Fast times at Brick Township High School

It's getting more and more difficult with each passing week to understand the mindset of school officials when it comes to Brick Township High School.

Padlocking the snack stand at the Warren Wolf Sports Complex was the latest puzzling move by school administration.

Members of the Brick Dragons FootballClub have faithfully manned the stand for more than 50 years. But last week they found the locks on the door to the stand had been changed.

Who ordered the locks changed? Hard to tell. Not us, says Board of Education President Daniel Woska. Woska said "administration" made the changes.

Business Administrator James Edwards answered the question via the district's public information officer. Edwards, it seems, suddenly saw a need to increase security and protect the "assets" inside the snack bar. That makes no sense because the "assets" - grills, soda cases, ovens, tables - all belong to the Brick Dragons Football Club.

No one will actually confirm it, but the rumor is that some want to phase out the veteran football club and form a new club made up of only parents whose children are actively involved in Brick football.

The Brick Dragons Football Club has always been open to anyone who is a fan of Brick Township High School football. The only requirement for membership has been an interest in raising money to pay for extras for the players, like team jackets and trophies.

Changing the locks on the snack stand is just the latest in a series of sledgehammer moves school officials have made to try to knock down the rich history of Brick Township High School football and WarrenWolf's legacy.

The Board of Education hired an outsider to replace Wolf, who presided over the football team for an unprecedented 51 years. They ignored his one request — to give the job to an assistant Brick football coach. They ignored the parade of residents who got up at board meetings to protest the move.

They made an unprecedented number of staff transfers at the June 25 board meeting. One of them just happened to be Leonard Zdanowicz, one of Wolf's choices for his successor. Lenny Zdanowicz, who spent more than 12 years at the high school and served as football conditioning coach during the off-season months, was shuttled over to one of the middle schools for the coming school year.

A weary-looking Wolf got up at the June 25 board meeting and asked why a social studies position at the high school was never posted, when two capable and qualified Brick residents were interested. The job went to new football coach Patrick Dowling's new assistant football coach.

Wolf also questioned why the board was dismantling a top-notch coaching staff that took years to build. He never got an answer, other than it was nothing personal.

It is personal.

The Township Council and Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis spent much of a Township Council meeting earlier this year lauding Wolf's accomplishments during his 51 years as coach. They presented him with resolutions and proclamations and a key to the city.

The Board of Freeholders followed suit shortly after and honored Wolf at one of their board meetings.

But the Board of Education and district officials haven't been able to find the time this year to honor Wolf — a former teacher and administrator in the Brick school district, former mayor, freeholder and state assemblyman.

Woska said Monday that the district honors "retirees" later in the year. Wolf retired on Dec. 7.

Wolf and the hardworking members of the Brick Dragons Football Club don't deserve to be treated in such an insulting way.

Whether or not the football team has a winning season this year really doesn't matter. What will linger are the shameful actions of the board and school administration.