Southeast Bulloch

SEB has a lot of new faces

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            When attending a Southeast Bulloch game this season, it would be wise to pick up a game program.

            There are a lot of new faces that will be suiting up for the Yellow Jackets this season, but once they all come together, it could all add up to success for SEB.

            In all, seven players have departed from the 2008-09 squad. With key contributors such as Tony Raymond, Tharon Davis and James Scott now graduated, it will be up to a mostly new cast of Jackets to take the next step after finishing just short of reaching the GHSA state playoffs last year.

            “We’re definitely dealing with a little bit of inexperience this year,” said SEB coach John Page. “There’s a lot that’s gone from last season, but we feel that we still have a lot to work with.”

            To help make the transition, the Jackets will turn to the experience that they do have returning. Chris Rogers, Marcus Smith and Marcus Mikell all saw solid playing time last season and will be depended on to set the tone early while SEB settles all of its players into their roles.

            “(Rogers, Smith and Mikell) were primary guys last year and will hopefully provide some leadership for us,” said Page. “Chris and Marcus Smith are both returning starters. Chris is a good post player and Marcus will be at guard. They should help us out a lot and let us build from there.”

            Another chance for the Yellow Jackets’ game plan this season could be the pace of play. While SEB found success with a fast-paced, run-and-gun style last season, a lack of on-court chemistry may force a slower pace for the Jackets, at least until the new starters get their feet under them.

            “With an inexperienced team, you have to gear down a little bit,” said Page. “I think that we’re going to have to pick and choose the times that we want to be up-tempo. Right now, we’re just trying to learn how to execute properly. We need to be able to go out there and just react instead of trying to think about what needs to be done in each situation.

            Of course, the departure of some players doesn’t mean that new talent can’t arise.

            Several younger Yellow Jackets will get their chance this season and will have the chance to make an impact early in their SEB careers.

            “We’ve got a couple of guys up from last year’s JV,” said Page. “Mitchell Kearney played really well in our scrimmage against Wayne County. Unfortunately, he sprained his ankle and is out for this weekend, but we think that he can help us out down the road.”

            To improve on last season and advance to the state playoffs, SEB will have its work cut out. In addition to sharing a region with defending state champion Dublin, the Jackets will have to contend on a weekly basis with a Region 3-AA schedule that is loaded with talent.

            “It’s definitely a challenge for us,” said Page. “I don’t know if Dublin will repeat, and there might not be that one dominant program, but there are a lot of quality teams out there.”

SEB at Statesboro

             The Yellow Jackets will officially tip of their season Saturday night as they travel to Statesboro for a non-region matchup.

            SEB will likely have to face a tough and enthusiastic road crowd as the game will be the first for the Blue Devils in their new gym.

            With lots of new faces and holes to fill from last season, the Jackets will likely try a lot of options as they attempt to find the right combination of talent for this year’s team.

            “We had a scrimmage already, but now we’re hitting the floor for real,” said Page. “What we’re really looking for is improvement from last weekend. It’s a long process and we just want to get better each week.”

            Statesboro should give the Jackets a pretty tall measuring stick to line up against.

            A region champion and Elite Eight participant last season, the Blue Devils are a talented and experienced team that will likely test the young Jackets.

            “They’re a good team and they return most of their players from last season,” said Page. “We want to keep things in perspective and go out and play a good game.”

            Mike Anthony can be reached at (912) 489-9404.