Arrows have good spring workouts for upcoming season
By Danny C. Davis
Arrows junior running back Eddie Eley takes a handoff from quarterback Sam Semi in the Arrows spring scrimmage against Pearl.
The Clinton Arrows finished the 2022 season second in Region 2-6A with a 7-5 record, advancing to the North quarterfinals and second round of the playoffs before falling to eventual Class 6A State Champion Starkville.
But the Arrows lost a lot of two-year starters on both sides of the ball and spent a lot of time in spring drills trying to find replace replacements.
Clinton will move up to the new Class 7A this fall, along with region rivals Madison Central, Tueplo, Starkville, and Germantown.
Arrows junior running back Eddie Eley takes a handoff from quarterback Sam Semi in the Arrows spring scrimmage against Pearl.
The Arrows concluded spring drills in late May with a controlled scrimmage against Pearl.
This will definitely be a rebuilding year for CHS.
The Arrows lost eight starters on defense and nine starters on offense, but have a lot of guys that saw action last year coming back on both sides of the ball.
On the front defensive line, two-year starters and college prospects Kenny Andrews and T. J. Spann both return, but Benny Jenkins has experience and James Farr is vying for a start. At linebacker, Tyler Railey is the only starter back, but Lucian Price returns with experience. In the secondary, Donavan Coleman and Veshone Malone are the only returning starters.
Vying for a start in the secondary are Justin Singleton and Chase Harper, along with Brady Torrence and Josh Barnes.
Ninth-year defensive coordinator Hammer Morgan says he feels good about the spring practices.
“We are going to be young on defense but have a lot of sophomores that are talented and bigger that just need a game time experience,” said Morgan.
On offense, the Arrows lost the entire backfield of two-year starters at running back and quarterback and a lot of offensive linemen.
Sam Semi, a senior transfer quarterback from Arlington, Texas, showed a lot of promise in the spring game, with a 50-yard scramble for a touchdown and a long pass completion for a touchdown. He will share time with sophomore quarterback Josef Walker, who also had a good spring scrimmage.
Clinton senior kicker Hayden Wolfe kicks and extra point in the Arrows spring scrimmage against Pearl. Creation Garlington prepares to hold for the kick.
