CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Northwest Vikings traveled to “The Pit” at Kirkwood High School for a matchup with the Cobras on Tuesday, Dec. 10. Last year, the Vikings beat Kirkwood by 2 points at the final buzzer. This year, Kirkwood got their revenge, winning 61-38, powered by a 31-point performance from Armani Smith.
Both teams struggled offensively early on, with a number of turnovers and shots that bounced in and out, leading to an 11-4 Cobra lead after the first eight minutes. Kirkwood was able to find the net more consistently in the second quarter, leading to a 32-17 halftime lead.
Kirkwood head coach John Stigall said the defensive effort was a big reason they were able to pull ahead. “Defense is what we take pride in as a program, and we did that exceptionally well in the first half,” he said. “Jaquez Scott (with Northwest) is an extremely talented guy, and we did a good job keeping him out of the paint. Our goal is always to keep the other team under 40, and we did that.”
The Vikings turned it up in the second half offensively, and were led in scoring by DJ Dallas and Scott, both finishing with 11. However, the Vikings could not climb out of the early hole, and fell 61-38.
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Despite the loss, Northwest head coach Thomas Stanley knows that the team’s best games are yet to be played. “It’s December 10th, I’m not worried about this at all,” he said. “Hats off to them; they’re a great team. We just have to keep grinding it out and continue to improve each day. I’d rather be playing our best in February.
As for the Cobras, they stay undefeated against in-city opponents, and it’s another statement from sophomore combo guard Smith, who finished the game with 31 and is averaging over 20 a game for the Cobras.
“When Smith makes a shot like that, we’re hard to beat,” said Stigall. “We’re going to defend every night, but when someone steps up like that, we’re pretty good. We have to get better offensively on a night-to-night basis, but every night is a snapshot of where we are. My goal is for us to continue to improve and get better.”