Mustangs fall short in red zone

South escapes town with 14-7 win

by Shawn Tyrrell, Sports Writer
   Last Friday night the fans of both Manville and South Hunterdon were treated to an intense, good old-fashioned high school football game at Ned Panfile Stadium.
   The Mustangs and Eagles were two teams that were about as evenly matched as can be. It took all 48 minutes of the game before the final outcome was decided. Unfortunately, MHS came out on the losing end of a 14-7 decision.
   In the past Manville has gotten beaten by some pretty good teams and lost games because of errors and turnovers, but on this evening the Mustangs lost because they simply couldn’t get into the end zone. Three times the team was inside the South Hunterdon 20-yard line and twice inside the 10, and not once did the Manville offense cash in on the opportunity.
   Statistically, the Mustangs out-gained the Eagles 234 yards to 154. MHS forced a turnover and controlled the line of scrimmage, yet couldn’t make the big play when it was needed. It was a game the Mustangs should have won but they allowed South Hunterdon to hang around long enough and the visiting team did just enough to gain the victory.
   ”We gave this one away,” Manville head coach Brett Stibitz said afterward. “Hats of to them (South Hunterdon) for putting the ball in when they had to. When inside the red zone you have to get into the end zone. We didn’t do that and it really hurt us.”
   The Mustang offense looked good early in this game. After the teams exchanged punts it was Manville that took the early lead. MHS got a good return on the kick and had a first down inside Eagles territory at the 48-yard line. One play is all the offense needed as junior running back Mark Walyga burst through the South Hunterdon defense and went untouched into the end zone for the touchdown. Walyga had a career night rushing 17 times for 110 yards, but even his efforts were not enough.
   The South Hunterdon offense answered right back with a strong drive taking six minutes of the clock before sophomore running back Ray Brown went over from the one-yard line to bring the Eagles to within one at 7-6. The point after was blocked by MHS sophomore Mike Hopkins.
   The Mustang offense went back to work but turned the ball over as quarterback Brendan Nurnberger was intercepted by Eagle defender Branden Scesney at the 50-yard line as he tried to scramble out of trouble. The Manville defense toughened up and forced the punt as a sack by Walyga, and two incomplete passes by Eagle quarterback Brian Snell stopped the drive.
   Manville could only advance the ball out to midfield after the punt by Brown pinned the team back at the five-yard line. The team caught a break when following the Mustang punt Brown fumbled the handoff and Walyga recovered the loose ball giving MHS an excellent opportunity at the South Hunterdon 32-yard line.
   The Manville offense advanced the ball down to the 14-yard line on runs by Walyga, Joshua Michalski and Angelo Bell of three, six and eight yards, respectively. On 3rd-and-2, the Manville center was flagged for moving the ball. The five-yard penalty forced Manville to go for a field goal, but the Nurnberger kick was just short and the half ended with MHS clinging to a 7-6 lead.
   In the third period, the defenses for both schools took over. The Mustang offense started a drive with six minutes to go from the team’s 45-yard line. A 16-yard run by Michalski and a 13-yard burst by Walyga again had MHS inside the 20. They got it down to the three-yard line, but Nurnberger was stopped short on a sweep right and Walyga was stopped cold on a nice tackle by Eagles nose guard Timothy Sprague.
   On fourth and goal, Nurnberger rolled left and appeared to have two receivers open in the back of the end zone, but his hesitation cost the Mustangs as his pass to Michalski took the receiver out of the back of the end zone.
   This was a big momentum changer, which the Eagles offense used to their advantage. With 11:04 to go in the game, South Hunterdon marched down the field starting from the three yard-line, with a 13-play drive that used up almost seven minutes off the clock. The drive culminated when Snell found Brown for an eight-yard touchdown pass to give the Eagles their first lead of the game at 14-7 with 4:09 remaining.
   This game was not over by any means. MHS got things going from the team’s 32-yard line. On fourth and five Michalski gained eight yards of right tackle for the first down. A 15-yard run by Bell put the ball at the South Hunterdon 40-yard line with 1:30 to go in the game. Another strong run by Hopkins of 16 yards placed the ball at the 19 with 44 seconds remaining.
   Four plays later on fourth down, Nurnberger completed a pass to Hopkins for seven yards and a first down at the seven with just 21 seconds left in the ball game.
   But the drive ended there. A pass to Hopkins, which he almost caught, an incomplete pass to tight end Ryan Jankowski, which was knocked down, and a final pass by Nurnberger as he was hit, was intercepted as the final two seconds ticked off.
   This was a brutal loss, one that will take a while for the Mustangs to overcome.
   ”The kids played their tails off, and a couple of mistakes really hurt us,” Stibitz said. “It is tough to play defense the whole game. We let this one get away.”