Charlie Obaugh RV & Outdoor Center Student Athlete of the Week: Clayton Kisamore

FRANKLIN, Wv. (WHSV) - Clayton Kisamore is a star athlete in three sports at Pendleton County High School. He’s also an excellent student who is very involved in the community.

“Glory to God that I have the ability to come out and do what I do and have the coaches to help me and the community behind my back. Our community is awesome as far as supporting our athletics, they come out every night and give it their best,” said Kisamore, a Senior at Pendleton County High School.

Kisamore plays basketball, baseball, and football for the Wildcats and excels in all three sports. On the basketball court, he was named 2nd Team All-State last season and has helped lead his team to three straight state tournaments.

“Really the past two years it’s been hunger. We lost in the state championship, a game we should’ve won, my sophomore year and that really just kind of ate at me. During the offseason, I wanted to come back and prove something,” said Kisamore.

In addition to his production on the court, Kisamore also leads by example and plays a vital role for his team.

“He hustles, you tell him something once or maybe twice and he knows what to do. He’s been a leader on the court and off the court, he’s one of the first to come to practice and one of the last to leave practice,” said Pendleton County Boys Basketball Head Coach Jeremy Bodkin.

In baseball Kisamore was All-Potomac Valley Conference and was named Honorable Mention All-State. In football, Kisamore was one of Pendleton County’s top receivers and remained an encouraging leader despite the team’s struggles during his senior season.

“Some of our key players got hurt but we just came out and fought every Friday night with all that we had. We knew toward the end of the season that we weren’t gonna make the playoffs but tried to end the season on a high note and teach some of the younger guys to show them what it’s about, working hard and having a good work ethic,” Kisamore said.

Kisamore is also a great student with a 3.8 GPA and is involved in the FFA and National Honor Society. His teachers and coaches find his work ethic very impressive.

“Clayton is one of the hardest working, dedicated young men you’ll ever meet. If he does something he’s going to give you a hundred and ten percent every time. He’s a remarkable young man as far as that goes,” said Rod Cooper, a Drivers Ed and Physical Education teacher at Pendleton County High School.

Cooper said that Kisamore takes advantage of all his time to stay on top of his schoolwork.

“He’ll be in the locker room and he’ll have his notebook out and he’ll be working. If he’s got ten minutes, he’ll be studying in between practice and in between games. He’s pretty dedicated,” said Cooper.

Kisamore is very active in the Pendleton County community and enjoys giving back with NHS and FFA.

“If you have the ability to help somebody go help them, make their day, try to help them make their life a little bit easier. In NHS we do blood drives and things like that. In FFA we have the greenhouses out here and we fix stuff for people if they need it and just try to help out as much as we can in the community,” he said.

In Basketball Kisamore’s hard work is evident through his play and constant improvements.

“He’s working on his outside shot and it’s coming along. He struggled a little bit last year with free throws and this year is shooting free throws a lot better. Overall he’s just getting better and better every day,” said Bodkin. “His work ethic is probably second to none. He goes out and works hard. We tweak his shot a little bit or tweak something and he works on that. He’s a smart kid, a really smart kid.”

Kisamore said he plans to either attend college or a trade school after he graduates in the spring. He hopes to leave a lasting impact on his school and finish his career strong.

“I want to be known as a good leader and somebody that left my heart on the floor or field, wherever I was going just giving everything I had. Ultimately I’d like to bring a state championship home back to Pendleton County,” he said.

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