As the 2023 season begins, a look back at the best in South Bend Clay football history

SOUTH BEND — Friday marks the return of high school football in Indiana.

It’s also the last year of competition for South Bend Clay football, as the Colonials begin their final season with a home game against Hammond Bishop Noll at 7:30 p.m.

South Bend Community School Corp. trustees voted in April to close Clay and consolidate it with Adams, Riley and Washington.

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As for Friday's season opener, one team will leave Clay Field with its first win in at least two years. Noll’s last victory came Aug. 20, 2021, over Calumet Christian, having lost 17 straight since then. Clay is on a 28-game losing streak, with its last win a 7-0 triumph over Osceola Grace on Aug. 21, 2020.

With this being the final season for Clay, though, we decided to look back at the best of the best in program history. We sought the input of two of Clay’s legendary figures — former athletic director Greg Humnicky, and former head football coach Mike Kuntz — to help narrow the list to the best teams, moment, and players in Clay football history.

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BEST SOUTH BEND CLAY FOOTBALL TEAMS

(Tie) 1976 and 2002 Colonials

Only one Clay team went undefeated in program history, which was 1976 under head coach Elmer Britton. The Colonials were 10-0, but failed to qualify for the Class 4A playoffs because they didn’t play enough teams at that level. They played mostly 3A schools that year, but still picked up quality victories over Penn and Goshen. They closed the season with a 10-8 win over Culver Academy.

Since the 1976 team didn’t get a chance to play in the postseason, that leaves the 2002 team as the only one to win postseason trophies in program history. Clay went 11-3 that year, winning its lone 4A sectional and regional championships in the process. It defeated Hobart, Logansport and Plymouth on its way to the sectional title, then knocked off Griffith in the regional.

The Colonials’ magical 2002 season came to a bitter end at semi-state, surrendering a 14-0 fourth quarter lead and losing, 17-14, to Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger. It was a star-studded Clay team, led by defensive end Michael Macellari, quarterback Craig Moore and linebacker Adam O’Neil.

“It was the biggest, fastest and strongest team in the weight room that I had ever coached, so I knew we had all the ingredients if the chemistry was good,” Kuntz said. “We had really great offensive and defensive lines, which is what you’ve got to have to win in football. … It was a year where we thought we’d be great, but we didn’t know how we’d end up.”

BEST CLAY FOOTBALL MOMENT

Upsetting No. 1 Goshen in 1989 sectional opener

It might be the most important win in Clay football history, given that Kuntz was thinking about stepping away from the program during his third season in charge.

“I had told the administration I would get the program turned around in three years,” Kuntz said. “Well, we were 2-7, and had lost a lot of close games.”

While the Colonials were struggling, defending 4A state champion Goshen was at the peak of its powers coming into the game undefeated, ranked No. 1 and having won 23 in a row dating back to 1987.

A mid-October winter storm churned through the area that day, dumping what Kuntz estimates was 8 inches of snow in South Bend.

“I had players with snow shovels, shoveling off the hashmarks before the game that afternoon,” Kuntz recalled.

Goshen led 13-0 at halftime and was in full control of the game until the Colonials defense stepped up in the second half, intercepting three Goshen passes. Clay converted two of those turnovers into touchdowns and held on for a 14-13 upset.

“It’s the biggest win in school history,” Kuntz said. “It turned my career around and turned the program around. The program from that point-on was very competitive.”

MOST FAMOUS CLAY FOOTBALL ALUM

Jon Gruden, Class of 1982

While Gruden didn't have the most productive on-field career at Clay, he certainly made a broad impact on the game of football as an adult.

Gruden worked his way to the NFL coaching ranks, leading the Oakland Raiders to the AFC Championship Game in the 2001-02 season, then winning Super Bowl XXXVII as coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the Raiders the next season.

Gruden's success in Tampa coincided with Clay's semi-state run in 2002, with Gruden sending a letter to the team after the Bucs' season to congratulate them on their success. Gruden finished with a career coaching record of 117-112 in 14-plus seasons.

TOP CLAY FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF ALL TIME

Ramond Jacobs, running back, 2001-04

Jacobs is the program's all-time rushing leader with 2,600 yards, just 100 more than quarterback/running back Craig Moore. Jacobs was efficient as a runner as well, averaging nearly seven yards a carry. His best performance came against Mishawaka Marian in 2004, when he rushed for 258 yards, accounting for 30 of his team’s 33 points in the win.

Michael Macellari, defensive end, 1999-2002

Macellari, who went onto play football and compete in track and field at Stanford, had an illustrious career at Clay. His 28 career sacks are 10 more than any player in program history. In his senior season of 2002, Macellari was the Northern Indiana Conference MVP, named to the AP All-State First Team, an Indiana Football Coaches Association All-Star, and a nominee for the Indiana Mr. Football award. He had nine sacks his senior year to go with 38 tackles. He also handled kickoff and extras point duties.

Adam O’Neil, linebacker, 2000-03

As a junior, O’Neil was sensational on the team that reached semi-state, recording 87 solo tackles and assisting on 59 more. He followed that up with a strong senior season, earning All-State honors. He finished with 231 tackles, the most in program history. He’s also third all-time in sacks (16).

Daniel Smith, wide receiver, 2006-09

Smith rewrote all the receiving records at Clay by the time he graduated, leaving with the most receptions (187), receiving yards (3,263) and receiving touchdowns (34) in a career. His yardage total ranks 11th all-time in state history. He was named an All-State selection his senior year, parlaying his success into a college career at Notre Dame.

Joel Steele, quarterback, 1996-99

Steele was an All-State selection his senior season. He finished with the most passing yards in school history (3,348) while finishing second in completions (234) and pass attempts (476). Steele led the Colonials to a 9-3 record and sectional championship game appearance in 1999.

South Bend Clay football All-State selections

Other players who were all-state selections as seniors: George Iams, wide receiver, 1976; Tony Spencer, quarterback, 1976; Tom Dincolo, offensive tackle, 1977; Ken Burke, wide receiver, 1979; Ken Cannella, offensive/defensive line, 1981; Pat Frame, offensive guard, 1985; Jason Kasper, linebacker, 1991; Corey Weatherspoon, linebacker, 1995; Ian Nelson, offensive line, 1998; Robert Jackson, running back, 1999; Ryan Thomas, offensive/defensive line, 2001; Graham Nelson, tight end, 2002; Alex Delonis, defensive line, 2005; Justin Rector, defensive back, 2006; Donovan Campbell, tight end, 2010; Ryan Stigner, defensive line, 2010; Laphonso Ellis, offensive line, 2011; Shakir Carr, offensive line, 2012; Wesley Thomas, wide receiver, 2012.

Honorable mentions: Gary Nellans, kickoff returner, 1965-66; Dennis Ruff, defensive back, 1977-80; Corlan Phillips, running back/linebacker, 1992-95; Lincoln Glass, running back, 1994-97; Sal Shabazz, running back, 1997-2000; Chris James, running back, 2000-2003; Craig Moore, quarterback/running back, 2000-03; Danny Bauters, quarterback, 2003-06; Justin Laureys, quarterback, 2006-09.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Looking back at the best in the history of South Bend Clay football