SEBASTIAN — The Sebastian River Sharks held their annual Sneak Peak Friday evening at the Shark Tank. Hundreds of the Sebastian River faithful filled the stands for a glimpse of what the Marching Sharks are made of.
Following an extensive two-week band camp, marching band members and the Sebastian flag Corps put on an impressive display of talent. Joel Pagan has been the Director of Bands for seven years at Sebastian and he said this event is for the parents and students.
“This is a great opportunity for the parents and students to see the hard work that our band students put in during the two week camp prior to the start of school.”
The Marching Sharks are preparing for their debut during the 2012 football season. Pagan said it’s a symbiotic relationship between the marching band and the football team that promotes the spirit that helps support the athletic events.
“This is probably the furthest along they’ve been since I’ve been here,” Pagan said. “The kids are getting better, more efficient. It’s going to be a great season.”
The Sebastian River Sharks football team gave fans a sneak peak of their own Saturday morning via an intrasquad scrimmage. The offense competed against the defense during a one hour full contact matchup.
Head Coach Randy Bethel is in his eighteenth season at Sebastian River and said there is still some work to do.
“Right now our defense is ahead of our offense but it will catch up eventually,” Bethel said. “We’re trying to get kids to perform on a level we want them to.”
Senior quarterback Hakeem Rainey took most of the snaps during the scrimmage Saturday. Rainey will be replacing Norris Rodgers who threw for 12 touchdowns and almost 1000 yards in 2011.
The Sharks finished with a 5-6 record last season and Coach Bethel remains optimistic about his team’s progression after Saturday’s practice.
“Our enthusiasm is outstanding,” Bethel said. “We need to work on the little things like ball handling, ball control, snaps and securing tackles. Once we get to that point and start executing we will be fine.”
The Sharks open the 2012 season Aug. 24 at Melbourne and play Vero Beach the following week at the Citrus Bowl.
