Road to a title

            It was cool and crisp on the first Saturday night of November. It was not the type of night to absorb a Gatorade shower but Cranford Boys’ soccer coach Mike Curci, who admits to be cold blooded, was only too happy to get soaked by his happy team that had just defeated Westfield 1-0 to win the school’s first county title.

“I am too happy to feel cold right now. This is a huge accomplishment for the kids and for the school and we have worked so hard for it all year.,” said Curci, who in his fifth year has achieved his goal of putting Cranford into the county elite, which has been dominated by Scotch Plains Fanwood over the past decade.

            The Raiders made it to eleven straight finals from 1997-2007 but have been spectators the past two years. Previously 0-3 in UCT finals Cranford last played for the title in 2002. Westfield was appearing in its first final since it won the 1996 tournament and was seeking its 10th overall crown. The girls also had to climb past the two dominant programs when they defeated top seed Westfield and four time defending champion Scotch Plains Fanwood to win their first title since 2000.

            There are many other similarities between the boys and girls teams. Each is blessed with tremendous senior leadership, fearless goal keeping and a defense first mentality.  While the girls were number in the state in 2000, this is the first time the boys’ program has made such an impact in the state. Curci, a resident of the town, saw the youth level talent in Cranford and believed that he could build the Cougars’ program to what it has become.

“From day one, the goal was to be the first team to put a championship banner on the wall in the gym and a trophy in the case. The boys fed into that, worked hard and now we have four championships in the last three years. Our first group from five years ago,  that eventually won the first two conference crowns, laid the groundwork and raised the bar for everyone behind them. This county championship is for them as well,” said Curci, who learned coaching as an assistant under the legendary Gene Chyzowych of Columbia, the state’s winningest coach.

“I watched how he put his teams together, he always had a good idea of who was going to be his top players several years down the road. And he wasn't afraid to take the best young players and throw them into the fire right away at the varsity level. I have used a similar model, taking the best players, even if they're freshmen, and allowing them to go through the learning curve early so that I have them for three or four years. Gene has proven this method works for close to 40 years, and now it's working here,” said Curci.

            His first varsity coaching job was with Morristown-Beard in 1986 and then moved to group 4 Livingston in 1987 for a five-year stay, where they made the states each year. After coaching his children in youth leagues, he returned in 2003 as Madison's varsity coach before taking the Cranford job in 2005. In his first season, a young Cougar team of six sophomores and a freshman in the starting lineup took their lumps, going 4-13, but two years later , the record improved to 15-4 and the Cougars took the Mountain Valley Conference title, the first ever for Cranford.  With nearly the entire team graduated, another group of young players with varsity experience stepped in and went 15-6 and won the conference again. Those players formed the nucleus of this years’ powerhouse. Along the way Curci has stamped his imprint on the program and everybody who wants to play understands what is expected.

“I learned that you cannot and will not make everybody happy. Everyone wants to play, but you can't become a soccer power and compete with the top teams if you're worried about what every player is thinking. The boys have known where I stand on that since day one. If you prove yourself to better than the next guy, you'll play. I make no guarantees on playing time,” added Curci.

            While Curci does not know what to expect next year and beyond, he does believe that the Cougars have crossed the first barrier of earning the attention and respect of the county’s soccer powers.

“I think after the run we had the past three years and winning the UCT crown that we have earned everyone's respect, but we are still the new kid on the block when it comes to championships. SPF has 14, Westfield has 10, and we have one. But one thing we wanted to prove here, is that we could play with the best teams in the county and state day-in and day-out. And we're still undefeated after 24 games. We have nothing left to prove,” said Curci.