Gar-Field Falls to Ex-Coach's New Team
On a Drenching Evening, Penalties and Mistakes Saturate Indians' Play: North Stafford 16, Gar-Field 12

By Matthew Stanmyre
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, September 7, 2008

Gar-Field Coach Tom Gryder stood under the upright in the far end zone Friday night drenched in rain from Tropical Storm Hanna. His face was blank and his arms were on his hips as he gazed across the field, watching a familiar coach celebrate with his new players.

Gryder's big night -- it was his home coaching debut with Gar-Field -- had been spoiled by visiting North Stafford, which beat the Indians, 16-12, in a Virginia AAA nondistrict matchup that was played in a downpour.

The loss was enough to ruin Gryder's evening, but the turnovers, the multitude of penalties, the squandered opportunities by his team -- those combined to eat away at his resolve.

"A lot of mistakes," Gryder said. "We really lacked in execution. Our kids played hard, and they gave a lot of effort, but we didn't execute, and we had a lot of mental mistakes."

Gar-Field (1-1), which has made the playoffs the past two seasons, was beaten by a North Stafford team that had 10 sophomore starters. The Wolverines were aided by 12 Gar-Field penalties, including four personal fouls, that accounted for 110 yards.

As the Indians trudged off the field, North Stafford continued to celebrate on the far sideline. In the middle of the jubilation was Wolverines Coach Joe Mangano, who made his debut with North Stafford after he resigned in the offseason as head coach at Gar-Field eight months earlier.

In four seasons at Gar-Field, Mangano compiled an 18-25 record that included trips to the playoffs in 2006 and 2007. Last year, Mangano guided the Indians to the Northwest Region Division 6 final. Mangano, who lives in Stafford County, resigned to be closer to his family.

"When I left here, I left here," Mangano said. "I broke ties. North Stafford's my home, and these are my kids."

Mangano's most recent revitalization attempt is at North Stafford (1-0), which has not made the playoffs since 2004. The upset victory of Gar-Field, a Cardinal District contender, prompted Wolverines fans to pour from the stands and rush onto the field. Mangano was doused in Gatorade by his players before leaping into the arms of an assistant.

On the other sideline, Gryder tried to calm his players, who became angry over North Stafford's exaggerated celebration. Some players tried to head for the locker room, but Gryder stopped them. "Get over here and get in line!" he yelled. "Get over here now and shake their hands."

"We shot ourselves in the foot a great deal," Gryder said later. "I hope we can use this as a learning experience to get better. That's what we have to do."