Cloverdale ready for new season, future changes

With a successful 2024 high school football season in the rearview mirror, Cloverdale High School football coach Tyler Lotz and the Clovers have embarked on preparing for the upcoming season. 

After going 5-5 last year, the fourth year head coach has seen the momentum and excitement carry over to the offseason and spring drills. 

"This offseason, we've continued to work hard in the weight room as we try to continue our overhaul of this program. We've made strides in our first three years, but we definitely are not there yet. As a staff, we've continued to express that to our young team this spring," Lotz told The Putnam County Post. 

The Clovers have averaged 40 players both days of spring practice, which was "great," according to Lotz, who noted Cloverdale practiced at 6:45 a.m. 

This season will be an interesting one for the Clovers, who are no longer in the Western Indiana Conference and will spend this upcoming season as an independent. 

"This fall we will be independent and we have to be focused on the now and not what next season will hold," Lotz said.

Cloverdale's time as an independent will be short lived, as the Clovers will jump into the Southwest Conference, which features the likes of North Knox, North Central (Farmersburg), Eastern and North Daviess. The Clovers will play both North Daviess and North Central this season in non-conference action.  

"As a staff, we believe the new conference will give us an opportunity to compete for a conference title. However, we do know there will need to be a lot of work put in between now and then," Lotz admitted. 

Cloverdale opens the season Aug. 22 at Riverton Parke.