MUSTANG ROUNDUP
by Rudy Brandl, Sports Editor
The Manville High boys’ basketball team is way ahead of last year.
MHS won just twice last year but equaled that total by the middle of January with a 48-32 triumph over Roselle Park last Thursday night. Senior guard Matt Zangara was hot from the outside, hitting four 3-pointers to lead all scorers with a career-high 20 points.
Teammate Danny Pierrot, the Mustangs’s leading scorer, contributed 10 points in the victory. Junior Doug Bradley added eight points for the Mustangs, who rolled to leads of 13-5 and 23-9 after the first two quarters.
The MHS boys also faced two of the stronger teams on the schedule last week and lost both games. Bound Brook started fast and piled up the points en route to a 73-47 rout on Jan. 13, while Somerville rolled to a 57-33 victory Friday night.
Pierrot tossed in 12 in the loss to Bound Brook. Eric Hall netted a season-high 14 points in Friday night’s game.
Manville (2-7) was set to host South Hunterdon Tuesday and Sussex Tech Thursday afternoon. The Mustangs beat Sussex Tech twice last season.
Girls start fast
but lose to rival
The Manville High girls carried over their strong fourth quarter from Roselle Park into their next basketball game against Bound Brook, at least for one half. Unfortunately, the Lady Mustangs couldn’t keep it going for an entire game and dropped their seventh straight game.
Manville played its best defensive quarter of the young season in a 7-2 starting run, which marked the first time all season the team has built an early lead. Bound Brook started to come back but the game was tied at the half. Manville wound up on the short end of a 56-38 score.
Dana Mortensen led the Manville girls with 13 points. Amy Evanylo had a big game with 11 points, nine rebounds and six blocked shots.
The Lady Mustangs expected a tough matchup Friday night vs. Somerville and that’s exactly what happened in a 77-18 loss. Somerville (7-1) bolted to a 27-2 lead and coasted to victory.
Evanylo led Manville with seven points. Amanda Furka (4), Rebecca Burke (3), Anna Isachenko (2) and Mortensen (2) also scored.
Manville was scheduled to face South Hunterdon on the road Tuesday and travel to Sussex Tech Thursday afternoon. The Lady Mustangs defeated Sussex Tech twice last year.
Wrestlers fall
in dual meets
The Manville wrestlers ran into two powerful Warren County teams and put up a decent fight on the mat but were undermanned and lost both matches.
Manville won four bouts in its 49-20 loss to North Warren. Scott Alpizar opened the match with an 8-0 major but North Warren won the next four weight classes with two pins and two forfeits.
Other MHS winners vs. North Warren included David Castro’s 28-second pin at 215 pounds, Devin Burke’s 11-1 major at 112 and decisions by Ian DeFalco at 119 and Ernest Yakobchuk at 125.
The Mustangs took three of the 10 contested bouts but gave away 24 free points in their 61-13 loss to Hackettstown. Burke posted a 12-0 major, Yakobchuk won by fall and Alpizar captured a 7-6 thriller for the team’s points.
Manville’s match vs. Morris Catholic was canceled, leaving the team with upcoming contests at Somerville Thursday and Franklin, Ridge and North Brunswick in a Saturday quad.

