CRANFORD, NJ — Just qualifying for the playoffs is challenging enough, but when you have to travel almost half the state to face a once-beaten, top-seeded team in order to advance to a state championship game, well, the odds are not stacked in your favor.
The odds really go down even farther when you are trailing that team 21-0 heading into the fourth quarter.
Cranford High School was faced with that situation at 8-1 Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan and didn’t, by any means, hang their helmets.
Senior running back Amari Petgrave, who rushed for 45 yards, including a high gain of 27, scored on a six-yard run to pull the visiting Cougars one score closer.
Then fellow senior Brandon DiPaolo returned a fumble 44 yards for a touchdown and Cristiano Ambrosio kicked his second extra point to put Cranford just eight points behind.
Those turned out to be the final points the Cougars would score in their successful 2024 campaign, as a valiant comeback effort came to a close.
Top-seeded Old Tappan held on to oust fourth-seeded Cranford, 22-14, at the North 2, Group 3 semifinal played at Old Tappan on Friday night, Nov. 8.
While Cranford finished 7-3, after having a five-game winning streak snapped, Old Tappan won for the second straight time to improve to 9-1 and will next host second-seeded West Essex High School at the sectional final on Friday, Nov. 15, at 6 p.m.
Cranford senior running back Dylan Jones excelled by rushing for 112 yards on 19 carries, his longest gain going for 21.
Cranford’s leading tackler was junior Joey Acinapura with 13. Jones was second with 11 and senior Justin Hoeffler third with eight.
No shame in Cranford falling to Old Tappan. The last three seasons, the Golden Knights have proven to be one of the top public school teams in the state, with a record of 30-4 since the beginning of the 2022 campaign.
Old Tappan went 12-1 in 2022, after winning the North 1, Group 3 title at home against Hillside High School and then went on to capture the first-ever Group 3 state championship. Last year’s team concluded at 9-2, after falling at home to West Morris Regional High School in the North 1, Group 3 final.
Now, the Golden Knights are in a sectional final for the third year in a row.
Cranford was seeking to reach its first sectional final since capturing North 2, Group 3 in 2021.
It’s amazing how intertwined Cranford, Old Tappan, West Essex and West Morris are in the playoffs out of North, Group 3 since 2021.
Here’s a clearer look:
2021 North, Group 3 Playoffs
North 1, Group 3 final: West Morris over West Essex
North 2, Group 3 final: Cranford over Sparta
Cranford beat Pascack Valley at home in the semifinals.
The final North, Group 3 Regional Championship Game:
West Morris over Cranford at MetLife Stadium
2022 North, Group 3 Playoffs
North 1, Group 3 final: Old Tappan over Hillside
North 2, Group 3 final: West Morris over West Essex
West Essex won at Cranford in the first round.
First Group 3 semifinals at Franklin: Old Tappan over West Morris
First Group 3 final at Rutgers: Old Tappan over Delsea
2023 North, Group 3 Playoffs
North 1, Group 3 final: West Morris over Old Tappan
North 2, Group 3 final: West Essex over Passaic Valley
West Essex beat Cranford at home in the first round.
Group 3 semifinal at West Essex: West Essex over West Morris
Group 3 final at Rutgers University: Delsea Regional over West Essex
2024 North, Group 3 Playoffs
Friday, Nov. 15
North 1, Group 3 final: 7-River Dell at 1-Pascack Valley
North 2, Group 3 final: 2-West Essex at 1-Old Tappan
Old Tappan defeated Cranford at home in the semifinals.
Group 3 semifinals at higher seed: Nov. 22 or 23
Group 3 final at MetLife or Rutgers: Nov. 29-Dec. 4
A big part of Cranford reaching the playoffs for the 13th straight time, a streak that began in 2011, was winning at 4-1 Rahway High School, 14-13, on Friday, Oct. 4, which began a four-game winning streak. The Cougars then two weeks later won a huge game at home against Colonia High School, 18-13.
After Colonia came a decisive 16-6 triumph at 5-3 Hillside High School on Seniors Night at Memorial Field.
Cranford then went on to beat Summit High School, 27-22, at home five weeks after losing at Summit, 21-7, in a regular season game at Summit’s Tatlock Field that saw the Cougars break down several times on special teams.
The only other team Cranford lost to was Somerville High School in its season-opener. Somerville is now 11-0 and will host 4-6 Delsea Regional High School in the Central Jersey, Group 3 final on Friday night, Nov. 15. Delsea Regional qualified for the playoffs at just 2-6, after going a combined 24-2 the past two seasons.
Delsea Regional has been in the first two Group 3 finals and is the defending champion. Delsea Regional went 12-1 in each of the past two seasons. Delsea Regional’s only loss last year was early at Winslow Township High School.
2024 Cranford High School football schedule (7-3)
Sept. 6 (H) Somerville 32, Cranford 16
Sept. 13 (H) Cranford 21, Carteret 0
Sept. 20 (A) Cranford 38, South Plainfield 0
Sept. 28 (A) Summit 21, Cranford 7
Oct. 4 (A) Cranford 14, Rahway 13
Oct. 10 (A) Cranford 45, Scotch Plains–Fanwood 13
Oct. 18 (H) Cranford 18, Colonia 13
Oct. 25 (H) Cranford 16, Hillside 6
Nov. 1 (H) Cranford 27, Summit 22
Nov. 8 (A) Old Tappan 22, Cranford 14
Record: 7-3
N2G3 playoffs: 1-1, semifinalist
BCC’s United Gold Division: 3-1, second
Points for: 216
Points against: 142
Shutouts: 2