Clay hopes to get Cahokia back on track in 2016

At the ripe-young age of 51, John Clay is expanding his football horizons.

A consensus All-American offensive lineman at the University of Missouri and former first round pick of the Los Angeles Raiders, Clay has spent the better part of the last two decades working as an offensive and defensive line coach at the high school level.

In 2016, Clay begins a new challenge of rebuilding the Cahokia Comanches into St. Louis area football power once again.

“The difference for me is that instead of working with the offensive and defensive lines, I’m involved with everything now. Special teams, offense, defense. I’m enjoying it. It’s a good time and the kids have been tremendous,” Clay said. “We had about 30 kids come out for summer workouts and I anticipate that we’ll have even more. That’s not even counting the freshmen.

“As of right now, we’re not looking at many two-way starters. That may change as the season gets closer. But, me personally, I think you’ve got to be a pretty special player to be able to able to play and make an impact on both sides of the football.”

In a South Seven Conference which will feature perennial state power Althoff along with others such as Centralia and Marion, Clay is hoping his first Comanches squad will be in the playoff hunt come the middle of October.

Offense

As usual, the Comanches don’t lack talent in the backfield where senior quarterback Wayne Grant returns to lead what Clay hopes will be a balanced attack.

Small in stature at 5-9, 165 pounds, Grant enjoyed a solid junior season, throwing for nearly 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns while completing nearly 60 percent of his passes. In junior wide receiver Demarion Hinkle, Grant has one of the best in the South Seven Conference to throw to. Hinkle caught 42 passes for 470 yards and three touchdowns a year ago.

Speedsters Marquis Murray, a standout on Cahokia’s six-time defending Class 2A state champion track team, figures to be one of the running backs, while Davion Towers is another player who will gets reps in the backfield.

In senior center Robert Johnson (6-3, 255), the Comanches have one of the top two-way linemen in the metro-east., But its going to be Grant who will make the Comanches.

“He’s done everything we’ve asked of him and more this summer and so far during pre-season,” Clays aid of Grant. “He’s got a strong arm but he also has good speed and make plays with his legs as well. Our job will be to protect well enough so that he can make some plays.”

Defense

Johnson will anchor the defensive front at tackle, while in Murray and Keondre Wells, Cahokia has a pair of top flight secondary players. The key for Cahokia will be getting off to a good start in its season opener against Highland.

“It’s a good test for us because Highland, traditionally, is a good well, coached football team,” Clay said. “I’m anxious to see how we stack up against one of the top programs around. It will give us an idea of where we are.”

This story was originally published August 17, 2016 at 4:27 PM with the headline "Clay hopes to get Cahokia back on track in 2016."