He wasn't complaining. He was just acknowledging reality.
Overbrook is a Group 1 program in the Colonial Conference. The Rams took the field for the season opener against Collingswood with a bunch of 185-pound linemen, and a couple of 155-pound running backs.
"We're going to be OK,' " Inge said after a 28-0 loss on a warm, sunny afternoon. "We have a lot of work to do. We knew that when we got started.
"This team will work hard. We'll fix some things. We'll get better."
There was a nice crowd on the Overbrook side, including lots of the new coach's family and friends. Inge received a big hand when the public-address announcer welcomed him before kickoff.
Inge was a great player at Overbrook, a star at multiple positions. This was back when the Rams could compete with anybody, as the 1990s included a future Heisman Trophy winner in Ron Dayne as well as a 12-0 team that captured the South Jersey Group 4 title.
Inge was a four-year player at the University of Maryland, playing wide receiver and defensive back. He spent 10 years, teaching and serving as an assistant football coach in the Baltimore area, after graduating from Maryland.
Inge was an assistant at Highland in 2007 and at Williamstown in 2008-09 before getting his first head coaching job at his alma mater.
"I was nervous," Inge said of his first game. "It was exciting to be out here wearing the old colors."
Inge is calm on the sideline. Once, when a close call went against the Rams, two of his assistants jumped five yards onto the field, complaining. But the head coach stood still, arms crossed.
He maintained the same demeanor during the game. This was a tough day for Overbrook, too, as Collingswood running back Ameer Richardson gained 241 yards and scored four touchdowns, and the Rams' offense was unable to sustain many drives.
There were more penalties than any coach would like. More missed blocks and missed tackles, too.
But Inge never lost his cool. He rarely raised his voice.
"Our kids tend to play with their emotions," said Inge, a middle-school teacher in Blackwood. "They can lose their focus. I try to stay calm to help keep them under control. I'm a calm person."
He has a lot of work ahead of him. Overbrook has a talented quarterback in senior Dan Wilson, and a couple of playmakers in junior twins Devon and Deandre Dreddon. But the Rams need to get bigger, faster, and stronger to compete for division titles, to return to regular playoff contention.
That means years in the weight room. That means a productive feeder program. That means a winning culture that encourages more athletes to commit to the football program.
That's what it was like in the old days. That's what it was like when Inge played for Overbrook, before the breakup of the old Lower Camden County school district, before the opening of Lindenwold High School.
Things have changed in Wade Inge's old home. He's planning on another change, too.
"Districts break up," Inge said. "We have enough talent here. We can do this. We can win here."
Contact staff writer Phil Anastasia at 856-779-3223or panastasia@phillynews.com.
