CLEARWATER, Fla. — Records were made to be broken and a major high school football record has fallen in Pinellas County.
“We didn’t really know where he was at,” Clearwater High School head coach Thor Jozwiak said. “Obviously we tracked his touchdowns. We didn’t know he was that close to breaking such amazing records set in 1994.”
Aidan MacLean has left his mark at Clearwater High School. The senior and first-year starter at quarterback has set the Pinellas County record for the most touchdown passes in a single season.
“I want to stay humble and not let it get to my head,” MacLean told ABC Action News sports anchor Kyle Burger. “It definitely gives us confidence that the offense is working."
“He just broke a huge record and you would never know it,” Jozwiak added. “I think that speaks a lot of volumes of this team and who he is.”
The record-setting touchdown pass was only a two-yard fade route against Dunedin. But the journey to reach the milestone was much longer.
“At the start of the season quite honestly I wasn’t thinking about the record or anything like that,” MacLean said. “It was just one play at a time, one game at a time. We’re just running the offense the way it’s meant to be run. By week nine, the touchdowns have piled up to get that record. So it’s sweet.”
The previous mark was 31 set by former Gibbs High School standout Shaun King, who was later drafted in the second round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. MacLean is up to 35 as the Tornadoes finished the regular season with a 9-1 record.
Senior receiver Censere Lee had a hand in 17 of the touchdowns.
“It’s great,” Lee said. “We had a little chemistry coming from freshman year on J.V. It’s always been fun catching the ball from Aidan.”
Clearwater now turns its focus to the first round of the 5A playoffs where they will face Hudson on Friday night.
“We are scoring points and doing what we’re supposed to do. We know regardless that we’re going to have to go into the playoffs hot.”
