Coupeville Sports

   Clay Reilly fights through a tackle to pick up extra yards during an early football practice this fall. (John Fisken photos)

Reilly and Kiara Burdge are sitting pretty as CHS Homecoming King and Queen.

Clay Reilly is his own man.

Over the course of Coupeville Sports existence, I’ve seen him go from “Amanda Fabrizi’s lil’ brother” to a team leader and multi-sport star in his own right.

As the CHS senior hits a birthday today, we honor him for his own accomplishments — and they are many — more than his family connections.

Over the years, Reilly has emerged as a fearsome two-way warrior on the gridiron, an electrifying baseball player who was key to a league title, and, if we dream for a moment, an accomplished basketball player who could return to the sport for a swan song.

We won’t know until Monday if Clay decides to return to the hard-court — a place the undermanned Wolves desperately need his skills — but we’ve already seen his final run on the football field.

Reilly has been a superb defensive back, capable of dropping back into coverage or shooting up-field and lighting up rivals before they have a chance to do much damage.

As a senior, he also became a bigger part of the offense, finishing second on the team in rushing.

Towering over it all, however, might be his use of his leg.

As a punter, and later, a kicker, Reilly cranked the ball on a regular basis, often earning oohs and ahs from folks in rival press boxes.

During his junior season, when Coupeville struggled mightily to get any kind of offensive flow going, Reilly’s punts were the Wolves most effective (and frequently used) weapon.

One went 70 yards, and it was a true, airborne 70 yards, not a pooch that hit the turf and skipped backwards.

That work continued into his senior year, though, with a far more effective offense, CHS didn’t punt as often this year.

Which allowed Reilly to show off his leg on PATs, where he was arguably the most consistent, feared kicker in the league.

When we get to spring (after a successful return to basketball?), Clay is expected back on the baseball diamond for one final go-round.

A solid hitter who also packs an arm capable of repeatedly gunning down wayward runners who try to pick up extra bases on hits to the outfield, Reilly was a key member of last year’s league title winning squad.

Away from the action, our birthday boy continues to bring a lot to the table.

Smart, outgoing, friendly, he has always seemed, at his core, like just a good guy.

He has retained all the best attributes of his sister, one of my personal favorite Wolf student/athletes, and put his own unique spin on things.

As he goes forward to write the rest of his high school story, and beyond, we just want to take a moment to wish him the best.

Happy birthday, Clay.