Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

TIFFIN – Clear Creek Amana reached the state’s biggest stage for the first time in more than a quarter century last season returning to the state tournament for the first time since 1993.

The Clippers thrived under the bright lights of Wells Fargo Arena just missing a spot in the 3A championship game and going 2-1 en route to a third-place finish.

After its trip to center stage last March the Clippers have their sights set on an encore performance this season.

“When we talked to the guys their natural next step is to make it back to state,” Clear Creek Amana coach Brandon Clubb said. “You look at it on paper and their goal is to make it back to state but we have other things that we are dangling out there for them to help us meet that goal. Can we beat some of the teams we haven’t beat, lets win the conference outright all those things but their goal is to get back to state.”

There are plenty of reasons to believe a repeat of last season’s success that included a 21-6 record and a share of the WAMAC West Division title is possible.

First among those reasons is an experienced roster led by seniors Christian Withrow and Mike Potter that features six players with varsity experience and a solid group of rising juniors.

Perhaps equally important is the attitude that was forged during a late-season surge that saw Clear Creek Amana win six of its final seven games while scoring 74 or more points five times.

“I’m hoping what we did last year helps us from a confidence standpoint this season,” Clubb said. “I’m expecting after how we played at the end of last year that we will walk in game one with a confidence and a swagger we didn’t have until late last season. That would help.”

Everything, from play to confidence, starts with Withrow, a matchup nightmare and a returning all-state selection.

A versatile scorer, the 6-foot-2 Withrow was a second-team Class 3A all-state pick last season after averaging 15.9 points, 6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

Withrow pairs perfectly with Potter, a lanky athlete capable of scoring from all three levels.

Potter averaged career-highs of 8.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and should thrive this season with an even bigger offensive role.

Withrow and Potter are part of a Clipper lineup that will often operate with four or even five players on the court that possess guard skills.

“We should be able to get to the basket easier,” Clubb said. “We are going to play a lot of guys that are similar, we are all the same size now. We don’t have a ton of size. We have a lot of guys that are the same build but I think that will help us defend better.”

That versatility will be key for the Clippers who lost their starting point guard, Tyler Schrepfer to graduation and starting center TJ Bollers who is off to Wisconsin to start his football career.

Seniors Ryan Navara (6-2) and Brock Reade (6-2) are expected to fill two spots in the positionless Clipper lineup with juniors Kyle Schrepfer (6-0) and Ben Swails (6-2) picking up minutes.

Reade and Navara averaged 5.3 and 3.6 respectively last season when she showed the capability of playing high-level minutes.

“Anybody can bring it up, we have guys that we will tag as the one for sets but we have preached being positionless and we’ve embraced it,” Clubb said. “We’re playing Ryan (Navara) at the 5 but we have a ton of guys that can guard the post we just have to be different with we do it.”

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