Boys beat Dayton on Senior Night

MUSTANG ROUNDUP

By: Rudy Brandl
   
   The Manville High boys’ basketball team is loaded with upperclassmen, so it was only fitting that the Mustangs beat an old rival on Senior Night.
   Manville continued its recent surge of solid play by posting its second home victory in as many nights. While most people expected the Mustangs to beat Bound Brook in the first round of the Somerset County Tournament, many had to figure it would be tough to knock off Jonathan Dayton Regional of Springfield the following evening.
   Dayton destroyed Manville twice last winter, posting lopsided victories by margins of 33 and 23 points. But this is a different Manville team and the proud seniors led the way to an exciting 57-54 victory.
   Although this was a night for the seniors, a Manville junior had the biggest game of all. Point guard Eddie Gryzeski found the hot hand from the perimeter, nailing five 3-point goals to lead the Mustangs with 19 points. Dayton’s Mike Nittolo also hit four threes and finished with a game-high 26 points.
   Manville had a huge night from behind the arc, hitting 10 bombs to account for more than half the points. Senior center Mark Maychrich popped out from the paint and drilled three shots from long range, while Brian Teryek and Joe McCarthy also connected from downtown.
   Maychrich had a solid all-around game with 15 points and seven rebounds. It was the fourth straight game in which Maychrich tallied at least 15 points.
   Manville’s third straight victory ran the team’s record to 12-4 at the qualifying deadline for the Central Jersey Group 1 playoffs. The Mustangs should get a high seed in the CJ 1 bracket with at least one home game.
Wrestlers lose
to an old rival
   
Last week’s wrestling match between Manville and Middlesex featured a reunion of old rivals, teams that had staged some memorable battles over the years. With Manville struggling with numbers and Middlesex on the rise, this match wasn’t very close. Middlesex won 11 of the 14 bouts to post a 66-15 victory.
   However, Manville coach Brett Stibitz took a positive look at the result. The Mustangs forfeited four weight classes and gave up a pin in a bout they were dominating. Take away those 30 points and give six to Manville and it’s a much closer match.
   "It was a great match for the kids," Stibitz said. "In the matches we wrestled, we did OK. The kids are starting to believe in themselves."
   Manville 103-pounder Mark Gregor nearly pinned Niko Kostopoulos twice in the first period and owned a commanding 8-1 lead in the second period. Gregor made a mistake and got caught for a pin at 2:22. That 12-point swing contributed to the lopsided result. Middlesex beefed up its point total by notching seven pins.
   All three Manville victories came in the upper weights. Sophomore 215-pounder Ed Zuza pinned Brian Wertheim in 1:33 and senior heavyweight Kile Galasso decked Chad LaSala in 3:50. Junior 152-pounder Jason Lebedz added a 6-2 decision over Gela Jagatshvili.
   The Mustangs returned to action the following day with an afternoon-evening tri-meet vs. Newark Central and Rahway. After beating Central for their third win of the season, the Mustangs dropped a 72-9 result to powerful Rahway.
   "That’s one of the best teams we’ll wrestle all year," Stibitz said. "I just wanted to see my guys show some fire."
   Rahway (10-1) registered seven falls and accepted four forfeits to build a 66-0 lead before the Mustangs got on the board at 189. Senior Joe Zuza snapped a personal skid with a tough 4-2 decision over Chuck Pius. Galasso later decked Darnell Butler in 1:08 to close the match.
   Manville was scheduled to host David Brearley of Kenilworth in the home finale this Saturday afternoon.