West Deptford’s opening loss propelled it to Friday’s win over Delsea
Since their loss in the opener, West Deptford has outscored Collingswood and Delsea 65-12.
It's the worst type of lesson a team can have, but sometimes learning from a loss is the only way to move forward.
West Deptford's football team discovered that after an opening 19-14 loss to visiting Paulsboro on Aug. 31.
It was the debut game for coach Jason Morrell, who was taking over for the legendary Clyde Folsom.
The Eagles, last year's South Jersey Group 2 finalist and an annual participant in December, learned their lesson well.
The next week, they shut out Collingswood, 38-0, and on Friday the host Eagles used a dominating performance on both sides of the ball to defeat Delsea, 27-12, in an interdivisional West Jersey Football League game.
Delsea has won five of the last six South Jersey Group 3 titles and entered the game ranked No. 3 in South Jersey by the Inquirer.
"We're not where we are without that Paulsboro game, and it stinks because you lost," Morrell said.
He then added that everything was going the Eagles' way during the preseason, and even though no public school has won as many sectional titles as Paulsboro (19), West Deptford had every right to think that game would be a W.
West Deptford has earned the right to feel that every game should be a win.
"We felt like we had arrived, and to have to go toe-to-toe with a next-door neighbor for four quarters, it toughened us up," Morrell said of the Paulsboro game.
Delsea isn't a next-door neighbor, but the Crusaders, like West Deptford, are a Gloucester County and South Jersey power.
The Crusaders were coming off an opening 21-6 win over an underrated Willingboro team. But coach Sal Marchese Jr. saw some alarms leading into the week with West Deptford.
The Crusaders have one of the youngest teams under Marchese, who owns 201 career wins. Marchese said he played only about five seniors, but quickly added that youth is not an excuse.
"We are young, but we have to learn that the name on the front of the shirt isn't going to win games," Marchese said.
The Crusaders s didn't know what hit them when West Deptford scored on its first two possessions, a 19-yard run by Tyshawn Bookman and Kenny Lim's 7-yard run.
At the half, thanks to two Brandon Ratcliffe field goals, the Eagles led, 20-0.
After Delsea scored its first touchdown on Keison Flower's third-quarter 4-yard run, the Eagles answered on the next possession with TJ Hoyt's 9-yard run early in the fourth quarter.
Like his coach, Hoyt said lessons were learned from the opening loss.
"It was terrible knowing we could beat them," said Hoyt, who gained 88 yards on 15 carries against Delsea. "And they came out on top and played better than us that game. It made us better as a family and a team."
Delsea 0 0 6 6 – 12
West Deptford 14 6 0 7 – 27
W: Tyshawn Bookman 19 run (Brandon Ratcliffe kick)
W: Kenny Lim 7 run (Brandon Ratcliffe kick)
W: Ratcliffe 26 FG
W: Ratcliffe 25 FG
D: Keison Fowler 4 run (kick failed)
W: T.J. Hoyt 9 run (Ratcliffe kick)
D: Shaikyi Hannah 73 pass from James Vargo (run failed)