No. 13 Clay-Battelle enters final week of regular season with confidence
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BLACKSVILLE – The Clay-Battelle High school football team has found its footing at the right time of the season.
After opening the year 2-3, the Cee-Bees have rattled off four consecutive victories over Richwood, Tygarts Valley, Bridgeport (Oh.) and Madonna to improve to 6-3 entering the final week of the regular season. The turnaround has pushed Clay-Battelle to No. 13 in the latest Class A playoff ratings, putting the team in position to make a postseason run.
The team’s progress has been the result of a group gradually getting healthier, younger players gaining valuable experience and a senior class continuing to lead a roster that has had to grow together throughout the season.
Clay-Battelle has dealt with injuries to several starters since the beginning of the year, limiting its ability to put its full lineup on the field. As those players have worked their way back, the Cee-Bees have started to resemble the team they hoped to be when the season began.
However, head coach Aaron LaPoe believes the experience gained by players who stepped into larger roles during that stretch has been just as important as getting healthy.
The injuries forced younger players into action earlier than expected, giving them opportunities to learn against some difficult competition.
“We are allowed to make mistakes around here, and we don’t mind getting punched in the mouth,” LaPoe said. “We are always pursuing growth and improvement, and we welcome those two things, which seem like negatives, because they actually speed up our growth process.”
LaPoe said the team has not been particularly healthy since just three plays into its first scrimmage in August. While the injuries have been unfortunate, they have also forced additional players to gain experience and become more comfortable in their responsibilities.
The growth has been especially noticeable among a young group that features nearly half the roster as freshmen.
LaPoe said the recent success has helped those players understand what it takes to win at the high school level. From blocking and tackling to accepting their responsibilities within the team’s system, the younger Cee-Bees have steadily improved.
“I think our young players (essentially half our team is freshmen) have learned what is required to win,” LaPoe said. “They have sacrificed a lot and have worked really hard to block and tackle at a high level. They are a fun group to coach, and they are excited to be winning. Most of them have never even won a football game before this year.”
While the younger players have continued to develop, the senior class has played an important role in keeping the team together through its early struggles.
Leading a team with so many inexperienced players has presented its own challenges. LaPoe credited his seniors for remaining patient, helping to teach the younger players the program’s expectations, and trusting that their work would eventually pay off.
“Our seniors have faced an immense challenge with the task of leading such a young team to success,” LaPoe said. “But being from Clay-Battelle is part of who they are. They have been patient with the young pups, teaching them how we do things around here.”
Now, that patience is beginning to show results. The seniors have developed greater confidence in the younger players, and the Cee-Bees are starting to see the benefits of having a more experienced group working together on the field.
Clay-Battelle will look to carry its momentum into its Week 11 matchup against Magnolia, another opportunity to strengthen its postseason position before the regular season ends.
“They are a well-coached, fundamentally sound football team,” LaPoe said. “They attack and blitz on defense and mix up coverages. On offense, they have a tough line of scrimmage, and they do a lot of shifts, motions, screens, and trick plays that make them difficult to defend.”
For Clay-Battelle, the keys will be winning the battle up front, playing physical defense and creating opportunities for its running game.
After a challenging start to the season, the Cee-Bees have put themselves in a strong position heading into November.
With one regular-season game remaining, they have an opportunity to build on that progress and enter the postseason with confidence.