MHS proved worthy of playoff status

Two-year journey lands in post-season

By: Rudy Brandl
   SOUTH RIVER — The Manville High football team made its town proud in Saturday’s Central Jersey Group 1 playoff game at South River.
   More than 200 fans made the trip to Middlesex County to witness the first state playoff football game in school history and they were treated to an exciting game. Many folks, especially over on the South River side, were expecting a lopsided contest. Things were moving in that direction after the Rams bolted to a 21-0 lead, but the Mustangs were not about to be embarrassed on this historic afternoon.
   Manville stated making plays on both sides of the ball and found ways to get back in the game. This one was still competitive and interesting well into the fourth quarter. That’s just icing on the cake for what already has been a very special season for the Mustangs.
A long road
   
No matter what happened in Saturday’s game, it must be considered a success. It’s not cliché to say the Mustangs were just happy to be there. Of course, they wanted to win. But they must take great pride in the journey that got them to this point.
   Two years ago, this team was mired in a two-year, 19-game losing streak while preparing to play a game at Bound Brook on Thanksgiving Eve. Now, the Mustangs are getting ready for the same game on the same field with a much different outlook.
   Brett Stibitz, the defensive coordinator on those teams that went 0-20 over the 2003-04 seasons, was hired as head coach prior to the 2005 season. After guiding the Mustangs to a turnaround 3-7 campaign last year, Stibitz took his team to the state playoffs in his second season at the helm.
   Stibitz was emotional during the post-game speech to his players Saturday. He reminded them of their place in Manville history. He told the Mustangs it has been an honor to coach them. He made sure no players were hanging their heads. They made history and proved they belonged on the same field with a school that has produced 23 sectional championships.
   Manville was the only school in Central Jersey that had never participated in a state playoff game. Two years ago, it didn’t look like that fact was going to change any time soon.
   Stibitz and a young group of sophomores never stopped believing or working toward their goal. They put in extra hours during the summer, both in the weight room and in mini-camps to strengthen their bodies and hone their skills. They gained confidence as young men and athletes and even acquired a little swagger during a 6-0 start in their senior season.
   Forget the fact that the Mustangs are taking a three-game losing streak into the holiday game at Bound Brook. This program had a three-game losing streak in almost every month during the past decade. It’s been 15 years since the last winning season at Manville. This team just played a postseason football game.
   "It means a lot to all of us, especially the seniors," MHS senior quarterback Mike Knitowski said. "We worked really hard to get here. It’s just too bad we lost."
   "This turnaround we had means a lot," added senior running back Tommy Rock, who leads the Mustangs with 1,100 rushing yards. "It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever done."
   Once they arrived in the playoffs, the Mustangs weren’t about to exit without making a statement. Early on, it looked like a South River rout. The Rams had a 21-0 lead early in the second period and many recent Manville teams would have folded their tents and gone home 48-0 down.
   Not this group.
   This edition of the Mustangs has way too much pride to allow that to happen. They dug in, played tougher defense and made some plays on offense and got back in the game. By the end of the third quarter, they trailed by only a touchdown.
   "We kind of stumbled around in the first half but then we got it going," Stibitz said. "It was all heart. We didn’t do anything different in the second half. It was just unbelievable determination by these guys."
RU similar?
The game took on a bit of a Rutgers feel in the second half with the underdogs gaining momentum on defense and getting back in the game. Just like the Scarlet Knights clamped down on Louisville en route to their dramatic comeback victory on ESPN last Thursday night, the Mustangs were setting the tone with defensive stops and starting to make things interesting. The only thing missing was the 44,000 screaming fans.
   We’ve made this comparison before, especially with former MHS star and Rutgers linebacker Chris Cebula now working as an assistant coach at Manville. Although the Mustangs are no longer unbeaten or in the hunt for a title, their climb to prominence has come at the same time as Rutgers’ jump to the national spotlight.
   The Mustangs did their own version of chopping away in Saturday’s playoff battle. South River was starting to feel the heat. The Rams committed several penalties, including two personal fouls after the Mustangs had cut their lead to seven points. The head referee warned both captains and benches that future flagrant penalties would yield ejections. Both teams settled down and played football and there wasn’t another penalty the rest of the day.
Stat breakdown
   
The final stat sheet revealed some interesting numbers. Obviously, the biggest stat was turnovers, where South River won the game with a 5-1 edge in takeaways. All the turnovers in the game were interceptions.
   Manville had the edge in rushing yards (100-78) and yards per carry (3.2-2.3). South River’s passing game gave the Mustangs some trouble. Six different Ram receivers hauled in 11 passes for 185 yards, a huge advantage over Manville’s three receptions for 63 yards.
   South River owned a 12-5 edge in first downs and a three-minute advantage in time of possession, but all of that came in the final quarter. The first three periods were basically dead even.
   The Rams held a big advantage in punting average yardage (35-25) but also committed eight penalties for 80 yards, while MHS played a very disciplined game with two penalties for 20 yards. Even when the Rams got a little feisty, the Mustangs did not retaliate and pile up the penalties.
   South River veteran head coach Rick Marchesi was impressed with Manville’s effort. He told MHS assistant coach Chris Casamento to relay the message to the Mustangs after the game.
   The Mustangs left the field with pride. They earned their trip to the playoffs and made the most of their historic day in the sun.