Published Tuesday, August 26, 2008 9:18 AM
Updated Tuesday, August 26, 2008 10:14 AM
The Cobras take to the practice field.
Cane Bay starting from scratch
There will be many “firsts” at Cane Bay High School this fall … and hopefully a first win on the football field will be among them.
The Cobras began their first day of preseason practice Aug. 1. It was the team’s first-ever practice, leaving the school with less than a month to prepare for its inaugural varsity football season.
At the helm of the Cane Bay athletic department – and the Cobra football team – is Jeff Cruce. The coach made a name for himself in the Lowcountry and the state over the past decade at Hanahan High School
According to Cruce, preseason has been a success for his young squad. “Preseason has gone well … it’s gone better than expected,” he said. “We’re young, and we have to be patient.”
“Young” may be an understatement: in its first season of competition, the Cobras will start only freshman and sophomores as the school grows.
The Cobras will compete at the Class AA level the first two seasons before eventually moving up to a Class AAAA level in the future.
CBHS hosted its first scrimmage against Military Magnet Aug. 12, and another against St. John’s Aug. 20.
The day that has been circled on the team’s calendar for weeks is Aug. 29 – that’s when Cruce’s former team, the Hanahan Hawks, will invade Cane Bay’s sparkling new football stadium in Berkeley County.
Two weeks later, the Cobras will travel to St. Stephen to face the Class AA’s newest member, the Timberland Wolves. That in-county match up will be a challenge for the young Cobras, as Timberland is a favorite to win a state title this season.
Cruce said he has had several players emerge as leaders during the month of August, including linebacker Cullin Seabrook and free safety Tariq Simmons on defense, and quarterbacks Brandon Hall and Kellin Kunkel, along with receiver Jared Holloway on offense.
According to Cruce, Cane Bay will run a spread offense, and will line up in a 4-3 defense.
If history is any indication, the Cobra football program is in good hands.
During his 13-year career with the Hawks, Cruce racked up 10 region championships and played in the Class AA Lower State title game in 2004. He produced 47 players who have played college ball, and another four who signed this season.
Now leading the Cobras, Cruce said he has high expectations.
“We want to set our goals high,” he said. “But we also have to be realistic. We are excited about where we are going and having this opportunity.”
The Cobras will compete in a new 6,000-seat football stadium, which was unveiled along with the school’s other athletic facilities at a recent open house for parents, students and interested fans.