CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW)– Shawn Marion. Bashaara Graves. Zavion Williams. Tariq Silver. JJ Wheat. Tamia Scott. Imari Berry. Legendary names in the Clarksville area for high school basketball that all reached the 1,000-point mark.
On Wednesday, Jan. 3, Torri James joined that list of Clarksville legends, and is now etched in history as one of the best to do it on the hardwood for the Hawks.
A minute and a half into the second quarter of the Rossview High vs. Northwest High girls’ basketball game, James broke away on a fast break for a layup, scored her 1,000th point, then was quickly mobbed by her teammates, and given a standing ovation by the crowd.
Rossview Head Coach Clay Head has only been around for two years of James’ four-year career but was glad to see her progress on the court show. “It’s amazing to see, it really is,” said Head. “Her teammates have helped her get to this point, but seeing her become more aggressive, more of a leader on the floor, it’s been great to see. Anytime you get a player who’s able to accomplish that, you’re really proud as a coach.”
As for the game itself, Northwest High gave Rossview fits early on, and were able to keep the game within reach at halftime.
Vikings head coach Ben Wallace believes his team has a lot to build off of after the game. “I think we can play with them, there’s no doubt,” Wallace said. “We obviously have some things to work on, but as bad as we played for stretches, there were good things out there. We just have to be more consistent and learn how to finish the fight.”
In the end, the Hawks pulled away using their defense, only allowing 3 points in the 3rd quarter, and won convincingly, 49-25. For Northwest, they will fall to 5-10, and hope to hit their stride during district play. For the Hawks, they improve their record to 8-4, and they seem to be playing their best at just the right time.
“The message is we’re getting into district play and into city, play, most every game here on out is against one of the two.” said coach Clay Head. “It’s really time to lock in and start focusing and find what we need to do to be playing our best ball at the end of the year.”
Box Score:
Rossview High scoring leaders: Torri James – 17 points; Ellie Hankemeier – 7 points; Ailani Davis – 7; Madisyn Thomason – 6 points; Neveah Brown – 3 points; Baylee Williams – 2 points; Ofure Aisabokhae – 2 points; Imani Evans – 2 points; Jai Jordan – 2 points; Hailey Rowland – 1 point.
Northwest- Kendall Myree : 12 points; Z’Riyah Reed – 5 points; Ivy Downs – 5 points; Grace Fuuau – 2 points; Jalayasia Hunt – 1 point.
Hawks vs. Vikings boys’ basketball
On Wednesday, Jan. 3, the Northwest Vikings boys’ basketball team looked to beat the Rossview Hawks in their home gymnasium. It was a physical, high-spirited battle, but Rossview emerged the victor, 67-63.
While James’ 1,000-point mark stole the night, the boys’ game between the Vikings and Hawks was an instant classic. Physical basketball on both ends of the floor, timely shooting, and smart passes made this one fun to watch.
“Give credit to Northwest, they were prepared and gave it everything to beat us, and they dang near did it.” said Rossview head coach Johnny Jackson. “They shot the ball well and were intense all night.”
During the 2022-23 season, the Vikings struggled against the Hawks, but last night was a different story. Northwest High was up 35-34 entering the half.
Northwest head coach Thomas Stanley was proud of the way his guys fought throughout the game. “Super excited about our effort and playing to the final horn, we’re getting better every game,” Stanley said. “I told them to not hang their heads and to realize where we are now compared to last year. Let this fuel the fire some more, and we will see them at the end of the year.”
Box Score:
Rossview High scoring leaders: Jacob Edwards – 22 points; Landon Hankemeier – 19 points; Cam Ward – 15 points; Jiyair Rose – 4 points; Quamond Lindsey – 3 points; Mikey Lawton – 2 points; Roland Morton 2 points.
Northwest High scoring leaders: Ahmad Harvey – 22 points; Tacarey Monday – 15 points; Deonta Crawford – 12 points; Jaquez Scott – 8 points; AJ Wallus – 6 points.