The Hype is Real: Clay Mauro Aims to Lead Peninsula Football

I want Friday nights to be special, family events where kids grow up looking forward to going to Peninsula football games”

When Peninsula High School Seahawks football players Mana Smythe, Wyatt Abrigo, Hayden Bundy and Royal Charles gathered at Sehmel Homestead Park Aug. 12, 2024, to discuss the upcoming season, the conversation quickly took an unexpected turn. Instead of breaking down opponents or strategizing for the season ahead, they found themselves buzzing about a new assistant coach — before he had even coached a single snap for them in practice.

“He’s a younger guy who brings an energy to the team that we really need,” said Smythe, without prompting.

Abrigo immediately agreed. “He’s been there for us with a great, positive mindset.”

As the players talked, a common theme emerged: This new coach wasn’t just making an impression; he was shifting the team’s entire mentality. Again and again, they came back to the same phrase: “He knows how to hype us up.”

That spark they couldn’t stop talking about? It belongs to Clay Mauro.

Almost exactly six months later, Mauro isn’t just hyping up the team, he’s leading it. Mauro officially stepped into the spotlight as the new Seahawks head coach Feb. 11, ready to turn that energy into a new era for Peninsula football.

“(Mauro’s) commitment to developing student-athletes both on and off the field, combined with his track record of leadership and program building, makes him the perfect fit to lead our Seahawks into their next chapter,” Peninsula Principal Mike Benoit said in a statement announcing Mauro’s hiring.

The defensive-minded Mauro replaces legendary coach Ross Filkins, who decided to step away Dec. 12, after 30 years guiding Peninsula’s program and becoming the school’s winningest football coach.

“You don't replace a coach like (Filkins), you honor what he built and find ways to continue that legacy,” said Mauro, who was born right around the time Filkins took over as Peninsula’s head coach in 1995. “I take it as a beautiful responsibility.”

The 2011 Nevada high school defensive player of the year at White Pine High School in Ely, Nevada, and a former linebacker at Concordia University in Nebraska, Mauro’s football pedigree is strong. He spent years coaching in the Las Vegas area, working his way up from defensive coordinator to head coach at Green Valley High School in 2022, where he led his team to back-to-back state tournament appearances. He was named the Las Vegas Raiders Coach of the Week after just his sixth game as a head coach, and led his team to the conference championship in his second season.

The challenge of following a legendary coach like Filkins isn’t lost on Mauro.

“The coaches here have created something special and have decades of experience,” Mauro said. “This program has always been about hard work, discipline, and playing for something bigger than yourself. My job is to add my own energy and keep pushing these guys to be their best, academically and athletically.”

That energy has been a defining trait of Mauro’s coaching career. In Las Vegas, where high school football programs fight for relevance in the “Entertainment Capital of the World,” he learned that success often starts with presence. His coaching style, built on intensity and connection, helped his Green Valley teams establish an identity, and he’s bringing that same mindset to Peninsula.

“In Vegas, you had to bring the juice every single day just to make sure your program stood out,” Mauro said. “That same mentality carried over here — not just to hype up the guys, but to build excitement around the program. The kids responded to it right away, and that’s been exciting to see.”

The move to the Purdy area wasn’t just about football; it was about family. Mauro’s wife, Emily, grew up in Tacoma, and after years in Las Vegas, they were ready to plant roots in the Pacific Northwest to raise their 3-year-old daughter, Dempsey. Mauro also jumped at the chance to coach his brother-in-law, outgoing senior wide receiver/cornerback Carson Zimmermann, for a season.

When he first considered making the move early in 2024, a family friend in Vegas connected him with Filkins, and after that, things fell into place. He joined the Seahawks in May of last year as a linebackers coach, quickly making his mark before the 2024 season even started.

“I may not be as tall as Coach Filkins,” said the 5-foot, 10-inch Mauro about the 6-foot, 5-inch Filkins, “But I bet there are some photos where I’m jumping up so high celebrating these kids that I look as tall as he is. A football program reflects its leader’s energy, and I want our kids to feel valued and celebrated for their hard work. They deserve it, man. They work hard.”

With the Seahawks preparing for their first season under Mauro’s leadership, the excitement around the program is palpable. Players have already embraced his passion, and the community is eager to see what’s next.

“I want Friday nights to be special, family events where kids grow up looking forward to going to Peninsula football games,” he said. “I want our program to be a big part of some really positive stories coming out of the community.”

His first challenge will be to get Peninsula back to its winning ways. The Seahawks have had two straight losing seasons for the first time in 20 years. Peninsula ended the 2024 season with a 4-6 record and missed the playoffs in 2023 for the first time since 2005, not counting the shortened 2021 season.

With a rich tradition behind him and a bright future ahead, Mauro is ready to lead Peninsula football into the next chapter.

The Filkins era may have ended, but the values and legacy he built remain, and Mauro is eager to build upon them.

“Personally, I plan to be here for 30 years, if they’ll have me,” he said. “I’m honored to be here, and I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together.”

*The online version of this story was amended to correct the print edition that incorrectly stated the Seahawks football team didn't make the playoffs in 2024. The team did qualify in 2024, but not in 2023. We regret the error.