By Joanna Chadwick
From elementary school on, Derby senior Cale Clingan was in the Panthers’ gym.
“My favorite thing about Cale is that he is a true ‘program kid’ who attended all of our youth camps growing up and has now developed into a high-level 6A player for us,” coach Brett Flory said.
Clingan causes problems for opponents – he’s 6-foot-9 and is deadly from three-point range.
“There are not many 6-9 kids who can shoot, run and move as fluidly and explosively as Cale does,” Flory said. “Those are things which can’t be taught and make him the highest level college prospect I’ve coached.
“… Last year, Cale could be defended basically as a spot shooter. This year, he has added a midrange and post game to his arsenal. Added strength has helped him improve defensively as a shot blocker and rebounder. For Cale, it has just been a steady, continuous process of growing into his body and developing his skill set throughout high school.”
For Clingan, he points to his versatility as keys to helping the Panthers win.
“I would say the versatility of my game makes me a good player,” he said. “I can do a little bit of everything on the court. Also, my shot-making ability with my height and length is a huge advantage.”
Derby grabbed the state’s attention in Class 6A last season, racing to a 22-2 record and winning their first 16 games en route to an AVCTL I title.
“Last year was such a special year for Derby,” Clingan said. “I loved the team we had, and the things we accomplished for each other and for the city of Derby were so special and we made a lot of great memories that season. It was also really cool that we were the winningest team in Derby history.”
But the entire starting lineup graduated; roles have changed.
“I was a role player to now this year I am the leader and the main player, and I have a responsibility to be consistent every single practice and game,” Clingan said.
How the team – and Clingan – responds to the new roles and responsibilities will determine Derby’s success.
“This year’s team without question possesses greater physical talent than we did last year,” Flory said. “We will be bigger and more athletic top to bottom. But the challenge will be if we can come even close to matching the maturity and leadership we had last year. If we do, this team could be very good by March. For Cale, his biggest challenge this year will be how he handles being at the top of the scouting report for the other team. How will he handle the pressure to perform at a high level every night which goes with that?”
Clingan’s offseason work could be a factor.
He played on the EYBL circuit in the offseason and also played with Run GMC out of Kansas City.
“It really pushed him to elevate his game and mentality to a higher level,” Flory said.
