CRANFORD, NJ — The Cougars took a big hit when last year’s talented senior class graduated. The group included quarterback Shane Van Dam; running back Colin Murray; wide receiver Will Gallagher; and standout linemen Kevin Shriner, Matt Fries and Geoffrey Gretta.
Cranford High School must also do without the services of Villanova University commit Kyle Fay. Ranked as one of the top senior offensive linemen in New Jersey, the 6-7, 285-pound Fay, playing basketball, suffered an ACL injury in Cranford’s Union County Tournament loss to Linden High School at the Thomas G. Dunn Sports Center in Elizabeth on Saturday, Feb. 19.
He had surgery in April and will, unfortunately, miss his senior season. Fay should be on track to play for his first year at Villanova.
Despite being hit hard by graduation on plenty of other occasions, Cranford has set a standard that has now reached a second decade. The Cougars have managed to finish better than .500 every year since 2010 and have qualified for the playoffs every season since 2011.
Cranford’s program has also captured three state championships in the playoff era, all coming in North 2, Group 3. Cranford captured the section for the third time last year and did so with a perfect 11-0 record that saw the Cougars outscore their three sectional opponents by a combined score of 143-54.
“This is a new year, and we have guys getting their first opportunities,” head coach Erik Rosenmeier said. “They may have played on other Cranford teams in the past but just didn’t get the chance to play on last year’s team.
“Someone said at our Ramapo scrimmage that we gave a good effort but that we might be a year away. We’re at the stage with our program that we expect to win now. We expect to be good. ‘A year away’ is not in our mentality.”
Succeeding Van Dam at quarterback is Liam Godwin, who played at wide receiver and in the secondary on defense last year and is also Cranford’s place kicker and punter, one of the best in the area. Godwin made 46 of 48 extra points a year ago and also kicked two field goals, his longest one good for 28 yards.
Rosenmeier knew, once the 2021 season concluded, that he would be giving Godwin “the keys to the car as Cranford’s next quarterback.”
“This was not a decision made in May or June,” Rosenmeier said. “Liam is arguably our best athlete. He immediately began to put a lot of time in a position he had not yet played.
“He’s worked diligently at it. We’re happy with the way he’s thrown the ball so far.”
Godwin is also one of Cranford’s two cornerbacks, along with senior Jake Carter. They are two of Cranford’s five returning starters, including senior center linebacker Ryan Heesters, senior halfback/middle linebacker Shane Kanterman and senior tailback/free safety Ryan Lynskey. Carter also starts on offense as one of Cranford’s slot receivers.
“Lynskey is a returning starter at safety and will get a big part of the carries on offense,” Rosenmeier said. “He’s a great leader and is also a National Honor Society student, with academic interest from Carnegie Mellon University and Colby College.”
Kanterman was one of the most prominent junior standouts in the area last year, and his name came up quite often when a teammate would talk about the player with the most presence on the field.
“Shane led the team in tackles last year and will get a big part of the carries on offense,” Rosenmeier said. “He is also extremely strong, a great leader and an NHS student. The service academies have shown interest.”
Heesters was on Cranford’s high-profile offensive line a year ago and is regarded as one of the top centers returning for 2022.
“Ryan will have to lead an inexperienced but hard-working group,” Rosenmeier said of Cranford’s new offensive line.
Rosenmeier said Carter is “our leading returning receiver with big-play capabilities. He will also figure heavily in the secondary.” Carter is also a standout in baseball, which he plans to play in college.
“We have worked hard to develop a culture of multisport athletes that take pride in representing the Cranford community,” Rosenmeier said.
Another key player is senior halfback/nose guard Jake Carvalho.
“Jake played significant minutes at halfback last year and will do so again,” Rosenmeier said. “He’s extremely strong and has bench pressed 330.”
For the second straight season, Cranford will open at home against North Hunterdon High School. Last year, the Cougars staged quite a comeback to win the contest 43-37 in overtime. Cranford came back from a 16-point deficit by scoring two 8-point touchdowns in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter, which ultimately forced overtime.
“We pride ourselves on being mentally tough, physically strong and focused on the success of the program,” Rosenmeier said. “We embrace the challenge of maintaining that success each and every year.”
Cranford is situated in the Big Central Conference’s United Gold Division this year, along with St. Thomas Aquinas, Rahway, Scotch Plains–Fanwood and Summit high schools. Cranford’s four nondivision games will be against North Hunterdon, Woodbridge, Linden and North Brunswick high schools.
The Cougars captured the BCC’s Division 4 title last year with a perfect 7-0 league mark.
“We are focused on team goals and program success first and foremost,” Rosenmeier said. “Everything else is secondary.”
