CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Kenwood Knights traveled to the “Viking Village” at Northwest High School for a district 14-4A matchup with the Vikings on Monday. Northwest dominated from start to finish, winning 52-31 and improving to 5-1 in district play, standing in sole possession of first place.
After the Knights drained a three to start the contest, Northwest proceeded to go on a 20-0 run that set the tone for the rest of the game. The run included one of the most impressive dunks you will see in high school basketball from Jacquez Scott.
The Vikings defense was dominating, and forward Tayveon Clayborn led the Vikings with 9 points at the halftime break, as Northwest entered the half with a 29-12 lead.
“When we went to Henry County, our defense wasn’t up to our standard,” said Vikings head coach DeeDee Smith. “We wanted to convey to the guys that to achieve the goals we have, we have to do the tough stuff, and that starts with defense. Early in the year, we were emotional, and we’ve changed that into passion, and our guys feed off that. When you’re successful at hard work, you have fun, and it shows on the court when we get on those runs.”
Kenwood forward Christian Taylor led all scorers on the night with 15 points, but with the injuries Kenwood has sustained as of late, they couldn’t keep pace and fell in game one of five straight days of district games. They look to bounce back tomorrow night at Dickson County.
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“With our injuries, we’re playing a lot of young guys that are learning how to play,” said Knights head coach Chase Cronin. “We got down early, not because we couldn’t make shots, but we just kept turning it over, and they’re athletic and will make you pay. I saw a lot of things in the second half that make me believe that when we get our guys back, there’s a chance.”
For Northwest, it’s a huge bounce-back win after their first district loss two days ago against Henry County. Now, it’s about getting that winning streak started back up again and handling business on a quest to reign atop district 14-4A.
“We pride ourselves on not losing two in a row,” Smith said. “We want to have a short-term memory and come out hungry. We took that game as a lesson, and we always say that our next opportunity is the most important. Over the next week, we just have to stay focused. Learning tendencies, learning from our mistakes, and growing as a unit.”
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