- April 19, 2024
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Seabreeze football coach Troy Coke had a good feeling about his team going into the Sandcrabs' spring game matchup against Ridgeview on Friday, May 18, at Ridgeview High School. But after falling behind 28-3 in the first half, that feeling vanished.
"We didn't look like the same team we've been the past 3 1/2 weeks," Coke said of the Sandcrabs' 42-10 loss to Ridgeview. "But we do have a really clear idea of what we need to get better at going into the summer. It’s disappointing because we’ve had a really good spring and it just didn't show in our game.”
In the first half, the Sandcrabs were stopped twice going for it on fourth down. Their first points came when kicker Hunter Sweat connected on a 32-yard field goal.
“We did move the ball a little bit," Coke said. "But we struggled to finish in the red zone.”
The Sandcrabs gave up several big plays at the start of the third quarter and fell behind 42-3. However, defensive back Terrance Robinson had an interception and backup quarterback J.J. Halcomb threw a touchdown pass to receiver Darius Malone in the fourth quarter.
Summer practice will begin within the next few weeks. Seabreeze, which finished last season with a 4-8 record, will begin its 2018 campaign with its season-opener against Spruce Creek on Aug. 24 at Seabreeze High School. Coke said the team will focus on improving the defense's tackling ability and the consistency of the offensive line.
In addition, the Sandcrabs will start Isaiah Shirley at quarterback. Shirley was the MVP of the Sandcrabs' junior varsity squad last season as a wide receiver.
“He does not look like a kid who’s only been playing quarterback for four weeks," Coke said. "He’s picking up on things quickly and taking to it pretty naturally. I feel like he can be a pretty good quarterback for us.”
