Hamock praises team effort in 7-on-7 games
Easton Gilliam, a freshman, spent time taking snaps for the Dragons during a passing-league game against Austin East.
The Dragons played a pair of 7-on-7 games, and the results left interim head Coach Jason Hamock pleased.
Clinton played Knoxville’s Grace Christian Academy Thursday morning after opening the week against Austin-East on Tuesday, July. 16.
Both the Rams and the Roadrunners have new head coaches in 2024.
Stanton Stevens returns to Austin-East for a second tenure after guiding Austin-East to a Class 3A state championship in 2001. Before returning to the Roadrunners, he was head coach at Oak Ridge and La Vergne.
Longtime Campbell County head Coach Justin Price brings his high-powered offense to the Rams, and Hamock said that it was a priority for Clinton to play Grace Christian, which had a good showing at the Knoxville Classic in Powell on Thursday and Friday.
“We wanted to play Grace because we knew that Justin was there and he likes to throw the ball,” Hamock said.
“We wanted to get into the tournament at Powell,” he said. “But we tried to get in late and they were full, so we had to schedule some of our own 7-on-7 games.
“Grace played well at Powell, and we played them on Thursday morning,” Hamock said, “We didn’t keep a score, but we really played well.”
The Roadrunners went 4-8 and made the playoffs last season, but Hamock said they provided the Dragons with a challenge due to their athleticism.
“They have great athletes, and Stanton is a great guy, so we really wanted to play them, and our kids did pretty well,” Hamock said.
All signs point to the Dragons being in a rebuilding mode after losing some talented players on both sides of the ball.
However, Hamock said that Clinton is a hungry team eager to prove it can play.
“These kids are all good kids and they’re all working hard,” he said. “I think they’ve really got a chip on their shoulders.
“We lost a lot of talented players off last year’s team, and sometimes, these guys get forgotten about and dismissed, but not in a bad way,” he said. “They have a motto. They want to be nasty but keep it classy.
“We have a lot of guys who didn’t start for us last year, and this is a small rebuild,” Hamock said. “We have a group of talented guys, but they’re a quiet group.”
Clinton has a new starting quarterback in sophomore Jayden Benjamin.
Hamock said that the new field general was impressive against Austin-East and Grace Christian.
“He’s learning the offense and he did well,” Hamock said of Benjamin.
Junior Bryson Maddox returns at wide receiver, and Hamock said that he put up some stellar performances last week.
“He’s just a great athlete,” Hamock said. “He could pick up horseback riding and be good at it,”
Ryker Armes, a transfer from Oak Ridge, and Trey Hall also played well, according to Hamock.