Sylva Bay holds expectations to repeat its 2018 successful season

To say Sylva Bay Academy had a good year in 2018 is an understatement. Under second-year head coach Terry Underwood, the Saints finished 10-3 and one play short of advancing to the MAIS AA title game in a triple-overtime loss to Centreville Academy, 40-38. The season was a bit of a surprise; no one outside of the locker room and coaching staff saw the year play out as it did. It too may have been a surprise to Underwood and his staff, though they knew what could have been accomplished with the kids they had.

But now it's a new season, and for Underwood, he says to repeat such a year like 2018, it must be expected.

"In some ways, we must expect it," added Underwood. "We always have to earn it and work for it. Like I always say, winning is contagious and so is losing."

Returning to the Saints this year are nine starters on offense and six on defense.

"We have a strong group of seniors," said Underwood. "Eight of them, counting this year, will be three-year starters — their kids of high character who have improved and bought into the program. We have an excellent group to lead us, and all of them are good players.

While a solid core is back, Sylva Bay lost skill players like Phillip Anderson, B.J. Magee-Black and Tanner Cotton to graduation and Taariq McCoy, who transferred to West Jones.

"They were some explosive guys," Underwood said. "We lost guys that could score in one play. And I'm not saying we don't have that now. We do have some [I believe], but that is yet to be seen.

“We’ll be a different style team. We have some good backs, but the strength of our team will be upfront. We have everyone back on the offensive line that started for us [a year ago]. We have good size upfront for a school our size.”

Developing the line up front on offense and defense is Mario Genna. Underwood said Genna is one of the best coaches he's ever been around.

"I've coached at junior colleges, I've coached at public schools, and I've been around some outstanding coaches who are at the D-1 level now," said Underwood. "And he's as good as I've ever had.

“And I feel the same way about our offensive coordinator Cole Holden. Cole is our assistant head coach. If something were to ever happen to me, he’s the guy that would take over. Cole is a great offensive mind. We also have Corey Bassett, who is a student-assistant and he’s getting into the profession. He’s around a good group to get into it with.”

Underwood is a coach with years of experience on the side of defense. He says the hardest offense to stop is one that excels at playing a variety of different formations and looks. That’s the type of offense expected from Sylva Bay this year.

“We’re going to mix it up,” added Underwood. “We’re going to line up in two-back and go downhill - play fake and throw. We’ll get in a one-back formation and spread it around - pitch and catch and play some screen. Then we’ll get in some heavy set, where you can throw a hand grenade and kill us all as they say.

"I say those are the best three offenses that our kids can do. I know that after being a defensive coach for most of my life, those teams that were multiple and yet good were the hardest ones to defend."

Sylva Bay opens the 2019 season on August 22 versus Brookhaven Academy at Co’Lin Community College.

"We're jumping right into the frying pan," Underwood said. "Brookhaven is a quality program. They're a MAIS AAAA program. We played one of our best games last year against them. We beat them 40-7, and they're mad. That's why they called us to play again."

Skill Players to Watch

"River Thomas is our quarterback. He's untested, but I think he'll be a good one. River just hasn't played the position for us yet. I think he'll get better every week.

"Then we have some good backs. Ty Crosby is a really good back, who is an All-District player coming back. Hunter Sykes will play some fullback and tailback and Jaden Henderson, who is a young sophomore. Henderson will be a guy people will remember and learn about as he goes through Sylva Bay. He's a good player."