How Jim Sosebee makes sure top-ranked Crest football team stays hungry
The Crest Chargers’ football program finished its regular season a perfect 10-0 and ranked No. 1 in the N.C. statewide 3A football rankings.
But Jim Sosebee, this week’s Charlotte Observer/Deer Park statewide coach of the week, isn’t satisfied.
“We’ve been getting a lot better on defense and special teams,” Sosebee said. “I think we’ve scored a touchdown on special teams two or three weeks in a row now. So, I think that we are hitting our stride at the right time.”
After the Chargers’ win against rival Kings Mountain last week, the Chargers were seeded first overall in the NCHSAA 3A west playoff bracket. Crest, which will play Parkwood (2-8) in a first round game Friday, is no stranger to deep playoff runs and even top seeds. Crest has won six NCHSAA state championships, the most recent in 2015.
This year’s team has a strong chance to extend that number, and with every team chasing the Chargers, Sosebee said his team won’t change its approach.
“We’ve kind of had the bullseye on our back all year, already,” Sosebee said. “Nothing is promised. You have to approach every week like it is a one-game season. We’ve got a lot of seniors that play. We aren’t senior-heavy, but we’ve got seniors in keep positions that will help us stay level-headed.”
Crest is led by one of the top quarterbacks in the state. Ny’Tavious Huskey — a top 16 finalist for the state’s top award, Mr. Football — has completed 155 of 216 pass attempts this season for 2,743 yards. He also has 34 passing touchdowns. He ranks No. 7 statewide in passing yards.
Huskey also has 325 yards rushing and three touchdown rushes. Sosebee jokes that he “may have to fight someone” if Huskey isn’t named the conference player of the year.
“I definitely feel he is the best player in our conference if not one of the best in the state,” Sosebee said of Huskey. “He can throw and he can run. He has over a 4.0 grade point average. He is a leader at our school. Everything we ask him to do, he does.”
One of the big question marks around this team was how well their defense could play, especially early in the season. That defense limited a top 10 ranked Kings Mountain team to 14 points last week. Crest won 39-14 and handed the Mountaineers (9-1) their first loss of the season.
“Our defense has been getting better and better,” Sosebee said. “We went from giving up around 28 points per game earlier in the season to about 17 a game now. So, they have really done a great job there.”
Sosebee said even with the big Kings Mountain win, the rankings and the unbeaten season that the Chargers still have a lot to improve, a lot of goals to meet.
“We definitely need to clean up on screens,” Sosebee said. “We didn’t play the screens very well on Friday night. I think Kings Mountain completed six passes and five of them were screens. We definitely need to work on special teams. There have only been two games where we were perfect on extra points.”
The Chargers are averaging more than 43 points per game, and several of their games have not been close. Now that the playoffs are here, Sosebee knows games might start getting a little closer as Crest begins to face better and better teams each Friday.
“I think our guys are mentally prepared for that,” Sosebee said. “I mean, we play one play at a time anyway. So, I feel like if we can keep doing that and take things one play at a time, we will be in good shape.”
2023 coach of the week honorees
Week 1: Kennedy Tinsley, Mallard Creek
Week 2: Ben Kolstad, Leesville Road
Week 3: Brandon Gentry, Hopewell
Week 4: Andrew Farriss, Northern Nash
Week 5: Sam Greiner, West Charlotte
Week 6: Lennie Sanders, East Meck; Josh Williams, Garinger
Week 7: Patrick Stokes, Burlington Williams
Week 8: Scott Chadwick, Clayton
Week 9: Rainer Rackley, Rolesville
Week 10: DJ McFadden, Independence
Week 11: Jim Sosebee, Crest
