Football | 8/23/2023 5:07:00 PM

The 2023 season for the Clinton Arrows Football team begins with the rejuvenation of a classic rivalry when the Arrows travel to Vicksburg to take on the Vikings of Warren Central High School.  This matchup is a Top 10 matchup according to Mississippi Gridiron, with the Arrows ranked #8 in the preseason poll while the Vikings are ranked at #10.  This is the first meeting between these two long-time rivals since October 23, 2020, when the Arrows defeated the Vikings by a score of 31-16.

Both the Arrows and the Vikings are coming off of successful 2022 campaigns that ended with losses to the eventual North and South State Champions.  Clinton lost to eventual State Champion Starkville in the 2nd round of the playoffs, while Warren Central lost to Brandon in the 2nd round on Brandon's path to a berth in the State Championship game.  The Arrows finished 7-5 with notable wins over Starkville in the regular season by a score of 35-28 and a victory against rival Madison Central by a score of 38-31.  The Vikings finished 11-2 in 2022 with a notable win over Oak Grove in an instant classic Overtime game with a final score of 42-41.

The Arrows averaged 27.9 points per game in 2022 with an offense primarily set on running the football.  Running Back Jakobe Calvin racked up over 1,400 yards on the ground and accounted for 20 TDs.  Quarterback Jordyn Battee threw for over 900 yards and rushed for over 600 yards while accounting for a total of 17 TDs through the air and on the ground.  The Arrows allowed 23.6 points per game on average defensively, with a defensive line set on returning this season.  Juniors in 2022, Jonathan Flowers and TJ Spann wreaked havoc in opponents' backfields, accounting for 42 tackles, 5 sacks, and 12 tackles for loss.  This year, the duo returns to the defensive line with another year of experience.

Offensively, the Arrows have a different look with a lot of graduates and few returning players.  The Wide Receiver room has incredible depth, with receivers like Seniors Veshone Malone and Jordan Bracey, and Sophomore Jaydann Hollins ready to produce on the offensive side of the ball.  The Arrows will also sport a newcomer at Quarterback in Senior Sam Semi.  While this will be his first year in an Arrows uniform, Semi comes to Clinton with valuable experience after moving to Clinton from Arlington, TX.  In 2022, Semi accounted for 2,864 Total Yards and 27 total TDs for Arlington High School.  He has made a seamless transition to the Arrows offense and has great command of Coach Tyler Peterson's scheme.  He is a special arm talent who is also a dual threat with the ability to run.  The Vikings return their top 3 leading tacklers from 2022, led by Defensive End Julien Demby.  Demby recorded 64 tackles last year and is highly lauded in the preseason publications for Mississippi football.

On Special Teams, the Arrows have a difference maker in Senior Hayden Wolfe.  In 2022, Wolfe converted 30 of 33 Extra Point attempts, was a perfect 4/4 on FG attempts, and pinned opposing offenses deep in their own territory by pinning 14 punts inside the 20 yard line.

Tickets are available at GoFan.co at this link.  To listen to the Voice of the Arrows, Ray Coleman, tune in to 96.9 FM/1180 AM.  To watch the game online, you can purchase an NFHS subscription and watch the game here.