By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer Columbia – Moving up to the 5A Division 1 classification once again proved no problem for Ridge View . Just as the Blazers basketball team kept the state championships string alive with a win over Blythewood in the 5A Division 1 final in March, the Ridge View boys track and field team moved up from a 4A state championship in 2024 to score 91 points and edge Spartanburg’s 87.5 points in Saturday’s 5A Division 1 track and field meet at Spring Valley’s Harry Parone Stadium. “I’m just proud of the growth of this program,” said fourth-year head coach Charles Proctor , noting the team’s three region championships on top of its second straight state championship. “I think the number that I’m most proud of over these four years is that we’ve helped 20 young men gain scholarships to continue their athletic and academic careers. We’re just continuing to build this program.” The Blazers had just two gold medals on the afternoon. Jordyn Best won state in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.52 seconds and the 4x100 relay team of Quency Grant , Khristian Jackson , Mounir Spann , and Best took first with a time of 40.88. What Ridge View did have was enough depth to cover almost every event, and double up in several events. In the 400 hurdles, four Blazer runners finished within the top 8. Grant took second with a time of 54.79, Elijah White took 4 th with a time of 56.51, Jaciyah Johnson took 6 th with a time of 56.74, and Ethan Jirves took 8 th with a time of 57.49. Those placings netted Ridge View 17 points. White and Jirves also placed in the 110 hurdles, with White taking fifth with a time of 14.89 and Jirves placing eighth with a time of 15.25. Those finishes netted five points. Best finished third in the 200 dash with a time of 21.63. In the 400 dash Spann took second with a time of 48.24 and Darrell Price finished seventh with a time of 48.94. Those placings added 16 points to the Blazers’ total. Macaire N’twa took fifth in the 800 run with a time of 1:58.12 for four points. The 4x800 relay team of N’twa, Price, Correll Johnson , and Orin Striggles took sixth place with a time of 8:00.39, and the 4x400 relay team of Grant, Price, N’twa, and Spann closed out the meet with a fourth place time of 3:20.95. Those finishes gave Ridge View eight points. In the field events Amari Stevenson’s second-place finish in the triple jump with a mark of 14.27 meters was tops, with Nevan Gaither’s mark of 13.6 meters was good for fifth place. The two efforts gave the Blazers 12 points for that event. Josh Campbell’s 5 th place discus throw of 47.28 meters and Angel Brooks Jr.’s fourth-place javelin throw of 51.48 meters were good for nine points. All in all, while the finishes weren’t all top finishes, there were more than enough to get the Blazers across to victory. “The thing that helped us the most is that we came in here with 24 scoring opportunities,” Proctor said. “I always say that if we can come in here with more than 15 scoring opportunities, we’ve got a great chance to win. The depth of our team allowed for some mistakes, which we knew we would have, it’s rare that you would have a perfect championship, so our depth is what helped us pull this out today.” Spartanburg had several individual state champions on its roster. Justin Rice took gold in the 200 dash with a time of 21.40, Knox Eaton finished first in the 800 run with a time of 1:54.88, and Torrean Davis took gold in the long jump with a mark of 7.33 meters. The 4x400 relay team of Joshua Taliaferro , Andy Metz , Christian Davis , and Elijah Roseburg finished first and gave the Vikings one final push with a time of 3:19.30. Those finishes gave Spartanburg 40 points, but the Vikings did not have enough high finishers to boost their point total over the top. Rice finished fifth in the 100 dash with a time of 10.82; Davis finished fifth in the 200 dash with a time of 21.82; Taliaferro took fifth in the 400 dash with a time of 48.56, and fourth in the high jump with a mark of 1.9 meters; Walker Nunes took eighth in the 800 run with a time of 1:58.27; and Andy Metz finished third in the 400 hurdles with a time of 54.92. The 4x800 relay team of Eaton, Chap Willbanks , Nicholas Rhoden and Nunes finished second with a time of 7:53.78, and the 4x100 relay team of Kendrion Keenon , Davis, Rice, and Taliaferro finished third with a time of 41.61 to round out the Viking’s score of 87.5 points. With the championship in hand, the Blazers will keep training and work toward another successful season. For Proctor it is a moment to reflect on the past four years, and what the