Football players take pride in performing different skills on a football field.
For Seymour’s Clayton Prater, it is his blocking.
He began playing football in fifth grade. He sat out his sophomore year but came back out his junior year, and this fall, he is starting at right guard for the Owls.
He has been an offensive lineman throughout his career.
“Most of the time, it’s move the three technique and work my way through the zone to get to a linebacker,” Prater said of blocking.
In the three technique, he said the player over him would be considered the tackle.
“We would have a cage call, which would be like a double team, with me and the guard,” he said. “We would work through his shoulders, and one would leave and go to the linebacker, and then we would just drive them down the field and let Nathan (O’Mara) run right behind us.”
The strategy seems to have worked pretty well this season, as O’Mara is one of the leading rushers in the state with 1,211 yards on the ground.
Prater also likes blocking on passing plays.
“When we go play-action pass, we make it look like run blocking, but we can’t go more than 3 yards up field,” Prater said. “We run block for 3 yards and just kind of stand there, move our feet and make sure they don’t get past us. When we run a deeper throw, we just sit back and move our feet and power down and make sure they don’t get to Brendan (Smith, quarterback).”
Prater said the offensive line has grown physically.
“We’re smaller than most schools, so strength and speed is what we really have to use up there,” he said. “We’ve got to get off the ball before the (defense) and get low and drive our feet and get them on the ground.”
Prater also plays on special teams on extra points.
“I just hold the gap and make sure no one comes through,” he said of PAT blocking.
Prater said the returning players began working in the weight room soon after the final game last season.
“We’ve been showing up, getting our work done and showing what we can do to the coaches so they can trust us,” Prater said. “I think my squat went up 85 pounds, from 315 to 400.”
Prater said practices are important and are different under coach Mike Kelly than those of former coach Josh Shattuck.
“We have a whole new offense this year,” Prater said. “Practices are definitely ran different. Practices are the most important thing we have. If we don’t have good practices, we’re not going to play well. You practice like you play. If you’re not mentally locked in, then you’re not going to be physically locked in.”
Prater said he has also enjoys being on the archery team. The squad qualified for the world tournament in Louisville last winter.
“It’s just fun to go out and shoot,” Prater said. “I’ve always liked hunting and fishing.”
He has enjoyed attending Seymour High School.
“I couldn’t see myself going to a different school,” Prater said. “You always have teachers there for you, and they’re always trying to help you get better.”
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Name: Clayton Prater
School: Seymour High School
Parents: Nikki Followell and Jay Leatherman
Sibling: Blake
Sports: Football, three years; archery, four years
Athletic highlights: In football, lineman of the week; in archery, top archer freshman and sophomore year
Plans after high school: Attend college and study electrical engineering
Favorite food: Chicken and waffles
Favorite musician: Juice Wrld
Favorite team: Ohio State
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