The Clinton Red Devils in 2023 were one step away from taking on Daniel in the 3A Upper State Championship game. That is when they ran into the buzzsaw known as Marquise Henderson and the BHP Bears. Though they lost a couple of key pieces from that team, the Red Devils have their eye squarely on the prize of a 2A state championship.
“There is a lot of tradition here in Clinton,” Red Devils head coach Corey Fountain said. “That’s something we talk about, wanting to continue is that rich tradition. We definitely want to bring a state championship back to Clinton.”
If Clinton wants to add their ninth state title trophy to the cabinet, then they will have to do without 2023 SK Media Corey Carter Most Outstanding Player Award winner Kadon Crawford, who is now at Coastal Carolina, and Zay Johnson, who is now at Cincinnati. Fortunately, Tushuwan Richardson returns at quarterback and Brett Young returns at linebacker.
The Clinton offense will be well protected with an offensive line that returns all five starters from 2023. D.J. Clark is back after a breakout 2023 season in which he rushed for more than 600 yards, good for second on the team behind Richardson. Kason Copeland returns from an injury that ended his 2023 season after just 29 carries and could make an impact at linebacker as well. Expect to see the ball in the hands of a bunch of different Red Devils, including newcomer Devin Swindler, Javen Cook, K.J. Vance, Chris Boyd, and Austin Boyd, among others.
On defense, Clinton will miss having Crawford and Johnson, but they have some players with familiar names ready to step in. Carson Glenn graduated this past spring and so in steps his brother, Jaydon Glenn. Brett Young is still the heart and soul of the Red Devils defense and his brother, Luke Young, will see time right next to his big, er, older brother. Chris and Austin Boyd will also see lots of action in the Clinton secondary, where they will be counted upon heavily to stop opponents from attacking down the field.
“We’ve got to stay focused and stay healthy,” Fountain said. “Injuries really hurt us last year and we aren’t deep enough to sustain a rash of injuries like we had last season. If we can avoid injuries, then we have a really good chance of having a really good season.”
Schedule Prediction: The Red Devils did not shy away from loading up their nonregion schedule with traditional rivals like Chapman, Union County, and Woodruff. Toss in games against teams with lots of buzz in the preseason like Daniel and Newberry and it is not difficult to imagine a path to the Red Devils opening up 1-5 before entering region play. It is far more likely, however, that they run that gauntlet at 5-1 before an undefeated run through region play. Daniel is a perennial title favorite and will be the only blemish on Clinton’s regular season record. They finish the season 9-1 and make an appearance in the Upper State Championship game.
| DATE | OPPONENT |
| 8/23 | Woodruff |
| 8/30 | Laurens |
| 9/6 | @ Newberry |
| 9/13 | @ Chapman |
| 9/20 | @ Daniel |
| 9/27 | Union County |
| 10/4 | @ Liberty |
| 10/11 | Chesnee |
| 10/18 | @ Landrum |
| 10/25 | Blacksburg |
| 11/1 | BYE |