future may bring to Ridge View. “I think we can be a perennial powerhouse in the country,” Proctor said. “It’s a great thing to win a state championship today, but to also end the season as the No.1 team in South Carolina, that means everything, and it’s something we’ve been working on and striving for.” Apart from the Ridge View-Spartanburg contest, top finishers included Carolina Forest senior Zayveon Sims , who took first place in the 400 dash with a time of 47.82. Boiling Springs junior Mike Hurley won gold in the 3200 run with a time of 9:13.11. Cane Bay senior Jayden Anderson took first in the 110 hurdles with a time of 14.62, and also won gold I the 400 hurdles with a time of 53.35. Mauldin’s 4x800 relay team as tops with a time of 7:51.00. Dorman junior Jamarius Brown won the high jump with a mark of 1.93 meters, and also took gold in the triple jump with a mark of 14.63 meters. Stratford junior Lukas Kowlok took first in the pole vault with a vault of 4.65 meters. Blythewood senior Santana Wright threw the discus for a first-place distance of 51.84 meters. Mauldin sophomore Walker Ferguson won the javelin with a throw of 58.19 meters. West Ashley junior Matthew Atkinson took gold in the shot put with a throw of 15 meters. Girls 5A Division I While competition in the boys events was tight, the Blythewood girls team dominated the field Saturday. The Bengals sprinters placed high and racked up points early, finishing with 107 points on the day to claim their third straight state championship and first in the 5A Division I configuration. Blythewood’s total was 53 points better than second-place Spartanburg’s 54 points. “We had to perform a lot better than we did last season because we had a lot of hiccups last year,” head coach Aleshia Hawkins ,” We just came out and performed the way we needed to perform.” That they did. Sophomore sprinter Peyton Hightower won the 400-meter dash for the second straight year, this year with a time of 24.46 seconds. She finished fourth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.46 and ran a leg for the gold-winning 4x400 relay team. Junior Olivia Taylor , who finished fifth in the 100 dash with a time of 12.03, also finished fifth in the 400 dash with a time of 55.60. Hightower’s sister, junior sprinter and point guard on the 5A Division 1 state basketball championship Bengals Hayley Hightower , took second in the 800 run with time of 2:10.27 and also ran legs in the 4x400 and 4x800 races. Both sisters say they enjoy competing with each other and alongside each other, and spending time with the team as everyone prepares to do their best for events. “I like to see her succeed on the track and I think she does the same for me,” Hayley Hightower said. “It’s amazing to see both of us competing and running on this level.” Peyton Hightower added, “It’s great having someone to cheer for, not only as a teammate but as family. I root for her and she roots for me.” Both sisters said they and the team came into Harry Parone stadium Saturday with the focus on keeping their championship at Blythewood. “We’ve been working extra hard this year, trusting our coaches, setting some goals, and coming here with a plan,” Hayley Hightower said. “We weren’t going to get away from our plan. We knew what we had to come here and do, it didn’t matter about the class or whatever, we just had to come in here and get the job done. To get another state championship in track means a lot to me. I’m really proud of this team.” Added Peyton Hightower , “This is No.3 in a row for us so we know what we needed to do coming in here, We’re just proud that we came out on top,” she said. “We knew that there were going to be some teams that would challenge us. We knew that we had to stay humble and do our best. We did a really good job of coming in and not worrying about the outside noise and doing what we had to do.” What they did was place as high as possible, in every event possible. Eighth grader Brooke Bramlett took first in the 100 hurdles with a time of 13.88. Bramlett also finished seventh in the 100 dash and ran a leg on the 4x100 team. Senior Aminah Rhone won gold in the 400 hurdles with a time of 1:01.74. She finished third in the 100 hurdles with a time of 14.41, and she also ran a leg in the 4x400. Sophomore Romell Garway finished seventh in the 100 hurdles with a time of 15.24. Blythewood racked up 26 points in the relays with a first place in the 4x400 and second placings in the 4x100 and 4x800. The 4x400 team of Rhone, Alexandra Francique , Hayley Hightower , and Payton Hightower won gold with a time of 3:48.77. The 4x100 team of Bramlett, Taylor , Brittany