2025 Team Preview: Cleveland Clippers

In our first team preview of the 2025 season, we take a look at a rising contender from Class 1A in the Cleveland Clippers. Since their move from the 9-Man league to the Mid-Southeast District in 2019, the Clippers had failed to post a winning season up until last year. In 2024, Cleveland emerged impressively from the depths of the district to being a competitive force, posting a 6-4 record, a 5-3 conference record, and winning their first-ever postseason game in this district. With several players returning in 2025 who were vital factors toward their success last season, Cleveland will look to build upon last season's efforts to potentially make a much deeper run in the playoffs this season.   Today, we take a look at 5 players who look to stand out for the Clippers this upcoming season!    [player_tooltip player_id='1288405' first='Carson' last='Lyons'] served as the primary catalyst for Cleveland's success last season. Taking over the starting QB position after his brother Blake suffered a season-ending knee injury early in the year, Lyons finished with 1613 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and only 3 picks, while adding 169 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground. As a DB, he recorded 66 tackles, 5 interceptions, 8 passes defended, a sack, and 2 fumble recoveries. A standout on JV his freshman year, Lyons had no trouble finding his rhythm under Center on the varsity offense, showing poise and being in full command of his offense. Lyons also proved versatile on the defensive side, proving to be quite the ball-hawk, and his presence was felt all around the field. Cleveland has found a sharp signal-caller they can rally around in Lyons over the next few seasons.     [player_tooltip player_id='1679105' first='Tanner' last='Simonette'] has proven to be another promising prospect from Cleveland with multi-purpose value. Playing at both TE and OLB, Simonette finished with 25 catches for 239 yards and 5 touchdowns on offense, while recording 44 tackles and 2 sacks on the defense. As a TE, Simonette emerged as a reliable secondary threat on the offense in the passing-game, gaining solid yardage on short-plays, showing decent speed after the catch, and providing as a decent run-blocker. Simonette's strength should be noted, with a 355 lb max squat and a 235 lb max bench, Simonette's power made him a solid presence against the run, being able to get into the backfield several times and make big stops on short-yardage situations. Simonette should continue to grow over the next 2 seasons as a potential leader for this defense.     While he's a bit undersize at both TE and LB, Braeden Smith was able to add his name to the sophomore breakouts from Cleveland's team last season. Smith finished 2nd on the offense last season with 293 receiving yards on 16 receptions and 3 touchdowns. On defense, he added 47 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 2 sacks, 2 passes defended, and a blocked punt. What I noticed the most from his clips was his explosiveness from the burst off the snap, particularly with the blocked punt, where he was able to surge in front of the Punter and nail the block which resulted in a touchdown for Cleveland. A switch to WR could make more sense for Smith, where he should see much more production offensively in 2025, and he should become one of Cleveland's most vital weapons on both sides of the ball this upcoming season.     Caleb Possin was quite the all-purpose threat last season, seeing reps at LB, RB, and as the team's primary kicking specialist. Most of his production came on the defense, leading the team with 69 tackles to go with 2 sacks and an interception. He ran for 214 yards on offense while going 4 for 6 on field goals, 30 of 35 on extra points, and averaging 35 yards per punt on 28 punts last season. Possin was doing a lot for Cleveland last season, and he's slated to become the team's #1 RB on the depth chart next season. Despite his size, Possin's speed, tenacity, and stronger lower base allowed him to maintain a steady presence as a 60-minute player. Possin is a swiss-army knife that could be a big threat in Class 1A MN next season.     Another player for Cleveland who may have a much bigger role in 2025 as they move up the pecking order is Bode Bartell, who is slated to become their #1 WR this season. Bartell caught 14 passes for 190 yards and 4 touchdowns last season, including a touchdown reception in each of their last 3 games. At DB, he added 19 total tackles. Showcasing a solid amount of acceleration and burst off the snap and great agility, which stems from his role as a shooting guard for Cleveland's basketball team, where he had much success with his fast breaks, steals, and three-pointers. Bartell should see a lot more targets as this passing game for Cleveland continues to evolve.

In our first team preview of the 2025 season, we take a look at a rising contender from Class 1A in the Cleveland Clippers. Since their move from the 9-Man league to the Mid-Southeast District in 2019, the Clippers had failed to post a winning season up until last year. In 2024, Cleveland emerged impressively from the depths of the district to being a competitive force, posting a 6-4 record, a 5-3 conference record, and winning their first-ever postseason game in this district. With several players returning in 2025 who were vital factors toward their success last season, Cleveland will look to build upon last season's efforts to potentially make a much deeper run in the playoffs this season.