Team can be best in over a decade
By: Rudy Brandl
The Manville High football team has a real opportunity to complete a special season. After two consecutive winless years, the Mustangs still have a chance to finish with a .500 record in 2005.
Three teams with comparable records will provide the opposition for the Mustangs (2-5), who broke a five-game losing streak with a 26-6 victory over South Hunterdon last Friday night. Manville’s November trifecta begins Friday night at North Warren and continues either Nov. 11 or 12 vs. a Group 1 consolation team and ends Thanksgiving Day at home vs. rival Bound Brook.
Manville’s chances for a non-losing campaign would be even better if the team had not blown a great chance against Princeton Day School in its home opener back in September. PDS squeaked by with a 6-0 victory on a defensive touchdown. If the Mustangs had won that game, they might be playing for a state playoff berth this Friday night at North Warren.
The Mustangs aren’t looking back to that game. There’s plenty of time to cry about past mistakes when the season ends later this month. Right now, Brett Stibitz’s team must look ahead.
MHS has a very real opportunity to end the season on a four-game winning streak. It won’t be easy, but the Mustangs are capable of beating North Warren, a consolation game opponent to be determined next week and Bound Brook.
North Warren will come into the game a little angry after suffering a 14-13 loss to Bound Brook. Manville is riding high after scoring four touchdowns for the second time in a victory this year. It should be very interesting to see which team wants it more.
Friday’s game also gives the Mustangs another chance to see how they measure up to their Turkey Day rivals against a common opponent. Bound Brook has played tougher against Roselle Park and beaten Princeton Day School but the Crusaders were destroyed by David Brearley, a team that Manville gave some problems and trailed only 7-6 at the half.
The Mustangs have shown they can win without one of their top players. Mike Knitowski did not play Friday night in Manville and the home team unveiled a new combination. Quarterback Anthony Palovick and receiver Robert Wood hooked up for two touchdown passes in the first half to jump-start the offense.
Manville is averaging 11 points per game in Stibitz’s first year at the helm. The Mustangs have already beaten two schools that handled them last season. They’ve scored in five of seven games, a huge improvement over most recent seasons.
Last year, MHS was shut out in half its games and only scored 50 points the entire year. In 2003, Manville managed only 12 points and was shut out eight times in the first of two straight 0-10 campaigns. This program is clearly on the way up.
However, the progress must not stop here. If they can keep it going, these players have an opportunity to post the program’s first non-losing season since Don Somma coached the Mustangs in 1991.
Let’s not starting talking about beating Bound Brook just yet. Yes, that’s a big deal, in fact a huge deal. But just think how big that Turkey Day victory will be if it completes a 5-5 season.

