The football awards banquet, held in the commons on November 30, had a couple of inherent contradictions pointed out by Clipper head football coach Erik Hermanson.
“It’s always fun to give out individual awards even though all year all we preached about is what matters is the team. And it’s sad because some of them are done playing football. The last four years have been an incredible growth spurt as far as wins and level of play and that’s because of the seniors who are done here today.”
And, while their season ended with a disappointing loss in the first round of the playoffs, the Clippers cruised through an 8-0 regular season for the first time since they were a nine-man team back in 2016.
“There’s nothing we can say that can represent how we feel about these guys: how hard they worked and what they did for their school and town,” Hermanson said. “It was an incredible and special year.”
The Clippers chose junior quarterback Carson Lyons as the team’s Most Valuable Player.
Lyons completed 122 of 225 passes for 1,428 yards, 16 touchdowns and one PAT. He also kept the ball 56 times for 315 yards and three touchdowns. He returned a dozen punts for 100 yards. Defensively, he made 31 solo tackles, 15 tackle assists, 11 pass deflections and four interceptions.
Mid South Gold sub-district coaches selected Lyons to be on the All-Sub District team as well as the sub district Quarterback of the Year.
“I’m sure people in our district are wondering how old Carson is and if he is still playing,” Hermanson said. “He’s the best quarterback in the district.”
The Clippers picked junior tight end Braeden Smith as the team’s Back of the Year.
Leading the Clipper receiving corps, Smith hauled in 42 passes for 708 yards and nine touchdowns.
Smith, who also carried the ball for a touchdown and, as a linebacker, made 30 solo tackles, 14 assisted tackles and 10 tackles behind the line, was also picked by sub-district coaches as a member of the All-Sub District team and as the sub district Receiver of the Year.
“Braeden had an incredible season,” Hermanson said. “He had to start playing way too young, and now everyone he plays against is paying for that. He is one of the elite players in the district.”
The Clippers named senior David Draheim the Lineman of the Year. Draheim was injured for much of last year, but this year, healthy, he was the front man for much of the Clipper ground yards. Draheim was also picked by sub-district coaches as a member of the All-Sub District team.
“He was a guy who no doubt would have been a multiple-time All-District with his talent and hard work and brains, but his seasons were cut down because of injury, but this year he stayed healthy,” Hermanson said.
“I was really proud of how the line played this year. It was one of the best that we’ve had for a long time, said assistant coach Matt Miller. “That really said a lot about the leadership of the line, and (Draheim) was definitely a leader of the line.”
The Clipper Award went to senior Mason Kluntz. On defense, he made 23 solo tackles and 32 tackle assists. He recorded seven sacks and six tackles behind the line.
“It’s an award that he should be proud of because he represented everything the school preaches and wants players to be and represent the team as a leader,” said assistant coach Larry Walechka.
Sub-district coaches chose Kluntz to be a member of the All Sub-District team and as the sub district Defensive Lineman of the Year.
Sub-district coaches chose Tanner Simonette as a member of the All Sub-District Team. The Clippers’ leading ball carrier, he rushed 54 times for 503 yards and five touchdowns. He also grabbed 24 catches for 224 yards and one touchdown. He returned four kickoffs for a total of 70 yards.
“He stepped in and saved a couple of our games,” Hermanson said.
The Clippers chose senior punter and kicker Caleb Possin as their Special Teams Player of the Year. He booted 17 PATs and three field goals between the uprights and punted a dozen times for 411 yards.
Possin, who as a running back, carried the ball 85 times for 489 yards and five touchdowns, was also picked by sub-district coaches as a member of the All-Sub District team and as the sub district Special Teams Player of the Year.
“If Caleb wouldn’t have gotten banged up a couple of times this year, he might have won every award,” Hermanson said. “He is second in every career kicking category we have.”
Special teams coach Walechka also presented Draheim with a special award, a football kicking toy, for his abilities as a backup kicker. Draheim made three of five extra-point kicks and kicked off 11 times.
The Torpedo Award, presented to the player who had the highest defensive points, went to junior linebacker Jackson Shouler. Shouler led the team in solo tackles (40) and assisted tackles (39). He had one sack and one tackle behind the line and recovered one fumble. On offense, he played center.
