That was clear after Winslow Township improved to 7-13 with Tuesday's 61-56 win over rival Timber Creek in an Olympic Conference Patriot Division game.
Both teams will compete in Group 3, and in both cases, opponents won't think they will receive an automatic "W."
For Winslow Township, it is all about athletic ability. Led by junior point guard Adonius Melvin, the Eagles can get up and down the floor with the best of them.
At the beginning of the season, the problem was getting to the floor.
Ingram, previously a volunteer assistant, decided that discipline trumped anything else, and a number of players were shown the door.
"We needed discipline," said 6-foot-3 senior Isaac Merriel, who came off the bench to score 15 points.
Merriel is an example of a player who has bought into the system, even though what Ingram was selling was a little difficult to buy.
As a senior, Merriel considers himself a starter, but he has been a major spark off the bench.
"This was one of his best games," said Ingram, a 2001 graduate and former basketball standout at Cherry Hill West.
Still, it isn't easy for Merriel, but it's the way things are.
"It's tough because I think of myself as a starter but my attitude is that I will do my best when I get in there," Merriel said.
His best was pretty good on Tuesday.
So was Melvins.
Also the football quarterback, Melvins likes being in the leadership role. It hasn't been easy in either sport since each had a first-year head coach.
"I love being in this position and trying to be a leader," he said.
At Winslow Township, the players must be accountable, and Ingram gets daily reports on academics. And if a player is even a minute late for practice, he won't be introduced with the starters.
And it's a young team with promise. Phil Mayhue, a 6-3 junior, also added 14 points, including six in the final period when the Eagles won by scoring the final 10 points of the game.
