By Chris Parker
Clever football is looking to snap a 21-game losing streak this season with 17 starters returning from a team that played well down the stretch last season.
The Blue Jays got off to a slow start after Willie Howard got a late start taking over as head coach in June. He switched the team from a double-wing offense to a more spread look. Then their starting quarterback went down with an injury in the second quarter of the first game.
After losing each of their first four games by four scores or more, the Blue Jays played two of their final three regular season games within one possession.
That finish has contributed to an energized off-season for Clever.
“That (the strong finish) has led to a lot of excitement into the off-season (knowing) we are able to score, we are able to compete, and we are able to play with people. That has really helped us out in the off-season moving into this year,” Clever head coach Willie Howard said.
While Clever does return a lot of starters, transfer quarterback Rex Deters will be a big addition at quarterback. He comes over from Glendale where he threw for 431 yards and two touchdowns and caught 27 balls for 271 yards last season.
He will have one of the best receivers in the Mid-Lakes Conference to throw to in Xavier Robinson. He was a first-team all-conference wide receiver and second-team all-conference defensive back.
“He (Robinson) helps us out in the fact that he can unclog the box for us,” Howard said. “The most important thing for us is to be able to run the ball so we can get (Robinson) the ball. He allows us to throw it to open the run. Most people want to run to open up the pass. Xavier gives us that threat where they have to send two guys out there and that allows us to play 10 on nine instead of playing 10 on 10, which gives us an advantage running the ball.
Gage Evans, Landon Flood and Lucas Peebles will also play receiver. Kalib Butts moves over from left tackle to tight end this season.
Quintin Lemmer started eight of 10 games at running back last season and returns.
“He (Lemmer) is not a real big guy, but he is a very scrappy little runner,” Howard said. “He can get between the tackles, and he’s all of about five-foot-seven, so he can hide and kind of find a gap.”
Jack Whitlinger will be a versatile weapon seeing time at H-back, running back and tight end.
“He (Whitlinger) has shown a lot of improvement this year just being able to be a lead blocker, but also he’s that guy you’re not expecting him to get a big carry, and he’s going to be able to rip off a three- or four- or five-yard carry for you every once in a while to take some pressure off people,” Howard said.
Travis Lemmer will also see carries out of the backfield.
Up front, Payton Guccione returns on the offensive line for his senior season. Guccione, who has started since he was a freshman, was a second-team all-conference offensive lineman last season.
“He (Guccione) is the guy who is going to have to set the pace for us. A lot of our blocking schemes are going to revolve around what Payton can do,” Howard said. “He’s the guy we can put in a one-on-one situation and expect him to win that fight most of the time. He leads and kids look to him for that leadership. He can get that offensive line brought together and throw them on his back.”
Max Allie also returns to start on the offensive line at right tackle.
Defensively, Whitlinger is the star in the middle at linebacker where he was named first-team all-conference.
“He (Whitlinger) is the guy that everybody on the defensive side looks to and he is the leader on that side of the ball,” Howard said. “He is really the leader of the team all the way around. He’s the guy that kind of makes us go. He’s the heartbeat for sure.”
Travis Lemmer, Brayden Flood and Kendall Piper will join Whitlinger at linebacker.
Up front, the defensive line will have Guccione, Butts, Allie and Isaiah Hudson.
The secondary will dictate a lot of the success for the defense.
“We are hinging our defense on the fact that we’re going to be able to sell out to the run a little bit and rely on our athletes in the back to cover some passes and make plays for us,” Howard said.
Aven Guajardo returns at strong safety after earning third-team all-conference honors last season.
“He (Guajardo) is just a long, lean and athletic kid we were able to put into space and have him go find the football and run to it. He really excelled at that,” Howard said. “He is going to have to grow as a coverage defensive back. He was more of a run defender than pass defender. We are looking for him to grow and add into that pass defense and still continue to tackle and run like he did in the past.”
Robinson, Peebles, Evans and Brayden Baker will also be in the secondary.
Clever did not change conferences, but the Mid-Lakes has a new look with the addition of Buffalo, Reeds Spring, Springfield Catholic and Hollister and the subtraction of Skyline.
“I think as a whole it (the change in MLC membership) is going to make us better. It is going to set that benchmark a little higher,” Howard said. “I am excited about what it is going to do for our program moving forward. I am excited for this conference, and I think it is going to be a really good thing for us.”
Clever will travel to Hollister on Aug. 23 for a jamboree with Ave, Aurora and the host Tigers.
The Blue Jays look to snap their 21-game losing streak with a season-opening game on Aug. 30 at home against Miller.
“We’ve got to get that monkey (losing streak) off our back. You don’t want to pick wins and losses, but we’ve lost 21 in a row,” Howard said. “I think once that monkey gets off their back, those kids are going to really excel. We didn’t win a game last year, but I feel like we are in a better spot now than we were three years ago.”
