Tag: Dave Markowitch

by Mike Pavlichko

Manville’s Dave Markowitch named N.Y. Jets Coach of the Week – before historic win!

If this honor was in the bag before Friday’s playoff game, the result solidified it.

Heading into its opening round playoff game against Asbury Park with a 9-0 record, unbeaten for the first time since 1968, Manville head coach Dave Markowitch was named the New York Jets Coach of the Week by the NFL team.

“Under Markowitch’s leadership, the Mustangs have gone from 3-7 in his first year to 9-0 to close out their 2025 regular season,” the Jets organization said. “Manville sits at the top of their division as they head into their first postseason game against Asbury Park.”

Now, that was before the game against the Blue Bishops. Last night, the fourth-seeded Mustangs beat Asbury Park handily, 35-0, to secure the first playoff win in program history. It also set a new school record for wins with their tenth (10-0). Next week, they’ll visit top-seed Burlington City – kickoff 6 pm – and a win would give them a shot at their first-ever state title.

Image of David Markowitch, head coach of Manville High School, recognized as Jets Coach of the Week for leading the team to an undefeated record.

Manville has dominated this season, averaging 41 points per game in their ten wins. The defense logged three straight shutouts earlier in the season, and had a late red-zone stand Friday night to preserve the shutout against the fifth-seeded Blue Bishops.

by Mike Pavlichko

Manville seeks first-ever playoff win as unbeaten Mustangs host Asbury Park in CJ1 1st round

The last time Manville had a perfect season, there were no playoffs.

The year was 1968, and the Mustangs went a perfect 9-0. They were denied a Central Jersey Group 1 championship, when Highland Park and Bound Brook, both 8-1, finished ahead of them, despite the fact Manville beat the Crusaders during the season.

Gee, a playoff controversy? That never happens.

But we digress.

Manville looks to take the first step toward finishing the job – 57 years later – when the fourth-seeded Mustangs (9-0) host fifth-seed Asbury Park (5-3) in the opening round of the NJSIAA’s Central Jersey Group 1 playoffs Friday night at Ned Panfile Stadium.

They’ll be looking for their first-ever playoff win in just their sixth postseason appearance since the advent of the playoff era in 1974.

You can hear the game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – our “Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Game of the Week” – with kickoff slated for 7 pm from Ned Panfile Stadium, and pregame at 6:50 with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel. Click here to listen.

Head coach Dave Markowitch will use two different quarterbacks, a difficult enough offense to defend already, using the Delaware Wing-T. Senior’s Josh D’Ambrosio and Sammy Echeverri will alternate, often in the game at the same time, making it more tricky.

D’Ambrosio has thrown for just 512 yards and seven scores, but he’s rushed for over 1,000 with 15 TDs, tied with second-leading rusher Isaiah Bennett (762 yards), who also has 15 touchdowns.

Defensively, Manville has pitched three shutouts this season, and excelled on both sides of the ball, outscoring opponents 375-58 this season.

On the other side, Asbury Park has seven sectional titles to its credit, but none since 2016, when they beat Keyport to win Central Jersey Group 1. A’meire Massie is their big offensive star, running for 1,622 yards on just 115 carries this season for an average of just over 14 yards per trip. He’s scored 22 touchdowns on the year.

Wins this year have come over regular shore opponents like Point Pleasant Beach, Keansburg and Keyport, as well as New Egypt and Freehold Borough. Keyport is a common opponent, with the Blue Bishops dropping them 39-8 on October 4th, while Manville won there on Week Zero, 19-6.

Since then, the Mustangs haven’t scored less than 31 points in a game, and logged three shutouts in a row to start September, over Hopatcong, Belvidere and Middlesex.

Click below to hear Manville head coach Dave Markowitch talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko about the game:

by Mike Pavlichko

Perfection! Manville caps first undefeated regular season since 1968 with 49-7 win at Bound Brook; Mustangs claim Freedom Silver title

It was all there laid out for the Manville football team this week. A chance to clinch their first perfect regular season since 1968, and a chance to win the Freedom Silver Division title in the Big Central Conference.

They took those chances, and ran with it. And threw it. And scored a bunch in a 49-7 road win at Bound Brook, which has put together a nice five-win regular season, and may still have a chance at making the playoffs with some help.

But Friday night, Manville made it clear they are the premier Group 1 school in the league, and by a large margin.

On a night when senior QB Josh D’Ambrosio threw, ran and caught a pass for a touchdown, while fellow senior Sam Echeverri ran for two and threw two of his own, the defense also did its part, allowing just one touchdown. Manville has shut out four opponents this year – Hopatcong, Belvidere, Middlesex and South Hunterdon – and allowed no more than 14 points in a game all season long, while scoring no fewer than 41 a game in their last six.

