Mustangs rocked by Roselle Park

By: Shawn Tyrrell
   
   The past two weeks have been anything but easy for the Manville High School football team.
   Manville has faced two very formidable football teams and the results were mirror images of each other. Two weeks ago, Johnson Regional of Clark defeated MHS 40-7, while this past week Roselle Park rolled over the Mustangs 42-6.
   It wasn’t as if the Mustangs didn’t know what they were up against going into the games. Roselle Park and Johnson are each near the top of their respective divisions in the Mountain Valley Conference. For the Mustangs, it was a chance to see if they could improve each week and play competitive football. Despite the lopsided scores, MHS did have some success moving the football, but it was mistakes, penalties and just better opponents that did them in.
   Mustang head coach Steve Venuto took his hat off to Roselle Park.
   "They were a good team physically and they beat us up front," Venuto said. "When the score was 13-6 early on we had a shot, but we let it get away. We hung in there, and I have respect for the kids for playing hard and giving the effort that they did."
   MHS won the toss and following the opening kickoff Manville began on its own 19-yard line. On first down, senior running back Nick Conti gained a yard. On second down, quarterback Rich Maychrich was sacked by Panther linebacker Paul Alvarez. Faced with third and long, the Mustangs played it safe as running back Tom Kosensky was only able to gain two yards forcing MHS to punt.
   The kick by Mustang punter Thomas Kennedy was a good one, but unfortunately it was returned all the way by Adriel Vargas and after the 38-yard score Roselle Park jumped out to an early 7-0 lead.
   For the second week in a row, the Mustangs’ special teams allowed a touchdown early in the game. Johnson’s James Molloy returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown in the previous game.
   Manville also had problems all night handling kickoffs against Roselle Park. Numerous drops led to poor field position, which is something the team can ill afford. Venuto promised after the game that "changes would be made" and that he was disappointed that his team allowed the Panthers to score on the punt return.
   Manville could do very little on its next possession. Except for a five-yard completion from Maychrich to junior tight end Ryan Gilmore, the team didn’t move and was forced to punt.
   The Panthers took over on the Mustang 42-yard line and went to their running game. Jason Bonilla carried five times for 29 yards and culminated the drive when he took it in from three yards out to extend the Roselle Park lead to 13-0. Conti blocked the extra point.
   With just over five minutes to go in the first quarter, the Mustangs got things going. Starting at its own 22-yard line, Manville first went to the ground. Senior back Rich Weber, following a nice block from Kosensky, gained 13 yards. Roselle Park was hit with an interference penalty on the next down, giving Manville a first down at the Roselle Park 49. After an incomplete pass and a seven-yard scamper by Maychrich, MHS was faced with a third and three. Maychrich connected with Gilmore again for nine yards and the first down.
   The Mustangs got 11 more yards as Weber took a quick pitch and got outside for the first down. Manville then cashed in, thanks to a great pass by Maychrich to Gilmore for 23 yards that brought the Mustangs to within seven at 13-6.
   For the remainder of the first quarter and until just over four minutes were left in the first half, it became a defensive struggle. Finally, after a good return Roselle Park broke through as Alvarez took it over from eight yards out and with two minutes remaining (the two-point conversion was good), the Panther lead was 21-6.
   The Mustangs tried to get something going on their next possession but they were hit with a intentional grounding penalty that pushed them back to the 13-yard line. Two plays later, a Maychrich pass was intercepted and returned for a 25-yard touchdown and as the half came to a close MHS trailed 28-6. Roselle Park never looked back.
   The Panthers added scores by Sean Kachnowski and Gary Taluba in the second half. The Roselle Park defense was so dominant that in the second half the Mustangs failed to pick up a first down.
   "They were a tougher team than us," Kosensky said. "We have to work on our defense and special teams and take away the big play. We made some mistakes and we know we have to do."
   MHS has some tough games coming up against North Plainfield and David Brearley. The Mustangs will have to play smart football and cut down on their mistakes to have any chance.