New coach brings experience, excitement to Clayton

There’s been a bit of turnover in the head coaching position at Clayton High School in recent years, but the latest hire has brought a different level of buzz to the Comet program.

Scott Chadwick, most recently the director of recruiting operations for the University of Maryland, brings a wealth of experience and possibility to the job. Before his stay in College Park, he was the coach at Myers Park in Charlotte from 2014-2020, where he rang up a 60-20 record.

“(I’m) Excited to see if my formula for building programs can work one more time,” he said. “Our success will ultimately be determined by how quickly we adapt to new systems and new ways of doing things.”

Last season’s squad produced a 5-6 record and a first-round playoff loss to Heritage under former coach Shane Handy, and five starters from each side of the football will greet Chadwick as he lays the foundation for this year’s Comets.

That base of talent, coupled with the recent facility upgrades at the school, made the position an appealing one for Chadwick.

"(I’m looking forward to) seeing how our revitalized program, new facilities and partnership with the town of Clayton can rally the school and the community together,” he said.

Like most successful football coaches, Chadwick is quick to look to the trenches.

“(We’ve got a) very solid offensive line and a deep group of receivers,” he said. “A good group of linebackers, too.”

Senior Will Coats is the focal point for what figures to be another big, physical offensive line group. Another senior, Nadir Simmons, figures to get the first crack at the starting running back position after rushing for 332 yards and a pair of touchdowns last fall.

“He’s a strong, good-sized downhill runner,” Chadwick said.

AJ Foster (26 carries, 99 yards, 13 tackles) and Ian Martin (7 receptions, 172 yards, 2 TDs) will play on both sides of the ball, according to Chadwick.

Clayton’s two best defensive players from 2021, Donovan Spellman and Cade Cyrus, have graduated. That means there are plenty of opportunities for younger players, like defensive lineman Jordan Caldwell, to take a step forward.

The same is true at the quarterback position, since both players who took snaps last fall are no longer on the roster.

“We would like to seriously contend for the conference championship,” Chadwick said of his goals for 2022. “We need to find a quarterback and develop our guys in the secondary. Those are two of biggest need areas.”

He’ll get an early measuring stick for how that’s going when the Comets open the season at home on Aug. 19 against Greensboro Grimsley, which finished 11-1 last season.

Clayton's 2022 schedule can be seen here: https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/clayton/clayton-comets/football/schedule/