CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Northeast football (5-1, 5-0) hosts Henry County (6-2, 4-0) at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, with the Region 7-5A championship on the line.
In their last outing, the case can be made that the Eagles left some meat on the bone against Northwest despite defeating the Vikings 40-7. Northeast football coach Brandon Clark believes his team will come out with a little more sense of urgency against Henry County.
“I think that as a team overall, we were not mentally prepared for Northwest,” Clark said. “There is a good possibility that we were overconfident and looking past them. As the head coach, it is my responsibility not to allow that to happen.”
Both Northeast and Henry County will enter Friday’s contest coming off of a bye. Clark believes the off week from game action has benefited his team greatly in preparation for the Patriots.
“I think the fall break bye week is always a good time for the players to get a break mentally and physically,” Clark said. “I’ve seen teams that were pushed too hard on a bye week and then underperformed during the game. I’ve also seen teams that were well rested mentally and physically during the bye really come out and execute and compete the way you want.”
The Henry County legacy
It’s no secret that Henry County has dominated Region 7-5A in recent memory. In a game of this magnitude, Clark wants his players to come out with supreme confidence, not put the Patriots on a pedestal.
“I’ve been preaching since the end of the Northwest game that there is no law out there that says that Henry County has to win the region every year,” Clark said. “It’s not put in stone anywhere. They are a darn good program with a great history, but a game must still decide the outcome of who wins it. I have told the players to expect a dogfight, expect a game of inches and expect adversity. Beating a contender doesn’t come without those things.”
As of now, there appears to be rain in the forecast for Friday’s matchup. Without giving too much away, Clark said his game plan on offense is to utilize the ground game with Juwan Harris and company in order to keep Henry County’s high-powered offense off the field.
“Every game we want to establish the ground game and that will be important on Friday regardless of weather,” Clark said. “If you look at most of the top programs in high school or college football, you will see that they generally play stellar defense and special teams and are also committed to the run. That is what we want to do.”
Testing the defense
Patriots running back Jermarcus Johnson is a standout player on the offensive side of the ball. Northeast’s defense has been nothing short of stellar through five games played, allowing less than 10 points per game. Clark shared how his defensive unit will need to perform if they hope to eliminate the big play and continue their solid play this season.
“It will be our defense’s biggest test this year,” Clark said. “They not only have one of the top athletes in the region with Johnson, but are also an offense that has put up 50-plus points several times this year. We will have to play our most disciplined football yet.”
With attendance moving to a limited capacity, having home field is less advantageous this year than it has been in the past. Even so, Clark hopes the Northeast faithful will rally around the team in an effort to make Henry County as uncomfortable as possible throughout.
“I really wish that the stadium would be packed,” Clark said. “I know that is not a possibility this season, however, I’m sure our fans will still be loud while cheering on the Eagles as usual.”