Manville (9-0, 5-0) will finish in the middle of the pack in the South Group 1 supersection, and we’ll have to see where they land in Central Group 1, where they will be placed when the brackets are sorted by Northing numbers (geographically). Bound Brook (5-4, 4-1) will wait to see if other teams’ wins or losses can get them in.

We’ll have updated playoff standings later Friday into early Saturday morning on the site here at Central Jersey Sports Radio, and you can hear the likely brackets on our 2025 Playoff Projection Show Saturday at 6 pm, with Mike Pavlichko and Marcus Borden live in studio.

Watch postgame reaction from Marcus Borden with victorious Manville below, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Manville off to hot start, pitches third straight shutout in 42-0 home win over Middlesex

When a top-notch player graduates from a small school, the impact is felt much deeper than at a Group 5 behemoth. In a place like Phillipsburg, runningbacks seem to grow on trees.

At a small school like Manville, that’s not always the case.

Naquavere Thomas rushed for nearly 1,000 yards last year and 13 touchdowns, but his No. 2 – Isaiah Bennett – is now the No. 1, and playing like it.

Friday night, he and senior quarterback Josh D’Ambrosio rushed for three touchdowns each in a 42-0 win over Middlesex that leaves the Mustangs 4-0 near the halfway point of the season. That last happened under Brett Stibitz in 2006, when the Mustangs won their first six games, but finished 6-4.

But it’s unlikely Manville will end 2025 the same way.

All the talk about the offense aside, the defense has come up stout in the first four games. The Mustangs have won their last three games via shutout, and their only points allowed came in the season opener against Keyport, a 19-6 victory.

They’ve outscored the Red Raiders, Hopatcong, Belvidere and Middlesex a combined 92-6.

Friday night, Bennett scored on touchdown runs of 55, nine and six yards, while D’Ambrosio punched in scores from 21, four and 28 yards out. Bennett finished with 143 yards on 11 carries, while D’Ambrosio rushed 14 times for 107 yards.

The Cougars head to South Hunterdon (0-3) for the first of two road games next week, while Middlesex drops to 1-3 and will travel to Dunellen (0-2 heading into Friday night’s game at Belvidere) next Friday.

Click below to hear Manville head coach Dave Markowitch talk about the win with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Marcus Borden’s 2024 GMC/BCC Camp Caravan: Manville, Metuchen, Spotswood hit the Shore for quad scrimmage at Point Pleasant Beach

Central Jersey Sports Radio high school football analyst Marcus Borden took advantage of the beautiful weather Tuesday morning to catch Manville, Metuchen and Spotswood in a quad scrimmage down at Point Pleasant Beach, as he continues his Camp Caravan tour in the 2024 preseason.

You can find videos – including video highlights and interviews – from all three teams below.

Manville: Head Coach Dave Markowitch, senior Armondo Lazzeri (G/DE), and juniors Josh D’Ambrosio (QB/S) and Isaiah Bennett (RB/LB)

Metuchen: Head Coach Jordan Leitner, senior Evan Toth (RB/LB and juniors Kyle McPartlan (QB), Cam Hayes-Durina (WR/S) and Justus Leitner (WR/CB)

Spotswood: Head Coach Chris Meagher, seniors John Wallace (OT/DT), Sebastian “Seb” Saracino (RB/LB), Stephen Henits (WR/OLB) and junior Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage (QB/DE)

You can now watch all the 2024 Camp Caravan videos on YouTube by clicking this link!

by Mike Pavlichko

Gorbatuk classmate, longtime assistant Markowitch keeps continuity at Manville

When Pat Gorbatuk left the coaching sidelines in football and wrestling to become the school’s next Athletic Director, promoting from within made complete sense.

That’s why he made the strong suggestion to outgoing AD Steve Venuto to hire Dave Markowitch, who’s been his special teams coordinator for the last eight years – and also coached offense and defense prior – to be the Mustangs’ next head coach.

It makes perfect, logical sense: someone who’s not only already in the school – he’s an assistant wrestling coach and track and field coach, too – but grew up in Manville, and graduated from Manville. That was in 1999.

Gorbatuk was his classmate, and graduated a year later.

The idea was to keep the coaching staff together – which happened – and keep the Mustangs’ program on the same track it was on under Gorbatuk’s leadership.

Manville football was 8-2 last year, 14-5 over the past two seasons, with two sets of back-to-back winning campaigns in the last six non-COVID-shortened years.

But for the last two seasons, Gorbatuk also had exceptional talent, including a generational talent in Shawn Purcell, who will be a preferred walk-on at Rutgers under Greg Schiano this fall.

There will be a lot of new names on the turf in Manville this season, just not on the coaching staff.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Manville head coach Dave Markowitch about his upcoming first sesason at the helm of the Mustangs’ football program: