Clayton Shultz

Clayton Shultz was a 1996 Eastern Hancock graduate. Clayton earned varsity letters in football, basketball, and track.

Clayton earned three varsity letters in football. As a senior, he anchored offensive line on a White River Conference championship team and earned all-conference and all-county recognition. Clayton was selected to play in the Indiana North/South All-Star game the summer after his senior season. Clayton went on to play football at Joliet Junior College. For his accomplishments as both a player and coach, Clayton’s #79 jersey has been retired.

Clayton earned two varsity letters in basketball. He was the third leading rebounder in Hancock County as a senior.

Clayton also earned four varsity letters in track. Clayton excelled as a junior and senior, where he was Hancock County champion in the shot put both years and conference champion in the shot put as a senior.

Clayton brought his passion for Eastern Hancock, athletics, and youth back to us around the year 2000, becoming an assistant coach in the football and basketball programs, then later coaching in the track program. It is in these roles where Clayton made his greatest impact on this community and the young men in our school. By the fact that Clayton coached three sports that have a large number of participants, it could easily be argued that Clayton had an influence on more Eastern Hancock student athletes than anyone in the school in the past twenty years.

Clayton was an assistant football coach from 2000-2019. He served in several roles, including offensive line and defensive line coach, head JV coach, and defensive coordinator. Clayton was an assistant coach on teams that won four conference, five sectional, one regional, and one semi-state championship and a state championship game appearance.

Clayton coached eighth grade basketball from 2000-2019. Clayton’s teams always improved from the beginning of the season to the end and won many tournaments. Clayton was also a part of the varsity coaching staff, including with the Final Four team in 2003.

Clayton’s greatest coaching accomplishments may have been with the varsity track team. After several years as an assistant coach, Clayton served as varsity coach from 2011-2019. Clayton had a 45-12 career record in dual meets, including four consecutive undefeated seasons in dual meets from 2013-2016. Clayton coached four conference championship teams, 17 individual event conference champions, and 10 individual county champions. He also coached two individual sectional champions and 31 regional qualifiers. Six schools records set during Clayton’s tenure as head coach remain standing.

It would be difficult to find an individual more dedicated to Eastern Hancock than Clayton Shultz. Unfortunately, we lost Clayton to cancer in 2020. Here to receive his plaque tonight is his father, Doug.

The Shultz family has established the Clayton Shultz Foundation to provide an annual scholarship to a graduating Eastern Hancock senior. Last Friday night, with the assistance of Paxton Farms Sweet Corn and the Charlottesville Lions Club, the Eastern Hancock Athletic Boosters sold sweet corn to raise funds for the foundation. $551 was raised from this activity. The boosters have chosen to match the funds raised at Friday’s game, and tonight are pleased to present a check for $1,102 to the Clayton Shultz Foundation.