Former NFL coach Bill Parcells famously said you are what your record says you are.
The football team seemingly has more talent than a .500 team, but the Braves are 4-4 after last night's 33-7 loss.
It is clear that the Braves are in a position they don’t want to be in: they are better than the bad teams in the Cape-Atlantic League, but not as good as the top tier.
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That leaves the Braves out of the playoffs waiting to find out who their NJSIAA consolation game opponent will be.
Not all is loss for Absegami, which is still a relatively young squad. The team won two of its past three games, and the roster is full of juniors and sophomores.
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"We are young. We have to grow as a team," Absegami coach Dennis Scuderi Jr. said. "We have to understand football is not about one individual person. It's about a whole group of people. We are getting there but we have a lot of work to do."
Bad start
Hammonton was coming off its first loss of the season and only scored once against Atlantic City.
The Blue Devils needed to find the end zone to regain some confidence. If Absegami could have slowed Hammonton down to start the game, maybe doubt would have held the Blue Devils back.
Instead, Hammonton started the game with a seven-play, 64-yard scoring drive. The Blue Devils gained more than 11 yards on four plays in the drive.
That drive gave the Blue Devils confidence and momentum, leading to three more first half scores.
Strength of schedule
Absegami may have had the toughest schedule in the Cape-Atlantic League. The Braves played Hammonton, Millville, Holy Spirit and Atlantic City, four playoff teams with a combined record of 26-6.
The Braves have a unique perspective on which of their four top opponents is the best team in the CAL.
Although Hammonton dominated on Friday night, Absegami running back Tyler Bing leans toward undefeated Millville.
"I actually think Millville is the best team we faced all year," Bing said.
Millville is undefeated, but only had to face Atlantic City and didn't have Hammonton or Holy Spirit on the schedule.
"Hammonton is as good as anyone," Scuderi Jr. said. "They beat Holy Spirit. They didn't play Millville, but I think it would be interesting."
What's next?
Absegami will be paired up with a non-playoff team with similar power points for Friday night's game.
The Braves also host district rival Oakcrest on Thanksgiving Day.
Absegami will use the final two games to get above .500 and also build for the 2012 season.
"At the end of the day, we have played all season so they will come out and try to win the next two games," Scuderi Jr. said. "If not we will finish 4-6. This is their legacy. We have won two of the last three so it's not like all is loss. They have to come out and find a way to win."
