Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High School JROTC Boys and Girls Teams Rule – Win Raider State Championships, Again!

On By LTC James DesJardin and 1SGT Kevin Staddie

Cocoa Beach Female Raiders team have now won three consecutive state championships

The Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High School JROTC Raiders competed at the Florida JROTC Raider Championships and finished as State Champions. Florida has 164 JROTC programs, with the top 54 male and female teams competing at the State Championship. The Florida Raider Championship divided the 54 schools into tiers based on the JROTC student population. Cocoa Beach Raiders beat all teams regardless of tier, and as one of the smallest high schools by population, the CBHS Raiders dominated nearly every school in the competition.

The Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High School JROTC Raiders competed at the Florida JROTC Raider Championships and finished as State Champions. Florida has 164 JROTC programs, with the top 54 male and female teams competing at the State Championship. The Florida Raider Championship divided the 54 schools into tiers based on the JROTC student population. Cocoa Beach Raiders beat all teams regardless of tier, and as one of the smallest high schools by population, the CBHS Raiders dominated nearly every school in the competition.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Our Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High School JROTC Raiders competed at the Florida JROTC Raider Championships and finished as State Champions.

Florida has 164 JROTC programs, with the top 54 male and female teams competing at the State Championship. The Florida Raider Championship divided the 54 schools into tiers based on the JROTC student population.

Cocoa Beach Raiders beat all teams regardless of tier, and as one of the smallest high schools by population, the CBHS Raiders dominated nearly every school in the competition.

Our JROTC Raider teams are frequently the fittest, toughest Cadets in the District and this attitude and physicality is passed onto all CBHS sports programs.

Raiders events at the State Championship included a 3-mile team run, fitness test requiring Raiders to carry 35-pound kettlebells 25 meters (4 for females and 6 for males), construct a rope bridge as a team (average time is under 3 minutes), and as a team execute a 1-mile cross-country obstacle course which includes an 8-foot wall and a 100-pound litter, and finish with a Fitness Challenge requiring the team to carry and move multiple items over a quarter mile.

The Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High School JROTC Raiders competed at the Florida JROTC Raider Championships and finished as State Champions. Florida has 164 JROTC programs, with the top 54 male and female teams competing at the State Championship. The Florida Raider Championship divided the 54 schools into tiers based on the JROTC student population. Cocoa Beach Raiders beat all teams regardless of tier, and as one of the smallest high schools by population, the CBHS Raiders dominated nearly every school in the competition.

Our Female Raiders, led by Senior Ali Jo Tuggle and Junior Raegan Fish, defended their two-time State Championships. Our Male Raiders, led by Seniors Billy Day and Niel Danker, captured their first state championships after coming in second and third the past two years. Our Raiders have worked tirelessly since August, and their daily 0630 practices and weekend practices led to this incredible achievement for the JROTC program and Cocoa Beach High School.

Our females are led by Raegan Fish and Ali Jo Tuggle with teammates Elisabeth Wolverton, Zoie Shepherd, Sophia Ricks, Zanna Paraskevas, Kendra Weth, Vittoria Lane, Maggie Hiestand, Elena Widick, Helena Davis, Bella Letizio and Maddie Ellis.

Our male team was led by Billy Day And Niel Danker, with teammates Nick Fee, AJ Henderson, Aiden Bartlett, Kailer Krueger, Eyden Diebert, Rhys Gallant, Kalle Bogdan–Rivero, Quinton Shepherd, Gabe Glas, Felipe Lanza, and Wyatt Crouser.

Coaches 1SG Kevin Staddie and LTC James DesJardin are extremely proud of our cadets dedication and resiliency. These are by far the toughest athletes in the State and show that hard work beats talent that does not work hard.

The Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High School JROTC Raiders competed at the Florida JROTC Raider Championships and finished as State Champions. Florida has 164 JROTC programs, with the top 54 male and female teams competing at the State Championship. The Florida Raider Championship divided the 54 schools into tiers based on the JROTC student population. Cocoa Beach Raiders beat all teams regardless of tier, and as one of the smallest high schools by population, the CBHS Raiders dominated nearly every school in the competition.
The Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High School JROTC Raiders competed at the Florida JROTC Raider Championships and finished as State Champions. Florida has 164 JROTC programs, with the top 54 male and female teams competing at the State Championship. The Florida Raider Championship divided the 54 schools into tiers based on the JROTC student population. Cocoa Beach Raiders beat all teams regardless of tier, and as one of the smallest high schools by population, the CBHS Raiders dominated nearly every school in the competition.
The Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High School JROTC Raiders competed at the Florida JROTC Raider Championships and finished as State Champions. Florida has 164 JROTC programs, with the top 54 male and female teams competing at the State Championship. The Florida Raider Championship divided the 54 schools into tiers based on the JROTC student population. Cocoa Beach Raiders beat all teams regardless of tier, and as one of the smallest high schools by population, the CBHS Raiders dominated nearly every school in the competition.
The Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High School JROTC Raiders competed at the Florida JROTC Raider Championships and finished as State Champions. Florida has 164 JROTC programs, with the top 54 male and female teams competing at the State Championship. The Florida Raider Championship divided the 54 schools into tiers based on the JROTC student population. Cocoa Beach Raiders beat all teams regardless of tier, and as one of the smallest high schools by population, the CBHS Raiders dominated nearly every school in the competition.
The Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High School JROTC Raiders competed at the Florida JROTC Raider Championships and finished as State Champions. Florida has 164 JROTC programs, with the top 54 male and female teams competing at the State Championship. The Florida Raider Championship divided the 54 schools into tiers based on the JROTC student population. Cocoa Beach Raiders beat all teams regardless of tier, and as one of the smallest high schools by population, the CBHS Raiders dominated nearly every school in the competition.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) James DesJardin retired from the United States Army in 2010 after 23 years of active duty as an Infantry Officer. He is a native of San Diego, California, and enlisted in the Army in 1987.

LTC DesJardin is a 1988 graduate of the Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia, and commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Infantry. His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, U.S. Army Airborne and Air Assault School, the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle Commanders Course, Jungle Warfare School, the Combined Arms Staff Service School, and the Command and General Staff School. LTC DesJardin has a Bachelor of Arts from United States International University, a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University, and a second Master’s in Youth Development Leadership from Clemson University. LTC DesJardin is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm, Operation Restore Democracy (Haiti), and Operation Iraqi Freedom I. LTC DesJardin is in his thirteenth-year teaching JROTC at Cocoa Beach JR/SR High School.

First Sergeant (Retired) Kevin Staddie retired from the United States Army in 2017 after 27 years of service. 1SG Staddie is a career Infantryman who has held every enlisted leadership position from Team Leader to First Sergeant.

First Sergeant (Retired) Kevin Staddie’s military education includes the Senior Reserve Officer Training Corps pre-command and instructor course, Senior-level Leadership, Technical and Management Development Course, Drill Sergeant School, and the Advanced Leadership and Management Development Course. 1SG Staddie has an associate degree from Columbia Southern University. 1SG Staddie is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and this is 1SG Staddle’s seventh year teaching JROTC at Cocoa Beach JR/SR High School.

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