Cranford’s spread offense:
T Tyler Egan, senior, 6-1, 230
T Max Melchiorre, senior, 5-11, 200
G Dylan McDonald, senior, 6-0, 215
G Julius Bryam, junior, 6-0, 290
C Ryan Heesters, senior, 6-0, 220
C Ryan Turnamian, junior, 6-3, 185
G Ben Fossella, junior, 6-0, 295
G Ryan Klimko, junior, 6-2, 215
T Thomas McCarthy, junior, 5-10, 220
T Colin Podeszwa, senior, 5-11, 185
L Sean Riley, junior, 6-0, 175
L Luciano Fiorenza, sophomore, 6-2, 175
Slot Jake Carter, senior, 5-9, 170
WR Declan Quigley, senior, 5-10, 175
WR John Attebury, senior, 6-2, 170
QB/PK Liam Godwin, senior, 6-3, 185
QB/Slot Tyler Veltre, sophomore, 6-1, 180
HB Jake Carvalho, senior, 6-0, 220
HB Andrew Wozniak, junior, 5-10, 215
HB Ryan Carracino, junior, 6-0, 225
TB Ryan Lynskey, senior, 5-10, 190
TB Shane Kanterman, senior, 5-11, 225
Returning starters: Heesters, Carter, Godwin.
Cranford’s 3-3 stack defense
The first three are the two starting ends and the nose guard, and the second three are the two starting outside linebackers and the starting middle linebacker. The other five starters on defense are the two cornerbacks, the free safety and the two strong safeties.
E Andrew Wozniak, junior, 5-10, 215
E Amari Petgrave, sophomore, 6-1, 215
NG Jake Carvalho, senior, 6-0, 220
E Dylan McDonald, senior, 6-0, 215
OLB Ryan Carracino, junior, 6-0, 225
MLB Shane Kanterman, senior, 5-11, 225
MLB Dylan Jones, sophomore, 5-10, 170
OLB Ryan Heesters, senior, 6-0, 220
CB Jake Carter, senior, 5-9, 170
FS Ryan Lynskey, senior, 5-10, 190
SS Lucas Caldwell, junior, 5-9, 170
SS Christian Moroses, junior, 6-1, 175
SS Tyler Veltre, sophomore, 6-1, 180
CB/P Liam Godwin, senior, 6-3, 185
Returning starters: Kanterman, Lynskey, Godwin.
2022 Cranford Cougars football schedule:
Sept. 2: vs. North Hunterdon, 7 p.m.
Sept. 10: at Summit, 2 p.m.
Sept. 16: at Woodbridge, 7 p.m.
Sept. 23: vs. St. Thomas Aquinas, 7 p.m.
Sept. 30: at Rahway, 6 p.m.
Oct. 7: vs. Scotch Plains–Fanwood, 7 p.m.
Oct. 14: at Linden, 7 p.m.
Oct. 21: vs. North Brunswick, 7 p.m.
Head coach: Erik Rosenmeier, 18th season
2021 Cranford Cougars, 11-1:
H: Cranford 43, North Hunterdon 37, OT
H: Cranford 45, Summit 8
A: Cranford 49, Iselin Kennedy 20
H: Cranford 20, Scotch Plains 6
H: Cranford 27, Colonia 14
A: Cranford 38, Woodbridge 28
A: Cranford 42, Linden 13
A: Cranford 26, Montgomery 14
H: Cranford 56, Demarest 26
H: Cranford 42, Pascack Valley 7
H: Cranford 45, Sparta 21
N: West Morris 53, Cranford 14
Head coach: Erik Rosenmeier,
17th season
Section: North, Group 3
Played in North 2, Group 3 playoffs, 3-0, champs.
Conference: Big Central
Division 4: 7-0, champs
Record: 11-1
Home: 7-0
Away: 4-0
Neutral: 0-1
Points for: 447
Points against: 247
Shutouts: 0
Overtime: 1-0
Cranford Cougars
Head coach: Erik Rosenmeier, since 2005, 1983 Johnson Regional graduate.
18th season: 118-57, or .674
Conference: Big Central
Division: United Gold
Section: North, Group 3
Cranford’s last sectional title: 2021
2021: 11-1
Memorial Field: Turf
Rosenmeier has guided Cranford to all three of its state championships in the playoff era: North 2, Group 3 crowns in 2011, 2015 and 2021. He has also led the Cougars to 12 straight winning seasons, 2010-2021, and to 10 consecutive playoff seasons — 2011-2021; there were no playoffs in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cranford’s record since 2010 is 94-31, or .752. The only school in Union County with a better record since then is Summit, at 96-28, or .774.
Photos by JR Parachini