Winning football games is a tradition within the Clinton City Schools system. The Dark Horses of Sampson Middle School and Clinton High School work throughout the summer to build the skills needed for an upcoming season.
Members of the Clinton High School varsity football team, along with former players and the current coaching staff, held a football camp earlier this week with all intentions of getting current and potential players ready for the 2016 season.
According to Jason Arnette, one of the football coaches with the Dark Horses, camp was held for middle school students Tuesday morning and high school students Wednesday morning. In all, about 45 players came out and participated in the one-day camp.
“This is always a good camp for the guys to come out and see what is expected of them for the season,” Arnette said.
In the past, current NFL players have assisted the coaching staff during the camp. The camp is free for all those interested and a great way to improve position skills. During the camp, Arnette said the boys work on team building and how to condition themselves during the summer.
“We really work on skill building,” Arnette shared. “We try to best prepare the boys for the upcoming season.”
Traditionally, there are more than 80 students who attend the camp, but Arnette said because of summer school, many of the boys couldn’t attend. Plans for next year are to hold the camp at a later time, allowing those who must attend summer school a chance to attend the camp.
“Overall, this year’s camp went very well,” Arnette said. “Even though our numbers were down, we still had a very successful time.”