CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Northwest High hosted the Clarksville High Wildcats on Wednesday night for a rematch between the two programs. Earlier this season the Vikings defeated the Wildcats at Clarksville High, and then yesterday they completed the season sweep with a win at home, 63-49, led by Makhi Rasheed’s 17 points.
The Vikings started hot on the offensive end of the floor, building a 20-8 lead by the end of the first quarter, including nine points from DJ Dallas, who ended the game with 16. Northwest head coach Thomas Stanley said his team’s fast start was crucial.
“They came out focused and ready to play,” said Stanley. “They played good defense, rebounded well, and they took care of the ball. We valued every possession of the basketball with a purpose.”
Clarksville High responded and continued to remain in the game but could not close the gap. Despite great play on the defensive side of the ball for the last three quarters, the Wildcats couldn’t get shots to fall when they needed them most, despite a 15-point effort from Sheldon Huber.
“We’ve struggled in the first quarter our past few games,” said Clarksville High head coach Ted Young. “Once you put yourself in that hole, it’s hard to get out of. We got them to miss, didn’t get the rebound most times early. We got a lot of good looks; we just weren’t able to hit them.”
The Vikings kept a comfortable lead throughout the game with their physical defense and continued to crash the boards, earning them a 63-49 victory. For Stanley and his team, it’s all about continuing to grow.
“We just have to take this thing one day at a time,” said Stanely. “We still have work to do and continue to improve, everything we do can be done better. Just keep the main thing the main thing.”