CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – With a 34-12 loss to Cane Ridge on Friday night, the West Creek Coyotes have officially been eliminated from playoff contention.

It’s been another difficult season on Coyote Trail, with West Creek on pace to repeat the 1-9 record it posted last year. The Coyotes picked up their first win of the season last week against McGavock, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive heading into Friday’s matchup.

After entering halftime tied 6-6 with the Ravens, a playoff push still seemed possible. However, things unraveled in the second half as West Creek was outscored 28-6 over the final two quarters. Head coach Michael Booker pointed to injuries and a lack of available players as factors in the loss.

“We knew we were down numbers. We had a lot of guys down. Our quarterback was hurt and hobbling. He had a great first half. We just knew it was a matter of time before he gave us everything he had,” Booker said.

Jose Gutierrez-Arroyo has shown plenty of potential at quarterback when healthy, but injuries have made it difficult for him to stay on the field over the past two seasons.

The Coyotes now enter a much-needed bye week as they look to recover before their final two games of the season. With their playoff hopes officially over, West Creek will look to finish the year strong while searching for positives to build on heading into the offseason.

“This break is good for us. We get to lick our wounds. We have a lot of kids down. We have a great team over here at West Creek, and unfortunately, we haven’t been able to show that this year. But I’m proud of the guys who come in every day and fight,” Booker said.

West Creek has the size and physical tools to compete, but the Coyotes have struggled to translate that potential into results over the past two seasons under Booker. With the program set to miss the playoffs for the third consecutive year, the offseason will provide an opportunity to evaluate what needs to change moving forward.

“We would like to do things better, but God is good, man. I ain’t got no complaints. We’re just going to take a break, relax a little bit and look for the next challenge,” Booker said.

Ky’Ron Washington contributed to this report.