Benson , and junior Tylar Moore took second with a time of 47.02. The 4x800 team of junior Anna Kelly , senior Mallory Hogue , Scarlett Baker , and Hayley Hightower took second with a time of 9:23.80. Hogue and Kelly also placed in the 3200 run. Hogue placed third with a time of 11:17.49 and Kelly placed fourth with a time of 11:19.47. Sophomore Alexis Jones placed fourth in the high jump with a mark of 1.55 meters. Moore placed fifth in the long jump with a mark of 5.59 meters. Coach Hawkins credited the success of Blythewood to supporters throughout the school and community. “From Blythewood, the high school, the parents, the younger brothers and sisters come out, it’s just wonderful,” Hawkins said. “Everyone takes everything seriously. They want to get to the next level, and I tell them, you work. You don’t work, you can’t make it to the next level.” Noting the youth on the team, the program isn’t slowing down anytime soon. “We’re just losing three scorers this year, but everyone else is coming back,” Hawkins said. “It’s going to be exciting in 2026.” Among the other top finishers, Rock Hill senior Khamoni Rockeymore-Crews won the 100 dash with a time of 11.74, and won the 200 dash with a time of 24.19. She was also one of Rock Hill’s state-champion 4x100 team that also included Cherish Paul , Zoe McClurkin , and Aubrey Stevenson that finished with a time of 46.75. The Wando 4x800 team of Rowyn Martens , Emma Stanton , Ana Laurient , and Emmi Hunter made a state-record run of 9:08.70 that beat the old record by 13 seconds. Laurient, a senior, also won gold in the 80 meter run with a time of 2:10.24. Warrior javelin thrower Elle Cocco , a freshman, won her event with a 39.65-meter throw. Clover junior Ella Nighbor won the 1,600 run with a time of 5:02.77. Summerville junior Taylor Blackwelder won the 3,200 run with a time of 11:13.45. Teammate Nikki Brown , a senior, won the pole vault with a vault of 3.48 meters. Mauldin senior Lena Scott took first place in the high jump with a mark of 1.68 meters. She also won the triple jump with an effort of 12.19 meters. Ashley Ridge senior Alana Braxton won gold in the long jump with a jump of 5.87 meters. Fort Dorchester’s Saniyah Joyner won the discus with a throw of 39.91 meters. Spartanburg sophomore Riley Vaughn won gold in the shot put with a throw of 12.4 meters.

By David Shelton Senior Writer Summerville – When they return from spring break on April 21, the softball and girls soccer teams at Cane Bay High will renew their quest for a region 7-AAAAA championship. Both teams entered the break in contention but chasing some region powers. However, if they finish strong both teams will have a chance to win the region. Regardless of how the regular season ends, both teams are heading for the Class AAAAA Division I state playoffs in early May. The softball team hit spring break with a 9-8 overall record but a 4-1 mark in region play. The lone region loss came to Berkeley and the Cobras will get another shot after the break. Among the top early season performers are outfielder McKenna Judy and second baseman Kayleigh Christmas . Judy was hitting .429 at the break while Christmas was at .369 with nine runs batted in. Charlet Reed , the designated hitter, posted a .342 batting average while infielder Jasmine Dargan and first baseman Allie Bertram are hitting .333 with seven and nine RBI, respectively. Dependable backstop Lyla Roberson is hitting .276 and outfielder Emma Tychek is hitting .241. Inside the pitching circle, the primary pitcher has been Isabella Kelly , who has a 2.33 earned run average. Tabi McDaniel also pitches when not in centerfield. Chloe Manuel sees time at second and third base. Rounding out the team are infielders Loanys Aviles, Gianna Caldero and Cadence Adkins ; and outfielders Aubrey Rose and Dakota Smith . On the pitch, the girls soccer team sits at 9-3 overall with a 4-2 region record. Region seven includes powerhouses Wando and Lucy Beckham. Senior all-region performer Claire Orth is having another strong season with 12 goals at four assists. Junior Elliyah Tomes has scored 10 goals with five assists, and senior Kaelyn Tomes has four goals as a defender. Junior Ivy Ayers also has scored four early goals. Working in goal are senior Loran Hadden and junior Autumn De Rosia . Defenders include junior Sandra Banegas-Cruz , junior Isabella Sandrin , junior Makena Drayto n, junior McKenna Igoe and senior Melena Kirar . Seeing time in the midfield are senior Mia Cook , junior Karis Wright , junior Ada Voges , and sophomore Kenley Drew . Seniors Isabella Graziani and Natalya Hahn are working up front as forwards.

