William "Bill" Clay Jr.

Bill started shooting competitive trap in 1983 after having briefly shot skeet. He shot his first round of trap at Triple H Gun Club in McDonough around 1972 where he broke 24 out of 25 in his first round (he missed the first target and ran the rest). At his first competitive trap shoot, which was during National Trapshooting Day in 1983, he won the NTD Handicap with a 98/100. An interesting note about his rookie year….from the NTD in September to the State Trapshoot in April, his singles average was .9286….from the State Trapshoot until the end of the shooting year, his singles average was .9900+. 

At 1983 Georgia State Trapshoot, he won Class B Preliminary Singles with a 196; won the State Singles Championship with a 197 which included his first 100 straight and was Runner-up in the Handicap Championship. He won Class trophies in Doubles at the 1983 Southern Zone Shoot and was Trap & Field Co-Rookie of the Year for the Target year 1983. 

At 1984 Georgia State Trapshoot, he was Runner-up in the State Singles Championship in Class AA with a 199. He ran 25 straight in shoot-off with his close friend Leonard Evans. Out of the 500 singles he shot during the 1984 Georgia State Shoot, he broke 496 and ended his 2nd full year with a .9848 singles average; .8912 handicap average; and .9106 doubles average. 

At 1984 South Carolina State Trapshoot, he won the Open High All Around Championship 

At 1985 Georgia State Trapshoot, won Champion, Preliminary Singles with 198/200. 

At 1986 Georgia State Trapshoot he was Runner-up, Doubles Championship and won Class AA Champion. 

At 1987 Georgia State Trapshoot, he won Preliminary Doubles Class AA; won State Singles Championship with a 200 straight; Runner-up in Doubles Championship Class AA and won State High All Around and State High Overall. 

At 1987 Grand American, he was part of a 497/500 squad in the Champion of Champions Event where he shot 100 straight, but lost the carryover. 

Bill did not shoot any registered targets in 1989 or 1990, but returned in 1991 where he won the Georgia State Trapshoot Class A High Overall Championship 

He has won numerous Singles, Doubles and yardage group awards at State and Zone Shoots and was a 4 time Georgia State Team Member.

After a series of changes in his life, Bill ended his trapshooting career. He has stated that during that time he lost the competitive spirit he had before. So, he chose to go in another direction in his life. Part of that direction has been years of service to the South River Gun Club. Not only did he continue to work with the trapshooting program but expanded his efforts to grow and oversee all the shooting venues available at South River. Under his leadership and with the backing of Mr. Leonard Evans, Bill has been a driving force in developing the South River Gun Club into the outstanding facility we enjoy today.