ANTIOCH, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Wildcats of Clarksville High School traveled to Cane Ridge High School over the weekend for the second round of the TSSAA Class 6A football playoffs. The Ravens avenged their loss to the Wildcats in last year’s first round, beating Clarksville 42-6.
Cane Ridge controlled the game on both sides of the ball from start to finish, with several big plays through the air. Clarksville’s lone score came in the second quarter, when senior running back Jamar Carnell rattled off a 59-yard touchdown run.
The loss marks the end of football season for not only Clarksville High, but all of the city’s programs.
Senior class
The Wildcats will lose a number of seniors who leave behind an impressive record and have helped make Clarksville High a perennial playoff contender. In their four years, they have:
- Won 28 games.
- Made the 2nd round of the playoffs all four years, with three first round road victories over higher seeded teams.
- Kept possession of the Warfield Shield without fail.
Head coach Isaac Shelby praised the senior class after the game, pointing out their grit and lauding the examples they set for younger players. Among others, he cited seniors like Jacob Judge finishing the season with a broken elbow or Knox Rives providing energy and leadership.
When asked to reflect on the season, Shelby said, “I’m going to think about a bunch of seniors who are just really, really tough … that did what we asked them to do. I’m just really proud of them.
“They’re tough kids, they left it all out here tonight. Cane Ridge is just a really good team, they’re a title contender, and they can run. We just didn’t have the speed to match that.”
Looking ahead to next year, Shelby said, “We played a lot of younger guys this year. We started a freshman, a bunch of sophomores. You know, we’ve got some talented guys that are coming up. If they can emulate the toughness and togetherness of that older bunch, then they got a shot.”