Sub district coaches also recognized Shouler as an All Sub-District Honorable Mention.
“He had strength and dependability on the line,” Hermanson said.
The Clippers picked 260-lb sophomore offensive lineman Richard Jordan to take home the Rookie of the Year award.
“We didn’t know him super well before,” said Miller. “At the beginning of the training camp, I was telling the coaches, ‘I think he is ready to play.’ He played well the whole year.”
The Clippers chose junior Sam Ternes as the recipient of the Unsung Hero award. The team’s “Swiss Army Knife, Ternes completed 11 of 14 passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns. He ran the ball 17 times for 65 yards and caught 14 passes for 98 yards. When Lyons injured his hand and was not behind center in the Clippers’ final game of the regular season, Ternes led the Clippers to a victory. On defense, he made 10 solo tackles and 13 assists and one interception.
“This award is given to someone who does everything we ask,” said assistant coach Kyle Atherton. “Sam did everything that was asked and even stepped in and played one game at quarterback and probably had better stats than any quarterback in the district.”
Sub district coaches also recognized Ternes as an All Sub-District Honorable Mention.
“He is someone all coaches in the district would want on their team,” Hermanson said.
Sub district coaches recognized wide receiver Bode Bartell as All Sub-District Honorable Mention. A big play maker before he suffered a season-ending injury at the end of game four, he caught 17 passes for 264 yards and one touchdown. He also returned eight punts for a total of 67 yards. As a defensive back, he snared three opponent passes.
“He only played four games but still had some amazing stats,” Hermanson said. “He would have been All-District. There are few receivers who had better stats than he did.”
All freshman through senior received a letter.
“It is an incredible amount of work,” Hermanson said. “The younger players played JV games and varsity games. If you’ve ever played a game of football and had to come back and live scrimmage the varsity the next day, you realize it’s a lot of work, and you definitely deserve to letter.”
Besides the award winners, letters went to the following:
Freshmen
Jeremy Miller, OL/DL: “We’re counting on him being ready to play all the time on Friday nights next year,” Hermanson said.
Urijah Hoheisel, OL/DL: “He has to go against some of the toughest guys in the district at practice. We know he is going to be ready to play a lot more on Friday nights,” Hermanson said.
Austin Tarkey, WR/LB: “He is a really good athlete,” Hermanson said. “He might even be a guy without a position because we are not even sure where he can help us the most.”
Pierce Lyons, WR/DB: “Pierce has big shoes to fill from his brothers. He is not only doing it with not only his skills but also his mind, so we can trust him to play,” Hermanson said.
Jake Mueller, RB/LB: “Jake started out being a running back because he was a smaller guy, but you can see he is bigger than all of us now,” Hermanson said. “He is going to have no trouble playing in our district.”
Gauge Bock, WR/DB: “Gauge was amazing. The coaches just loved watching him making every single play in our first JV game,” Hermanson said. “He played his way on to the varsity special teams.”
Tony Hollerich, RB/DB: Hollerich returned kickoffs for 12 and 10 yards. “Tony has been a star at every level he’s played,” Hermanson said. “We are hoping after he is in the weight room all winter it will be the same thing on Friday nights next year.”
Brayden Seeman, WR/DB: “Brayden is a guy we can count on to always catch the ball and keep the other team from catching the ball,” Hermanson said.
Jack Mons, QB/DB: “Hopefully after he is in the wight room all winter he will be ready to p lay wide receiver for us too,” Hermanson said.
Sophomores
Carsyn Ryg, OL/DL: “Carsyn was born to play football, and we are glad he is here to do it for us,” Hermanson said.
Kiptyn Coon, OL/DL: “Kiptyn is going to be able to step in for people who will be graduating,” Hermanson said.
Owen Lloyd, RB/DB: “Owen has a great attitude,” Hermanson said. “He is ready to play every game and ready to play Friday nights.”
Garrett Heldberg, TE/DE: Heldberg had seven catches for 84 yards and returned kickoffs for 16 and 11 yards. “Garrett has a lot of talent,” Hermanson said. “He finally played the whole season healthy.”
Zander Hoechst, OL/DL: “He filled in for every position on the offensive line,” Hermanson said. “He started the first game at USC.”