 By David Shelton Senior Writer Summerville – Competing in one of the state’s toughest regions will be a challenge for the 2025 Cane Bay baseball team but head coach Shane Todd feels this year’s team has the makings of a solid unit. Cane Bay opened the season by going 4-0 in the Woodland Wood bat invitational, a good start and a way to build some early confidence. “It was good because it showed us that what we had been seeing in the preseason was indicative of the team we have.” The Cobras face tough challenges in region 7-AAAAA from the likes of Stratford , Berkeley , Wando and newcomer Lucy Beckham . Those teams are veteran teams with quality pitching that will challenge the Cobras. This year’s team is a mixture of a handful of returners with several newcomers, either transfers or junior varsity players, expected to make a big impact. “I think this team has gelled and come together,” Todd said. “The seniors are showing leadership and the newcomers have fit right in. The potential to be competitive every night we play is there. We just have to perform.” Leading the way this season are senior catcher Drew Grimm and senior outfielder/pitcher Ethan Dodson. Grimm will be one of the top hitters with two early season homeruns while Dodson is a fifth-year varsity starter. Both are headed to USC Lancaster in the fall. Senior outfielder Chandler Berry, a role player in the past, has earned a starting spot and has been effective offensively early on. Junior shortstop Mitchell Bennett is one of the best all-around players. Bennett makes all the plays at shortstop while being one of the leading hitters and base stealers. He played on the junior varsity last season. Junior Cayden Haught also is up from the jayvee and plays third base while backing up Grimm behind the plate. Junior Jesse Hernandez is the designated hitter and is another hitter with great power and is off to a good start, Starting in centerfield is eighth-grader Tre Lawrence , one of the top players in the country in his class. Lawrence is an accomplished hitter with great power and speed. Rock Hill transfer Quincey Richardson is another capable bat and will work in the outfield in a rotation. Two other transfers making an impact are second baseman Alex Hubbard and first baseman Niko Alvarez , both seniors. Joining Dodson as available arms on the mound are sophomore Lucas Porcelli , junior Kris Poe , senior Isaac Brace , senior Drake Cornelius , and juniors Taylor Herndon and Jason Spurgeon . Hernandez also will see time on the mound.

