Tim McAneney and his coaches were saying all the right things.
His players were listening, too.
But 0-4 was 0-4. Lenape and their new coach needed a victory.
"It was great for the kids," McAneney said after Lenape won its first game, by a 36-0 score over Winslow Township on Saturday.
It was the first win at Lenape for McAneney, a first-year coach who has successful previous stints at Bishop Eustace and Holy Cross.
McAneney and his coaches believe in what they are doing. But there's nothing like a little reward in the form of a victory to reinforce the message.
"We've been telling the kids, 'Work hard, work hard, good things will happen,' " McAneney said. "And the kids have been working hard. They've been buying in. But you want to get that first one."
Senior Trevor Terrell ran for 202 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries against Winslow Township. Vernon Ingalls also ran for two touchdowns.
McAneney has high praise for linemen Bobby Isopi and Doug Gilbert and quarterback Cory Jett, who have led the Indians through the early part of the season.
McAneney's team has suffered some tough losses to Cherokee, Washington Township, and Eastern. But the Indians might be ready to make a late-season surge after breaking the ice in dominant fashion against Winslow Township.
"I think we might be a pretty good football team," McAneney said. "We get a challenge every week with our schedule but our kids know it and they are excited about it."
Rising Quakers. Moorestown dropped under the radar after a couple of early losses to Timber Creek and Williamstown, undefeated teams that are No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, in the Top 10.
But the Quakers are 4-2 and on the verge of making a move after an impressive 31-0 victory over Kingsway on Friday.
"We lost to two of the best teams in South Jersey," Moorestown coach Russ Horton said. "Nobody likes to lose. But sometimes, taking your lumps helps you in the long run. It toughens you up."
Moorestown played terrific defense against Kingsway. Horton said inside linebackers Tim Mahaney and Brent Ogle and safety Alex Martinelli led the way.
"The defense really did a great job," Horton said. "They wanted the shutout and they got it. They really were swarming over just about everything that Kingsway was trying to do."
With one of South Jersey's most explosive offenses, Moorestown will be tough to beat if the Quakers continue to improve on the defensive side of the football.
