Countdown to Kickoff 2025: New coach Pat Lancetta ready to get Hammonton back on track

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Ethan Peterson (4) covers the ball for Hammonton during its 2024 season opener. Peterson, a running back/defensive back, returns for his senior year.

Patrick Mulranen

Last season was tough for the Hammonton High School football team.

The Blue Devils finished with just one win, not their typical season.

New coach Pat Lancetta aims to change that this fall, but he and his players are taking a one-day-at-a-time approach.

Hammonton will host Franklin Township at 6 p.m. Aug. 28 to open its season.

"We just want to improve every day," Lancetta said. "Our one saying for our T-shirts is 'Win The Day,' and that's our big saying this year. We just want to win each day and just improve. We are not going to set a number of wins for us. I just want to see us get better every day and, if we do that, I think the wins will come.

"We want to take the season as it comes. Don't get too high, never get too low. We are not looking back at all. We are just looking ahead. I can't control what happened in the past. We are looking to the future and trying to get Hammonton back on top again."

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Hammonton played a hard schedule last season, losing to programs such as Mainland Regional, Holy Spirit, Atlantic City, Kingsway Regional and Cedar Creek. The Blue Devils will play some of the same opponents this season, so the road ahead doesn't get much easier.

Hammonton will compete in the West Jersey Football League's Constitution Division.

"We have a tough schedule," Lancetta said. "It's not easy. We are going to put our best foot forward, and we are going to give it our best, I can promise you that."

Countdown to Kickoff 2025: Cumberland looks to experienced, returning players for success

The Cumberland Regional High School football is very heavy on seniors and juniors, so the Colts aim to have a fast start to the season.

Lancetta was a Blue Devils assistant from 1989-2002, working under brother Pete Lancetta, who is now the head coach at St. Augustine Prep. The brothers led Hammonton to two undefeated seasons and eight Cape-Atlantic League titles during that stretch.

Pat had never been a head coach until now, and he wants to get the Blue Devils back to that type of success.

"So far, very pleased," he said recently. "They are doing a really good job in the weight room. We are getting stronger. We made some good improvements from winter testing to end-of-the-school-year testing. We did a good job there. Our mini camp went really well.

"The kids are doing a great job. A lot of leadership. A lot of the kids are becoming leaders. They are doing everything we asked of them. They are acting appropriately, which is very important to me, on and off the field. The seniors are doing a great job. We don't have a lot of them, but they are doing a great job. We have a lot of juniors who are doing a great job. So far, I can't ask for anything more from the players."

Hammonton will be a relatively young team this season. About three-quarters of the Blue Devils will be either sophomores or juniors.

Seniors Gabe Wehner (offensive lineman and linebacker), Ethan Peterson (wide receiver and free safety), Alex Brunges (two-way lineman) and junior Stephen Ruhf (halfback and outside linebacker) are expected to be some of Hammonton's top players. Brunges is one of the strongest players on the team, Lancetta said.

Lancetta said one of strengths of the Blue Devils will be their offensive line. He said he is also excited about his tight end and wide receiver group. Hammonton will be inexperienced at running back and quarterback, Lancetta added.

"We are going to be physical," Lancetta said. "I already told the players that. If they aren't physical, they won't be playing. We are going to be a very disciplined football team, on and off the football field. That's big for me. We are going to try to, obviously, be mistake- and penalty-free."

"We are going to be fairly young, but the guys who are going to be juniors got some experience last year. Obviously, the freshmen who are going to be sophomores have no experience. So, we are pretty much going to be a young football team, which is a good thing when you are taking over."

Contact Patrick Mulranen: 609-272-7217

PMulranen@pressofac.com

Twitter @ACPressMulranen

Hammonton Blue Devils

Coach: Pat Lancetta (first season)

Last year's record: 1-9

2024 prediction: Building -- Hammonton is a young team with mostly sophomores and juniors and aims to build upon last year's one-win campaign under a new coach

Key players: Alex Brungis, Sr., OL/DT;, 5-10, 261; Angel Clybourn, So., DB/RB;, 5-10, 162 Ramee Coley, Jr., OL/DE, 5-10, 241; Giovanni Datal Jr., TE/LB, 5-11, 233; Michael DeCicco, Sr., DB/WR, 5-7, 136;Cooper DelGozzo, Sr., DE/RB, 5-11, 192; Christian DiGerolamo, Sr., WR/DB, 5-10, 134; Samorie Gardner, Sr., WR/DB;, 6-3, 172; Rocco Giacobbe, Jr.,QB/LB, 6-1, 191; Joe Golini, Sr., OL/DL, 6-3, 232; Calvin Green, Jr., DL/OL;, 6-1, 243 Gavin Kovacs, Sr., DB/WR;, 5-7, 142; Cole Landicini, So., QB/DB, 5-10, 173; Ethan Peterson, Sr., WR/DB, 6-0, 174; Abraham Ramirez, Jr., OL/DL, 6-3, 233; Stephan Ruhf, Jr., ATH/LB;, 6-0, 192; Tyler Vento, ATH/DB, Jr., 5-8, 167; Gabriel Wehner, Sr., OL/DL, 6-0, 211; Julius Witcher, Sr., LB/ATH, 5-10, 191; Tommy Witcraft, Sr., TE/DE, 5-9, 181.

Schedule

Aug. 28

6 p.m. vs. Franklin Twp.

Sept. 5

6 p.m. vs. Mainland Reg.

Sept. 12

6 p.m. at Holy Spirit

Sept. 19

6 p.m. vs. Cedar Creek

Sept. 26

6 p.m. at Ocean City

Oct. 3

6 p.m. at Kingsway Reg.

Oct. 10

6 p.m. vs. Seneca

Oct. 18

11 a.m. vs. Atlantic City

Oct. 23

6 p.m. at Shawnee

Coming up

Previews of the Middle Township and Bridgeton football teams will appear online Sunday and Monday mornings, respectively. Team previews will run daily online leading up to the Aug. 28 season opener. The previews also will appear in our Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday print editions.

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