CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Kirkwood is quickly entering the conversation for one of the best seasons by a Montgomery County football team in recent memory.
The Cobras became the first area school since Clarksville Academy in 1997 to win 11 games and the first since Northeast in 2020 to reach the quarterfinals, doing so with a thrilling 28-27 comeback victory over Nolensville.
Kirkwood trailed 24-7 at halftime but responded with 13 unanswered points to get back in the game. Quarterback Miles Reding then led the Cobras on a dramatic final drive, capping it with a 13-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to one with just 26 seconds remaining.
With a decision to make, Reding immediately signaled that he wanted to go for the win. He showed head coach Chad Watson two fingers before calling the play that would secure the victory. Reding found Tomarco Vereen in the end zone for the two-point conversion, capping one of the most memorable games in Montgomery County football history.
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Watson said the exact situation had come up in the coaching staff’s group chat earlier in the week.
“We actually had this conversation in a group text this week, and I was trying to get some help from my coaches. Coach Eaton said it depends on the situation. Coach J said the same thing, and so did Coach Young,” Watson told Clarksville Now.
“I didn’t even make any decisions. The coaching staff decided we’re going for two, and Miles was ready and called the play.”
A winning decision
For Reding, the decision to go for two wasn’t a difficult one to make. He had already faced a pivotal moment on the game-winning drive with his team’s season hanging in the balance. Kirkwood faced a fourth-and-13 with just 90 seconds remaining when Reding found Jadon Portis to extend the drive and keep the Cobras’ season alive.
The senior quarterback ultimately accounted for all four of Kirkwood’s touchdowns on the night while battling the flu.
“I had a fever last night. I’ve been sick all week, but you just have to fight through adversity. As a team, we showed that,” Reding said. “I love that Coach Watson had the belief in me to let me have an influence on the play call, but I can’t say anything better than the guys around me are so good.”
“Cobras don’t quit”
Watson said Kirkwood’s Region 7-5A championship victory over Henry County was the biggest win in program history, but that accomplishment has already been surpassed. The Cobras’ ability to win games like Friday’s comeback stems from the motto Watson established when the program began four years ago.
“Number one, it’s the kids. Cobras don’t quit. It’s something we believe in, and we’re going to fight for all 48 minutes,” Watson said.
Friday night was another opportunity that Kirkwood took advantage of, but the stakes only get higher from here. Just eight teams remain in the TSSAA Class 5A playoffs, with the Cobras set to hit the road for a quarterfinal matchup against Munford. A win over the Cougars would send Kirkwood to the semifinals and bring the program one step closer to an unprecedented opportunity to host a semifinal game.
The Cobras don’t quit, and that mentality is quickly making Kirkwood one of the biggest stories in Tennessee high school football. With a spot in the final eight secured, the possibilities are only growing.
Scoring summary
- N – Turner Boswell 73-yard pass from Ryan Newell (10:21). Matthew Serpas XP.
- K – Jadon Portis 31-yard pass from Miles Reding (4:52). Hudson Marsh XP.
Second quarter
- N – Serpas 42-yard field goal (9:04).
- N – Tristen Lithmexay 3-yard run (2:31). Serpas XP.
- N – Newell 17-yard run (0:19). Serpas XP.
Third quarter
- K – Reding 11-yard run (2:20). Marsh XP.
Fourth quarter
- K – Reding 2-yard run (10:18). XP blocked.
- N – Serpas 20-yard field goal (3:34).
- K – Reding 13-yard run (0:26). Tomarco Vereen 2-point pass from Reding
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