SPORTS

With big games ahead, Manalapan must move past RBC loss

Josh Newman

@Joshua_Newman

RED BANK – Manalapan head coach Ed Gurrieri is going to wake up this morning and he and his staff are going to watch film of their team's 35-7 loss to No. 1 Red Bank Catholic from Friday evening. They're going to decide what needs fixing and once the players come in, everyone is going to turn the page with an important Shore Conference Class A North game to be played next week at Freehold.

That process is not what the norm has been for the second-ranked Braves. Over the last three years, they have lost the last game of the season in a state sectional final, which meant a year of waiting to play another game. Now, there are more games to play and plenty at stake beginning against the Colonials where Manalapan can clinch at least a share of its fifth straight Class A North crown.

"We have lost the last game of the year the last three years in a row and you have to wait a whole year to get that bad taste out of your mouth," Gurrieri said. "Starting tomorrow, we're getting ready for a game next week. I think that's the best thing in the world that we're getting ready for a game next week."

"This can be great turning point in our season," senior safety Charles Lombana said. "We have (Freehold) Boro to clinch A North, so we're just gonna go back to practice, correct mistakes and get better. The defense will get better, the offense will do what it has to do to improve and we'll be fine."

By all accounts after the game, the Caseys team Manalapan lost to is the best it has seen in recent memory and that's saying something given the Braves have morphed into not only a perennial Shore Conference power, but into one of the top public-school programs in the state.

It is unlikely the Braves will see a better outfit the rest of the way than RBC, which has now won 39 straight games against the Shore Conference. That includes Syracuse recruit Dontae Strickland and South Brunswick, and upstart Hillsborough, both of whom have emerged as contenders in NJSIAA Central Jersey Group V.

Another silver lining off Friday night is that while the score may indicate one thing, Manalapan was not completely dominated as Red Bank Catholic has done to so many teams over the last few years. Entering the night, RBC's margin of victory was 43.7 points through six games.

"Those kids have (scholarship) offers for a reason and they lived up to the hype tonight," Lombana said. "To be honest, I think we're going to see South Brunswick down the road and this game is only going to help us. We're not going to see anyone better than we saw tonight."

"We hung in there as hard as we could until, unfortunately, the better team got the upper hand."

Wins over Freehold and Howell on Nov. 7 will give Manalapan five straight outright Class A North titles, making it the first Shore team to accomplish that feat since Middletown South did it from 2001-05.

Staff writer Josh Newman: jnewman@app.com