Girls, wrestlers hope to make state playoffs
By: Rudy Brandl
Manville High’s athletic teams enter the new year with mixed resolutions. Some are entertaining hopes of making the state playoffs, while others are simply looking to get in the win column.
The wrestling team, which opened the 2005 calendar with a tough dual meet at Bound Brook last night, hopes to stay in the .500 range and qualify for the state playoffs for the first time in head coach Brett Stibitz’s five-year tenure. The Mustangs salvaged a split of their December dual meets, rocking Sussex Vo-Tech on Senior Night after losing at Franklin.
MHS defeated three teams and finished a respectable ninth at the Somerset County Championships.
Manville put 14 wrestlers on the mat in both December duals and expects to do so in most matches. A full lineup will go a long way in helping the Mustangs beat teams like New Brunswick, Wardlaw-Hartridge, Roselle Catholic and Spotswood. If the team can find a way to win a few more, there could be an important match or two in the middle of February.
Senior 215-pounder Armand Fodorean made a statement in the county tournament, finishing second in his weight class. Fodorean also had a solid showing at the Garden State Tournament and should be a force at the top of the lineup this winter.
Tuan Anh Lee (103) and Mike Zala (152) were the only Mustangs to win both dual meet bouts. Lee had a forfeit and a pin, while Zala posted a major decision and won by forfeit. J.J. Artfitch (119) and Nate Bott (189) notched pins in the team’s 72-12 rout of Sussex Vo-Tech.
The MHS girls’ basketball team salvaged a split in the holiday tournament to close the 2004 portion of the schedule with a 1-3 mark. The Lady Mustangs return to the hardwood tomorrow night with their first home game of the season vs. Newark Central.
Freshman point guard Rhianna Lebedz sparked the team to its only win, a 38-31 triumph over host Dunellen in the first game of the holiday tourney. Lebedz, who is averaging around six points per game, scored all seven of her points at Dunellen in the fourth quarter when the MHS girls closed out their victory. She went 3-for-4 from the line and added two field goals in the frame.
Dana Delesky, who fired in 36 points during the team’s first three games, is Manville’s leading scorer. Katy Walinchus and Amy Walinchus have provided solid play in the front court. Sarah Ortman, Robyn Barb and Christine Bradley have also contributed.
The Lady Mustangs had one bad quarter in the holiday finale vs. Middlesex and suffered a 58-36 loss. None of the team’s upcoming games should be as challenging as that one.
Second-year head coach Kyle Rehrig still expects his club to qualify for the playoffs, but the Lady Mustangs have to start their rally to the post-season tomorrow night. MHS could be back at .500 by early next week when it travels to Sussex Vo-Tech. Then, the girls play three straight games vs. Union County foes at David Brearley, home vs. Roselle Park and at St. Mary’s.
The Manville boys are still looking for their first win after an 0-2 showing in the holiday tournament. The team’s latest defeat, a 52-47 loss to Bound Brook, was the most devastating. The Crusaders ended a 30-game losing streak with that victory in the consolation game of the tourney.
MHS played reasonably well in a home loss to New Providence in its second game but wasn’t at all competitive vs. Oratory Prep in the opener or Dunellen in the first holiday game. The Mustangs had visions of entering the New Year on a high but Bound Brook squashed those hopes and celebrated a big win.
The Mustangs start 2005 tomorrow night with a trip to Springfield to face Jonathan Dayton. The team takes another ride to Union County next Monday to face Roselle Park before returning home for three straight games. The homestand begins with Sussex Vo-Tech coming to Manville next Tuesday.
Kyle Sopko (40 points) and Brian Hahn (35 points) have led the team’s balanced attack, while Anthony Palovick, Mike Knitowski and Robert Wood have all scored 30 points. Five guys are averaging over seven points per game, so this team should start beating some people.
While the Mustangs hope to win a game soon, they have to be looking forward to their Jan. 20 trip to Bound Brook. The Crusaders visit Manville Feb. 15. Those should be two good ones.
Any success these teams enjoy in January will make February a whole lot more interesting in the world of Manville High sports.

