CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville Academy Cougars hosted the Nashville Christian Eagles on Wednesday for the Division II-A Middle District quarterfinals and a win-or-go-home matchup. The Eagles slowed down the usually high-powered offense for Academy, but the Cougars were able to get stops late, punctuated by a Jarohn Johnson dunk, as the Cougars won 48-44, extending their season.
The Eagles lost by 25 points the last time these two teams matched up less than a week ago, but they were determined to keep their season alive. They slowed the pace down, and threw a box and one defense at the Cougars, which caused them to struggle offensively. The score reflected that, as it was 7-4 after the first quarter. However, the Cougars cleaned it up, and outscored the Eagles 17-5 the rest of the half.
“We continued to fight, even though we lost the momentum in big moments,” said Clarksville Academy interim head coach Sean Jones. “We kept our wits about us and were able to weather the storm. We talked about it; it doesn’t have to be your best basketball; you just have to keep moving forward.”
Nashville Christian’s offense heated up in the second half, and they took a 41-40 lead with four minutes to go in the game, which was their first lead of the contest. Both teams were defensively dominant down the stretch, however, the Cougars made more clutch shots leading to the team escaping an upset scare.
Now, they head to Ezell Harding to face Friendship Christian on Friday in the district semi-final, and the right to play for a district championship.
“We have to be prepared. At this point we’re competing for championships,” said Jones. “Our level of focus and intensity has to go up a little. We can’t be super physical in practice because of how often we play, so we have to be mentally sharp. For us to do what we need to do, we have to execute, but we have the pieces to be a championship ball club.”
MORE LOCAL SPORTS: Sign up for the free daily Clarksville Now email newsletter