BERLIN- In somewhat of a departure from the annual Hammond Family “Tough Guy of the Week” awards, this year’s finale went to the “Tough Team of the Year” for the Seahawks’ remarkable run through the state 2A playoffs.
The Seahawks won two home games against C. Milton Wright and North Caroline to open the state playoffs, then went across the bridge to upset Potomac, 36-7, to reach the state Final Four. The amazing run ended with a tight, last-second loss to Milford Mill in the state semifinals, but the loss did little to tarnish a remarkable season for the Seahawks. There were plenty of individual accolades to go around for Decatur, but the Seahawks continued to win, and ultimately fell just short, as a team as it should be. For two decades, the “Tough Guy of the Week” has been featured on the sports pages of The Dispatch, a tradition that will continue, but this year, for the first time ever, the entire squad is featured as the “Tough Team of the Year.”