Amanda-Clearcreek football looking to continue legacy under Eddie Johnson
By: Evan Johnson
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AMANDA, Ohio (WOUB) – Amanda-Clearcreek football is the most decorated program in MSL. Since 1985, the Aces have had 17 conference titles, 36 playoff wins, and have won two state championships. But over the last few years, Amanda has not met those standards, as they have not won the conference since 2019 and haven’t won a playoff game since 2021.
Entering the 2026 season, the Aces will be under new leadership as Chet Saum resigned to work on his family farm. Defensive Coordinator Eddie Johnson has taken over as Head Coach. Johnson is very familiar with the program, as he was a player for Amanda. He has also coached as an assistant for 15 years, with eight of those years with the Aces and the other seven with Chillicothe.
“It’s tough to put into words; it has always been a goal of mine,” said Johnson. “Coming back home is awesome.”
Given his familiarity with the program, there are no major changes expected to the team’s culture.
“It’s just building off of what everyone has done before me. I’ve been lucky enough to either play for or coach with every head coach at AC going back to Jeff Arndt,” Johnson said.
The Aces’ play style will also look the same. Three yards and a cloud of dust is still the mentality of the offense. “We want to run the ball and make every game a grind,” said senior linebacker Mason Williams.
Amanda-Clearcreek will need more guys to step up this year after losing a lot of talented seniors. With the same culture in place and a new coaching staff, the Aces could be competing for an MSL-Buckeye title at the end of the season.