By Jimmy Allinder
Bob Molarz accepted the East Brunswick High School football coaching job in 2013 hoping to energize a program that had fallen on hard times.
The Bears were once perennial winners in the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Red Division under veteran coach Marcus Borden, but the team hadn’t finished with a winning record since 2010 (6-4). Borden decided to step aside, and Molarz was chosen to revitalize the team’s fortunes.
The coach immediately instituted a no-nonsense policy with a proclamation about not wanting players, in his words, only looking to stand on the sidelines. Although Molarz’s arrival heralded renewed optimism, he is still searching for the right formula that will return the Bears to their winning ways.
East Brunswick posted a 1-9 record in Molarz’s first year, went 4-6 in 2014, finished 3-7 last year and, with only the Thanksgiving rivalry game at Old Bridge High School left, is 2-7 this season.
The Bears won their only two NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group IV titles in 2004 and 2009, which were also the only times they qualified for the playoffs since 1998.
The 2014 Bears did squeeze into the sectional playoffs under Molarz’s watch as the eighth seed in Central Jersey, Group V, but they were eliminated by top-seeded South Brunswick High School in the first round.
Molarz came to East Brunswick from Saint Joseph High School of Metuchen, where he was chosen to orchestrate the parochial school’s initial foray into football in 2009. The Falcons played a junior varsity schedule for two years before moving to the varsity level and finished 1-9 and 5-5 with Molarz at the helm.
The Carteret native began his head coaching career at his alma mater, Carteret High School, in 2001, where he was a former player and assistant. During his eight-year tenure, the Ramblers qualified for the playoffs every season and were 64-21.
Lack of experience coming into this season cannot be the reason for the Bears’ shortcomings. Molarz said more than 80 percent of the offensive and defensive production from the previous campaign returned, and the team possessed strong senior leadership.
Junior quarterback Justin Schuld is the team rushing leader with 613 yards, followed by senior running back Kyle Wiggins, who has 611 yards, and junior Zahir Jackson, who has 287 yards.
Schuld is also the passing leader with 88 completions for 1,229 yards and eight touchdowns, and senior Alex Cameron is the top pass receiver with 28 catches for 522 yards.
On defense, senior Jair Davis leads in tackles with 74, followed by Jackson with 66. Senior Anthony Torres has 66, sophomore Isiah Jackson has 55, senior Kevin Conley has 47 and Wiggins has 28.
Except for a regular-season victory against Monroe Township High School (1-9), 48-7, a state crossover win vs. Perth Amboy High School (1-8), 34-0, and a disheartening overtime defeat to Marlboro High School (3-7), 20-14, the Bears have been defeated by at least two touchdowns in their other games.
The East Brunswick-Old Bridge game is named the Battle of Route 18, but that hardly describes what has transpired during the series since it was inaugurated in 1994. The Knights hold a 19-3 advantage, and the last time the Bears prevailed was in 2010 with a 34-6 victory, which was also the last time the program finished with a winning record.