By: Ken Weingartner
Last year, when New Brunswick beat the Monroe High football team 73-6, the game was decided before it even began.
If the Falcons beat New Brunswick in a battle of unbeaten teams on 1 p.m. Saturday at Monroe, the same might be the case.
Conditioning, preparation and attitude could be determining factors.
"I honestly feel we lost that game last year when we walked on the field," senior lineman Justin Lupo said. "Nobody was ready to play. They were a state championship team, unbeaten at the time, and we saw them beating opponents pretty good. At that time, we’d lost five or six in a row, which didn’t help the situation at all.
"This year, everyone is ready to go; there’s no fear in anybody’s eyes. We’re going to walk on the field and play football. Condition-wise, all of us believe we’re the best-conditioned team that walks on the field. When the fourth quarter comes, everyone is holding their heads high, not huffing and puffing. That wasn’t happening last year."
Monroe improved to 5-0 overall and 4-0 in the Greater Middlesex Conference White Division with an 8-0 win at South River in a steady rain last weekend. Jarred Jimenez scored on a 1-yard run following a fumble recovery by Derek Melnyk early in the first quarter.
It was the Falcons’ first win over South River since an 18-0 triumph in 1983 and the first time the Rams were shutout in a regular season game since then. It also extended Monroe’s program-best start to a season.
"That was a big win," Lupo said. "We knew it would be a tough game, especially because of the weather conditions. Our defense has been doing an incredible job keeping points to a minimum. Last year, people were playing like individuals; everyone wanted to be a hero. This year, we’ve preached being 1/11th on defense playing our positions and doing our assignments. We’re playing as a team instead of for ourselves."
Monroe, which was 1-9 last year, has outscored its opponents by an average of 30-7 this season and has posted two shutouts. The players have repeatedly cited conditioning and the addition of new defensive coordinator Chris Beagan as reasons for the turnaround.
"We did a lot of lifting weights and running in the offseason and we’re a lot more disciplined than last year," senior lineman Nick Zirkel said. "Coach Beagan, he tells us what we need to do, where we need to be on plays. As long as we listen to him and do our assignments, we’re in the right spot. Everyone is making plays."
Beagan, a Monroe resident who previously coached at Sayreville, downplayed his role.
"The kids worked real hard last summer and they’re buying into what we’re teaching them," he said. "It’s nothing fancy. We study and work hard like everyone else. It’s really no magic. They’ve got a bunch of people in the coaches that believe in them, and they’ve done the rest. They feed off themselves. It’s been a team effort across the board."
New Brunswick improved to 4-0 both overall and in the White Division with a 35-7 win over Colonia last week. The Zebras, who are outscoring their foes 30-15 on average, are ranked 13th in the state and earlier this season won at No. 20 Carteret.
"They have so much speed and are well-coached," Beagan said. "They really don’t turn the ball over much, and when they get a turnover they turn it into points. They’re very disciplined."
The Zebras entered this year 32-2 in their three previous seasons; Monroe was 8-22 during that span. But the Falcons’ play this season has opened eyes and created excitement in the township. The squad is ranked sixth in Central Jersey Group III as it bids to become the first from the school to qualify for the postseason. The top eight teams make the playoffs.
"We’re 5-0, and that’s as good as it gets right now," Lupo said. "It’s so great; I really haven’t felt anything better. Last year, it was tough to walk around. When people asked you where you played football and you told them ‘Monroe,’ they looked at you cross-eyed. Now, everyone is proud to be on the football team."
Few people on the Monroe sideline, though, expect the Zebras to be impressed.
"I think there are a lot of teams that don’t believe it," Beagan said. "There’s only one way to handle it show up whether they think you’re good or not. They’re on the schedule. Just go play."
Zirkel agreed.
"We don’t need respect," he said. "We have our team and our coaches, that’s all we need. We’ve already made history, now we’re trying to make states. We’re excited to play this week. Hopefully, we come out Saturday and outhit them and outwork them. We’re just going to play our game and see what happens."
