FERRIDAY, La. – It was a surprising season for the Huntington Hounds. For a small team that few expected to excel under a new coach, the Hounds shocked District 5-1A with a 6-5 record and a playoff bid.

The surprises continued this week when senior linebacker/fullback Kenneth Clayton, who was used primarily on offense, was named the district’s defensive MVP.

&uot;I was real surprised,&uot; Clayton said. &uot;I really didn’t get to play much defense with the injury to my shoulder.&uot;

A dislocated shoulder didn’t stop Clayton from posting 77 tackles or rushing 95 times for 581 yards and six touchdowns, even though he was often used as a blocking back for Luke Davis, who made the All-District team as a running back.

&uot;You couldn’t ask for a better player,&uot; Huntington coach Gerald Reeves said. &uot;He’s not blessed with all the speed in the world, but he’s a hard-nosed, determined player.

&uot;I wish I had 11 just like him.&uot;

Clayton is now preparing for baseball season, mostly by strengthening his injured shoulder so he can return to right field.

&uot;I missed some of last season because I just had surgery on the shoulder,&uot; he said. &uot;I could hit, but I couldn’t throw, so I ended up playing a lot of designated hitter.&uot;

Even with baseball on the horizon, Clayton misses football already.

&uot;It’s just more my sport,&uot; he said. &uot;It’s more intense.&uot;

But too much intensity is not necessarily a good thing; hence his post-graduation plan to attend a smaller school like Louisiana Tech or Louisiana-Monroe for a year before transferring to LSU.

&uot;I hear about my friends going to a big school and partying the whole time,&uot; he said. &uot;I can’t do that and keep my grades up.&uot;

There is nothing wrong with small schools, as Clayton was able to play both offense and defense on Huntington’s small team.

&uot;I was glad to be able to go both ways and help the team,’ he said, &uot;but you always need a breather.&uot;