CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Northwest High football looks to bounce back following a disappointing 2021-22 season where they finished with a 1-9 record. This included going winless in district play.
The Vikings team is led by head coach Reynaldo Pena. This is Pena’s third season with the team, and he believes they’re ready to move on from last year. He said it starts with the team’s resilience, led by a large senior class.
“We’ve realized in our locker room we haven’t proved enough,” said Pena. “This year we have to go out there and showcase our ability to be resilient. Success always comes with adversity first, and these guys have battled through adversity every day with the work they have put in so far.”
Summer practice
Pena said one point his staff has stressed throughout the summer is that the team needs to be physically stronger.
“Our team wants to have a great identity in the weight room,” said Pena. “That was one of our weaknesses from this past season, so getting stronger is one of the most important things for us. Then we’ve also stressed coming together collectively. We are looking for those moments in the weight room that we can come together, and enjoy ourselves as a group.”
Once the team finishes up in the weight room, the group takes the field to practice. Pena said the entirety of the team does a lot of work with ladder drills. For their players on the offensive and defensive line, they focus on hand drills. The coaching staff makes technique a priority throughout each practice.
Pena said Raymond Rodarte’s leadership plays a factor on how hard the team works.
“Rodarte is an excellent leader,” said Pena. “He takes control of this team to ensure that his toughness and the way he carries himself is modeled by each member of this team. I model the same thing, so that is something I expect out of a leader on this team.”
Northwest is scheduled to play their first game of the season on Aug. 26 as the Vikings face West Creek. Pena and his coaching staff will have the rest of the summer to prepare their team for the upcoming year.
About the series
Clarksville Now’s high school football season preview series will unfold as Montgomery County teams’ continue practicing throughout the summer. We’ll speak with each team and their head coach as we cover one of their practices prior to the start of the 2022 season.