CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville High Wildcats flag football team traveled to West Creek for an inner-city matchup on Wednesday. The game was a stalemate for a while, but West Creek got on the board first, and two crucial interceptions sealed the deal for the Coyotes, earning them an 18-6 win.
Early on, both teams struggled offensively, mostly thanks to stout defense on both sides. It was 0-0 until the final seconds of the first half, when West Creek receiver Nicole Cushenberry beat the coverage on a fade route to break the tie and put the Coyotes up 6-0 at the half.
“Clarksville High is a great team, well coached with a lot of great athletes,” said Coyotes head coach Aaron King. “Our defense has been elite, they even have made our offense struggle in practice, and it showed tonight. They bailed us out of a lot of key situations. I love this defense.”
Clarksville High wouldn’t go quietly, as they drove down the field late in the second half. But just when they were about to tie the game up, Ireland Laurin intercepted the ball. After a quick West Creek touchdown, the Coyote defense collected another interception to seal the deal, despite a late touchdown from Clarksville running back Avery Russell.
“We had our chances. We just didn’t make the plays when they were there to make,” said Wildcats head coach Taylor Stanley. “We’ve got a lot of multi-sport athletes, and we’re trying to get them up to speed. This is a tournament sport, and we’re hoping to be able to play our best ball at the end of the year.”
The Coyotes stay undefeated on the year, and they look to continue that streak moving forward.
“We just want to be consistent,” said King. “That’s a big emphasis for us. We had some issues, some of that is weather, but for the most part, I liked what we saw. We just have to clean up small things, catch the ball consistently, not miss flags, just do the little things right and we will be in a good spot.”
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