CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The No. 2-seeded Rossview Lady Hawks and the No. 1-seeded Clarksville Lady Wildcats met up at Kirkwood High School for the District 13-4A championship game Monday. Despite trailing at the half, a 12-0 run between the third and fourth quarters for Clarksville powered them to a 34-27 win, earning their fifth straight district championship.
The game between two familiar rivals was a physical, defense-heavy affair, especially early on. Buckets were hard to come by, mostly due to the defensive prowess on both sides, but Ellie Hankemeier’s seven first-half points led the Hawks to a 15-11 halftime lead.
In the second half, Wildcat forward Amiranna Smith kept the Clarksville offense afloat with six third-quarter points. Then, a 12-0 run between 2:00 left in the third quarter and 3:00 minutes left in the fourth quarter put the game way out of reach for Rossview. Shakiah Vance took over the game, finishing with 13 points as Clarksville’s leading scorer.
“We talked about being disciplined a lot, playing through calls and fouls and doing whatever it took,” said Wildcats head coach Ellie Claus. “At halftime, we were down, and we knew we would have to battle, whether it was pretty or not. I’m super proud of my kids, and they deserve to be where they are.”
Scoring rally comes too late
The Hawks led a scoring rally late, but it just wasn’t enough. A run of that many points in a game as low scoring as it was seemed to be a crushing blow, and Rossview fell to another district runner-up. Despite the loss, not many people even thought Rossview would be in this position, and they’ve got more ball to play, as they host Northwest for a regional quarterfinal on Friday.
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“I hurt for our girls,” said Hawks head coach Drew Smith. “It’s not from a lack of effort, trying, or caring. We did some things that were uncharacteristic of us. Those girls at CHS have a championship game experience, and we don’t have that on our roster. We made some inexperienced decisions. Even with all that, we had a shot. I’m mad at myself, but I’m proud of the girls. We weren’t supposed to be here; the locker room is hurting, but they earned the right to hurt.”
What’s next for CHS girls
As for CHS, in a year where girls’ basketball has been anything but normal in Clarksville, the Wildcats remain atop their district for a fifth year in a row. It’s the first championship for Claus in her first year coaching, and the fourth one for Vance in her four-year career. The Wildcats host Kenwood in a regional quarterfinal on Friday. CHS has won the last three region titles.
“This program has been amazing to me,” said Vance. “My team had my back when I started out slow. I couldn’t have done it without them, and I couldn’t have done it without god.”
“A lot of these kids have been a part of this for all four years; it’s a special thing to do this five times in a row. You don’t see that often,” said Claus. “It’s great to win championships, but we have the potential to be dangerous in this region. I think we can play with anybody, and be in a position to win another plaque.”
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All-District, All-Tournament teams
After the contest, the All-District 13-4A and All-Tournament teams were announced.
All-District
- Shakiah Vance – CHS
- Ally Howard –CHS
- Katelyn Fox – CHS
- Mia Muiznieks -CHS
- Ellie Hankemeier – Rossview
- Milania Peek – Rossview
- Siduri Carstens – Rossview
- Davia Collins – Kirkwood
- Channing Jones – Kirkwood
- Tianna Charles – Northeast
- Carmen Johnson – Northeast
- Co-MVP: Shakiah Vance – CHS Ellie Hankemeier – Rossview
- Coach of the Year: Ellie Claus – Clarksville
All-Tournament
- Jaslyn Mumford – Northeast
- Tianna Charles – Northeast
- Davia Collins – Kirkwood
- Destiny Hughes – Kirkwood
- Ellie Hankemeier – Rossview
- Milania Peek– Rossview
- Layla Willis- Rossview
- Amireanna Smith – Clarksville
- Shakiah Vance – Clarksville
- Asia Bigsbee – Clarksville
- Ally Howard – Clarksville
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