After two games, East Clinton has 75 plays from scrimmage, punts aside.
The run-pass ratio is 90.7 percent run-heavy.
Make no mistake, East Clinton, if given the opportunity, will run the ball right down the teeth of your defense.
“It’s no secret, but the success of our team is directly tied to the play of our o-line,” said EC coach Steven Olds, an All-Ohio lineman during his days in Lees Creek. “That position group, consistenting of right tackle Chris Norman, right guard Mitchell Bean, center Denver Day, left guard Owen Roberts, left tackle Jayson Edison, and tight ends Adrian Baker and Cody Chaney, have played well so far. We feel like Denver and Mitchell have taken a step forward from where they were a year ago. Chris has been a consistent presence for several years now and Jayson and Owen have gotten better each week. Their continued development and physical play will be critical as the season goes on.”
East Clinton will get a good test this week when Jack O’Rourke’s Hillsboro squad comes to ECHS. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
“Hillsboro has a good football team,” Olds said. “They are big and physical and have several good athletes at the skill positions. Offensively, they will try to spread you out and utilize their athletes in space. On defense, they are aggressive and have lined up in a 4-4 look. We have to be more disciplined, on both sides of the ball, and play a physical game in order to come away with the win on Friday.”
East Clinton is 2-0 while Hillsboro is 1-1.
Isaiah Conger leads East Clinton with 281 yards rushing while quarterback Jared Smith is next with 153. The two have combined for seven touchdowns.
Conger also is the leading tackler with 11 solos, to go along with two fumble recoveries. Isaiah Curtis has two interceptions.
Unblemished after two games, East Clinton last had a 3-0 start in 2004. In fact, the Astros won their first nine games that year, lost to Massie 21-14 in the regular season finale, then won two playoff games before falling to St Henry.
Not looking too far ahead will be one of the keys for the current edition of East Clinton football.
“Coming into the season my staff and I wondered if this group could keep their focus day to day, week to week, for an entire season,” said Olds. “There are any number of distractions for these guys to navigate and so far we have been happy with their ability to compartmentalize and focus on football. They show up everyday and get their work done and I think that attitude has led to the workmanlike performances we have seen on game day.”
