Fall Camp Tour #1- Clare

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>This week I decided to get out to a couple of fall practices as they began this week. First stop I made was Clare, who is coming off a season that saw them lose 3 games, all of which they held the lead in the 4th quarter. In this article I am going to talk about what I saw, who I saw, and my general outlook for this intriguing team. </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At midnight, the lights flicked on and the season officially started. When I talked to coaches, they were generally happy with the turnout, and were eager to see their team take the field. At the very beginning of practice, head coach Steven Spranger addressed his team and sent a clear message. Effort was going to be the driving force behind their success this season. He stressed to his squad on more than one occasion that, "Effort is worth twice as much as talent." This message resonated with his team, as they got to work on a gauntlet of stations, including tug-of-war, sprinting, agility and grueling core workouts. It was hard. It sucked. But to a man, everyone gave their full effort. I loved what I saw, and think this team is going to embrace all of the adversity as a team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>3 Players to watch: </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>| [player_tooltip player_id='1298543' first='Ryan' last='Louch'] | WR | 6'1 185 | 2025| </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ryan is an exceptional route runner, possesses great hands, and is deadly in the open field. I have watched him develop over the last couple of years and he has really transitioned into a scoring threat at any given moment. Ryan is a great baseball player as well, but if he decided to follow football, he undoubtedly would have the ability to play great football at the next level. Ryan is going to be a key leader on this Clare team, and a lot of their success will hinge upon Ryan taking that next step this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>| Jayden Arthur | QB | 5'10 185 | 2025 | </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jayden is another kid I will be watching very closely this fall. Another great baseball player, this QB has a strong arm and tons of playmaking ability. Jayden has seen a TON of varsity football over the last few years, and with that experience, it will be particularly important for him to impart his wisdom and experience on the underclassmen. Leadership will be huge for Clare this season, and leadership from the QB position is always key! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>| Jacob Halicek | ATH | 6'3 175 | 2026 | </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jacob is one of the star 2 way players in Mid-Michigan. He seems to be a vocal leader, and he backs it up on the field. Defensively he is a long and rangy DB who can cover a ton of ground in a hurry. Offensively, he is a big bodied receiver who is a constant deep threat and makes most jump balls go his way. I think he will be someone they can rely on heavily this season, and I look forward to seeing him take the next step into his junior campaign </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2024 Outlook: </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I think in 2024, Clare is going to be a threat once again in D5. They have the right coaching and message in place and are making a concerted effort to ensure they finish games and finish teams off when they have them on the ropes. The schedule looks manageable to head into the playoffs with a good seeding and with that my expectations are raised. I am looking for Clare to take a big step and I think this team should at least collect 1 Wooden Mitten in the postseason. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thanks to Coach Spranger and the Clare program for letting me come and check out practice, and good luck to the Pioneers on their 2024 season! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->