MICHIGANTOWN — For the past two seasons, Clinton Central has been the bridesmaid in the Hoosier Heartland Conference football standings. The current crop of Bulldogs are champing at the bit to change all that.
“We lost by two points to [Lafayette Central Catholic] last year when I decided to go for a field goal,” said Clinton Central coach George Gilbert, whose team was 3-1 in HHC play in 2005 and again in ’06. “We came closer to them than anyone did in the regular season. Catholic has owned our conference for the past three years.”
Catholic and Clinton Central are now in the same sectional (Class A No. 36), as well. And Gilbert would like to see his Bulldogs go a little deeper in sectional play this fall. The Bulldogs lost to Frankton 34-26 in the first round last year.
“One of our goals is to get beyond the first round,” Gilbert explained. “We had to deal with some problems last year. I had to deal with a heart attack and my son was hurt badly. It weighed on the kids. Our No. 1 priority this year is to play Catholic and [two time defending state champion] Sheridan tough. It’s unfortunate to have all these good teams in the same sectional.”
Sectional 36 also includes Clinton Prairie, Eastern, Guerin Catholic, Park Tudor and Tri-Central.
Gilbert will attack opponents with a group of seniors who have been waiting in the wings including senior QB Matt Leighty, who is taking over for the graduated Mitchell Crenshaw.
“Leighty has been waiting for a long time to play,” Gilbert said. “He will be the go-to guy as a senior.”
Senior Chase Simmons gives the Bulldogs a go-to guy in the backfield. The Kokomo Tribune All-Area running back gained 1,297 yards and 14 touchdowns on 192 carries last season. Senior Scott Dunn will also see time at running back after getting a few carries last season.
“Simmons is a very good athlete. He has rushed for over 3,400 yards in his career,” Gilbert said. “Dunn has also been waiting patiently. We will be very deep at the running back position.”
Junior Caleb Simmons and senior Shane Heidt are flankers. Senior Sam Jordan is the top tight end, and senior Ben Watkins will play at left end.
Seniors Landon Ploughe (left tackle), Stephen Robertson (left guard), Thomas Pelling (right guard) and Garrett Ferrel (right tackle) along with junior Chad Kingsolver (center) are returning to the offensive line. Ferrel earned All-Area honors in 2006.
“We are pretty quick and strong,” Gilbert said. “Pelling has become the strongest athlete in school history, and Ferrel is right behind him.”
On defense, Chris Bolton, 6-foot-2, 350 pounds, and junior Lance Miller will play tackle. Pelling and Ferrel are defensive ends. Watkins and Caleb Simmons at outside linebacker. Dunn and Chase Simmons are the middle linebackers. Leighty and Jordan are the cornerbacks, and Jordan Henry will play free safety.
“This is the strongest and fastest team we’ve had here in years,” Gilbert said. “I’m hoping our chemistry will work well and it’s been important that we haven’t had any kids miss practices. They have been working hard and they are all dedicated.”
Clinton Central hosts Brown County Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Clinton Central football:
• COACH: George Gilbert (19th season at CC, 114-90 record at CC, 154-132 record overall)
• CONFERENCE: Hoosier Heartland
• SECTIONAL: Class A No. 36
• SECTIONAL OPPONENTS: Clinton Prairie, Eastern, Guerin Catholic, Lafayette Catholic, Park Tudor, Sheridan and Tri-Central
• 2006 RECAP: The Bulldogs went 7-3 overall and 3-1 in league play. Frankton upended CC 34-26 in the opening round of sectional play.
Bulldogs’ schedule
All games at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted
Friday Brown County
Aug. 24 at Northwestern, 7 p.m.
Aug. 31 at Laf. Catholic, 7 p.m.
Sep. 7 Sheridan
Sep. 14 at Tri-Central, 7 p.m.
Sep. 21 at Tipton
Sep. 28 Carroll
Oct. 5 Clinton Prairie
Oct. 12 at E. Hancock, 7 p.m.
5-year trend
2006 7-3
2005 7-5
2004 4-7
2003 7-3
2002 9-4
Total 34-22 (.607)
Sports
Related Photos
Discussion
Clinton Central strong, fast and very competitive
All-Area players Simmons and Ferrel lead solid senior class
- Sports
-
-
Kats lose heartbreaker
Kokomo’s girls basketball team executed its game plan to near perfection against host Logansport in the first game of the Class 4A Logansport Sectional Tuesday.
-
Tipton races by Taylor
Over the last two seasons, Tipton’s girls basketball team has been held under 40 points in just three games.
Tuesday’s sectional opponent — Taylor — held the Blue Devils down in two of those games. Tuesday was a different story.
-
It’s tourney time
In the girls basketball regular season, Tipton and Logansport compiled gaudy records and conference championships while Taylor and Kokomo finished with sub-.500 records.
-
What a kick for Hoosier native Weatherford
Indianapolis — While Steve Weatherford celebrated with his teammates in the New York Giants’ locker room after the 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, thoughts inevitably turned to Terre Haute — his hometown.
-
Ice baths can improve your health
Several years ago, I applied to be a participant in the weekly television show “Survivor.” Disappointingly, I was rejected.
-
Wiechmann comes up big in regional
Western senior wrestler Jake Wiechmann had lost twice this season to Kokomo standout Fletcher Miller, and was trailing 3-1 to Miller in the third period of the championship of the 182-pound match at the Peru Regional Saturday when the opportunity for vengeance struck.
-
Wildkat wrestlers move nine onto Ft. Wayne semistate
The Kokomo Wildkats’ bus will need just a little bit more gas than usual next weekend to haul its cargo up to Fort Wayne for Saturday’s individual wrestling semistate at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.
-
Visitors down at tourism office
Since moving its office location from the Kokomo Event Center to downtown Kokomo, the number of walk-in visits for tourism information has dropped 77 percent in one year.
-
Kokomo guts out a win at Lebanon
It didn’t take clairvoyance to deduce that Saturday night’s showdown between Class 4A No. 6-ranked Kokomo and Class 3A No. 3-ranked Lebanon in the Tigers’ Rosenstihl Gymnasium had the makings of a close affair.
-
Western beats Taylor, secures shot at outright MIC title
Something Taylor coach Andy Lewman noted about Western’s boys basketball team early on this season was how well the Panthers share the ball.
- More Sports Headlines
-
Worker Tells 911: Powell 'exploded the House'
Triple Win: Santorum Takes Minn., Mo., Colo.
Injured Marine Inspired by Homecoming
No Rape Charges Against Son of NYPD Commissioner
Romney Congratulates Santorum, Focuses on Obama
Paul Says Results Help Him Rack Up Delegates
Egypt's Ruling Generals Play Risky Game With US
Former Komen Exec Defends Funding Cut
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional
Jury Selection for Ex-UVa Athlete Enters 2nd Day
Raw Video: Giants Celebrate Another Super Bowl
Cab Driver Helps Wis. Family Escape House Fire
Greek Leaders Seek Deal As Bankruptcy Looms
Bernanke: Recovery Depends on Consumer Spending
Staff Removed at LA School During Abuse Probe
Eastwood in Super Bowl Ad 'Compassionate'
Stranded Fishermen Rescued From Bay of Green Bay
Analyst: Outside Troops Won't Intervene in Syria
Police: Father Planned Deadly Fire for Some Time
