State berth another step in building a program

By: Ken Weingartner
   When the Monroe Township High football team won seven games last season, establishing a school record, and nearly qualified for the state sectional playoffs for the first time in history, it was one of the feel-good stories of the year.
   In their first 29 years, the Falcons had just eight seasons of .500 or better. In 1996, the program was disbanded in midseason because of a lack of players. It was reinstated the following year, and Monroe won a total of 20 games from that point through 2004.
   So, clearly, going 7-3 in 2005 was good reason to celebrate. Yet, it wasn’t enough.
   "Our motto all year has been about taking care of unfinished business," said third-year Falcons coach Pat Dowling, whose team improved to 7-1 this season and notched the first playoff berth in school history with a dramatic 21-20 win last Friday at South Plainfield.
   "Everything we did last year was great and made people feel good and made for a nice year-end banquet, but behind closed doors we kept it in perspective. A lot of teams go 7-3, and do it every year. We reminded the guys that there still were no state championship banners or playoffs at Monroe.
   "We told them that we’re looking to build a program here, not just a season."
   When Dowling arrived at Monroe in 2004, he said the situation wasn’t as bleak as many people thought. His predecessor, Jim Griffin, went 12-18 during his tenure, but there were numerous indications the program was moving in the right direction.
   Dowling also vowed that no teams would work harder than the Falcons and said he was committed to building character on and off the field.
   "I knew he was on his way to turning the program around," said junior Christian Hanley, whose touchdown catch with 1:51 to play last week against South Plainfield helped lift the Falcons to victory.
   "He believed in us and we believed in ourselves. He’s taught us to play hard, to play with urgency. He’s taught us about character, not just in football and sports; how you make yourself better or make the people around you better no matter what you’re doing and represent your family as best you can."
   When the Falcons found out they were going to miss the playoffs last year on a tiebreaker, it served as additional motivation.
   "The next day we were in the weight room, working out," senior co-captain Matt Troncone said. "We didn’t want to have that heartbreaking feeling again. We call each other ‘brothers’ because we’re the only ones that knew from the beginning that we’d be where we are now; the Falcons Family. That’s what keeps us going.
   "It feels really good. We always wanted to create a dynasty; we’re just putting the concrete down and the guys behind us will build off it. Next year, they’ll try to go undefeated and take it further. That’s the way a program is built."