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FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Clovers primed to make history, snap long streak of futility
CLOVERDALE —Most local football fans know of Cloverdale’s lack of success on the football field, with no winning seasons since 1996.
Some coaches may take the approach to just ignore that fact, and not let it affect the confidence of the team.
Tom Winders, the fifth different coach to try to snap that string since Jamie Steffy directed the Clovers to a 7-3 mark more than 20 years ago, is using it to his advantage.
“I have brought it up with them here and there, but as a positive and not a negative,” he said. “I told them we are the group that can end that. If they want to be talked about along with the 1992 sectional championship team, we can be that group this year. It starts now, not halfway through the season.”
Winders said he thinks the Clovers have developed a chip on their shoulder from their history, and he hopes it motivates them to work even harder.
“People have looked at Cloverdale as a ‘stat-padding’ game for other teams,” he said. “We have talked to the players about how you have to earn their respect, and you have to go out and hit them. And hit them hard.
”Our motto this year is to go out there, hit them hard, shake their hands afterward and go away with a victory.”
Winders took over this summer from Tony Meyer, who coached the Clovers the past two years. Winders was the defensive coordinator last year, and is very familiar with the roster – which includes his son, Nick.
“We have had a good turnout this year, and roughly we are about 10 players above where we were last year [with a little under 40 players],” Winders said. “We’re not very big, but we do have some speed. The offense that we have been running has been excellent, and our defense has been just as good. I think we’ll have something for each team that shows how we have improved this year.”
Progress was made under Meyer last year, with a 3-3 record to start the season. Injuries and a lack of depth took their toll and the Clovers lost their last four games.
Meyer resigned in June in a “mutual decision” between him and school administration.
“Last year, we got something going really well,” Winders said. “With those three wins, we got on a roll. Drew getting hurt put a crimp in the offense, and we struggled with that. Our guys are battle-tested and they’re taken their lumps over time. Now it’s time to give those lumps back.”
Eleven seniors dot the Clover roster this year, a number that Winders really likes.
“We have more seniors than we’ve had for a while,” he said. “We have a lot of seniors and juniors, but we also have a good crop coming in with the freshmen. We are hopeful of being able to play some junior varsity games this year, which we haven’t been able to do.”
Senior Drew Boyette started last season as the team’s quarterback, but injury forced him to the sidelines and several other Clovers manned the spot in his absence.
Winders has tabbed Boyette as the starter, but with junior Parker Watts also getting a lot of snaps.
“We’ll be switching those two in and out,” Winders said. “Drew will primarily start, but Parker will also see a lot of action.”
The running back crew includes Winders and fellow seniors Tyce Jackson, Tyler Kaeff and Steven Allen. Kaeff will also see action at receiver, along with another newcomer in junior Jake Wilkes. Other receivers will be senior Haiden Davis, junior Trey Henry and sophomore Jake Smith.
Key linemen on both sides of the ball will be seniors Ethan Radford, T.J. Hagymasi and Nick Smith and sophomore Tray Dickison.
Defensively, cornerbacks will be Henry, Davis, Kaeff and Smith.
“They give us some good speed and height,” Winders said.
Coach Winders notes all of last year’s linebackers return, plus Watts. Included in that group are Jackson, Winders and Logan Abner.
Winders expects to have good balance between running and passing with his offensive attack.
“It will just depend on how each game goes,” he said. “I expect it to be 50-50 or 60-40 in one direction or the other. I’m confident enough that I’m good with going either way.”