Scoring leader Maychrich returns from injury
By: Shawn Tyrrell
If there ever was a chance for the Manville High boys’ basketball team to get a win, it came against David Brearley last Tuesday night.
The Bears were winless on the season, while the Mustangs having fallen upon hard times hadn’t won a game since the two teams last met back on Jan. 8 in Manville. Back then, Manville came away with a hard-fought 68-66 comeback win. This time around, there were no heroics and the Bears took advantage of a poor third quarter by Manville to post a 70-45 win.
The week got no easier as the Mustangs then traveled to Dayton to take on the high-flying Bulldogs. Dayton cruised to a 67-34 victory the last time the two schools met and this time around the Bulldogs earned a decisive 72-49 win, but it wasn’t nearly as dominating. Manville put in a great effort and actually only trailed by single digits early in the third period.
Also, MHS got a big and pleasant surprise as Mark Maychrich, thought to be gone for the year, suited up and provided some much-needed help.
Despite the two defeats it wasn’t all bad for a team that took an 11-game losing streak into the week.
The game against Brearley was one MHS could have had, but it would have taken a stellar effort. The Bears have been playing better of late and they, like Manville, felt they had a good chance to win and played with a little extra enthusiasm.
"We didn’t have one of our better games," MHS head coach Bill O’Hea said. "Even though we scored 45 points, we weren’t hungry for the win and they were. They followed up missed shots and were hustling and doing the little things that it takes to win. They were all over the place and playing with a higher intensity than we had and we didn’t respond the way we should."
The Bears took advantage of a 14-7 run in the third period, turning a relatively close game into a 49-35 lead.
"We had one of those killer third quarters were we couldn’t do a whole lot offensively," O’Hea said. "They took over and we couldn’t come back."
In the game against Dayton, the Maychrich decision to play was based upon the team’s loss of another player due to illness as sophomore John Corona couldn’t play. O’Hea, with only four bench players, went to Maychrich and the junior responded. He tallied 10 points in three quarters and played about as well as one could expect for someone who had been out almost two months.
"I was happy with the way Mark played," O’Hea said. "I was also happy with the way the team responded. We were in the game as late as the third quarter. If we could have converted some foul shots and easy lay-ups, it could have even been closer."
Unfortunately MHS couldn’t stop Dayton’s Mike Paz. He torched Manville for 38 points and was without a doubt the difference in the game. The Mustangs have no player who can guard the talented scorer. Still the team gave all it had as Joe Adamcik led Manville with 12 points. The team also got scoring from sophomore Glen Liszczak, who added 10 points.
"The kids are still giving all they have," O’Hea said. "Even though we’ve changed some things the goal is to stay focused and improve our consistency."
It will be a tough finish for Manville as the final two games against St. Mary’s and North Plainfield will be anything but easy. Both teams earned double-digit wins early in the season against Manville and could do so again. It is gut-check time again for the young Mustangs.