Wayne Hills football has had a season full of ups and downs. With some nice wins and some not-so-good losses, they have done enough this season to earn a spot in the Group 3 playoffs. 

The Patriots are going to be playing against the Cranford Tigers Friday, October 28th at 7 pm at Memorial Field in Cranford in Union County. The Tigers are ranked #2 and the Patriots are ranked #7 in the Group 3 North 2 bracket.

The Tigers have a highly skilled running back and a strong defense which will make the game a tough matchup for the Patriots. The Patriots will be looking to outsmart the Tigers’ defense with a strong run game from Senior John Sees and a strong pass game led by Senior Tyler Demikoff. One of the biggest strengths for the Patriots this season has been their run game so they will be looking to use that to their advantage. Entering the playoffs, John Sees has 680 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

When asked what the keys to success will be for the Patriots, Senior Adam Khachane said, “We just have to tackle and block and just want it more than the other team.” Khachane is in his first year on the team and has been an integral part of the success with three receiving touchdowns.

Coaching has also played a big part in how well the team has been performing. The coaches have been doing a good job of making sure the players know what needs to be done and helping the team to succeed. A lot of the coaches are former football players so they know what it takes to have a successful season. 

Offensive and Defensive line coach, Claudio Canonaco, said, “Football is about blocking and tackling and usually the team that does that best wins the game…Do I think we are going to win if we do all that? Yes.” Blocking and tackling have been the theme all season long and are something that has been preached every day in practice.

This Friday’s game is sure to be a good one and the fans of the Patriots are hoping they will come out with the win! You can catch the game in Cranford tonight at 7 pm or you can view it on the Wayne Hills TV YouTube channel the following day.