CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Kenwood High Knights hosted the Northeast High Eagles in a region 7-5A matchup on Thursday night. The Knights’ defense shut down the Eagles, and Kenwood’s offense put up 24 points to easily grab a rivalry win and clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2021.
Kenwood quarterback Christian James picked up right back where he left off last week, as he started the game with a rushing touchdown five minutes into the contest.
There wasn’t much scoring to speak of for the rest of the first half, as both defenses were dominant and battling for field position. Jerome Asbury knocked in a 30-yard field goal before the half expired, and the Knights held a 10-0 lead going into the half.
“We got guys who can play football, and the defensive side of the ball showed that tonight,” said Kenwood head coach Jarhett Snead. “People want to stop James’ legs, but he’s got an arm too. We made some mistakes, but we made them at full speed, and that’s all I can ask for.”
Jayde Davis showcased his athleticism to begin the second half as he outran multiple defenders to extend the Knights lead to 17-0. Then, Christian Simpson caught a pass in the corner of the endzone from James for a touchdown on the Knights’ next drive.
While that was all the scoring to speak of for the rest of the contest, that was all the Knights needed, as their defense continued to dominate, shutting out the Eagles.
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“Our defense played well, we just couldn’t get the ball in the endzone,” said Northeast head coach Deonte Weston. “We had multiple drives inside the 10, but we didn’t make it happen. I hate to sound like a broken record, but being a young team, those mistakes continue to happen. Fortunately for us, we’re still in the hunt, and we control our own destiny from this point forward. If we take care of business, then we can get into the postseason, and it’s a whole new season from there.”
As for the Knights, they not only celebrated their seniors on senior night, which is the first-class Snead has coached all four years, but they also earned their first playoff berth since 2021. The Knights have only one region loss this season and are looking to push for seeding to finish out the regular season.
“I’m glad our seniors got a win on their night. I couldn’t ask for a better group of young men,” Snead told Clarksville Now. “It’s a long break, rest a little bit, rejuvenate, and get back and get ready to get on the grind. From this point on, it’s about playing our brand of football, worrying about our side of the line of scrimmage, and seeing what happens from there.”
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