Schools
Absegami Football Team a Year Older, Wiser As Season Begins Tonight
Eight players who were sophomores on the 2010 squad are set to build on last year's run to the playoffs.
Maybe this is the year.
Many so-called "experts" jumped the gun when it came to the last year.
The Braves were labeled as one of the teams to beat, but even though they reached the Group IV South playoffs, they never fully realized the expectations put on them.
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Absegami started eight sophomores in 2010, so maybe they were just too young to make a real championship run.
Now, with another year under their belt, the Braves believe they have the talent and experience to contend in the Cape-Atlantic League and in Group IV South as they get set to start the season at home against Egg Harbor Township tonight, Sept. 9, at 7 p.m.
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“They played real well in the preseason, but now we will take that and see what we can do when it’s go time,” Absegami coach Dennis Scuderi said. “The kids are experienced now. Maybe expectations were a little bit high last year playing so many sophomores, but we were so talented. We have these kids back. These kids have talent, but until you get under the lights on Friday night and do that for one year, it’s still a hard situation.”
He added: “It has gone pretty good. We fared well in scrimmages, but with scrimmages, it’s hard to tell. Teams use vanilla stuff, and you are not getting all the wrinkles and twists. We are cautiously optimistic.”
Having Rashad Kinlaw under center is reason alone for optimism.
Kinlaw, who is getting attention from some NCAA Division I programs, was one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the CAL in 2010 as a sophomore.
The junior, a dual threat on the football field, leads a talented group of skill-position players onto the gridiron.
Kinlaw can hurt opposing teams with his legs, but can be just as dangerous finding opening wide receivers like Dustin Miller, Billy Gilbert, A.J. Taylor, Martin Green and Charles Mettille. Roman Rudisill and Jon Witmer are the tight ends.
The ball doesn’t have to be in Kinlaw’s hands for the Braves to reach the end zone. Running backs Tyler Bing, David Hood, Demond Cottman and Sampson Jenkins are all capable backs.
The backs will be running through holes created by center JC Carr, guards Adrian Kamisnky and Brandon Ruggles, and tackles Michael Ottaviano, and Kyle Lynch.
On defense, Jesse Logan, Levi Duncan, Chris Henchy, Bruce Seldon, and Joe Brennan will play the line. Alec Gong and Davis will be the inside linebackers with Darryl Loveland, Tiger Kirvay and Mike Riley playing on the outside.
Kyle Wiggins and Emil Robinson are the corners with Nate Ross and Malcolm Brown at safety. Cottman and Miller will also see time in the secondary.
“I think our philosophy is to run to the ball and hit people,” Scuderi said. “On both sides of the ball, mistakes are going to be made but we want to make those mistakes playing hard. On defense we want them to get to the ball, make a tackle and make things happen.”
Nick Della Vecchia will be doing the kicking, and Kinlaw and Bing will return kicks.
