But the Patriots started off the 2007 season with two losses, albeit to good Hudson County teams like County Prep and High Tech. After five games, the Patriots were 2-3. Considering Secaucus lost three games all of last season, this wasn't where Bott and the Pats were supposed to be.
"But we were replacing six starters from last year," Bott said. "I think we just needed to get established. There was no panic. The girls all knew me, so that was the easy part. I just had to establish a relationship with them as a softball coach. Team management was not even an issue. We just had a few glitches we had to work out. People say that it takes three or four years to establish a program, but that wasn't an option here."
The Patriots' third loss of the season was to Bloomfield, which later on became the top-ranked team in the entire state.
"We lost to some good teams," Bott said. "I really wasn't too worried. I just thought that we just needed to find ourselves a little."
Perhaps the turning point in Bott's young softball coaching career came in the sixth game of the season, when the Patriots faced host Cedar Grove in the second game of the Cedar Grove tournament, after having already faced Bloomfield in that same tourney.
It could have been very easy for the Patriots to fold up the tent and accept another loss. After all, Cedar Grove is a perennial state power and coached by Hudson Catholic head football coach and athletic director Rob Stern. Cedar Grove won the overall NJSIAA Group I state title two years ago.
But the Patriots managed to defeat Cedar Grove to even their record at 3-3.
"I think that might have been the game that brought us together," Bott said. "It was a very well played game and we managed to win. That was a big win. Things kind of started to roll from there."
Since the victory over Cedar Grove in early April, the Patriots have won 14 of 15 games and the last eight in a row. They are one of the hottest teams in northern New Jersey and enter the final week of the regular season with a good shot of clinching a second straight BCSL National championship.
The Patriots have a two-game lead with games to play against St. Mary's of Rutherford, Becton, and Lyndhurst. Things are looking quite good for a second consecutive league title after never having won a softball championship before last season.
"I think the key was that every loss we had early on wasn't catastrophic," Bott said. "I wasn't concerned with our ability to hit. I knew that we would come around at the plate."
But the biggest reason why the Patriots turned their season around has been the stellar pitching of senior Samantha Schlemm.
Schlemm had to bide her time over the last two years, pitching behind former All-Area hurler Christine Eck. Now, with Eck graduated, Schlemm had to take over the pitching duties and lead the Patriots on the mound.
"I knew Samantha wasn't overpowering," Bott said. "She wasn't going to blow anyone away. But she's extremely smart and has great location with her pitches. She hardly walks anyone and she manages to get a lot of ground ball outs. She hits the corners and knows when she has to throw certain pitches."
Schlemm has turned into a God-send for Bott. She has a 12-4 pitching record with a 1.30 earned run average. She does have the ability to collect strikeouts, with 96 and has allowed just 21 walks.
"I give Samantha credit," Bott said. "She was not going to let two losses effect her. She kept her composure and did her job."
Sophomore Michelle DiLuccio chipped in on the mound, winning five games without a loss when Schlemm wasn't pitching.
With the pitching squared away in the capable hands of Schlemm and DiLuccio, Bott knew that it was only a matter of time before the hitting came around. After all, the Patriots were welcoming back All-Area standouts Cory Roesing and Jenna Totaro, as well as inspirational leader and second baseman Kristen Bronowich. All three were proven veterans that Bott didn't have to worry about.
Although Bott made a drastic move, taking an All-Area catcher in Totaro from behind the plate and moving her to shortstop.
"When I played [at Rutherford High School], I was a shortstop and I know how important a shortstop is," Bott said. "You have to put your best athletes at shortstop and that was Jenna. She has the range and the smarts to play there. I didn't want to move Cory. She was set at third base. This was the best move for us, putting Jenna at short."
Both standouts have handled the transition well. Roesing is once again enjoying a brilliant campaign, batting .469 with four homers and 19 RBI. Roesing hit a grand slam last week to defeat Holy Family in the sixth inning and two days later hit a homer against Lyndhurst, giving her 26 for her career, breaking the school record held by her aunt, former volleyball coach Sheila Rivera.
"The team doesn't like to lose and Cory is the one who leads the pack, because she hates losing more than anyone," Bott said. "She doesn't care about records and stats. She just wants to win. But I think this home run record was special, because it was her aunt and she was under some pressure to break it. Now that it's over, she can relax."
Totaro has been wonderful at shortstop, batting .426 with 16 RBI.
Junior Kristen Degenhardt, the younger sister of 2006 Hudson Reporter Female Athlete of the Year Nicole (currently at Felician College), is now the Patriots' catcher and has been doing a fine job there.
Junior Shauna Genatt is the first baseman who has been gaining experience with every inning. Sophomore Shannon Casey is the Patriots' designated player. Casey leads the team with 21 RBI and is batting a productive .359.
The outfield is comprised of juniors, with Michelle Mitchell in left, Elise Lennon in center and Gina Zaccagnino in right.
The Patriots are currently undefeated in the BCSL National, having won all 15 games thus far. It would be a fitting end to Bott's first season as head coach if they can win out in the league and post a second straight undefeated league record.
"Winning the league is always first, but we also feel we have a good of a shot as anyone to do well in the states (North Jersey Section 2, Group I)," Bott said. "If we didn't believe it to start the season, we believe it now."
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