Cobras pointing to good run in playoffs By David Shelton Senior Writer Summerville – The 2024-25 boys basketball team at Cane Bay is pretty young overall but the Cobras have competed at a high level this season. Coach Shawn McKeen is hoping the team can use the solid play to build into a strong AAAAA Division I state contender. Entering the final three games of the regular season, the Cobras were 16-6 overall and 6-2 in regiom 7-AAAAA with losses to Berkeley and Goose Creek. The loss to Berkeley came at the buzzer. “It’s going somewhat good so far but we’d have to win out to have to be first or second in the region,” the coach reports. “We went on a nine-game winning streak and have played some great competition. I’m looking forward to seeing how we compete in the playoffs.  Junior Jarvis Roper continues to set the offensive pace for the Cobras, averaging about 13 points per game on the season. Senior Kevin Dukes has been good for 11 points per game while sophomore point guard Jahleel Sanders is dishing out nearly five assists per contest. Rounding out the 2024-25 roster are junior Tristan Ford , sophomore Landon Thompson , senior Austin Seabrook , junior Izaiah Simmons , sophomore Jackson Lilly , junior Andre Hagler , junior Jayden Waring , senior Tarik Henderson , freshman Jamel McKinley , sophomore Terry Truesdale , junior Amare Merrell , sophomore Christian Davis and junior Mike Smalls . “The future is bright for our team as we only have three seniors, one who starts and two who are role players. We have a very young team so I expect us to compete for seasons to come.” Attitude and commitment are two of the strengths of this year’s team. The players enjoy the work it takes to be a top team. “They are working hard everyday,” McKeen said. “We have had multiple practices per game with no complaining. They see it all paying off.”

By Rob Gantt Special to the HSSR SUMMERVILLE – Cane Bay High School’s boys basketball team has produced some sensational performances during the first half of the year, including a school-record output in one contest and a 22-point victory at a top 3 squad in its classification a few days later. The Cobras’ latest success might be their best win of the campaign. Cane Bay improved to 9-4 with a signature win over Wren High School, 58-56, Dec. 30. “They’re really, really good,” Cane Bay coach Shawn McKeen said about the Hurricanes, who won a 3A title in 2023 and played for the Upper State title in 4A in 2024. “They’re always very well-coached. We’ve played them three times in the Carolina Invitational. It’s always a good test for us. They’re going to be in the hunt in Class 4A.” Also notable, Cane Bay torched Beaufort , 107-36, Friday, Dec. 6, and pulled away from then No. 3 Summerville 76-54, Tuesday, Dec. 10. “Right now, I love where we’re at,” McKeen said. “Everybody is healthy. We have 16 kids on the varsity team, and there have been a couple of games where we have been able to play everybody. They’re putting the team first. They’re buying in.” In particular, the Cobras’ depth has been on display. They were down a handful of guys in two of their losses but competed well. Junior forward Jarvis Roper and senior forward Kevin Dukes lead the Cobras on the scoreboard, tallying 14 and 10 points per game, respectively. Sophomore guards Jahleel Sanders and Landon Thompson average seven and six points. Dukes and sophomore forward Christian Davis are out front in rebounds, with better than five per contest. Sanders leads in assists and junior Amare Merrell in steals. Junior guard Jayden Waring has been a consistent contributor night in and night out. Freshman forward Jamel McKinley and junior guard Andre Hagler have made their presence felt recently, too, since coming up from JV and returning from an injury. The Cobras travel to Cathedral for another non-region game Tuesday, Jan. 7, before cranking up Region 7-5A play Friday, Jan. 10, at Goose Creek. “The biggest thing now is not going backward,” McKeen said.

By David Shelton Senior Writer Summerville – A strong and firm foundation must be established before a castle can be built. The same concept goes for building a high school sports program. Sometimes you have to take a few lumps early in the process but through hard work and dedication, success can be achieved. Cane Bay volleyball coach Chris Latigona ha assembled a 2024 roster that he feels will develop into a legitimate power, but it will take a little time. Nonetheless, the coach has a young team this fall and he has put the team through a difficult non-region slate of games against high level teams. “Although our overall record (5-14) doesn’t reflect, we have played some good volleyball. Coming up short to tough opponents,” the coach said. “We have a young team with only two seniors this year. My young team is learning to build resilience and have battled through several key injuries and sicknesses this year. We are currently 3-3 in region play and look to make a strong push for a playoff spot this year.” Three early region wins will do a lot for the goal of making the state playoffs. Cane Bay has two region losses to perennial power Wando and another to state title contender Lucy Beckham. The two seniors in the lineup are captains Caroline Combs (outside hitter) and Elli Robertson (libero). While their overall leadership is a key strength, the team’s best player is sophomore right side hitter Rylie Friar , who leads the team in kills and blocks while boasting the top kill percentage on the team. Sophomore Marley Stephens is the starting setter, along with junior Ellie Karan , who also sets. Juniors Zye Bryant and Mariah Bryant are the key performers in the middle of the net. Junior Brooke Bartlett is a key sub as a defensive specialist. “Our team strength is our scrappy defense,” Latigona said. “We are building something special with these young players, although we have our moments due to our experience levels. “We are excited to see how our young players, Rylie Friar, Marley Stephens and Ellie Karan progress the rest of the year and into the following season.”

