Wow... thank you so much. It was the i2c thing. I wiped out my Projects folder and started anew, this time omitting i2c and using the master branch, and it is now booting. It worked both before and after trying the newer Clover you posted.
I apologize for overlooking the fact that I used the i2c branch, and causing so much frustration. When I was first going through the guide and came across that, I could not find what kind of trackpad I had, and incorrectly thought that it would do no harm if I ran that command and didn't actually have that kind of trackpad. Afterwards, I overlooked the fact that I had made that choice.
The only things not working now, is that I have no brightness control. And when I unplug the AC adaptor, everything stays bright.
Not a huge issue, but if you would like to take a stab at it, I attached my latest PR. It should reflect the current status, including the newer Clover you posted.