Knitowski, Rodriguez lead rout
By: Shawn Tyrrell
Four games in a row and counting.
The 2006 Manville High football team not only continued to win last Friday night but did so in an impressive fashion again. The Mustangs rolled over visiting Bernards 49-6 improving to 4-0 on the season. Not since 1968 has any Manville football team been undefeated this far into the campaign.
For MHS, the formula has changed from game to game depending on the opposition, and last Friday against the Mountaineers the Mustang offense mixed in more passing than in previous weeks while keeping the Bernards defense guessing all evening long.
Overall the Manville offense churned out 229 yards on 41 carries, while quarterback Mike Knitowski completed 5-of-13 passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns while running for three others.
"Our offense was fantastic this week," Knitowski said. "The line did another outstanding job blocking up front. I was surprised we passed so much, but when a team tries to take away the run against us we have to change things up."
"Overall, the team played a good game and we had minimal mistakes," MHS head coach Brett Stibitz added. "We played pretty much error-free, but we still have a long way to go."
The Mustangs ended September with a perfect record. They’ll face Princeton Day School, South Hunterdon and Belvidere this month.
Bernards played hard early in the game but simply couldn’t stop the Mustangs.
"That was a good football team we played tonight," Knitowski said. "Even though their record was 0-3, they battled us in the first half and you have to give them credit."
Besides the passing game, MHS got solid performances from senior backs Tommy Rock and Leo Rodriguez, who rushed for 62 and 68 yards, respectively. Rodriguez was a tough tackle all night and on numerous rushes fought for additional yardage enabling the Mustang offense to pick up crucial first downs. The senior back was happy with the team’s fast start.
"For us to be 4-0 it is a great feeling," Rodriguez said. "I remember back to when we were freshmen and we would lose. Even though we didn’t do well we started to build a team even then. Now all of us are seniors and we have put ourselves in a good position to have a very successful season. We still have a lot of work ahead of us and we have to continue to work hard every week."
While the Manville offense put up over 40 points for the third straight game, the Mustang defense was stifling the Mountaineer attack. On the evening the unit sacked Bernards quarterback Tony Barone seven times for a total of 41 yards and if they weren’t getting to him they were forcing him to rush his passes down the field. They also limited the Mountaineer offense to just 36 yards rushing and 65 yards through the air and Rob Wood and Joe Burnett recovered fumbles. Jamie Levine, Wood, Jack Calvo, Pat Horner, Anthony Palovick, Glenn Hall and Matt Golen all contributed sacks for the Mustangs.
Offensively, it took MHS a little while to get going but on the team’s second possession (after great field position following a Bernards punt), Knitowski hit Tommy Rock for a 37-yard completion to move the ball down to the seven-yard line. On the next play, Knitowski made a nice fake to the right and went around left end and into the end zone untouched for the first score of the game. Rob Wood’s extra point kick was good and with 7:54 remaining in the first quarter MHS had a 7-0 lead.
The Mustang offense struck again late in the quarter when the team got great field position for the second time. Starting at the 49-yard line of the Mountaineers, Rodriguez ripped off 18 yards behind the blocking of Hall to move the ball to the 31. Six plays later, Knitowski found a streaking Kyle Sopko in the left corner of the end zone and Sopko made a spectacular grab while keeping both feet in bounds for the touchdown.
It took another two minutes before the Mustang offense added another score as a bad snap on a punt cost Bernards dearly. Two plays later Knitowski, as he was being forced out of bounds by the Mountaineer defense, somehow managed to find Rock in the back of the end zone from 23 yards out to push the advantage to 21-0.
Bernards never got going, but Manville continued to pour it on scoring on a 31-yard field goal by Wood and a one yard run by Knitowski to close out the first half. MHS tacked on three touchdowns in the fourth period – a four-yard run by Rodriguez, Knitowski’s third touchdown run on the evening on an eight-yard run and Brian Rock’s 33-yard dash up the right sideline for the final points of the game.
Manville is looking ahead to Saturday afternoon’s game with a Princeton Day team that defeated the Mustangs 6-0 last season. After a bye week, the team will get set for matchups with South Hunterdon, Belvidere and North Warren.
One more win and the team can guarantee a winning season. After that, who know how far this talented group can go?

