Sprengel family's gain is the Mustangs' loss

BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Staff Writer

Vin Falkiewicz had a hectic day on Sunday, which included a bittersweet get-together early in the day with his high school football coach at Brick Memorial, Fred Sprengel.

It was during that meeting that Falkiewicz learned of his coach's decision to resign to pursue his master's degree and to devote more time to his family.

The school officially posted the position over the weekend.

The two had gathered with Falkiewicz family members and Brick Director of Athletics Bill Bruno for the Super 100 banquet at the Pines Manor in Edison, honoring the top players in the area before Falkiewicz went on to meet with the coaches and players for the annual North-South football game taking place at Rutgers University on June 23. The all-time leading rusher at Brick Memorial will attend Cornell University this fall.

"He's a great person. He's taught me so much," said Falkiewicz, who scored 15 touchdowns and rushed for 1,721 yards last season while raising his career total to a record 4,081 yards, of his coach.

But Falkiewicz feels he can take some lessons learned from Sprengel on to his college career.

"It's his passion for everything he does," said Falkiewicz. "He believes if you don't do it right, don't do it at all."

"I decided for what would be my best interests. I feel it's for the right reasons," said Sprengel, who in his seven years compiled a 43-32 record at Brick Memorial, including an NJSIAA playoff championship in 2003 and playoff appearances the last four years after a four-year stint at Long Branch as head coach.

"The first thing is I want to watch my kids participate in activities they've missed the last couple of years due to my coaching," said Sprengel.

"I've missed the majority of things they've been doing the last couple of years and before they've done it and grown up, I wanted to spend the time with them because you can't get those years back. I can't say how many family functions I've missed."

Daughter Morgan is a seventh-grader at Wall Intermediate and a competitive cheerleader for her two-time national championship Pop Warner cheerleading team. Sprengel was a wide receiver and defensive back for Wall's freshman team, and the varsity usually plays on Friday night as Brick Memorial does.

"Secondly, I'm pursuing a master's in administration," said Sprengel.

"I started it this semester and I'm doing it through the summer at Kean University. I know I'll miss this when the fall comes because I've been doing it since I was 7, but I know that if I want to go back, once you become an administrator, you can't coach. I've had a lot of great times but I have no regrets. I've been fortunate to coach a lot of great people."

But what is the Sprengel family's gain is the program's loss, as the veteran coach molded the program into a perennial contender, which shared the Shore Conference Constitution Division title in 2006 with Lacey. The team had three straight seasons of eight victories before going 6-5 last fall and losing in the state playoff semifinals to Howell, 14-7, and then falling to Brick Township in a 24-17 thriller in their Thanksgiving rivalry renewal.

Defensive coordinator Ed Lowe and freshman football coach Donovan Brown, who molded Veterans Memorial Middle School's wrestling team into a county power before retiring after the 2005-06 season, reportedly are among the applicants for the position, according to sources at the school. Bruno, who said he "didn't see it coming," said he has received 12 applications and will begin interviewing candidates May 1 in hopes of presenting a recommendation to the district school board at its May 15 meeting.

"I know he had a tough time seeing his son play and how difficult grad school has been on him so I'm surprised but not surprised," said Bruno. "I think he'll make a great administrator."

"I feel he made his own decision, what's right for him," said Falkiewicz, who had to feel inwardly saddened. Along with the North-South game, Falkiewicz also will play in the Ocean-Monmouth All-Star game with Brick Memorial teammates Prince Young, a two-way back, and lineman Jamie Pratt at Brick Township on July 20.

Sprengel agreed that his greatest memory is hoisting the championship trophy over Manalapan, 29-6, behind quarterback Chris James and tight end Garrett Graham. There also was a superbly contested last-minute loss to Jackson in the 2005 state finals.

"Absolutely, that's what I'll remember," said Sprengel

"But there were a lot of great memories, great seasons, some not as successful. But sometimes the most rewarding are the ones that don't make it. What I remember are young men who worked hard. I feel bad leaving but when is the right time? You start thinking about the group of kids you leave behind but it always can be like that. I don't think that anyone can say any time is a good time.

"But the one thing is that the next coach will have plenty of good kids to work with," said Sprengel.