With a rich history on the gridiron and a large, loyal fan base, Benedictine Military School could be viewed as a football school.
But the BC athletics department has been honored for overall excellence, and that includes some sports that don’t get quite the same attention.
Benedictine also fields a three-time state champion Raider team that captured its first national championship during the first weekend in November.
“(The program) has just soared from its inception (about) eight years ago,” said retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Steve Suhr, Benedictine Senior Army Instructor and JROTC Department Chair.
Suhr has been an assistant coach for seven years for the Raider team, which competes in simulations of Army training exercises. Sgt. 1st Class Leona Brooks, a JROTC instructor in her sixth year at BC and with the Raider program, completed her first season as head coach with region, state and national titles to her credit.
“It was started as an alternative to football and cross country for kids who maybe didn’t fall into those categories,” Suhr said.
“As soon as you get competitive, and you start winning some things, people started taking notice. I would say there was a little bit of that chip on our shoulder in years past of being overlooked. I would think now, the school has recognized the importance of the program, our kids tend to be some of the strongest Cadets at the school, discipline-wise and beyond. We’re very proud of that. They’re the best of the best, in our book.”
The Cadets, who have won every region title for male teams since 2018, captured their third state title since 2019 and went back-to-back in 2022 and 2023. BC was allowed to enter two 12-person teams – Maroon and White – at the state competition on Oct. 28 at Spalding County High School in Griffin because the all-boys school has neither female nor coed squads, and both Maroon and White qualified.
The Maroon team won its tier as well as the overall crown at state with 15 points (low score wins), followed by the smaller-tiered Adairsville High of Bartow County with 18 points overall. BC’s White team was fourth behind Maroon in their tier and 10th overall with 51 points.
The Maroon squad placed first in rope bridge and the physical team test; and second in the Raider fitness challenge, cross country rescue and 5K run. The White team was second in rope bridge; fourth in Raider fitness challenge, CCR and 5K run; and fifth in PTT.
Benedictine then moved on -- now with two 14-person teams – by way of an 11-hour bus ride to nationals on Nov. 3-5 at the military installation at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Maroon qualified for the Masters Level, and White a notch below at the Challenge Level.
Brooks said there were 150 schools represented for male, female and mixed competitions at the Challenge Level, and 72 at Masters.
Brooks said the competition featured tougher events because of the mountainous terrain for the 5K and on the gauntlet, which was like a very long obstacle course with running on hillier conditions than they’ve seen in Georgia.
The White team competed in one day on Nov. 4 and placed in the top five in four of the five events but didn’t have a running tally or scoreboard throughout the day.
“They were trying to do the math in their heads; we weren’t really sure,” Brooks said of when final results were announced in ascending order. “Then, when they called it, the boys went crazy.
“They were obviously very ecstatic and also very surprised because it’s the first time that they’ve won at that level.”
The White team won rope bridge, was second in gauntlet, third in the 5K, fourth in CCR and seventh in the PTT for 17 total points and the Challenge Level national championship.
Masters Level events were staggered over two days. Five events were on that Saturday, and when the top seven teams were determined, they would each be represented by two “Ultimate Raiders” who came back Sunday for two more events, a half-mile uphill run into an obstacle course, and a 2-mile run.
Juniors Jack Deen and Michael Sweeney would represent the Cadets.
“They’re two of our fastest and strongest,” Brooks said. “More importantly, the camaraderie between the two of them. They work really well together and push each other really well, so we knew they’d make a really strong team.”
They also had to show self-discipline. In a quirk in the process, the Saturday events concluded during the day and teams received a message around 5 p.m. that they would be informed about 9 p.m. if they made the top seven and needed to return for Sunday’s Ultimate Raider events before getting the final team standings.
During the four-hour gap in between, the hungry White and Maroon teams got dinner, but Deen and Sweeney didn’t know if they would be needed the next day.
“We went to feed everybody because we had not let them eat unhealthy foods,” Suhr said. “We went to Golden Corral and let them stuff their faces. But those two guys had to behave kind of because we didn’t know yet while we were there.”
Brooks said Deen and Sweeney couldn’t let loose like their teammates, “especially when they came back with big bowls of ice cream and cake. (Deen and Sweeney) stuck to a slushy.”
Putting team first, the pair went on to finish fifth in Ultimate Raider and added their results for the Maroon team, which placed fourth overall at the Masters Level with 25 points. Adairsville, which was second in Georgia, won the whole thing with 10 points.
The Maroon team was third in CCR, fourth in rope bridge and gauntlet, sixth in PTT and eighth in the 5K.
The coaches said the teams’ versatility in being strong at five events is a big factor in their accomplishments.
“I think it’s the way we set up our practices,” Brooks said. “It’s kind of been the reason we’ve been successful overall. We don’t focus on just one event. But you can kind of see some of the teams do.”
Suhr added: “We preach consistency as a way to do these competitions throughout the whole season. Even if you don’t have your best day on every event, you don’t want to ever take a big hit.”
They also credited the contributions of lay coach Willie Crawford (Benedictine Class of 2021) and many parents, about two dozen of whom traveled to nationals.
“They’re amazing,” Brooks said. “They made sure we had food for the kids. They made sure we had heaters for them. We would not be as successful as we are without our families.”
Brooks said above everything else, she’s so happy for the boys on the Raider team.
“They truly do put so much work into this,” she said. “The physical aspect of it. It’s funny when you talk to some of our boys. It’s some of the worst stuff you can go through: the crawling, carrying heavy stuff, the running constantly.
“Every one of them says it sucks when they’re doing it, but the sense of accomplishment they get from it at the end is what drives them to continue to come back. And that, I think, is what we’re missing as a society as a whole today. I think it helps with the resiliency. It’s facing those tough things, and they just keep coming back. To me, as coach, that’s my favorite part.”
Team rosters:
Maroon Team (Masters Level)
Patrick Balbo, Jack Deen, Meyer Hagin, Ian Jacobsen, Walker Jenkins, Luke Lambros, Tanner Lanier, Declan Laufenberg, Patrick Lyng, Andrew Rodriquez, Will Routhier, William Shearouse, Michael Sweeney, Daniel Winters
White team (Challenge Level)
Maddox Clark, Dillon Craig, Jackson Crosby, Stephen Diamond, Xavier Gordon, Kevin Hernandez, Thomas Kee, Harry King, Sam Malloy, Gavin Medina, Tyler Redmond, Aidan Sasser, Julian Watson, Cooper Winters.
Ultimate Raider:
Jack Deen, Michael Sweeney
PHOTO CREDIT: Courtsey BC Coach Sgt. 1st Class Leona Brooks
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Optim Orthopedics supports Prep Sports and Benedictine Military School, athletics. Benedictine Military School team doctor is Dr. David Sedory. Remember, Optim Orthopedics gets you back into the game.
