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Manalapan Football Looking To Duplicate Success
Braves hopeful for another winning season in 2011.
They may not have won a state title, but the Braves football team has been as successful as any Shore Conference team over the past ten years.
With their most recent losing season coming in 2001, Braves head coach Ed Gurrieri believes that his 2011 squad will continue to grow into a strong team.
"We consider ourselves to be in good shape," Gurrieri said, "We haven't had a losing season since 2001, and we're a pretty consistent team."
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Coming off arguably their best year in the past decade, with an 8-3 record in 2010 – including posting a total of 103 points on rival Howell over two games – the Braves are preparing to have an even better year in 2011.
“It’s tough graduating a three-year starter at quarterback, especially when he gets a division-one scholarship to Rutgers University (Michael Bimonte),” Gurrieri said, “We are going to focus on having a good defense, we’re going to run the ball on offense, and as fast as our offense progresses is how well we will be.”
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Manalapan will be up against another difficult schedule as they look to make the playoffs for back-to-back seasons.
The Braves will open on the road against Jackson Memorial, but their toughest stretch of games will be back-to-back games against Brick Memorial and Toms River North, two Shore Conference perennial powerhouses.
“It sounds so cliché, but you really do have to take it one game at a time,” Gurrieri said, “Not only are there so many A-North rivalries, but there are also in-district rivalries within the Freehold Regional High School District.”
Gurrieri also believes that there is no reason for his Braves to not be considered one of the best teams within the conference.
“You look around; none of these name-brand teams have gone ten years without a losing season,” he said, “Middletown South has had a losing season. Toms River North has had a losing season. Brick Memorial has had a losing season. We haven’t.”
The Braves will open on the road, taking on Jackson Memorial on Friday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m.
