The football team starts anew in more ways than one Saturday when it opens the 2001 campaign at Dunellen.
By: Shawn Tyrrell
The 2001 Manville High School football program will start anew in more ways than one this Saturday afternoon when the team opens the 2001 campaign on the road against Dunellen.
For MHS it will be the beginning for new head coach Mike Herrera, who takes over for former coach Steve Venuto. Coach Herrera will try to do what hasn’t been done since the early 1990s help the Mustangs obtain a winning season.
Coach Herrera, despite starting late since he was not approved for the job until about a month ago, has roared out of the gates and has not stopped running. He immediately got the players into the weight room and has the Mustangs trying to learn both new defensive and offensive schemes. At the onset of his hiring, Coach Herrera had only 19 athletes who had obtained physicals, but in the past few weeks the Mustangs have grown to 33 strong (including freshmen).
With his first game rapidly approaching, Coach Herrera is poised and ready to go.
"I am very lucky to have been hired and been able to put together such a great staff." Coach Herrera said. "The kids have been working really hard and responding well and the attention level is where it needs to be."
Coach Herrera’s biggest concern was "getting everything in before the season started" and if the early scrimmages have been any indication, then the team seems to be right where it should be.
Last Friday, the Mustangs squared off against former Thanksgiving Day rival Middlesex. Although it was only a scrimmage, MHS came away with a 31-7 triumph and Coach Herrera was more than pleased.
"We played well and came out of the contest with no serious injuries," he said. "I am confident we will be ready to go. We have done everything right so far."
Coach Herrera has already done many things right. The new head man helped his own cause in a big way with the staff he has assembled. Joining him are former head coach Don Somma, (who pioneered the last winning season at Manville), Ned Panfile, Kevin Hurt, Brett Stibitz and Jason Borawski. Coach Somma will handle the quarterbacks and running backs, while Coach Hurt will concentrate on the defensive secondary. Coach Stibitz will help out in the secondary and help develop the wide receivers, with Coach Borawski working with the tight ends.
Perhaps the biggest addition to the team besides Coach Somma and his experience is that of Coach Panfile, who will concentrate on the defensive side of the football. The veteran coach and former vice principal has been involved in one way or another in Manville sports for over 40 years. Like Coach Somma, Coach Panfile will undoubtedly be able to help Coach Herrera in any way possible.
Offensively, the Mustangs will go with an "I" set with junior Rob Snyder (5-11,170) calling the signals. Joining Snyder in the backfield will be seniors Ed Mathewson (5-10,160), Travis Curley (5-9, 165) and Chris Hardgrove (5-9, 165) and sophomore Franklin Andreyko. Mathewson and Andreyko will be the running backs, while Hardgrove and Curley will rotate at the fullback position.
The offensive line should feature junior John Pfoutz (5-10, 175) at center, with seniors Jeff Millhouse (5-10, 175), Tom Kennedy (5-10, 170) and Mike Andreychik (5-11, 195) at the guard position. Juniors Kyle Galasso (6-0, 250), Mike Vagi (6-0, 225) and James Noble (5-11,190) will occupy the tackle spots. Junior tight end Ryan Gilmore (6-3, 195) returns as a dangerous receiver and will be backed up by sophomore Glen Lisczack 6-0,165).
Finishing out the offensive side of the ball at wide receiver are senior Chris Gonzalez (5-10, 165), and juniors John Gangwer (6-2, 150) and Justin Jurkowski (6-0, 165).
Many of the same faces will key the defense. Andreyko and Gonzalez will be the safeties with Jurkowski and Mathewson manning the cornerback positions. Also seeing time in the defensive backfield will be junior Eric Mighin, senior Steve Zazenkow and sophomore Chris Tazick (5-10, 160).
Up until the first whistle blows, the Mustangs will keep preparing. Six practices a week should have the team ready for Dunellen. Though a small school, the Destroyers took it to Manville last season in a 41-0 romp. MHS has a lot to prove and this could be a good test for Coach Herrera and his staff to begin the season. Only time will tell if the new coach and his staff had enough time to pull everything together.
One interesting note to the scheduling is the loss of Jonathan Dayton Regional as an opponent. The Bulldogs didn’t field a team this year and the Sept. 22 open date has yet to be filled. It could become a concern, since Manville would have two weeks off in between the opener and the Sept. 29 game at Johnson Regional in Clark. The administration hopes to find an opponent.

