Arrow football conducts summer workouts for upcoming season

By Danny C. Davis

Arrow senior linebacker Donavon Shaifer (#35) makes a tackle against Ridgeland during a spring scrimmage.

New Arrow football coach Hamer Morgan said his 2025 Arrow team had a successful spring practice and that summer workouts have gone well so far.

The Arrows concluded spring drills with a spring game against Ridgeland at Ridgeland in late May.

Although the Arrows didn’t score the most points in the controlled scrimmage, Morgan says he was pleased with the spring progress.

“We are going to be a young team on offense and got to look at a lot of guys on film,” said Morgan, who was elevated to the head coaching position in March, when John Carr resigned after going 4-6 at CHS in 2024.

Rising sophomore Jayden Jones threw a couple of touchdown passes in the scrimmage, and new offensive coordinator Ben Sheldon got a good look at two rising sophomores at wide receivers, Dylan Bell and Dayson Scott, as well as sophomore Cayden Albert and junior Christian Smith at running back. All are vying for a start for the Arrow offense.

“Jaiden is coming along and going to be a real good quarterback, and we have young guys at the receiver and running back positions that are going to be good,” said Morgan. “They just lack experience, and that will come.”

The Arrows have more experience back on defense, with a lot of seniors returning. The linebackers have the most experience, including seniors Jaiden King, Donavon Shaifer and Trevis Coley, and also junior Jaiden Jefferson.

Arrow defenders Christian Cavett (#92) and Trevis Coley (#18) move in to tackle a Ridgeland ball carrier in a spring scrimmage in Ridgeland.

“We feel we are going to be a lot better on defense this season,” said Morgan.

“Overall, we have more experience coming back on the defensive side and better size defensively than last year.”

Morgan said summer weight lifting and workouts had gone well.

“We’ve had over eighty out each day to lift and participate in summer workouts.“

Clinton has participated in two 7-on-7 events this summer. The Arrows traveled to Mississippi State and Hinds Community College for summer 7-on-7 passing completion.

“We had not done the 7-on-7 camps in a while, and I felt it was good to get the kids on the college campuses to look around and look at our young offensive players,” said Morgan. “I felt it was a real success and time well spent, especially for our young offense; and we competed well. Of course, 7-on-7 is not real football, but I felt we competed well at the skill positions.”

“The kids have worked hard in the spring and this summer. We have a very strong sophomore class coming up that is going to be very good; but, early in the season, it will take time for us to get experience, especially on offense,” said Morgan. “I like where we are right now with the kids we have out.”

Clinton officially starts fall preseason fall drills on August 4, the date set by the Mississippi High School Activities Association.

The Arrows open the 2025 football season at home against old-time rival Warren Central on August 29 at Arrow Field at 7 p.m.