It's a better start to the season than last year for the Hilton Head Island High School boys soccer team. But head coach Wayne Quinlan wasn't entirely happy about it.

A year after an 0-3 start, the Seahawks (1-0) held on Friday to beat Bluffton, 3-2, on the opening night of the newly revived Beaufort Cup.

"It had no business getting like that," Quinlan said. "We got more and more complacent, and it was a disappointing ending. But it's never a disappointment when you beat your rival."

Trailing 3-0 early in the second half, the Bobcats (0-1) scored two goals in the final 20 minutes and had numerous other opportunities.

Pushing the tempo, Fabrizio Camera put the Bobcats on the board, and Osiel Maldonado turned the game into a nail-biter with less than 10 minutes remaining.

"We thought we were on top," Hilton Head Island senior Chip Tremarelli said. "We might have dropped the ball a little."

Tremarelli broke the ice with Hilton Head Island's first goal on a diving header in the box off a touch from Josh Axtell with less than a minute to go before intermission.

In the second half, he assisted on Chris MacMurray's goal in the 48th minute and, in turn, scored another of his own in the 50th minute.

Bluffton coach Josh Fox liked what he saw out of his team in the second half.

"This group right here," Fox said, "the future is bright, I dont have any complaints. I'll take that all day long."

Bluffton 0 2 -- 2

Hilton Head Island 1 2 -- 3

Goals: Bluffton -- Fabrizio Camera, Osiel Maldonado. HHH -- Chip Tremarelli 2, Chris MacMurray.

Beaufort Academy 11, Whale Branch 0

It was a tough start for the Whale Branch boys soccer program.

"It's our first season ever," Whale Branch coach Vincent Midgley said. "We're learning the game of soccer."

The Eagles scored early and often without being overly aggressive, making the Warriors -- who have just two players who have played organized soccer prior to their lone exhibition match this season -- pay for mistakes.

"We don't have to worry about athletes," said Midgley, who believes the Warriors can be successful in three seasons. "But we're still teaching them the fundamentals. There's so much at this point that they just don't know."

Conner Akers was the biggest beneficary of the Warriors' inexperiece, scoring four goals before leaving the game early in the second half. Clay Melville added two scores, and five other Eagles scored single goals.

"It was a lot better than coming out on the other end of it," Beaufort Academy coach Bill Dalton said, "and it's a good start to the season. But then again, you'd hope to face a little more of a challenge."

BA 8 3 -- 11

Whale Branch 0 0 -- 0

Goals: BA -- Conner Akers 4, Clay Melville 2, Nicky Macuch, Finn Koppernaes, Andrew Gray, Gil Dyer, Jack Dailey.

Assists: BA -- Jack Olsson.

THE BEAUFORT CUP

Through Sunday at Hilton Head Island High School

Admission: $5 daily

Saturday's Games

Battery Creek vs. Beaufort Academy, 11 a.m.

Beaufort High vs. Bluffton, 1 p.m.

Battery Creek vs. Whale Branch, 5 p.m.

Beaufort High vs. Hilton Head Island, 7 p.m.