East Clinton graduate Clyde Snow has taken over the East Clinton boys basketball program, hoping to transform the thoughts many people have about the Larrick Road squad.
“Our staff is excited for this year and we are out to prove people wrong about East Clinton basketball,” Snow said.
Snow will be assisted this season by Wyatt Floyd (varsity assistant), Greg Roberts (reserve coach) and Aaron Elliott (freshman coach) along with junior high coaches Brandon Runk and Derrick LeBeau.
Snow takes over after Phil Shori left following two seasons in Lees Creek. In Shori’s last season, East Clinton went 3-19, but those three wins came at the beginning of the season. The Astros lost their last 19 games, including all 12 in the National Division.
Among the 2022 graduates on last year’s team were Braxton Harrison, Isaiah Curtis, Jared Smith, Landon Runyon, Matej Jostak, Justin Arnold, Logan Swaney and Mitchell Bean.
Jostak, a foreign exchange student, Smith, Runyon and Arnold were the top four scorers and the top four rebounders last season. In all, seniors were the top seven scorers.
The most important returning player didn’t play at all last season. Dakota Collom missed the entire season following an automobile crash.
“Dakota is the only senior we have and is our motor. We go as Dakota goes,” said Snow. “The guys look up to him and he is like having another coach on the floor. The biggest talks we have had with Dakota is how do you want to leave East Clinton basketball? He wants to leave the program in a better way than when he found it. He is a type of kid who wants to change the culture here at EC and be the difference-maker that this basketball program needs.”
Varsity newcomers to note, Snow said, are Dameon Williams, Toby Huff, Dylan Arnold, Maddox Crowe, Max Crowe, Aiden Walker, Kasen Terrell and Alex Edison.
”What I like about these guys is they are a bunch of good kids who want to win,” said Snow. “They want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. I think some people have counted us out already and our coaching staff and players have taken that personal. The SBAAC is full of solid teams. How we separate ourselves from everyone else is … are we willing to make all of the hustle plays, are we able to execute the little things on offense and defense, are we able to push people around and not get pushed around. These are all things that we have to do to ultimately compete for a league title.”
