BROOKLET — Last season was nothing short of a nightmare for the Southeast Bulloch boys.
    The Yellow Jackets are looking forward to improving in 2012-13, but the road sure isn’t any easier.
    SEB begins its regular season tonight at Bryan County where it will be looking for its first win since January of 2011. The Jackets suffered to an 0-25 mark last year and have lost key cogs in Blake Lundy and Jamal Johnson, but there are still reasons for optimism.
    “Last year was rough, but I think our guys have brushed that off and gotten it out of their minds,” said SEB coach John Page. “We had a pretty good summer and with so many of our guys playing football, we know that they’ve stayed in shape and gotten stronger through the fall.”
    Players such as Cole Carter and Kaelin Jones helped the Jackets go from 1-9 to 4-6 on the football field this season.
    Though not a part of the football team, senior guard Devonte Tremble is in his fourth year with the SEB varsity squad and will use his quick dribble and smooth stroke to lead the Jackets offensively.
    On the hardwood, Page is hoping that a more mature team — both mentally and physically — can make similar strides.
    “One good thing heading into the season is that we’ve been able to work a little more on our sets,” said Page. “The last couple of years, we’ve been young and most of the summer and first part of the season was all about getting comfortable with each other and teaching the little stuff.”
    That extra preparation will be necessary when the Region 1-AAA schedule rolls around.
    Newly promoted from Class AA this season, the Jackets will have to compete against some of the top teams in the state on a frequent basis. New region-mates Beech, Savannah High and Johnson of Savannah are no strangers to Final Fours.
    The Jackets might not have the raw skill to go head-to-head with those powers, but are spending the early parts of the year figuring out their strengths.
    “We’re going to focus on defense,” said Page. “We need to be sound defensively and maybe slow things down a little on offense. The main thing is that we just need to play smart and continue to improve.”

Lady Jackets hope to build on 2011-12
    After a handful of seasons to forget, the SEB girls finally turned a corner last season.
    The Lady Yellow Jackets began the 2011-12 campaign with a 2-7 mark, but finished the season winning 8 of their final 15 games to come within two victories of making the state playoffs.
    As the Jackets attempt to resume their winning ways, a new coach that knows all about winning has arrived to lead SEB.
    Johnny Miller now takes the helm for the Lady Jackets after a 34 year career that has seen 613 wins.
    Miller is certainly accomplished and sees the potential for his new team to be thought of in the same light.
    “We’re pretty young, but we’ve got some good talent,” said Miller. “We also aren’t too big, but we have lots of speed. I think that we can be a pretty good team if we put all of our talents together in the right way.”
    If the Jackets are planning on running the floor this season, they’ll definitely have the pedigree.
    When they aren’t on the basketball court, Breanna Gates, Jasmine Roberts and Philicia Batton are burning up rubber for the SEB track and field team. Their speed and athleticism, combined with the experience and scoring abilities of senior guard Gloria Lingle, could lead to plenty of entertaining games.
    “We’re it a tough region, no doubt,” said Miller. “But I think that we can run with just about anybody. The key is to be smart. We just need to learn when to break out and when to settle down.”

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