CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Rossview High boys’ basketball team hosted the Kirkwood High Cobras in front of a sold-out crowd on Tuesday night and went on to secure a 68-51 home victory.
Kirkwood High and Rossview have a relatively new rivalry, but you would have thought they had been playing one another for the past 30 years based off the atmosphere of their matchup.
The two teams had already collided once this season, in which the Hawks escaped with a narrow two-point win.
To start their second matchup of the year, the game began as a defensive slugfest. Both teams were held below their scoring averages in the first half, and that credit belongs to both defensive units. Rossview head coach Johnny Jackson told Clarksville Now that he has preached defense in practice for the past week.
“Defensively we were really good tonight,” said Jackson. “We had a couple good days of practice that were very defensive orientated. Overall, it was a great effort by our guys on the floor.”
Hawks second half comeback
Going into the half the Cobras held a slim 27-23 lead at halftime. That lead was in large part due to freshman Armani Smith, who had 12 points in the first half, and finished with 18.
However, midway through the 3rd, senior guard Taetum Carney hit the floor hard, and was ruled out for the rest of the game. Kirkwood head coach John Stigall, losing a senior guard in a game like that was costly.
“When (Taetum) Carney went out, that hurt us” said Stigall. “We’ve been lucky as a first-year program to have two senior guards to anchor us. When he went down, we showed our inexperience and youth. That’s going to happen for a first-year school.”
Rossview would take the momentum and go on a 15-2 run in the 4th, including a monster slam from the high-flying senior guard Cam Ward. The Hawks went on to win 68-51 thanks to their effort in the second half. With the victory, Rossview is in prime position to take care of business and win the regular season district title.
“We just have to keep our foot on the pedal.” said Jackson. “Defense is the key for us, and we just have to approach every game without looking at records. We have a bullseye on our back, so we have to take care of business.”
Top Scorers
Rossview High: Jacob Edwards- 22 points; Landon Hankemeier- 21 points; Cam Ward- 14 points; Jiyair Rose- 7 points; Quamond Linsey-2 points; Cannon Prather- 2 points.
Kirkwood High: Armani Smith- 18 points; Prophet Basden- 8 points; Bryce Garnett- 8 points; Taetum Carney- 6 points; Chance Austin- 4 points; Tay Clardy- 3 points; Lincoln Schwass- 3 points.
Rossview girls’ take care of business
The Rossview Lady Hawks remain perfect all-time against the Kirkwood Lady Cobras, after a convincing 66-27 victory.
The game started out slow for both teams, but Kirkwood was able to keep it close for most of the first half. Cobra head coach Chris Carney isn’t concerned about the result right now, just about learning and growing.
“That’s not just a quality team, that’s a quality program,” said Carney. “They’ve been like that for 20 something years. I’m proud of the way our girls competed with them and just played ball. Whatever happens we can live with the result, I’m just concerned about growing and getting better.”
However, the Hawks would pull away for a big halftime lead, and eventually win comfortably, 66-27. For the Hawks, it’s a big win to honor the seniors on senior night. Led by WKU Signee Torri James, this senior class has been an impactful one for the Hawks.
“Torri and the rest of this class has been used, and it’s not just her.” said Rossview head coach Clay Head. “Alani Davis has been amazing for us being the point guard and controlling the offense, and the rest of these seniors work extremely hard. It’s a nice way to honor them by getting a big win.”
Top Scorers:
Rossview High: Ellie Hankemeier- 14 points; Madisyn Thomason- 12 points; Torri James- 11 points; Neveah Brown 9 points; Hailey Rowland- 9 points; Jai Jordan- 6 points; Baylee Williams- 5 points; Ofure Aisabokhne- 2 points.