CRANFORD, NJ — For the second time in 15 days, Cranford High School junior wrestler Dylan McDonald came through with a big win against the same Westfield High School opponent, senior Sergio Cabrera.
On Saturday, Feb. 5, in front of a packed house in Westfield’s gymnasium, it was McDonald beginning the 215-pound bout with a takedown in the first period. Clinging to a 2-1 advantage heading into the third and final two-minute session, McDonald was able to take down Cabrera once more, en route to a thrilling 4-1 triumph.
That 3-point decision tied the sold-out match at 18-18. Cranford also came out ahead in the next three bouts, winning a total of six straight, after Westfield went ahead 18-6 by winning four of the first six matches.
Cranford head coach Pat Gorman said he felt McDonald’s win at 215 was the match.
Cranford, aided tremendously by McDonald’s triumph, came out on top by a 36-27 final score to top Westfield for the first time since 2017. Also, it enabled the Cougars to capture the Union County Conference’s Watchung Division championship outright at 6-0. Westfield finished second at 4-1.
Cranford, which won the Union County Tournament for the seventh straight season, improved to 15-4 overall and finished undefeated against Union County competition. Cranford’s bout at Mountain Division champion Governor Livingston High School on Friday, Feb. 4, was canceled due to inclement weather.
Westfield, third in the UCT, moved to 11-6 overall after suffering its only loss to a Union County opponent.
McDonald edged Cabrera 6-5 in the UCT’s 215 final, helping Cranford get past second-place Governor Livingston and third-place Westfield.
“We knew that we were going to win two of the next five matches by forfeit, and we also got a pin at 106,” Gorman said of the match against Westfield on Saturday, Feb. 5. “We figured we were going to win three of the last five bouts, so winning at 215 really helped and I think was the difference.”
Cranford senior Kevin Shriner won by forfeit at heavyweight, and, after Cranford’s pin at 106, the Cougars won by forfeit at 113 to take a 36-18 lead and clinch the match.
Westfield won by decision at 120 and by forfeit at 126 for its final 9 points.
The match began at 132. After Westfield built a 12-point lead at 18-6, Cranford senior Colin Murray won by pin at 175, and then junior Shane Kanterman won by decision at 190, beating his Westfield opponent 3-0 to pull Cranford to within 18-15.
Earlier in the match, the much-anticipated bout at 157 between Cranford freshman Jordan Chapman and Westfield junior Michael Murphy provided plenty of thrills for the six minutes they tangled.
In the UCT final on Sunday, Jan. 23, at Arthur L. Johnson High School in Clark, Murphy prevailed 9-7 to capture his first county crown. This time, it was Jordan who came out on top, producing a 5-3 victory to make the score 14-6.
“The crowd went wild when they were announced and then Murphy produced a takedown immediately and it was so loud,” Gorman said. “Jordan came back with a takedown and 2 back points.
“Then he started the third period on the bottom. Jordan was ahead and there was a lot of action. He got (Murphy) this time.”
Murphy and Chapman both entered the team state tournament competition on Monday, Feb. 7, with just two losses, one of them to each other.
“We struggled against Westfield in the past, so to win this time and then win the division was very satisfying,” Gorman said.
On Monday, Feb. 7, Cranford was the third seed and wrestled sixth-seeded West Morris at West Essex in the first round of the North 2, Group 3, playoffs. Cranford beat West Morris 48-32, then lost to second-seeded West Essex 34-33 in the semifinals the night of Monday, Feb. 7. Cranford had also lost at West Essex 40-28 in a quad on Saturday, Jan. 15.
The sectional final is top-seeded Warren Hills vs. West Essex on Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 6 p.m. The group semifinals are scheduled to take place on Friday, Feb. 11, at the higher seeds.
The state championship group finals are scheduled to take place at Franklin on Sunday, Feb. 13.
Then it’s on to the districts on Saturday, Feb. 19, which for Cranford will be District 13 at Millburn and for Westfield will be District 16 at Westfield.
The wrestlers who advance out of those districts will then tangle in Region 4 competition on Friday, Feb. 25, and Saturday, Feb. 26, at North Hunterdon. That region is usually hosted by Union, but this year, its gym is being refurbished.
The season-ending NJSIAA tournament at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City is scheduled for March 3, 4 and 5.