CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Northeast Eagles traveled to Hilda J. Richardson Field for a flag football matchup Monday night against Clarksville High, as the Wildcats celebrated their senior class. The Wildcats won 28-14, sending their seniors out with a bang in their final home game.

Kinley Long got the scoring started, finding the endzone with a jet sweep from 5 yards out to give Clarksville an early lead. Northeast got a drive going before Ellie Balthrop shut it down with a tip drill interception, and Avery Russell capitalized, scoring on a pitch option from 20 yards out. Just when it looked like Clarksville was going to run away with it, Cristina Brown mossed a defender and bobbed and weaved in and out of defenders for a 50-yard score heading into the half, with a 14-6 Wildcat lead.

Female rugby players in purple uniforms contest the ball on a green field; a defender in white tries to tackle, number 4 visible on both sides.
Female flag football player in a purple Clarksville jersey runs with the ball on a grassy field, defender approaching from the left.
Female football player in a white Northeast jersey (number 10) throws a football on a grassy field; defenders in purple nearby.
Three Clarksville lacrosse players in purple uniforms celebrate on a grassy field, arms linked and smiling.
Girls lacrosse players sprinting on a field; central player cradles the ball while teammates trail.
Female lacrosse players in a chase for the ball: a player in a white jersey catches a pass while a defender in purple reaches in from behind on a grassy field.
Female flag football player in a purple jersey runs with the ball on a grassy field, pink headband and mouthguard visible. (action shot)
Female athlete in purple uniform jumps to catch a football during a flag football game; teammates and spectators watch from the sidelines and stands.
Girls' lacrosse game: Clarksville player #24 in a purple jersey raises arms while running on a green field.
Side profile of a man wearing a gray and white mesh-back cap and a purple jacket, looking toward the left outdoors in a field setting.
Three girls playing flag football on a grassy field, two in purple leap to reach a football near the goalpost while a third teammate approaches.
Five people stand on a grassy sports field; a young woman in a purple Clarksville softball uniform holds flowers and a certificate.

Clarksville responded in the second half, forcing a stop on the Eagles’ first possession, then having Russell catch a backward pass before connecting with Long in the endzone for her second touchdown of the night. On the first play of the ensuing Northeast drive, Ally Howard picked off a pass, and then on the very next play, went up and grabbed a ball out of the air from quarterback Hadley Hagewood for a 40-yard score, and the senior show was on. Every Wildcat who accounted for a touchdown on Monday night was a senior, and this class is the first in program history to play all four years of flag football, with the program being established in the spring of 2023.

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“I was proud of the seniors and the way they played,” said Wildcats head coach Taylor Stanley. “They’ve been through the whole thing, really proud of who they are as not only athletes but people. They’ve laid the foundation for what this program stands for, and with 120 years of history, you don’t get a lot of firsts. Happy to send them off with a win in their last game at the Hilda J.”

Brown made another highlight reel play late in the fourth to put Northeast back on the board, but the deficit was too large to overcome.

Clarksville High now turns its attention to the postseason, where it will face Kirkwood in the quarterfinals and an elimination game on Monday. “We’ve got to play clean football,” said Stanley. “That’s what it comes down to this time of year. We have to pull flags, throw and catch, and give ourselves a chance to win ball games.”

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