Columbiana graduate Brayden Clancy won't play for Team Ohio, but he'll be doing his best to cheer on the Buckeyes on June 18 at Geneva College. (Photo by Ron Firth)

COLUMBIANA — Columbiana High School graduate Brayden Clancy’s last athletic competition for the Clippers was on Dec. 13, 2025.

It’s a bittersweet memory for the Clipper football and basketball standout.

“We were playing United (in basketball) at our place,” Clancy said. “We were in overtime. I remember I wrestled a loose ball and kicked it out to my buddy Cooper (Brown). And he went for an open dunk. I jumped up at half court with him and when I came down it just popped. I mean I was exhausted from four straight quarters of basketball but it just finally went out.”

Clancy had torn his ACL, his lateral meniscus and medial meniscus. He had surgery a month later.

Despite not being able to play sports until September, Clancy was selected to be a part of the Ohio team for the Penn-Ohio Stateline Classic scheduled for 7 p.m. on June 18 at Geneva College.

“I’m just going to try my best to meet everybody and make a bunch of friends,” Clancy said. “I’m going to be a hype man for them and hopefully keep everyone together.”

Clancy said he always wanted to play in the Penn-Ohio game since his brother Eddie did.

“When I was in eighth grade, he was a part of it,” Clancy said. “I wanted to be a part of it for so long. It sucks that I can’t play but I’m happy I am here.”

During the football season, Clancy was a force on the Clipper lines as he helped the team to a 6-4 record — the team’s best win total since 2019.

“I was really proud of our season,” Clancy said. “The last three years we extremely underperformed. This was the first positive season we had in a while. To beat everyone in our league except United was amazing. Beating Western Reserve was amazing. To make it back to the playoffs that was phenomenal. We had three seniors and nobody expected much, so to actually make it there and prove a bunch of people wrong, that was amazing.”

Dalton defeated the Clippers 43-7 in a first round Div. VI playoff game.

“Unfortunately our quarterback was sick and we underperformed,” Clancy said. “I think if we were given another shot things could have been different.”

Clancy said after his injury and surgery there was no walking or pressure allowed to be put on the knee for six weeks. He said he was on crutches for a while and then a few months of physical therapy.

“I’m up running, jumping and sprinting now,” Clancy said. “I can basically do anything except I can’t put a bunch of weight on it, like weightlifting. I can’t do any reactionary stuff like play defense.”

At the end of summer Clancy will head to Ohio State University where the highly decorated scholar will major in honors mechanical engineering.

He also said he might get involved in athletics on the club level.

“I’m definitely going to look into it once I’m cleared to play,” Clancy said. “I’m at least going to be playing some hoops at the rec centers.”