North Brunswick wins GMC White Division
BY GEORGE ALBANO
Staff Writer

Deep down Mark Zielinski knew his North Brunswick High School football team was good enough to win the 2003 GMC White Division championship.

Even if other people had their doubts, Zielinski knew better.

He was right, too. The Raiders clinched the division crown Friday night with an exciting 14-6 win over previously unbeaten Carteret to complete a remarkable turnaround in only Zielinski’s first year as head coach.

Of course, the naysayers couldn’t be blamed for doubting the Raiders. After going 9-1 and winning the White Division title in 2000, North Brunswick was only 5-5 in 2001 and slipped to 3-7 last year. No wonder they were ranked only fourth in their division before the season began.

Zielinski, who was an assistant coach in the football program for nine years, knew there was help on the way. He knew the NBTHS freshman football team had posted back-to-back winning seasons, giving the Raiders good sophomore and junior classes to pull from. He also knew the makeup of this year’s senior class, especially his three captains. So when the team reported to practice back in August, the coach liked what he saw.

"No, I’m not surprised at all," Zielinski said before practice Wednesday morning. "But while we may not have surprised ourselves, maybe we surprised other people as far as what we’ve been able to achieve. I always knew, and the coaching staff knew, that we had a good nucleus of hardworking and dedicated players returning, and how hard they worked during the spring and summertime preparing for this season. Therefore, it’s not surprising to us that we’ve performed so well."

The Raiders have won six of their eight games so far and went undefeated in the White Division.

At least "on the field" they did. Their 25-0 win over Colonia created a cloud of controversy when Colonia protested, claiming North Brunswick used an ineligible player involving a transfer from Hillsborough High. The NJSIAA’s governing board upheld the protest and the Raiders had to forfeit the win.

"The decision is still under appeal," said Zielinski, whose team outgained Colonia 304-29 in total yards. "So, I guess, on the field we’re 6-2, but technically we’re 5-3."

At least the forfeit, whether it stands or not, didn’t hurt the Raiders’ division title hopes. Instead of finishing 6-0 in the White Division, they went 5-1. Carteret had been 5-0, but its loss to North Brunswick left it with an identical 5-1 mark, and the Raiders’ own the tie breaker by virtue of their win. That makes the division title theirs.

Zielinski, whose team has a bye this week, is still waiting to find out if North Brunswick will make the state playoffs, something it last did in the 2000 season. If it doesn’t, the Raiders will still play a consolation game next weekend before closing the season with their traditional Thanksgiving Day game against rival South Brunswick.

Whatever happens, it’s been a season to remember at North Brunswick.

"It’s a great feeling to be associated with a group like this," said Zielinski.

Zielinski replaced Sal Mistretta who stepped down after four years as head coach to become vice principal and supervisor of athletics at the high school.

"I have to give credit to coach Mistretta. He left the program very healthy. Even though we didn’t have a great record the last couple of seasons, we just didn’t have many seniors," said Zielinski.

"But I’m not coaching or doing anything different," he added. "I just came in and tried to continue what coach Mistretta had done."

In fact, Zielinski said he saw the seeds for this year’s success planted in the second half of last season. After the Raiders got off to a 0-5 start, they bounced back to win three of their final five games, including a thrilling one-point victory over South Brunswick in Mistretta’s final game as coach.

"I definitely think the second half of the season last year set the tone for this season," Zielinski said. "When we started out 0-5, coach Mistretta emphasized to all the players to keep working hard and improving. The players bought into that and finished strong, and it carried over into this season."

The other thing that convinced Zielinski that this year’s team was for real was the first two games of the season. Even though the Raiders lost both nonleague contests, 14-7 to J.P. Stevens in the opener and 33-22 to Sayreville, they showed they could play with the big boys.

"The players saw what they could do against the best competition in the area," Zielinski said. "They’re the best teams in the county and, while you never like to lose, the players learned a lot about themselves. They went toe to toe with two of the best teams.

"Against Sayreville, we were up 22-19 and I think we’re the only team to be ahead of them in the second half. They scored with eight minutes left and then stuck another one in at the end.

"So the seeds were really planted at the end of last season and the first two games this season," he said.

When Zielinski talks about the success of this year’s team, he starts and ends with his seniors.

"It helps to have a good group of seniors, especially in football," he said. "Seniors are essential to success and we’re lucky to have three fantastic captains."

That would be Aaron Carter, Aaron Hicks and Billy Carroll. Carter, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker/tight end, leads the team in tackles after missing most of last season when he broke his ankle in the first game.

"It’s very rewarding to see him playing again this fall and showing everybody what he could do," Zielinski said. "He’s one of the top linebackers in the area."

Hicks, a 6-2, 205-pound tailback, "has been unbelievable," according to his coach. After gaining over 900 yards as a junior, he has 1,404 yards in eight games so far this season and has scored 18 touchdowns.

The 5-10, 185-pound Carroll was returning as the team’s starting quarterback but dislocated his elbow in the second quarter of the first game and missed six weeks. He returned last week to direct the Raiders’ division-clinching win over Carteret.

"Everything we have done starts with our captains as far as the team’s work ethic goes," Zielinski said. "They’ve meant more to this program than just their contributions on the field."

And the Raiders have a White Division championship to prove it.