CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – When district basketball games begin, you find teams that are very familiar with each other. Most of the time, it’s because the schools are so close in proximity. That is the case for the Northwest Vikings and Kenwood Knights. Many of the athletes at these schools live near each other and play over the summer together.
“None of them want to lose to each other,” said Northwest head coach Aaron Wallus about his players’ mindset against Kenwood. “Our fans are the same way. We typically have better turnouts at those games.”
Kenwood head coach Chase Cronin spoke about his team’s mentality going into the game. “We just buy into (the rivalry). These guys talked about Northwest and West Creek and some of these rivalry games before the year. They know that people come out to them and so we will buy into that.”
Tale of the tape
When looking at these two squads the word “athletic” comes to mind. Both will have great speed, size and length, which makes it a great match for the coaches.
Wallus spoke highly of the Knights saying, “Their guard play is really good, you know, Jaylen Washington and (Nic) Boykin. Obviously, if you’ve got good guard play, your team’s going to be pretty good. They have some athletic tough guys that show up to play.”
As for Cronin, he is looking at Northwest as a team that has shown some growth this season.
“They are a team that has gotten better,” said Cronin of Northwest. “They got some guys to come in. I read some things about how hard that they have been working and maybe a little bit of frustration with how their year was going.”
Friday night showdown
Northwest enters Friday’s district game with a 1-1 record after beating Dickson County but falling to Henry County on Tuesday.
As for Kenwood, the Knights are now 1-0 in district play after a win against Dickson County as well.
Friday night, the two teams will battle for positioning in the district standings and for bragging rights for their students. The girls will tip first, followed by the boys game.