Podium Sweep for the Cadet Raider Teams

For years, Benedictine Military School has been known for its proud football tradition and passionate fan base. But one of the school’s most successful programs operates far from the Friday-night spotlight.
They are the Raiders.
Raider competitions simulate Army training exercises, challenging teams through a demanding combination of strength, endurance, teamwork, discipline and problem-solving. What began nine years ago as an alternative for students who did not participate in football or cross country has grown into one of Benedictine’s championship programs.
“It has just soared from its inception,” said retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Steve Suhr, Benedictine’s Senior Army Instructor and JROTC Department Chair, who has served as an assistant coach for all nine years of the program.
And the results speak for themselves.
Benedictine’s Raiders have captured every regional title for male teams since 2018. The program has earned State Championships in 2019, 2022 and 2023, and reached the pinnacle of the sport by winning the 2023 National Championship.
Today, the program has grown to three competitive teams and 45 athletes.
But ask the coaches what makes the Raiders successful, and the answer goes beyond trophies.

Built for Every Challenge

Head Coach SFC Leona Brooks believes Benedictine’s success comes from preparing athletes to do more than one thing well.
“I think it’s the way we set up our practices,” Brooks said. “We don’t focus on just one event.”
Rather than training athletes to specialize in a single competition, Raider practices are designed to develop well-rounded competitors who can perform across all five events. Strength, speed, endurance, coordination and teamwork are all part of the equation.
The result is a team prepared for whatever challenge comes next.
And those challenges are not easy.
Raiders crawl, carry heavy loads, run difficult terrain and push themselves through physically and mentally demanding events. The training can be uncomfortable, exhausting and, at times, downright miserable.
But that is exactly the point.
“Every one of them says it’s awful when they’re doing it,” Brooks said. “But the sense of accomplishment they get from it at the end is what drives them to continue to come back.”
For Brooks, that resilience is the heart of the program.
“It’s facing those tough things, and they just keep coming back,” she said. “To me, as coach, that’s my favorite part.”

More Than a Sport

The Raider program is about competition, but its lessons extend well beyond the course.
Every practice reinforces the idea that success depends on the entire team. An athlete may be strong or fast, but no one wins a Raider competition alone. Teammates depend on one another, coaches depend on their athletes, and every individual has a responsibility to the team.
That philosophy is reflected in the program’s core mottos and values:
  • BC Raider Strong! — Strength comes from within and from the team beside you.
  • Be Right! — Right time. Right place. Right uniform. Right equipment.
  • Practice — Train as You Fight. — Preparation should mirror the intensity and expectations of competition.
  • Character — Every decision you make, both on and off the field, affects the team.
  • Commitment — Commitment to your teammates, your coaches and the mission.
  • Brotherhood — We insulate, not isolate. We leave NO brother behind, and we take care of our own. Period. NO exceptions.
These principles help define what it means to be a Benedictine Raider.
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Benedictine Military School

Benedictine Military School
6502 Seawright Drive
Savannah, GA 31406
912-644-7000

Benedictine is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Federal Tax ID (EIN): 58-0566132
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