rss
mobile
Feeds
"The expectation is always to try to win a state championship," the Seahawks coach said. "That's always when you start out everyone's expectation. We just want to keep getting better. That's all we can ask for. If we get better every week, we can get to that point."
The Seahawks certainly looked the part Tuesday night, demolishing visiting Bishop England 16-0 in the season opener for both teams.
"If someone looks at us right now, they'll say, 'No way,' " senior midfielder Nick Bautista said. "But going to practices, I know we have the potential to definitely win the state championship. There's nothing stopping us."
Sophomore attacker Nate Jones led the charge with six goals against the Bishops, while Bautista and freshman Thomas Farrell added three each.
"In practice, he's been getting beat up and we haven't seen much from him," Monmonier said of Jones. "Tonight, when he's in a zone like that, he has a great shot."
The 2012 opener was over virtually from the start, as the Seahawks took a 3-0 lead after the first quarter before pouring it on the rest of the way. Hilton Head High led by six with just over two minutes to go in the half before Jones and Bautista netted goals 19 seconds apart to cruise into halftime up eight.
The second half proved to be much of the same. Farrell started the onslaught with a pair of goals 21 seconds apart to push the lead to double digits before Jones added his final three goals of the evening. Brooks Jenkins, Tucker Roberts and Ross Lovette also cracked the scoring column for the Seahawks.
"My teammates played well," Jones said. "We were banging the ball around. I had a lot of easy shots. Everybody was working hard off the ball. It was all right. I didn't hit the shots I wanted to."
Defense was the other story of the night, as the Bishops managed fewer than 10 shots on goal in the shutout. Madison Gayle was untouched in goal.
"That's the way we like it," Bautista said. "We like for (our goalie) to get bored."
The Seahawks enter this season with a relatively young lineup after losing 12 seniors from a year ago. Hilton Head High returns just four players who saw significant action last season. How quickly Monmonier's team grows up will decide whether it can compete for a state title.
"The only people that are stopping us is us and what we do," Bautista said. "We've just got to work together, start clicking as a team, and we can do anything."
Hilton Head Island High 16, Bishop England 0
Bishop England (0-1) -- Goals: None
Hilton Head (1-0) -- Goals: Nate Jones 6, Nick Bautista 3, Thomas Farrell 3, Ross Lovette 2, Tucker Roberts 1, Brooks Jenkins 1
