Morning Journal The returning lettermen on the 2024 Columbiana football team.

COLUMBIANA — Following a strong finish to the 2023 season, the Columbiana Clippers are looking to carry that momentum into the 2024 campaign.

Although they are riding that momentum into this season, they have several big holes to fill from the graduation of a group of talented and experienced starters.

After stumbling out of the gate in 2023, losing their first four games which included two heartbreaking last-minute defeats, the Clippers won five of their last six games to qualify for the OHSAA playoffs. Although the Clippers lost to eventual Division VI State Champion Kirtland, the season ended on a high note.

“I still think about those games. I have nightmares about them,” senior tailback Spencer Pruitt said about the first two games with a chuckle. “But we talked about breaking off the rearview mirror and forgetting about the past. Your windshield is so much bigger than your rearview mirror.”

“When you get one win and then you start stacking them up, the confidence builds higher and higher,” senior receiver/defensive back Coleman Bacon said. “During those practices, you prepare better, and you want to be out there. So, it gave us a lot of motivation to see how well we finished up.”

That success has not only given the players confidence, but it has also had a positive effect on the program. Participation is up this year as more kids want to be a part of a winning team.

“The hope and prayer is that it turned the corner for us,” head coach Bob Spaite said. “We had a really good year in the weight room and the enthusiasm is high. This is the biggest team numbers-wise. We started with 51 in June, and now we are down to 44, but that is what I expected. For a school of our size, that is typically what we have. The past four years, we have been below average in the thirties, low thirties a couple of times.”

Returning players point to the team bond that they share as a key for them staying focused after those two heartbreaking losses to start last season.

Some teams may have folded and given up on the season, but the Clippers showed a lot of pride and determination to right the ship.

“We stayed together as a team. The coaches really helped us with keeping our heads high and just focusing on the upcoming game,” Bacon said. “Those Lowellville and McDonald games back-to-back were tough. I’m not going to lie. They were really tough. But we have a strong team bond that kept us together.”

Following a 31-3 loss to United that dropped them to 0-4, the Clippers bounced back with a 28-21 victory over Lisbon. The Blue Devils entered that contest at 3-1, and eventually finished the season third in the EOAC and qualified for the playoffs. So, that victory was a high-quality win for the Clippers.

“That really gave us a spark,” senior center/defensive lineman Mike Dunn said. “It was electric, and I think that is what jump-started us winning five of our last six games.”

Despite the high emotions that the Clippers will ride into 2024, they have to keep everything tempered as they will need to work to replace some huge holes due to graduation.

Replacing Kian Hartley, who set a school record for tackles last year, along with linemen Branson Graham and Bryce Ebben will be a major priority. Not to mention, Hartley’s sidekick in Cameron Clancy at linebacker, and versatile athlete Parker Bush who have all graduated.

“One of the great things when they were here was that we would go against them, and we would compete hard against them,” Dunn said. “That was making us better and helping us prepare for this year. One of the things that the offensive line will have going for us this year is that we are very competitive in practice. We are always battling, making ourselves better.”

Not only do the Clippers need to replace the on-field production, but perhaps more importantly, they need to develop leadership. The senior class on the Clippers team feels they are up to the task.

“Hopefully the examples that Hartley, Ebben, and some other guys gave will rib off. It seems to have so far,” Spaite said. “Those guys all brought something special to the table. Branson Graham may have been the most physically tough kid we ever had here. We played all of last year with a torn ACL and a torn labrum.”

The Clippers will also have a little extra motivation this year as they honor the memory of former coach Larry Baughman.

Baughman, who served as the Clippers defensive coordinator and the coordinator of the Penn-Ohio Game, passed away this summer. The team will wear a special “Coach” patch and have a banner at Firestone Stadium.

If Columbiana can overcome inexperience at linebacker and in their rotation depth, the 2024 season could mean greater heights than just reaching the playoffs like in 2023.

They might very well be in the mix for the EOAC and hosting a playoff game.

OFFENSE

The Clippers’ offense, which scored over 24 points per game in 2023 will return a good core of their offensive line with senior guard Adian Boywer, center Mike Dunn, guard Max Conway, and junior tackle Braden Clancy.

On the other hand, Spaite is concerned with the lack of experienced depth that the Clippers will have at both the offensive line and their skill positions. They will look for sophomore guard Will Croate and freshman Tony Baker to step up on the line.

They also return their senior starting quarterback Liam Surgenavic (891 rushing yards, 623 passing yards), sophomore QB/slot receiver Hayes McCoy and senior tailback/slot receiver Spencer Pruitt (274 rushing yards, 122 receiving).

Most likely, the Clippers will have both Surgenavic and McCoy in the game at the same time. Senior receivers Dylan Bregar (157 receiving yards) and Coleman Bacon along with tight end Craig Witherow highlight the receiving corps for the Clippers.

“Liam and I have been quarterback/running back from middle school up and having the ability to hit the edge and make a move has been helpful,” Pruitt said about their explosiveness.

They will rely on a tandem of sophomore running backs in Jenson Norquist and Lucas Bucheit and receivers Kaden Smith, Rocco Mediate and Drenan Bosela, along with freshman Senator Johnson to try to help provide that depth they are looking for in the skill positions.

DEFENSE

Although Spaite pointed out that the team had a great off-season in the weight room with increased strength and returned most of their defensive secondary, they have a critical lack of depth and no experience at the middle linebacker spot.

The graduation of record-setting performer Kian Hartley (school record 209 tackles in 2023) and his teammate Cam Clancy leave the Clippers with no experienced middle linebackers. Junior Lucas Barber and sophomore Devin Brode may be given a shot at winning the inside spots at linebacker.

“They are going to be the toughest ones to replace,” Spaite said. “You get caught in a double whammy here. Not only is it a leadership factor, but now we are back to square one where we are not going to have a senior in that position. Whoever we have there is going to have very little varsity experience.”

The Clippers will be experienced at the outside linebacker position with seniors Pruitt, and Conway. They will also count on sophomores Norquist, Bucheit, and possibly Brode along with junior Hunter Devanzo. The secondary will be the strength of the Clippers’ defense with seniors Sugenavic, Bacon and Bregar along with sophomores McCoy, Smith, and Mediate returning. They will also look for freshman Johnson to see some playing time.

However, the Clippers’ defensive line will be the major question mark with only junior Brandon Clancy returning. Most likely Bowyer and Dunn will get a chance to play on the defensive line. Spaite admitted that there will be a committee of players at nose guard, while Witherow will play at the defensive end position to help anchor the line.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Senior standout kicker Aidan Radcliff returns to give the Clippers a solid scoring threat anytime they can get in the red zone, as he connected on three of four field goal attempts in 2023.

Pruitt will look to handle the punting duties again this year with Radcliff also providing some punting services. Pruitt and Bregar will once again be the leading return men on special teams with McCoy, Surgenavic, and Coleman also seeing some action in returning kickoffs and punts.

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