Team could be 5-3 at state cutoff
by Rudy Brandl, Sports Editor
The Manville High football team is wondering what might have been.
Friday night’s impressive 21-0 victory over North Warren left the Mustangs with a 3-5 record at the NJSIAA qualifying deadline, just one victory short of a possible trip to the Central Jersey Group 1 playoffs. The Mustangs could easily be 5-3, or at least 4-4.
Manville squandered leads in two games earlier in the season. The team took an early lead in the Sept. 13 season opener at Newark Central but wound up on the short end of a 12-7 decision. More recently and much more painfully, the Mustangs suffered a 14-7 home loss to South Hunterdon on Oct. 24.
”The South Hunterdon game really killed us,” MHS head coach Brett Stibitz said. “We really, really threw that one away. We were playing error-free but we gave it away. That’s going to come back to haunt us.”
Two years ago, the Mustangs were a veteran team that bolted to a 6-0 start and made school history by qualifying for the state playoffs for the first time. That season turned the program around and provided hope for future trips to the state playoffs.
Stibitz wasn’t sure what his young team could accomplish when the 2008 season began. He was optimistic but realized this likely would be a rebuilding year with only four seniors on the roster.
After going through some growing pains in the early part of the season, the Mustangs have recovered nicely and won two of their last three games. Manville gutted out a 7-6 win at Dunellen back on Oct. 18 but lost a heartbreaker to South Hunterdon six days later. That setback cost the team a three-game win streak and .500 record at the state cutoff.
Although the Mustangs had no chance of making the state playoffs, they played with great motivation at North Warren. Stibitz reminded his players of North Warren’s recent dominance in the series and the Mustangs responded.
”Everything fell into place and it was a great win for our kids on the road,” Stibitz said. “They pretty much hammered us every year but we’re healthy now and playing together. I told them let’s make some history and beat North Warren. It’s the first time we beat them in the (Skyland) conference.”
Friday night’s shutout in Blairstown gives the Mustangs a chance to finish on a roll.
”We really found our identity in the last few games,” Stibitz said. “We’re working together. Hopefully we’ll get a good matchup next week and win our fourth game.”
Manville will play at Robbinsville in the NJSIAA consolation round Saturday and finish the season with a tough game against unbeaten rival Bound Brook, the No. 2 seed in Central Jersey Group 1. The Mustangs will be major underdogs in the season finale, which is set for the eve of Thanksgiving but could be moved depending on where the Crusaders stand in the state playoffs.

