History!

Falcons finally playoff bound

By: Ken Weingartner
   In the future, history will show that Monroe Township High’s football team played its first playoff game the weekend of Nov. 10-11, 2006.
   Yet, in the minds of many players, the first playoff game will have been two weeks earlier. It will have been a win. It will have washed away disappointment and lifted the program to new heights.
   The Falcons rallied for a 21-20 victory last Friday at South Plainfield, another postseason contender, as Ryan Cushman connected with Christian Hanley on a 15-yard touchdown pass with 1:51 to play. Matt Nawracaj’s extra-point kick provided the margin of victory and ensured Monroe (7-1) a berth in the Central Jersey Group III playoffs.
   "It feels great; all the hard work is paying off now," said Cushman, whose TD toss to Hanley was his 14th of the season, establishing a new school record. "We prepared all week saying that this was our first playoff game. The whole environment and atmosphere were great. We needed this."
   A year ago, Monroe was 6-2 at playoff time, but failed to qualify on a tiebreaker.
   "We remembered how hard it was to lose on a tiebreaker and we just want to make a big impact," said Cushman, a three-year starter for Monroe. "We learned we have to take advantage of every opportunity. There are times in a game you might want to give up on a play, but you can’t; things can happen in a second. You can’t give up on any play because you don’t know what it will mean or how things will turn out."
   The Falcons’ battle against South Plainfield (5-3) was a see-saw affair that saw the teams trade touchdowns to the final minute.
   Mark Gulick scored on runs of 5 and 17 yards for Monroe. He finished with 72 yards on 17 carries while Ryan Meseroll had 115 yards on 22 hauls. Cushman, for his part, was 8 of 13 for 137 yards and no interceptions on a wet and windy night.
   "Gulick had a great game," Monroe coach Pat Dowling said. "Even though Meseroll broke the 100-plus yard mark, Gulick gave us some stints in there; he gave us a real boost that we needed."
   The Falcons’ defense forced South Plainfield to punt with 3:33 to play, thanks in part to two tackles in the backfield by Gabe Lawrence. Cushman then went 4-for-4 for 56 yards on the winning drive.
   "I learned a lot from mistakes I made in the past; I knew had to protect the ball and move downfield, and I felt confident in my receivers to make the plays," Cushman said. "I liked it; it was do or die. The conditions were pretty bad, but I knew the plays were working; I knew the routes and scheme were there. I had a pretty clear vision we were going to be able move the ball."
   Hanley made two catches on the drive, including the game-winner, which he held onto after taking a hard hit from a South Plainfield defender.
   "I was just thinking that we’ve got to get to the playoffs and someone, anyone, has got to make a play," Hanley said. "When Coach gave me a chance, I knew I could do it. I didn’t really feel anything after I made the catch; I just held onto the ball and saw the ref put his hands up. That was it."
   Cushman’s reaction was simply stated.
   "Honestly," he said, "it was probably one of the best feelings of my life."