CRANFORD, NJ — One of the best football rivalries in Union County that has emerged the last 15 years is Summit High School vs. Cranford High School.
It might be the best.
They began playing each other in 2009 and it really didn’t become a rivalry until Cranford finally beat the Hilltoppers in 2014, after five straight regular season losses and another setback in the first playoff encounter between the two.
Then Cranford won three in a row and, after Summit snapped that streak with a win in 2017, Cranford reeled off four more consecutive victories to win seven of eight.
Summit won big last year and just enough this season on its way to finishing ahead of Cranford for the Big Central Conference’s 2024 United Gold Division title.
Now, the rivals are preparing to face each other in the playoffs once more, for the first time in 11 years. In 2013, it was the North 2, Group 3 semifinals at Summit’s Tatlock Field. This time, it’s the first round of the North 2, Group 3 playoffs at Cranford’s Memorial Field.
Kickoff is set for Friday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m.
Summit won the regular season game and the division title.
Cranford can make up for that by beating the Hilltoppers to advance to the semifinals, which will most likely be at top-seeded Bergen County power Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan the second weekend in November.
Since 2011, Summit and Cranford have both won North 2, Group 3 three times: Summit in 2012, 2013 and 2018 and Cranford in 2011, 2015 and 2021.
“I think both teams bring out the best in them when we go up against each other,” said Summit head coach Kevin Kostibos, at the helm of the Hilltoppers since 2013.
“It took us a while to get over the hump against them,” said Cranford head coach Erik Rosenmeier, at the helm of the Cougars since 2005 and the longest tenured head coach in Union County. “It really took us a while before we were able to beat them and have any kind of success against them.”
This season, they clashed at Summit’s Tatlock Field on Saturday, Sept. 28, with the host Hilltoppers scoring two touchdowns in the third quarter after the game was deadlocked at the break. There was no scoring in the fourth quarter, as Summit went on to produce a 21-7 victory.
“We didn’t get down on ourselves after they scored first,” said Summit junior quarterback Cole Sabol, who threw touchdown passes to senior wide receiver Oscar Marx before and after scoring on a one-yard run that gave his team the lead for good in the third quarter. “We just increased our energy and intensity.”
Cranford senior quarterback Tyler Veltre completed a 46-yard touchdown pass to senior receiver Niko Aloi for the game’s first score and then Cranford threatened again to take a two-touchdown lead early in the second quarter, but came away with no points.
After the game, Rosenmeier admitted he should have kicked a field goal there and took full responsibility for the Cougars not getting anything out of a drive that reached just outside the Summit 10-yard line.
“We have to be much better on special teams and avoid giving up the big play,” Rosenmeier said of this weekend’s playoff matchup.
The touchdown passes Sabol completed to Marx went for 40 and 35 yards.
It was Summit’s toughest game to date, putting the Hilltoppers at 4-0. Then Summit went on a three-game schedule that saw them play at 5-0 Somerville High School, at 6-0 Bernards High School and home against 7-0 Woodbridge High School. Summit lost to Someville, 41-0, was much more competitive in a 29-23 loss to Bernards and was then downed by Woodbridge, 28-17. All three of those playoff teams are presently 9-0 and are among the top public schools in the entire state.
Summit bounced back to win at Scotch Plains–Fanwood High School, 44-7, on Friday night, Oct. 25, to win its division title and go into the playoffs off a victory.
Since the loss to Summit, Cranford has reeled off four straight wins against Rahway High School and Scotch Plains–Fanwood on the road and then Colonia and Hillside high schools at home. All but Scotch Plains–Fanwood qualified for the playoffs. The biggest wins were at Rahway, 14-13, and last week at home against Hillside, 16-6.
In Cranford’s six wins, the Cougars are averaging an impressive 7.5 points against. The Cougars opened at Somerville High School and lost 32-14 for their only other setback.
Summit is averaging nearly 40 points in its five victories.
Will it be Summit’s offense or Cranford’s defense that plays the biggest part in determining the outcome?
We shall soon find out.
Summit vs. Cranford since they began playing each other in 2009
2009: Summit 49, Cranford 7 – at Cranford
Summit won North 2, Group 2 in 2009 at 12-0.
2010: Summit 17, Cranford 13 – at Summit
2011: Summit 52, Cranford 21 – at Cranford
Cranford won North 2, Group 3 in 2011 at 10-1. The Cougars lost only to the Hilltoppers.
2012: Summit 30, Cranford 27 – at Cranford
Summit won North 2, Group 3 in 2012 at 12-0.
2013: Summit 48, Cranford 14 – at Summit: regular season.
2013: Summit 35, Cranford 14 – at Summit: North 2, Group 3 semifinals.
Summit won North 2, Group 3 in 2013 at 12-0.
2014: Cranford 33, Summit 14 – at Cranford
2015: Cranford 42, Summit 0 – at Summit
Cranford won North 2, Group 3 at 12-0.
2016: Cranford 37, Summit 7 – at Summit
2017: Summit 31, Cranford 13 – at Cranford
2018: Cranford 25, Summit 12 – at Cranford
Summit won North 2, Group 3 in 2018 at 10-1 and lost only to Cranford. Summit then finished 10-2.
2019: Cranford 35, Summit 20 – at Summit
2020: Did not play.
2021: Cranford 45, Summit 8 – at Cranford
Cranford won North 2, Group 3 at 11-0 and then finished 11-1.
2022: Cranford 42, Summit 23 – at Summit
2023: Summit 46, Cranford 13 – at Cranford
2024: Summit 21, Cranford 7 – at Summit
2024: Summit at Cranford – North 2, Group 3 first round
Totals: Summit 8-7 regular season and 1-0 in playoffs.
Photos by JR Parachini