Amanda-Clearcreek head coach Steve Daulton announced on Thursday that he was resigning after five seasons of leading the football program.
“I am disappointed to announce that I have stepped down as the head football (coach) at Amanda-Clearcreek,” Daulton said on his Twitter feed. “I appreciate all the current and former players who have reached out, at the end of the day that is what it is all about. On to the next chapter.”
A graduate of West Jefferson High School in 2004 and Muskingum University in 2008, Daulton posted a record of 28-25 while he led the Aces.
Daulton came to Amanda-Clearcreek in 2018 after serving five seasons as head coach at Berne Union. He guided the Aces to an 8-3 record in his first season at the helm, including leading the program to their first playoff appearance in four seasons.
In 2019, the Aces posted a 9-3 record that included sharing the Mid-State League Buckeye Division championship with Bloom-Carroll and Teays Valley. It was the first league championship for the Aces since 2011.
The Aces blasted Columbus Academy 41-10 in a regional quarterfinal before falling to eventual state runner-up Ironton 31-7 in a regional semifinal. The victory over Academy was the first postseason win for the Aces in a decade.
Amanda-Clearcreek turned in a 4-4 mark during the COVID-19 pandemic season of 2020 and went 7-5 last season, finishing tied for second in the league.
The Aces defeated Minford 31-6 in a first-round playoff game before falling 21-10 to eventual state semifinalist Harvest Prep in a regional quarterfinal tilt.
The Aces returned just two starters from their 2021 team and went 0-10 this season, which was their first winless season since 1973. Amanda-Clearcreek’s lineup consisted mostly of sophomores and freshmen in a season where it had to develop that young talent at the varsity level.
