'12 Team Preview: East Clinton Astros
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
There will be new faces in the starting lineup of the East Clinton Astros this season, but that doesn't mean they won't or can't be successful, because this entire year will be one of change for the Astros, as they are entering their first year as the newest member of the South Central Ohio League.
EC left their former conference, the SBAAC (Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference), as four-time reigning league champions (4-0 in SBAAC and 7-3 overall in '11). This year is a whole new monster for the Astros as while they do return some experience, they have to replace very valuable players from last season, all the while playing in a new league in which they are the smallest school of the eight member teams.
Last season, all of East Clinton's wins came in a seven-game winning streak from Week 3 through 9. In all of last season, EC scored 234 points and allowed 118 points, including a streak of four consecutive shutouts. During their seven-game winning streak in '11, the Astros' defense allowed just 21 points in those games.
Head coach Matt Hodge said though he'll miss the players lost to graduation (10 total), rebuilding the program can be challenging, but fun as the number of players on the team is traditionally where it has been, with Hodge saying "We don't worry about numbers. We're going to coach the kids we have here, and we're going to do battle with what we got."
"We're low on returning starters right now, I think we're at about five, so it's great to work with a fresh group. There is a lot of inexperience, so you know you're obviously doing a lot more teaching than you're used to, especially after last year with all the experience we had," Hodge said. "It's also fun to see the progress these guys can make in just one day. It's phenomenal.
"The biggest challenge right now is we've just got to get experience at the receiver spot. Also a couple of the linemen, we've got to get some experience in them and also our backfield. We definitely have some pieces there, but they're green, so we've got to get a lot of experience in a hurry."
Some returning players are senior tight end/linebacker Hayden Knisley, senior offensive and defensive tackle Zach Bennington, senior fullback/linebacker Justin Robinson and junior quarterback Dalton Floyd, along with senior running back/linebacker Max Morrow and senior offensive and defensive tackle Robby Minney. Minney and Morrow each missed a majority of the season with injuries.
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As for Floyd, he entered the starting lineup at quarterback as a sophomore last season, passing for 1,030 yards (84-of-161) with a 52.2 completion percentage. Floyd averaged 103 passing yards per game with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions, compiling a quarterback rating of 63.
"Dalton [Floyd] had a good year for us last year. He threw for over 1,000 yards last year, and we're expecting big things out of him not only from a playing standpoint, but from a leadership standpoint as well," Hodge said. "Even though he's only a junior, he's one of these people that kids look to, especially in the huddle and offense."
Hodge spoke about some other returning players as well.
"I can't say enough about Max Morrow and the offseason he's had. We're going to depend on him," Hodge said. "He's going to play our tailback spot, and he's going to touch the ball a lot.
"Then there is Zach Bennington. He's a new two-way lineman for us. Just his size, his work ethic, his desire to be good – his desire to be great … we expect big things from him as well.
"We're going to move Hayden from defensive end to linebacker. He'll be good for us in the middle. He's a very intelligent football player, sees things well. I feel like he'll be able to make adjustments for us. We feel like Zach's going to be a big help for us in the middle and really be able to help us out there, so we're expecting a lot there. Dalton's going to be in our secondary. He'll be our leader there in getting us set up."
Another player who stands out this offseason for EC is Jesse Livingston.
"Jesse's going to be a sophomore for us. He's had a tremendous offseason. He's going to play receiver and outside linebacker," Hodge said. "He's just improved tremendously: his speed, his strength."
The Astros aren't a stranger to teams in the SCOL as they played McClain last season (a 26-6 win), play Clinton-Massie annually and have scrimmaged Washington and Madison-Plains in the past.
"I know that the SCOL is a very demanding league," Hodge said. "Night in and night out, you got to bring your best, or you're going to get beat. We're definitely looking forward to the challenge.
"I really like our work ethic right now. I like how coachable our kids are. I like their willingness to learn and just our overall attitude right now."
EC left their former conference, the SBAAC (Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference), as four-time reigning league champions (4-0 in SBAAC and 7-3 overall in '11). This year is a whole new monster for the Astros as while they do return some experience, they have to replace very valuable players from last season, all the while playing in a new league in which they are the smallest school of the eight member teams.
Last season, all of East Clinton's wins came in a seven-game winning streak from Week 3 through 9. In all of last season, EC scored 234 points and allowed 118 points, including a streak of four consecutive shutouts. During their seven-game winning streak in '11, the Astros' defense allowed just 21 points in those games.
Head coach Matt Hodge said though he'll miss the players lost to graduation (10 total), rebuilding the program can be challenging, but fun as the number of players on the team is traditionally where it has been, with Hodge saying "We don't worry about numbers. We're going to coach the kids we have here, and we're going to do battle with what we got."
"We're low on returning starters right now, I think we're at about five, so it's great to work with a fresh group. There is a lot of inexperience, so you know you're obviously doing a lot more teaching than you're used to, especially after last year with all the experience we had," Hodge said. "It's also fun to see the progress these guys can make in just one day. It's phenomenal.
"The biggest challenge right now is we've just got to get experience at the receiver spot. Also a couple of the linemen, we've got to get some experience in them and also our backfield. We definitely have some pieces there, but they're green, so we've got to get a lot of experience in a hurry."
Some returning players are senior tight end/linebacker Hayden Knisley, senior offensive and defensive tackle Zach Bennington, senior fullback/linebacker Justin Robinson and junior quarterback Dalton Floyd, along with senior running back/linebacker Max Morrow and senior offensive and defensive tackle Robby Minney. Minney and Morrow each missed a majority of the season with injuries.
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As for Floyd, he entered the starting lineup at quarterback as a sophomore last season, passing for 1,030 yards (84-of-161) with a 52.2 completion percentage. Floyd averaged 103 passing yards per game with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions, compiling a quarterback rating of 63.
"Dalton [Floyd] had a good year for us last year. He threw for over 1,000 yards last year, and we're expecting big things out of him not only from a playing standpoint, but from a leadership standpoint as well," Hodge said. "Even though he's only a junior, he's one of these people that kids look to, especially in the huddle and offense."
Hodge spoke about some other returning players as well.
"I can't say enough about Max Morrow and the offseason he's had. We're going to depend on him," Hodge said. "He's going to play our tailback spot, and he's going to touch the ball a lot.
"Then there is Zach Bennington. He's a new two-way lineman for us. Just his size, his work ethic, his desire to be good – his desire to be great … we expect big things from him as well.
"We're going to move Hayden from defensive end to linebacker. He'll be good for us in the middle. He's a very intelligent football player, sees things well. I feel like he'll be able to make adjustments for us. We feel like Zach's going to be a big help for us in the middle and really be able to help us out there, so we're expecting a lot there. Dalton's going to be in our secondary. He'll be our leader there in getting us set up."
Another player who stands out this offseason for EC is Jesse Livingston.
"Jesse's going to be a sophomore for us. He's had a tremendous offseason. He's going to play receiver and outside linebacker," Hodge said. "He's just improved tremendously: his speed, his strength."
The Astros aren't a stranger to teams in the SCOL as they played McClain last season (a 26-6 win), play Clinton-Massie annually and have scrimmaged Washington and Madison-Plains in the past.
"I know that the SCOL is a very demanding league," Hodge said. "Night in and night out, you got to bring your best, or you're going to get beat. We're definitely looking forward to the challenge.
"I really like our work ethic right now. I like how coachable our kids are. I like their willingness to learn and just our overall attitude right now."