CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW)- The West Creek Coyotes traveled to “The Castle” at Kenwood High School for the “Battle of the Mill” rivalry game with the Knights on Tuesday. In front of a packed house, the contest was a physical throughout, but in the end, West Creek never trailed in the second half and stole a district victory on Kenwood’s home floor, 54-49.
The first half was a high-energy, electric environment, which led to several defensive stands. Both teams were held under their normal scoring averages due to the physical defense from the opposing team. The first half was led in scoring by Coyote forward Kamden Hines, who scored 8 points, ending the night with 13. Going into the halftime break, West Creek held a slim lead, 21-18.
The third quarter was where the Coyotes separated themselves, holding a nine-point lead at the end of three. Knights guard Jaylen Hill wouldn’t back down though, scoring 10 points in the fourth, all on drives to the rack, to put the Knights within striking distance late. However, he was narrowly outscored by Coyotes guard Kameron Bowers, who scored 13 in the fourth, including going 6 for 6 from the free-throw line for a clutch win down the stretch.
“We just have to be more disciplined with our game plan,” Kenwood head coach Chase Cronin said. “This rivalry is always great, but we got physically tired cause we’re not healthy and just couldn’t rebound down the stretch. Thankfully, it’s only the first district game, and we’re ready to move on.”
As for the Coyotes, starting district play with a win on your rival’s home floor is huge, especially in a district that is usually very tightly contested in the standings late in the year. The Coyotes welcome Northwest to West Creek High School on Friday, looking to make it 2-0.
“It was a very back-and-forth contest, but our defense helped us ride out our rough moments,” said Coyotes head coach Matthew Hardaway. “They handled the environment pretty well, and if we continue to play together and trust each other, there’s a lot of potential with this team. Last year this team got us both times, and we came in here with a chip on our shoulder and made a statement.”
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