Adam Rain, TE/DE; Harry Fuller, TE/LB, Ethan Hoehn, WR /DB and Wyatt Krenik, WR/DB, who had a receiving touchdown and returned kickoffs for 10 and six yards.
Juniors
Garet Peterson, OL/DL: He made 23 solo tackles, 32 assisted tackles, a team leading dozen sacks and eight tackles behind the line. “Garret moved up in our all-time tackle behind list,” Hermanson said. “After next year, there’s a good chance he will be number one.”
Henry Boelter, OL/DL.
Seniors
Nathan Seeman, WR/DB: He had eight catches for 84 yards.
Alex Kortuem, WR/DB: He caught nine passes for 94 yards and three touchdowns and had 11 solo tackles and five assists. “He played behind older players last year, but he had to come in all the time this year and be a great player,” Hermanson said.
Max Esser, DL. He made 20 solo tackles, 18 assisted tackles, three sacks and a team leading 10 tackles behind the line. “If he would have stayed heathy, I am not sure how incredible he could have done,” Hermanson said.
Atherton said there are many behind the scenes of a football program. He thanked members of the chain gang, which included Joe Hollerich, Jack Voit, Dan Flowers and Curt Roemhildt, director Walker Froehling for all his organizational work, scoreboard keeper Greg Davis, announcer Dough Schweim, maintenance staff Garrett Mensing, event supervisors, ticket takers, the Booster Club for working the concession stand Jess Shouler for singing the National Anthem before the playoff game, parents and relatives for getting their kids to workouts and games, fans for attending games, and this author.
Hermanson thanked the coaching staff: Atherton, Miller, Walechka, Mensing and Dustin Bosshart.
“Cleveland has a really strong coaching staff. Everyone here played college football. Multiple have been very successful head coaches in high school football. Our players have a lot of support from the hard work these coaches put in doing everything to make us all look good.”
Returning Clippers were scheduled to start work in the weight room at 6:00 a.m. on the morning after the banquet.
“You will notice that the guys who put the most work in that program got the most hardware tonight. I think there is a direct correlation. You put in the hard work, you get in the hardware,” Hermanson said.
Hermanson closed by recognizing the seniors and stressing the need to put in the off-season work.
“There’s no way we can describe how much you meant to us, how good you were. You represented are school and program well. Ad for all of the younger guys, the season starts right now. Here’s to 2026.”
Above: Team award winners were, from L-R: David Draheim (Lineman of the Year), Carson Lyons (MVP), Braeden Smith (Back of the Year), Sam Ternes (Unsung Hero), Jackson Shouler (Torpedo), Mason Kluntz (Clipper) and Caleb Possin (Special Teams Player of the Year).
District players of the year were, from L-R: Carson Lyons (Quarterback of the Year), Braeden Smith (Receiver of the Year), Mason Kluntz (Defensive Lineman of the Year) and Caleb Possin (Special Teams Player of the Year). The last Clipper to receive a district player of the year award was Danny McCabe as Back of the Year in 2016. “It was really special to have Cleveland players back on this,” Hermanson said.
All-District awards went to Bode Bartell (honorable mention), Tanner Simonette, Carson Lyons, Braeden Smith, Mason Kluntz, Caleb Possin, David Draheim, Sam Ternes (honorable mention) and Jackson Shouler (honorable mention).
Letter winners were, from L-R: Jake Mueller, Brayden Seeman, Jeremy Miller, Pierce Lyons, Jack Mons, Tony Hollerich, Kiptyn Coon, Owen Lloyd, Austin Tarkey, Urijah Hoheisel, Zander Hoechst, Caleb Possin, Mason Kluntz, Carsyn Ryg, David Draheim, Max Esser, Bode Bartell, Garet Peterson, Braeden Smith, Jack Shouler, Garrett Heldberg, Tanner Simonette, Richard Jordan and Sam Ternes. Missing are Gauge Bock, Adam Rain, Ethan Hoehn, Harry Fuller, Henry Boelter and Nathan Seeman.
Head coach Erik Hermanson presents Carson Lyons with the team MVP award. In back are coaches Kyle Atherton, Larry Walechka and Matt Miller.
David Draheim's award for his prowess as the team's backup kicker was rather unique.