But something was gained from all those losses. The young Cougars picked up know-how and experience and confidence from some tough battles with quality competition. That should help this season.
More than that, though, a proud program that has struggled to return to prominence got a jolt of life from the fierce commitment of its on-the-field leader.
That stuff can spread.
"Everybody from the coaches to his peers could see the sacrifice that Dan was making for this football program," Cherry Hill East coach Tom Coen said. "He gained so much respect. It was bothering him, but he never let on. He never wanted to come out of the game."
The 6-foot, 165-pound Melleby is adamant in his conviction that the struggles of 2009 will pay off for the Cougars in 2010.
"This is the year we expect to make our move," Melleby said the other day, before a scrimmage against defending South Jersey Group 3 champion Hammonton. "We've got a lot more experience. We've got that core chemistry. We're going to do something this season."
Coen, who is beginning his fourth season at Cherry Hill East, said the Cougars have been building toward this season. The team featured a lot of sophomores and juniors along both lines last year, and took its lumps from some of the big boys in the old Burlco Olympic American Division.
Those players are bigger, stronger, and more experienced this season. There's a good group of skill-position players, led by running back Isaiah Campbell along with receivers Sage Kerrin, Taj Frazier, Marcus Phillips, and Alex Reber.
"We've got eight of 11 starters back on defense," Coen said. "We've got some guys who we think can stretch the field a little bit. We've got a quarterback who we know can make some plays. The kids have been working hard. We think we have things moving in the right direction."
