There’s a saying that every journey begins with a single step.
Two years ago, that first step for Clever football was as simple as learning the rules.
“We’ve had to explain a ton of things like false starts, too many men on the line of scrimmage, delay of game,” said Clever Head Coach Jeff Stone back in 2018.
Stone said that on the same night Clever played a JV football game, its first football game of any kind in 90 years
“That first day of camp [in 2018], I came out, it was crazy because I couldn’t even throw a football. Coach put me at quarterback and I was like ‘I don’t know. I don’t know if I can do this,” said Clever senior Bryce Gelle.
Two years later, and practice paints a different picture. Bryce looks just how you’d expect a varsity QB to look, and Stone’s message has changed.
“I’d say there are lots of times [the players] know even more than me now, and we have the kind of relationship where they can say ‘Coach, you’re not even right, that guy is not eligible’ and I’m like man two years ago you didn’t even know how to play.”
Now, the Jays are ready for the next step of their journey with their first varsity game this Friday night versus Willow Springs.
“We’ve put a lot of work in the weight room and these past two years leading up to the varsity season,” said Clever senior Drew Hanafin. “We’re just excited to be able to compete.”
Those two years have brought Clever JV success with a 7-1 record last season. However, the Blue Jays know Fridays are a whole new ballgame.
“Yes, we had some success but that success means nothing right now,” Stone said. “This is Friday night and I don’t know how long Willow Springs has been playing football, but I assume it’s a half-century longer than we have.”
Whether Friday’s game results in a win or a loss, the Blue Jays journey won’t stop there.
“It’s not just having a team and competing one night,” Stone said. “It’s having a program that’s going to last and stand the test of time.”
“It’s just exciting that we can leave a mark on the program,” Drew added. “Hopefully set a high tone and keep it going for years to come.”
In those years, the Clever community will look back at the 2020 Jays: the team that started it all.
“I told our kids, hey if you go in and lose 60-0 to Willow Springs, nobody will blame you. So there’s no pressure on that,” Stone said. “But I know what they can do and those kids know what they can do, and they owe it to themselves to play the very best football they can on Friday night.”
It’s just another step in a long journey ahead for the Blue Jays football team.
