BERLIN – Stephen Decatur started off its season with a solid win over Colonel Richardson on Tuesday night, 50-41.

The Seahawks, which went 21-5 last season and won its first East Region title since 1992, lost not only a bunch of seniors from that team but also the head coach. Travis Lloyd stepped down after four seasons and his assistant coach Mark Engle has taken over this year.

With a new coach, the Seahawks have a little different approach to game management. “We value every possession,” Engle said. “We will run when we have a chance but it’s more of a possession game for us now. Limit the turnovers and make sure to rebound are the principles of our game plan.”

The players have embraced the new style and even though things got a little sloppy in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s win, the Seahawks showed a balanced and disciplined attack to methodically beat Col. Richardson.

“First games are always a little nerve-wrecking no matter how long you’ve been doing this,” Engle said. “The kids were a little rough in the first half but settled down in the second half. I was really proud of the way the kids played.

“It was nice to come out with a win. I think we have some great things to build off from this game.”