High flying Falcons wary of Perth Amboy

Despite Panthers 1-4 record; Dowling wants no slip-ups

By: Ken Weingartner
   The Monroe Township High and Perth Amboy football teams have split a pair of overtime thrillers the last two seasons.
   Falcons coach Pat Dowling is hoping for a less dramatic outcome this year.
   Monroe travels to Perth Amboy tonight looking to spoil the Panthers’ Homecoming festivities. A victory also would solidify the Falcons’ position among the top teams in Central Jersey Group III as they bid for a playoff spot.
   The Falcons, who improved to 5-1 with a 20-0 win at Bishop Ahr last week, occupy the No. 6 spot in the power rankings, from which the top eight advance to the postseason. Last year, Monroe was 6-2 at the cutoff point, but missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker.
   "They would like nothing more than to spoil our season; we can’t afford to let them hang around with us," Dowling said of Perth Amboy, which is 1-4. "We’re going in as the top dog, or one of them, anyway. Last year, we were the new kid on the block trying to make a name for ourselves. It’s a new role, but one that I think they’re ready for. They know 6-2 didn’t get us in last year; they know there isn’t too much room for error."
   With wins over Perth Amboy and South Plainfield next week, the Falcons would leave nothing to chance. In fact, they would be in position for a home game in the opening round of the playoffs.
   "We have an opportunity to control our own destiny, unlike last year," Dowling said. "We’ve got eight quarters to go, this is no time to slip up. We’ve had two dogfights with Perth Amboy and they’re going to look at us as a team they can beat. We need to come out of the gate and knock some of the fizzle out of them."
   Monroe took the fizzle out of Bishop Ahr last week, thanks in large part to the continued outstanding play of receiver T.J. Denehy. The senior caught seven passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns last week, all in the first half. Denehy has 25 catches for 522 yards and seven TDs this season, not to mention a 77-yard kick return for a score.
   "T.J. has done an unbelievable job," Dowling said. "We needed him to step up when David (Gregor) was injured, and he was more than willing to accept it. He’s one of the hardest working kids and practices at full speed every day. He’s a great leader and a great captain. He’s playing well on both sides of the ball.
   "That’s going to help us push for states. We’re going to turn to our leading receiver from last year (Gregor) to be the ‘other’ guy. That makes us happy as a coaching staff because we know we’re getting stronger as a team."
   Ryan Meseroll, another player who stepped up his game this year because of injury, had 123 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries against Bishop Ahr. Ryan Cushman completed 12 of 19 passes for 209 yards and the two touchdowns to Denehy.
   "We played well early," Dowling said. "Offensively, we didn’t do much in the second half and put our defense on the field a lot. I think our offense got complacent and didn’t match Bishop Ahr’s intensity. I thought we could have put a couple more touchdowns on the board. We need to finish these off.
   "Our defense played solid. They got the shutout they thought they should have got the week before (in a 27-7 win over Spotswood). We’ve played a real good last eight quarters on defense."
   Monroe finished with a 3-1 record in the Greater Middlesex Conference Blue Division, the same record as South River. The Falcons lost in overtime to South River, but still are claiming a share of the league title – even if the GMC bylaws say the Rams take the crown based on the result of their head-to-head encounter.
   "We’re telling the kids not to let anyone tell them otherwise – they’re champions," Dowling said.