- April 26, 2024
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The Sandcrabs are revved up after most of them maxed a personal best in bench press at the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event at Seabreeze High School. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze football coach Les Davis (left) gets his team pumped up for the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event when the players showcase their maximum strength in chest press. Photo by Michele Meyers
The Seabreeze High School football team celebrates a successful night of weightlifting after the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze football player Jessie Shirley conquered a personal record in bench press during the 'Beast Come Out at Night' weightlifting event at Seabreeze High School. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze football coaches Les Davis (left) and Dominique Roberts (right) encourage Drew Stewart as he gets a personal best bench press during the 'Beast Come Out at Night'. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze football coaches Victor Campbell Jr. (left) and Dominique Roberts cheer for Drew Stewart gets a personal record bench press at the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze football coach Dontel Williams (left), Denzel Shropshire and head coach Les Davis at the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze football player Kevin Johnson dries his hands before attempting a personal best bench press during the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event as coach Victor Campbell Jr. waits to spot him. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze football player Kevin Johnson gets a personal best bench press during the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event as coach Victor Campbell Jr. spots him. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze football coach Les Davis announces the next round of players attempting their personal record bench press at the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Sandcrab Jayden Moore goes for a personal record bench press at the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event at Seabreeze High School. Photo by Michele Meyers
The Seabreeze football team cheers Dae'von Brown on as he goes for his max bench press at the 'Beast Come Out at Bight' event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Sandcrab Alex Capua loads the bar with weights before lifting his personal best chest press at the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze football coach Victor Campbell Jr. cheers on Denali Campbell before he makes his max weight on the chest press at the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event as coach Dontel Wright (right) watches. Photo by Michele Meyers
Sandcrab Drew Cleveland (right) prepares for his first max chest press as his teammates support him at the 'Beacst Come Out at Night'. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze football coach Victor Campbell Jr. spots James English as he goes for his personal best chest press at the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Sandcrab James English congratulates teammate Jesse Goerlose for hitting his personal best chest press at the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event at Seabreeze High School. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze football player Aiden Ford holds young fans at the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze senior Aiden Ford plays center for the football team. Photo by Michele Meyers
Sandcrab families and friends cheer as the football players attempt to set personal records on the bench press at the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze graduate Jaxon Simmons grabs some grub from Brandell Campbell, co-owner of Lottie Bell's Kitchen of Ormond Beach. Simmons was on the state championsip soccer team in 2017. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze mom Marissa Smith waits for her Lottie Bell's Kitchen food while her sons Landon and Logan Smith attempt to bench their personal best at the 'Beast Come Out at Night'. Photo by Michele Meyers
Kirsten Harris (left) picks up her food from Ms. Ts Kitchen at the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event. She said they should be out here instead of on the streets somewhere--putting their energy into sports. Photo by Michele Meyers
Tamiko Crawford, owner of Ms Ts Kitchen, is based in Orlando and started her business in 2019. She said she likes to support the football teams and little leagues. Photo by Michele Meyers
Sweet Toof founder Autumn Demarest (left) and co-partner Jacqui MacLennan were asked by Coach Davis to attend the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event to promote the business and sell treats. Photo by Michele Meyers
Hayden Hayes (left), Landon Smith, Aiden Ford and Shamar Dunham goof around as it starts to rain during the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Sandcrab Alex Capua prepares for his first max bench press as coach Victor Campbell Jr. spots him and coach Lester Davis cheers in the background at the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze football player Johntae Haddocks shakes hands with Principal Tucker Harris after he gets a personal record bench press at the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Sandcrab football player Gavin Petty gets serious before his bench press during the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event at Seabreeze High School. Photo by Michele Meyers
Sandcrab Amari Peeples attempts a personal bench press record while his teammates cheer him on at the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Coach Dominique Roberts helps Cash Kurz go for a personal record on the bench press at the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze head football coach Lester Davis talks to his players, families and friends at the end of the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze football player Shamar Dunham smiles before attempting a personal bench press record at the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Sandcrab Gavin Martinez is all smiles after bench pressing a personal record at the 'Beast Come Out at Night' event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze football coach Lester Davis — aka Mr. Incredible — wielded his megaphone as he summoned the next players up to the three weightlifting racks positioned on the high school’s practice field. They were there to crush their personal bench pressing records at the Beast Come Out at Night event held on Thursday, July 27.
Davis said it was the team's last “max-out” test of the offseason before the season kicks off on Aug. 25, against Spruce Creek. Initially, the players would get two attempts at bench press and two at squats. The squats were rescheduled due to a heavy rain delay.
“It’s an exciting time to be a Sandcrab,” Seabreeze Principal Tucker Harris said. “Every time I come through, Coach Davis and Coach Campbell are pushing them super hard in that weight room, but I can’t wipe the smiles off their faces. They’re supporting each other, and it’s just exciting. Pay close attention, because Sandcrabs are going to do big things this year both in the classroom and out of the classroom.”
If this is any indication of what the season is going to be like — get your popcorn ready. This was the real ‘Beast Come Out at Night’ — all to imitate it, never duplicate it."
— LESTER DAVIS, Seabreeze head football coach
Senior Aiden Ford’s maximum bench press his freshman year was 95 pounds. This year, he has been trying to reach his goal of bench pressing 315 pounds. He had last maxed out at 305.
He said he hit the weight room, did extra dips and anything else that would help him reach is goal. And he did it — an increase in strength of 220 pounds since his first year in high school.
“Coach Davis has been a really great coach,” Ford said. “He pushes me to be my best. He makes sure I am always doing the right things, doing the right exercises, eating right and recovering. He really helped me this offseason to become a better version of myself.”
Ford said the event was a great way to involve the community, showcase what the team has been working on and highlight players’ accomplishments. It was a preview of what is to come in the upcoming season.
Davis reached out to businesses to ask if they would support the Seabreeze event. Food trucks — Lottie Bell’s Kitchen and Ms. T's Kitchen — offered various dishes for purchase.
For dessert, Sweet Toof was on hand with cake pops, cupcakes and chocolate-covered strawberries. Sweet Toof founder Autumn Demarest and co-partner Jacqui MacLennan, both 16 and students at Mainland High School, started the business in May. Demarest attended coach Davis’ Business Essentials class her sophomore year and has long wanted to own a business.
“We want to get into doing more events so him helping us out really gets us out there,” Demarest said. “This is a way to make connections because you meet a whole bunch of new people.”
Seabreeze families and friends sat in bleachers as the football players tried to beat previously established maximum numbers.
Marissa Smith was impressed with the changes Davis brought to the program.
Her sons — senior wide receiver Landon Smith and sophomore linebacker Logan Smith — will share the field for one year before her oldest graduates. She said she has not seen energy like this in the three years they have been at Seabreeze.
“This is new energy,” she said. “What Coach Davis is doing with the program is remarkable. These kids have this energy for him. He is dedicated to them as people, not just players. They will fight hard, work hard and play hard for him. I see a fire in my boys that’s special. It’s what you want to see in your kids.”
The evening wrapped up with a Sandcrabs chant and a thank you from Davis to the family and friends who supported the event.
“If this is any indication of what the season is going to be like — get your popcorn ready,” he said. “This was the real ‘Beast Come Out at Night’ — all to imitate it, never duplicate it.”