By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Summerville – Sunday afternoon the Post and Courier held its annual football media at Cane Bay High School and despite a week that saw tropical storm Debby wreak havoc with practice schedules several of the low country’s top players and coaches showed up to talk and get their picture taken. “We were only able to get in three practices this week so like a lot of teams we are behind in what we need to do to get ready for the opener,” said Cross High School head coach Shawn Wright . The media day is held by long time Post and Courier and HSSR senior writer David Shelton . Shelton has been one of the top Prep writers in the state for over three decades and before pictures and interviews began he had a powerful message for all the young men, “Football is what you do and not who you are.” Shelton shared with the players and coaches his personal tragedy of the loss of his two sons to the fentanyl problem plaguing our country. He let the players know that if you are having issues or other problems in your life there are always other solutions that will not end your life. He has a web site “1team1cause.com” which has the sole purpose to educate and help young people. The HSSR’s top ranked junior prospect Desmond Greene of Timberland was in attendance. The 6-5, 335 five-star prospect has over 20 offers to date with no favorites at the present time. His biggest concern right now is to get ready for the season. “I just keep grinding, keep working every day to get better. I want to embrace every challenge and every criticism to get better. I have heard from a lot of people and some stand out more than others but I am still feeling things out,” said Green. The James Island Trojans are coming off the best season in school history since James Island and Fort Johnson merged, finishing the year at 12-1 and advancing into the third round had several players in attendance including HSSR Top 100 Prospects Dalton Woodall (28 th ), Gray Dangerfield (48) and Hendrix Beran (54). Woodall (6-3,295) and Beran (6-4,252) anchor the Trojan defensive line and both are being recruited by several schools with Woodall holding an offer from the University of Toledo . On the upcoming season Woodall said, “We like to push each other a lot especially in the weight room. We have a lot of confidence and we know that if we continue to work hard and follow the plan we can go farther than we did last season.” Dangerfield is the top ranked kicker in the state and recently picked up an offer from Virginia Tech to add to the four offers from Army , Navy , Georgia Southern and Charleston Southern . When asked about being the top ranked kicker in the state Dangerfield replied, “It felt good to be recognized as the top kicker. I just get some touchbacks and score some points for the team.” Fort Dorchester’s Jalen White checks in the 65 th ranked player in the HSSR’s Top 100 . The 5-9, 170 defensive back will be playing for his third head coach in three years. Despite the turnover Jalen is still getting a lot of looks from college coaches among them are Wingate University, Georgia Southern and Coastal Carolina . Presently Wingate is in the lead. “I am just trying to help the new players get ready for the season. We have kept the same defense so we feel good about that but we are working hard to get back to our legacy,” said White. The HSSR always talked with a couple of players from the host school Cane Bay ; defensive back Malachi Dickerson (6,170) and defensive end Joshua Frost (6, 220). Both are senior leaders for the Cobra’s and they are looking to lead the team to its first region championship in school history this year. “My role on the team is to lead by example and to help the younger kids get used to how we practice and get ready to play,” said Dickerson.

