CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Northeast had all the makings of a dark horse playoff contender before the season started. Things didn’t start the way the Eagles wanted, but they’re using that adversity as fuel down the backstretch of the season.
After dropping two of their first three games, things really culminated with a shutout loss to Kirkwood. Following the game, there was a lot of tension between the coaching staff and players.
Northeast head coach Deonte Weston said it was something they were forced to handle head-on.
“The loss against Kirkwood was very devastating because, I mean, I’m just going to be honest, there was a lot of finger-pointing at the end of that game,” Weston told ClarksvilleNow. “We needed players to stop blaming coaches, coaches to stop blaming players, and everybody to get on the same page because the season was not lost.”
Despite the adversity, there’s a difference between this year’s Northeast squad and previous teams; they responded.
Biggest win yet of 2026-27 season
The Eagles bounced back for the biggest win of Weston’s tenure on Friday, handing Lawson its first loss of the season with a 23-14 victory.
Not only did Northeast handle business, but it did so with starting quarterback Kayden Davis unavailable. It was a win that could very well propel the Eagles toward the potential they had before the season started.
“Our kids didn’t waver. They did not waver,” Weston said. “That Lawson win, up to this point of my tenure at Northeast, is the best win that we’ve had because it was just one of those things, it was grit. Nobody was blaming each other, even when we were down. Guys were just so invested and everybody just wanted to see everybody win.”
Aiming for first playoff berth since 2022
Weston wanted his team to know that everything was still in front of it, and he was right. The Eagles are 2-3 on the season with just one loss in region play. If Northeast can continue to play with the type of grit it showed against Lawson, there’s a good chance the Eagles can make a push toward their first playoff berth since 2022.
Now, it’s up to the Eagles to prove their win against Lawson wasn’t a fluke. They’ll face a physical Mt. Juliet team in their final tuneup before their remaining region matchups. If they can pull off another victory, the momentum could propel them toward the heights Weston envisioned when he took the job.
“We just always talk about, let’s just go 1-0 each week.”
“This team is going to be well coached. They’re going to be physical. They’re a really good team. We scheduled this game to get us ready for tough region games.”
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