The Monroe High School boys basketball team has been lighting it up this season. The Falcons are on an impressive eight-game winning streak since their season-opening loss against Old Bridge. Things are looking up for this team as they secure wins against skilled and dominant teams.
The season started on a sour note for Monroe, losing to Old Bridge 51-44 in overtime.
“I’ve lost a lot of sleep over that game” Coach Jeffrey Warner explained, “we know them really well and they know us really well”.
In the overtime period, Monroe could only score five points to Old Bridge’s eleven points as the game slipped away from them. Since then, the Falcons have made some adjustments and have been able to change their game a bit.
“They caught us on a night where we didn’t shoot the ball great and as well as we’re capable of”.
Things have only started to pick up since then as the Falcons lit a fire under them to become the team they hoped for. Seniors Miles Marabuto and Mark Laughery have been dominant and helped push the Falcons toward their wins. The duo averages 17.6 and 11.8 points, respectively, per game to lead the team in points.
“Miles is a great leader, a great scorer. Mark Laughery the same thing. We go as they go but we have a lot of pieces around them as well”.
Marabuto has also been influential in other areas on the court, leading the team in assists, with 40 so far, and making sure he can create scoring opportunities for his teammates. He also leads the team in steals and looks very strong on the defensive end.
“He’s a nightmare, I definitely would not want to coach against him that’s for sure”.
The Falcons are loaded with juniors and seniors who have varsity experience and have been able to use their varsity minutes to push the team toward success. They have players coming off the bench who can hold their own and contribute to their team.
These early wins for Monroe are well-deserved for a formidable team. Last season, the Falcons were not as dominant in the Greater Middlesex Conference, winning only two conference games and five in total. Some games were fairly close, but they could not get ahead and secure those wins.
“Coming off a season of five wins and now this season ripping off eight in a row has been huge for us. We’re taking it one day at a time but the kids are really bought in”.
The Falcons have a tough game against St. Joseph (Met.) on Thursday night, a powerhouse in the GMC and a team that has not lost a conference game yet this season. Monroe is looking to knock them down and continue their winning streak.
“It’ll be a great test for us”
St. Joseph has senior Jeremy Clayville on its roster who puts up an average of 23.2 points per game and will be hard to stop. He has a lot of skill and will be a key player for the Falcons to watch.
“If we hit shots and make stops on the other end we’re going to win a lot of games”.
Monroe will put up a fight during its upcoming game on Thursday. The Falcons have a pretty tough schedule coming up and continue working hard at practice everyday to get better as a team.
“We’re not going to hope for the best, we’re going to play for the best” Coach Warner explained.
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