LONG BEACH -- The Long Beach seniors have set a goal for themselves, a goal never achieved in school history.
If Long Beach can make the state football playoffs in 2008, that will give them four consecutive appearances in the state playoffs.
Long Beach (3-7 a year ago, 2-4 in Region 8-4A) crashed the state playoff party when it stunned Bay High 40-16 in the regular season finale.
The Bearcats return more veterans on defense than offense in 2008 after the graduation of such players as quarterback Jeremy Hill, lineman Brandon Carlisle, running back Bradley Jacobs and linebacker Caleb Boyd. Eighteen seniors graduated from the 2007 squad.
"It's a great working bunch," Long Beach coach Sean Harden said. "Their attitude has been great. These guys who are here now might not have been starters last year, but they played a good bit. They have some experience.
"We will count on them to grow up quick and the guys who didn't play a lot, we expect them to grow up a lot quicker."
One of those key players is two-way senior performer Roger Sims (6-1, 190). He will line up at tight end on offense and play free safety on defense.
"He's been playing outside linebacker or walked up at defensive end," Harden said. "We've been able to move him back to free safety and we will leave him back there."
Arkansas State and Southeastern Louisiana have been among the colleges showing interest in Sims.
The Bearcats are having a three-way competition at quarterback among senior Tyler Worth, junior Eddie Cornwall and sophomore Anthony D'Angelo.
"We have three quarterbacks we feel good about," Harden said. "The two that are not playing quarterback will be playing someplace else. They will be factors throwing the football, and they can run, too."
Junior Demitry Smith, senior Preston Robinson and senior Jack Donovan should be the main ballcarriers.
Sims and senior Chris Kinsey (5-10, 210) are the lone returning starters on the offensive line.
The Bearcats do have a couple of huge young offensive linemen: sophomore David Gregory (6-3, 275) and sophomore Kenny Nassar (6-4, 285).
Defensively, returning starters are senior linebacker Cody Darty (5-11, 210), senior lineman Chris Petty (6-0, 230), junior linebacker Steven Tenorio (5-9, 145), and Sims, Donovan, Robinson and Smith in the secondary.
"We want to establish consistency where we're going to the playoffs every year," Harden said. "Where it's expected. We want to have more success when we get there than we have had.
"We stepped up that last game against Bay. It was frustrating but also good. We finally played as well as we thought we could play. We thought, 'Why haven't played this well before?' But the boys went over there and played physical."
E-Mail
Print
@Nyx.CommentBody@