Football Feature: Paint Valley Bearcats
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
A trio of Paint Valley football seniors have been on the varsity field since their freshman seasons … now they are about take their final stand and make their lasting impression on the PV program.
The trio of Mark Clifford, Nate Yoakum and Dakota Morgan may have been thrown under the heat of Friday night lights a bit early in their high school careers, but this group of players have been groomed for this upcoming season, a season where the Bearcats have high expectations of their club.
With each player beginning their football life in the early years of their youth, they have seen a lot of different situations and moments happen on the football field, and this season they have one more moment they want to experience.
"I want us to win the SVC and go to the playoffs," Clifford, a running back, said of his expectations of his team this season. "Winning is the best part of the game, and I want us to experience that as much as possible."
His teammates and fellow seniors agreed.
"Winning the SVC and earning the golden football, that's the goal," Yoakum said. "We want to be in the playoffs."
"We need to leave it all on the field," Morgan said.
With it being their last season to play at George Knisley Field, the Bearcat senior trio spoke about how their football career at the high school level has gone quickly.
"It's [gone] by quick, too quick," Clifford said. "It was tough at first, but it slowly got easier, getting older and stronger."
"Paint Valley football is something different," Morgan said. "You can't really explain Paint Valley football. We work hard on the practice field, and we work even harder on the game field."
Yoakum spoke about the speed of the game.
"Since I was a freshman, I was a starting linebacker, and the game slowed down a lot," he said. "When I first started, it was really fast against really big guys. Now, being stronger and bigger, it's a lot different."
Morgan also spoke about the changes of the way the game is played since his freshman season.
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"I played defensive end and tight end my freshman year," Morgan said. "I had to miss part of the freshman season and my entire sophomore year, so I pretty much started my junior year and played at the varsity level.
"That first game I played, it was crazy. I held my ground, but I got pushed around a lot, and now it's nothing like it was freshman year. Now we do the pushing."
Yoakum blocks for Clifford on offense and plays linebacker on defense … he described both positions.
"They're crazy," he said of playing LB and running back. "At linebacker, I just want to make (my opponent) not gain any yards, no touchdowns, no big plays.
"On offense, blocking for the other running backs … when I'm blocking for Mark (Clifford) and when he does well, that means everyone else has done well."
Morgan spoke of his love of defense.
"I love it," Morgan said of defense. "Every play, I get to hit somebody. We're all working together as a team, and defense is great. Defense is what I love."
Being around the program for a few seasons now, the trio said they take pride in playing for Paint Valley.
"Playing at PV means pride," Clifford said.
Yoakum had his take.
"It's a special thing, seeing all of the people coming in the stands and all of the people that have played before us," he said. "We're just trying to do good for them and for everyone in the community."
Morgan spoke of the brotherhood.
"We're all brothers," he said. "We hit and get mad at each other on the practice field, but when it comes on Friday night, we come together and we do work. Watching our fans come out and our family come out, that's a good thing, too. We love it."
The trio of Mark Clifford, Nate Yoakum and Dakota Morgan may have been thrown under the heat of Friday night lights a bit early in their high school careers, but this group of players have been groomed for this upcoming season, a season where the Bearcats have high expectations of their club.
With each player beginning their football life in the early years of their youth, they have seen a lot of different situations and moments happen on the football field, and this season they have one more moment they want to experience.
"I want us to win the SVC and go to the playoffs," Clifford, a running back, said of his expectations of his team this season. "Winning is the best part of the game, and I want us to experience that as much as possible."
His teammates and fellow seniors agreed.
"Winning the SVC and earning the golden football, that's the goal," Yoakum said. "We want to be in the playoffs."
"We need to leave it all on the field," Morgan said.
With it being their last season to play at George Knisley Field, the Bearcat senior trio spoke about how their football career at the high school level has gone quickly.
"It's [gone] by quick, too quick," Clifford said. "It was tough at first, but it slowly got easier, getting older and stronger."
"Paint Valley football is something different," Morgan said. "You can't really explain Paint Valley football. We work hard on the practice field, and we work even harder on the game field."
Yoakum spoke about the speed of the game.
"Since I was a freshman, I was a starting linebacker, and the game slowed down a lot," he said. "When I first started, it was really fast against really big guys. Now, being stronger and bigger, it's a lot different."
Morgan also spoke about the changes of the way the game is played since his freshman season.
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"I played defensive end and tight end my freshman year," Morgan said. "I had to miss part of the freshman season and my entire sophomore year, so I pretty much started my junior year and played at the varsity level.
"That first game I played, it was crazy. I held my ground, but I got pushed around a lot, and now it's nothing like it was freshman year. Now we do the pushing."
Yoakum blocks for Clifford on offense and plays linebacker on defense … he described both positions.
"They're crazy," he said of playing LB and running back. "At linebacker, I just want to make (my opponent) not gain any yards, no touchdowns, no big plays.
"On offense, blocking for the other running backs … when I'm blocking for Mark (Clifford) and when he does well, that means everyone else has done well."
Morgan spoke of his love of defense.
"I love it," Morgan said of defense. "Every play, I get to hit somebody. We're all working together as a team, and defense is great. Defense is what I love."
Being around the program for a few seasons now, the trio said they take pride in playing for Paint Valley.
"Playing at PV means pride," Clifford said.
Yoakum had his take.
"It's a special thing, seeing all of the people coming in the stands and all of the people that have played before us," he said. "We're just trying to do good for them and for everyone in the community."
Morgan spoke of the brotherhood.
"We're all brothers," he said. "We hit and get mad at each other on the practice field, but when it comes on Friday night, we come together and we do work. Watching our fans come out and our family come out, that's a good thing, too. We love it."