PITTSBORO — Seaforth fielded a varsity football team for the first time in 2022. The Hawks won two of the 10 games they played this past fall, but head coach Terrance Gary repeatedly preached to his team that its first season wasn’t just about wins and losses.
Now, two months away from the 2023 season, Gary thinks his team could make some noise in its second year of competition.
“I'm excited, man,” Gary said. “We have a really young crew. They're all working really hard and they've bought into the philosophy. We're just trying to surprise some people this year."
Gary said Seaforth has had strong numbers come out for offseason workouts, a welcome sign for a Hawks team that fielded 33 varsity players in 2022. While they should have more players on the roster this upcoming season, many players will continue to play on both sides of the ball.
One of those players is rising junior Walt Enterkin, who Gary said will play both safety and some quarterback in 2023. Last season, Enterkin totaled 36 tackles, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble at safety and caught eight passes for 74 yards and a touchdown at receiver.
Enterkin, along with rising juniors Aaron Teta and George Weaver, are expected to make a jump this upcoming season, according to Gary. Other players to watch out for are rising junior quarterback Joshua Brown, rising senior running back Anthony Vesce and rising senior receiver Ethan Becker.
Seeing the improvement his players have made since the program started have made all the hurdles and hardships worth it, according to Gary.
"I've seen a change in the maturity, them seeing what it takes to be successful in football,” he said. “It's a little bit different than the other sports. You really have to work as a team, do your part and make sure others are held accountable as well."
Last season, Seaforth went 2-8 overall and 2-4 in the Mid-Carolina Conference. The Hawks’ two wins came against county opponents Chatham Central and Jordan Matthews, and they came within one score of upsetting Northwood in a 12-7 loss on Sept. 9.
Seaforth averaged 143.2 yards of offense per game during its first varsity season. Brown was the team’s leading passer, completing 37.5% of his passes for 545 yards, four touchdowns and six interceptions. Vesce was the team’s leading rusher (34 carries, 269 yards, one touchdown) and Becker was the leading receiver (nine catches, 212 yards, two touchdowns).
The Hawks held tough on defense for most of the 2022 season, allowing 277.3 yards per game to their opponents, including 179.7 yards per game on the ground. Seaforth’s opponents also converted 40.9% of their third downs during the season.
Seaforth kicks off the 2023 season on Aug. 18 at home against Purnell Swett before hitting the road in Week 2 to play Southern Lee. The Hawks open conference play on Sept. 8 at home against Graham.