three weeks ago.

“Rahway is very physical, very fast and they play hard,” Rosenmeier said. “They have gotten better and better each week. “Kornegay is one of the best players around. Every time he touches the ball he has an opportunity to score. Now he throws the ball and does so quickly and with excellent accuracy. He makes a lot of different throws, like slants and fakes. Up to this point in the season he will be the most dangerous player we will go up against.”

When Kornegay traded positions with Zihlbauer after Rahway’s 1-2 start a year ago, he led the Indians to a 27-20 win at Hillside and then the one-point victory at Cranford in back-to-back weeks.

“Kornegay’s a good kid who is well-coached,” Rosenmeier said. “When it comes to tackling or containing any great player you don’t want to overcompensate, otherwise he cuts back. We have to control that. People overpursue him sometimes. You have to pursue and you have to cut him off. However, if you get
there too early he won’t go there. That’s why high school coaches spend so
much time trying to figure out how to stop him.”

Coming into his own now as a player who can be just as dangerous behind center is Green.

“I’m thinking he’s still a work in progress, but – no doubt – he’s getting better and better each week,” Rosenmeier said of his QB. “He’s done a pretty good job of running the option and making plays with his athletic ability. He can get out of bad plays with his feet and hurt people with his arm.”

Green’s more-than-efficient play at quarterback is just one reason why Cranford is off to one of it is best starts in years.

“Other than a few lapses we’ve played excellent defense,” said Rosenmeier, who is always quick to credit defensive coordinator and former Governor Livingston head coach Joe Hubert with successfully guiding that unit. “When we’ve let up touchdowns, almost every one has been a result of the offense putting the defense in a bad position, say with a turnover. In the past, before last year, we struggled with that on defense. We’ve not been giving up the big offensive play and we’re making it difficult to let teams drive the field. We’re giving the ball right back to our offense.”

Impact players who missed significant time with injuries last season include senior backs J.P. Christiano, Chris Witwick and Adham McGuire.

“J.P. is one of our captains,” Rosenmeier said. “All three bring senior maturity and have been able to make big plays for us in our running and passing games.”

In last year’s win, Rahway was sparked by a three-touchdown effort from Nafee Ariss, who is the team’s senior tailback this season. Cranford missed the extra point after its third touchdown, which was the difference. Providing solid kicking for the Cougars so far this season has been sophomore Troy Kettler.

“He’s done a very good job,” Rosenmeier said. “We knew he was a good kicker as a freshman, but didn’t know how he would face at the next level. There was some adjustment and then he settled down and is now kicking with confidence.”
Rahway freshman placekicker Tyler West kicked a field goal to help the Indians win 24-17 at Scotch Plains.

A REVERSAL OF FORTUNES, SO TO SPEAK

Last year Cranford and Rahway were both 5-3 through the playoff
cutoff date. Rahway was firmly in the playoffs in North 2, Group 3, the sixth seed
among a field that included seven and not eight teams because only seven had records of .500 or better, which is required to qualify.

Cranford, on the other hand, did not have enough power points to earn
one of the eight berths in Central Jersey, Group 2. The Cougars split their
next two games and still finished with a winning record of 6-4, but there
were no playoffs once again. To show how much more competitive Central Jersey, Group 2 was last year compared to North 2, Group 3, one team – Delaware Valley – did not have enough power points to qualify with a 6-2 record in CJ, G2. There’s the possibility again this year that North 2, Group 3 does
not include eight teams and that a 6-2 team could fall short of qualifying in Central Jersey, Group 2.

Rahway, in a section last year many labeled as “weak,” won a quarterfinal game on the road and then lost a semifinal game at home by just a touchdown. The Indians narrowly missed going to Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford to play for a state championship. With Cranford and Rahway switching sections, the shoe’s now on the other foot.

Cranford is sitting pretty in North 2, Group 3, while the Indians might need to win out to qualify in Central Jersey, Group 2.

“Obviously, one of our goals is to get into the playoffs and we haven’t been able to do that yet,” Rosenmeier said. “We’re aware of the situation. We told our kids to be aware of what’s down the road, but more importantly to be ready for what is in front of you. We know that we have our hands full with Rahway. All we have
right now is the ability to wrap our hands around this Rahway game.”

The last time Cranford qualified for the playoffs was 2004, which was the only year it made the grade in Central Jersey, Group 2. Cranford head coach Chris Hull’s fourth and final playoff game with the Cougars turned out to be a 20-13 Rahway upset victory at Cranford’s Memorial Field. That was the first playoff game of Mobley’s tenure at Rahway.

Last year’s 21-20 Rahway victory at Cranford helped the Indians gain the playoffs in North 2, Group 3 and also helped prevent Cranford from gaining the same fortune in Central Jersey, Group 2. Rahway is attempting to qualify in Central Jersey, Group 2 for the first time since reaching the semifinals four years in a row in that section from 2004-2007. With a 5-3 record at the cutoff date in that section two years ago, Rahway did not have enough power points to qualify - which is exactly what happened to Cranford last year. The Indians went on to finish 7-3 in 2009 and concluded that season with a six-game winning streak. So, from a making-the-playoffs standpoint, Saturday's game is much more important to Rahway than it is to Cranford.

Rahway is presently tied for the eighth and final playoff berth in Central Jersey, Group 2 with Robbinsville. Both teams have 32 power points, although Rahway has played only four games so far compared to five for Robbinsville (3-2).
Since the NJSIAA went to re-classification for football in 2003, Cranford and Rahway - schools on the Group 3 and Group 2 bubble every year it seems as far as enrollment figures go - have been moved around quite a bit.

This year, Cranford’s enrollment is listed - by the NJSIAA - as 855 and Rahway’s as 808. Both are situated in North 2, Group 3 for general classification - all sports except for football and wrestling - with Rahway the smallest school in the section.

Here’s a look where Cranford and Rahway have been placed for football since 2003:

CRANFORD FOOTBALL

2011: North 2, Group 3
2010: Central Jersey, Group 2
2009: Central Jersey, Group 2
2008: Central Jersey, Group 2
2007: Central Jersey, Group 2
2006: North 2, Group 3
2005: Central Jersey, Group 2
2004: Central Jersey, Group 2
2003: North 2, Group 2
Cranford was in North 2, Group 3 in 2002.

RAHWAY FOOTBALL
2011: Central Jersey, Group 2
2010: North 2, Group 3
2009: Central Jersey, Group 2
2008: North 2, Group 3
2007: Central Jersey Group 2
2006: Central Jersey, Group 2
2005: Central Jersey, Group 2
2004: Central Jersey, Group 2
2003: Central Jersey, Group 2
Rahway was in North 2, Group 2 in 2002.