Manville resurgence

We have gotten caught up in how Manville has gotten off to a 2-0 start. It's a very good story. This group of players have been together for quite some time, playing through the Manville Youth Athletic League Pop Warner teams.
The Mustangs beat Newark Central 26-0 and Jonathan Dayton of Springfield 45-7 to open the year. Manville will go 3-0 for the first time since 1968 if it can beat St. Joseph of the Palisades Friday night at Panfile Field. Manville is hoping to record its first winning season since 1991 when it went 5-4. Current Manville coach Brett Stibitz was a junior that season. He scored five touchdowns. The star of the team was Jackie Leonard, the quarterback, who threw for 13 touchdowns, ran for five more, returned two punts for score and went 78 yards to score on a kickoff return.
Mustangs' assistant coach Chris Cebula, who went on to play at Rutgers, was also on that team. Manville opened with wins against Bound Brook and the now-defunct McCorkle School, then lost three straight before beating New Providence 22-20. They beat Middlesex 29-21 Thanksgiving Day that year to clinch a winning season.
The Mustangs could qualify for the Central Jersey Group I playoffs for the first time. The game with St. Joseph will be very critical since the Blue Jays are 1-1, the win coming against Newark Academy. Manville would pick up a point from that victory if it wins.
There are 19 schools in the Central Jersey Group I power point race. Bound Brook (2-0) is currently No. 1 with nine points; Manville is second with 6. Bound Brook is trying to reach the playoffs for the first time since 1978, the only time it has ever qualified.