Loaded: Clare brings back plenty of talent
It was an oddity, an odd season.
The 2022 fall football season was exactly that for the Clare High School football program.
The Pioneers went 5-5 overall and had their first non-winning season since 2005. Along the way there were numerous injuries at key positions and some breaks that broke the wrong way for the Pioneers, like the final seconds of their 30-29 Division 6 playoff loss to Standish-sterling.
Add in the fact that conference-rival Gladwin was absolutely unbeatable and Shepherd’s recent rise in the conference ranks and you end up with an odd season by Clare’s standards.
But that was last year and this is this year.
Heading into the 2023 campaign the Pioneers appear poised to turn things around though as head coach Steven Spranger and company return tons of talent on both sides of the ball.
The Pioneers, who went 4-2 in conference games last fall, return six starters on both sides of the ball and have size and speed and experience.
Up front Clare could be a force to be reckoned with as it returns all-conference offensive linemen Levi Onweller (510, 190) and Jake Punches (6-0, 235). Miles Haggart (6-3, 240) is
also returning to play tackle on the line after breaking his collarbone one season ago at the quarterback spot.
Center Holden Hollingshead (6-1, 190), a talented wrestler, and all-conference ends Chase Randall (6-4, 225) and Ryan Louch round out the Pioneers up front. On paper the Pioneers have some nice size and athleticism in the trenches.
At the skilled positions the Pioneers also return numerous all-conference honorees in quarterback Jayden Arthur and running back Westyn Bryant. Wide outs Carter Smedley, who earned ALL-JPC honors on both sides of the ball in 2022, and Ryan Rodenbo also return and give the Pioneers some proper punch on the perimeter.
When you add it all together there’s plenty of reason for optimism heading into the 2023
docket, right coach?
“We have a lot of experience returning so we’re excited to get going,” said Spranger of his 2023 squad. “We’re looking to control the line of scrimmage and that will dictate where we go, especially early.”
If the Pioneers can control the line of scrimmage it would bode well for them as they struggled offensively last year averaging 26 points per game. In the previous six seasons they averaged over 38 points per game.
Defensively the Pioneers return an equal amount of talent led by many of the aforementioned players along with All-conference lineman Ritchie Montgomery. Junior Aidan Van bonn has also shown well so far.
Big picture-wise the Flying G’s from Gladwin are the team to beat in the Jack Pine Confer