Summerville – When Cane Bay High had an opening for its athletic director’s position, the administration and school district did not have to look far for the new boss. Cane Bay announced the hiring of Randall Tucker to take over the athletic program in early July. Tucker comes from Ashley Ridge High in Summerville, where he spent the last nine years. Tucker is a Berkeley County native, graduating from Stratford High in 1998. He spent time in coaching at Wando, Summerville and Ashley Ridge. “I really enjoyed my time at Ashley Ridge but I guess I was just looking for a change, a new challenge,” Tucker said. “I feel like we accomplished a lot at Ashley Ridge.” Tucker replaces Brian Swiney, who retired after five years on the job. Cane Bay opened in 2008-09 and Tucker will be the school’s fifth athletic director during that time. “I am excited for the opportunity and look forward to helping to grow the athletic programs at Cane Bay,” Tucker said. “The coaching staff is solid. There are a lot of coaches with experience and the program has been a consistently competitive program across the board. I look forward to working with our coaches to give the athletes the best opportunity for success.” Tucker was officially hired in July so he has had to hit the ground running, trying to catch up on all things athletics while meeting coaches. Cane Bay has several facility items on their wish list but, of course, many of those hopeful projects have to be approved and paid for by the district. “I know there is a need for a second gym and they have been working for a new weightroom,” Tucker said. “The facilities here are good but we are always looking for ways to improve and enhance what we have now. This is a growing area in a good district and my goal is to improve our relationships with the growing population here. We have a lot of possibilities.” Wash inducted into SCACA Hall of Fame Long-time coach Tim Wash was inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame at the annual coaches clinic in Greenville on July 21. Wash is the former wrestling coach at Cane Bay and is still an assistant on the football staff. He made his mark in wrestling, accumulating more than 500 career dual match victories and three state championships. Wash formerly coached at James Island (his alma mater), Lugoff-Elgin, Rock Hill and Berkeley before coming over to Cane Bay in 2011. He retired as wrestling coach after the 2022 season. Wash earned 18 region coach of the year honors during his career. He is entering his 40 th year in coaching. He also won a state champion as a high schooler at James Island in 1980.

Summerville – Faced with major losses in key personnel from last year’s team, Cane Bay head football coach Russell Zehr says he and his coaching staff have been working diligently to identify capable replacements for the 2024 season. Cane Bay is in the midst of June offseason workouts, coming out of spring practice with some answers but remaining questions. “We evaluated a lot of personnel, trying to plug in the right guy in the right spots,” said Zehr, who led the Cobras to a 6-5 record last season. “We had to work a lot in preparing our younger guys to step in. There’s a big difference between being a jayvee player and a varsity player at the AAAAA level. We are working to acclimate those guys to the varsity level.” Zehr admits to having a good idea of what he and his staff had to work with as spring drills concluded. However, some of the plans have been affected by some players transferring to other schools and several have not been showing up in early June workouts. “We have had to sort of start the process over in some areas so that’s been disappointing,” Zehr said. One major void is at quarterback where the Cobras must replace a very solid and productive player, Mark Stewart, who has graduated. Looking to fill his shoes is junior Colby LaRocca, who was the backup a year ago. Sophomore Coran Houpe is up from the junior varsity and will get reps during the summer. “Colby has a good grasp of the offense but obviously he doesn’t have the game experience yet. But we feel he can do the job,” Zehr said. While the offensive line returns just one starter, center Mason Judy, the backs are experienced. Seniors Bryson Johnson and Austin Seabrook were starters a year ago and will be key players in the run game. Tyler Myers and Cameron Smalls also figure into the mix. Defensively, Zehr is counting on a crop of junior varsity players to have an impact this season. Two offensive returners, twin brothers Jayden and Jaylen Smith, are moving to the defensive side of the ball and will play along the line. Linebacker Brody Thacker, a junior, is up from the jayvee where he was a leader on that defense. Junior Cameron McCoy also could be a key factor at linebacker. Dominic Russell is the lone varsity returner at linebacker. “The biggest concern is with the secondary where we lost a lot of experience,” Zehr said. “We’re getting those guys a lot of reps in the summer with the passing league stuff. We have the bodies. They just need to learn what to do.”