With its 27-22 victory over Summit in the opening round of the 2024 NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2 Group 3 State Playoffs back on November 1st, the Cranford Cougars avenged a regular season loss at Tatlock Field. Cranford has won 8 of the last 11 meetings with the Hilltoppers. Summit still leads the all-time series 18-10.
Cranford Avenges Regular Season Loss with Playoff Win
CRANFORD, NJ – On Friday, November 1st, the Hilltoppers of Summit traveled the short journey to Memorial Field to take on the Cranford Cougars in the first playoff edition of this rivalry between the two schools. Summit had won two straight including a regular season meeting on September 28th (21-7) at Tatlock Field. However, Cranford avenged the loss with a 27-22 win in the opening round of the North Jersey Section 2 Group 3 State Tournament.
Cranford, which finished 2nd to Summit in the BCC’s United Gold Standings this season, scored 21 of its 27 points in the first quarter of its playoff match-up with Summit. The Hilltoppers responded with the only points of the second with a TD and a two-point conversion all courtesy of sophomore Gavin Schnall for a 22-21 halftime lead. Cougar senior QB Tyler Veltre put Cranford up for good with a one-yard plunge in the third quarter.
Cranford and Summit combined for 35 of the 49 points in the game in the opening quarter. Veltre led the way for the Cougars with two TD passes in addition to the go-ahead scoring run in the third. Senior Dylan Jones had the other score for the winners. Oscar Marx led Summit in a losing cause with a 60-yard TD run and a 73-yard TD reception.
Summit leads the all-time series 18-10. The two teams have met every year since 2009 except for the 2020 season. Summit won the first-ever meeting in 1920 (34-0). Summit won 15 of the first 17 meetings from 1920 to 2013. The two schools didn’t play from 1921 to 1982. Cranford won its first game in this series back in 1988 (7-0).
Summit has the longest winning streak in the series with 9 straight from 1992 to 2013. Since then, Cranford has won 8 of the last 11 meetings. Five of the contests have been decided by 8 points or less. Both teams have combined to record 7 shutouts in the series. These two schools have competed in the BCC’s United Gold for the past several years. Check out the Hilltoppers-Cougars rivalry at a glance.
| Year | Winner | Winning Score | Loser | Losing Score |
| 1920 | Summit | 34 | Cranford | 0 |
| 1983 | Summit | 35 | Cranford | 13 |
| 1986 | Summit | 28 | Cranford | 7 |
| 1987 | Summit | 52 | Cranford | 7 |
| 1988 | Cranford | 7 | Summit | 0 |
| 1989 | Summit | 41 | Cranford | 0 |
| 1990 | Summit | 49 | Cranford | 0 |
| 1991 | Cranford | 30 | Summit | 16 |
| 1992 | Summit | 34 | Cranford | 28 |
| 1993 | Summit | 55 | Cranford | 0 |
| 1994 | Summit | 46 | Cranford | 14 |
| 1995 | Summit | 28 | Cranford | 0 |
| 2009 | Summit | 49 | Cranford | 7 |
| 2010 | Summit | 17 | Cranford | 13 |
| 2011 | Summit | 52 | Cranford | 21 |
| 2012 | Summit | 30 | Cranford | 27 |
| 2013 | Summit | 48 | Cranford | 14 |
| 2014 | Cranford | 33 | Summit | 14 |
| 2015 | Cranford | 42 | Summit | 0 |
| 2016 | Cranford | 37 | Summit | 7 |
| 2017 | Summit | 31 | Cranford | 13 |
| 2018 | Cranford | 25 | Summit | 12 |
| 2019 | Cranford | 35 | Summit | 20 |
| 2021 | Cranford | 45 | Summit | 8 |
| 2022 | Cranford | 42 | Summit | 23 |
| 2023 | Summit | 46 | Cranford | 13 |
| 2024 | Summit | 21 | Cranford | 7 |
| 2024* | Cranford | 27 | Summit | 22 |
- – Playoff Game
- Rivalry began in 1920.
- Both teams didn’t play each other from 1921 to 1982, 1984 and 1985, and 1996 to 2008.
- Summit leads the series 18-10.
- Summit has outscored Cranford by a margin of 818 to 507 all-time or by an average of about 29 to 18 per game.
- Summit won the first meeting in 1920.
- Summit won 15 of the first 17 meetings from 1920 to 2013.
- Cranford won for the first time in the series in 1988
- Cranford has won 8 of the last 11 meetings
- Both teams have played every year since 2009 except for the 2020 season.
- Summit has the longest winning streak in the series with 9 straight from 1992 to 2013.
- Cranford’s longest winning streak in the series is 4 straight from 2018 to 2022.
- Summit and Cranford played each other for the first time in the playoffs in 2024 (Cranford won 27-22).
- Most points scored in a game: 55 by Summit in 1993 (won 55-0).
- Cranford scored 45 in a game in 2021 (lost 45-8).
- Most points scored by both teams combined was 73 in 2011 (Summit won 52-21).
- Fewest points scored by both teams combined was 7 in 1988 (Cranford won 7-0).
- Summit has 5 shutouts in the series. Last shutout was in 1995 (Summit won 28-0).
- Cranford has two shutouts in the series. Last shutout was in 2015 (Cranford won 42-0).
- Five games have been decided by 8 points or less.
- Largest margin of victory: Summit won by 55 in 1993 (Summit won 55-0).
- Cranford’s largest margin of victory was 42 in 2015 (won 42-0).
- The closest margin of victory was 3 in 2010 (Summit won 30-27).
- Cranford’s closest margin of victory was 5 in the 2024 playoff game (won 27-22).
