But the two-way senior's true value to the Camden Catholic football team has been displayed between plays - and between games.

Teams need top athletes. They need playmakers. They need talent.

That's Sheard.

Teams also need leaders. They need seniors who can provide direction and create positive vibrations, especially in difficult times.

That's Sheard, too.

"Zach has been huge in that area," Camden Catholic coach Rick Brown said. "It's been tough. But he's been such a leader. He's been such a role model."

It's been a choppy year for the Irish. They entered the season as the No. 1 team in The Inquirer South Jersey Top 10 and the No. 3 team in the Newark Star-Ledger top 20, but struggled to meet the high expectations.

Camden Catholic lost the first game of the season by a 14-9 score to Camden. The Irish have lost two other games, as well, and enter tonight's Burlco/Olympic National clash with rival Bishop Eustace with no margin for error.

"It was hard," Sheard said. "We lost that first game and a lot of people were like, 'Well, we don't have anything left to play for. The year's over.'

"But you can't think like that. Everybody makes mistakes. You just have to look back at what went wrong, correct it, and try to move forward."

It's easy to talk that way when one thing goes wrong. Or two. But the Irish have dealt with a sea of adversity - turnovers, injuries, upset losses to Camden and Willingboro and a pretty convincing setback against Shawnee - in the course of this season.

Brown said the season-opening loss to Camden - a team that has not won since - created a "horrible hangover" for Camden Catholic.

"I didn't do a good job as a coach of getting us past that," Brown said. "It's been tough. But a guy like Zach has been nothing but positive, talking it up, keeping us moving forward."

The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Sheard is more than just a good talker. He's a top player, too, attracting interest from colleges such as Monmouth and Albany, among several others.

Sheard has been starting at outside linebacker since the middle of his sophomore season. He enters tonight's game with 24 career sacks.

Sheard is a fullback on offense. He doesn't carry the football very often, but makes the most of his opportunities.

He scored the winning touchdown in the final two minutes of a 34-31 victory over Pemberton. He scored the first touchdown on a 51-yard run in a 28-6 victory over Holy Cross. He scored the touchdown in overtime in last week's season-salvaging, 29-28 victory over Cinnaminson.

"I love playing defense," said Sheard, who lives in Cherry Hill. "I have that defensive mentality. Every since I started playing [in the Cherry Hill youth football program], the coaches always put me on defense. Then they were like, 'Bring that same attitude to offense.' "

The great thing about Camden Catholic's schedule is that the Irish have plenty of opportunities for redemption. With a 3-1 division record, Camden Catholic still can clinch a tie for the Burlco/Olympic National title with a victory tonight over Bishop Eustace, (6-1, 4-0).

The Irish also would clinch a berth in the Non-Public 3 tournament with a victory. Plus, they still have a Thanksgiving Day date with undefeated rival Paul VI.

That's the point Sheard has been making to his teammates since the moments after that loss to Camden on a humid afternoon at Farnham Park: Look ahead, not back. There are opportunities out there.

"You can't get caught up in what has gone wrong," Sheard said. "Things are always going wrong. You keep moving forward. You can't get caught up in the negative. If you stay positive, nine times out of 10 things are going to be better."

or panastasia@phillynews.com.