Riding a five-game winning streak into tonight’s Class 4A second-round playoff game against Logan County, Hopkinsville High School football coach Craig Clayton and his Tigers are suddenly — and finally — beginning to experience the type of season they envisioned from the start.
It was not an easy road to get there.
Earlier this week in a visit with the Hopkinsville Rotary Club and alongside his former player-turned-Christian County-coach Ricky Gehres, Clayton unveiled in full candor the great number of difficulties and distractions that have been in front of him, his staff and his team throughout the season.
From a global pandemic that’s refused to wane, to some students desperately seeking stable families and warm meals to go home to, to the never-ending conversation of school consolidation, Clayton and his staff have experienced a range of emotions not so dissimilar from their players — who thankfully have rallied from a tough 2-4 start with losses to the Cougars, Mayfield, Bowling Green and Louisville Ballard to be in this spot.
COVID-19, of course, proved to be the most difficult culprit — and Clayton likened his experience over the last two years to “herding gerbils,” a metaphorically impossible task to accomplish with the small, attention-deficit mammals.
The last month, however, has been much kinder to Clayton and the Tigers — who’ve been healthier, happier and more consistent. Following his 9-for-12, 197-yard, four-touchdown performance, senior quarterback Trey Jefferson is up to 1,481 yards on 72-for-128 passing and a 14-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Slotted alongside running back Jayden Dillard (132 carries, 959 yards, 11 touchdowns), wide receiver and defensive back Daisjaun Mercer (six interceptions, 41 catches, 1,044 yards, 12 touchdowns) and utilityman Emmanuel Cheatham (305 yards rushing, 252 yards receiving, 39 tackles), the offense is starting to hum.
The defense, meanwhile, hasn’t had many hiccups, and has been the calling card since the season began August 20.
Though he’s unsure about the psychology behind it, Clayton also noted he’s really had to temper down his coaching philosophy and mental approach to the game — mostly because he believes the dynamics of student-athletes have changed so drastically in the county from when he first started on the sidelines.
Some of it, Clayton added, is potentially stemming from home situations, but he also noted the way some adults have responded to adversity in recent months has also likely played a part.
On more than one occasion, Clayton has iterated his concerns about the upcoming consolidation for a myriad of reasons — at the top of his list being the size and unwieldiness of Christian County as the state’s third-largest county.
With consolidation on the way, Clayton said the battle now is to just accept it and find solutions, though he expects the amount of bussing and travel time required for some kids to get to and from the planned new campus will be one of the many major talking moving forward.
To tell the truth, after sharing his opinion about the merger rather publicly, Clayton’s thoughts of when Hopkinsville and Christian County football should merge has not been sought by project authorities — nor will it likely be at this or any point ahead.
Again, despite all of these frustrations and wide-ranging concerns, the Tigers are 7-4 and playing some great football.
And just as coaches often have to remind their players, Clayton is just trying to not look too far ahead and relish the moment and task at hand.
One Response
I myself experience consolidation between Henderson Co. and Henderson City schools back in 1976 as a sophomore weren’t for sure how it would work out at the time. What brought us together not only the school and but also the city of Henderson was the 1976 football team that went on unbeaten and made it to the state championship. In my opinion once you guys merge your sports program will be a powerhouse to reckon with all the talent that comes together.