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Northeast Eagles: 2021-22 Year in Review





The Northeast football team celebrates in the mud after a win.FILE/ROBERT SMITH

The Northeast football team celebrates in the mud after a win.FILE/ROBERT SMITH

Following the 2020-21 prep sports season, Main Street Preps and Main Street Clarksville published a four-week long series recapping the seasons of every TSSAA school in Montgomery County.

After another successful school year of sports, the series is back!

Let’s reminisce on the top moments of the 2021-22 campaign, covering two schools per week in alphabetical order.

This issue will be covering the Northeast Eagles.

Overview

Pop quiz: who was the only school in Clarksville to win a state championship at spring fling this year? East side!

Though the Eagles didn’t have their usual basketball dominance this season after graduating over 90% of their scoring, there’s still plenty to celebrate from the school’s academic year in sports, between strong campaigns in the spring and some memorable moments scattered throughout.

Best boys moment

Late-season wins don’t necessarily need to have playoff implications to mean something.

Northeast soccer coach Brandon Kirksey coaches his team.FILE/RYAN VINSON

Northeast soccer coach Brandon Kirksey coaches his team.FILE/RYAN VINSON

The Eagles’ football campaign was not going according to plan after a dynamite 2020 season. They were just 2-7 heading into the final week with three of their losses coming by one score or less, including a four-point loss to Henry County the week before. They went to Kenwood on Oct. 29 without any playoff implications and beat the Knights 32-29 after a last-minute defensive stand. The win wasn’t necessarily the big moment, though – instead, it was the celebration. With the season over and a win over a rival secured, the players showed that they are still, indeed, human and celebrated the occasion by partying in the pits of mud that had accumulated on Kenwood’s field.

If you ask me, that’s what it’s all about.

Best girls moment

Only one person brought a track and field gold medal back to Clarksville from Murfreesboro this year: Northeast’s Cierra Bowser.

Bowser, who wasn’t even a track athlete until last year, made her first jump her best in the state long jump championship, and nobody in the field was able to match it. The win, viewed by most in the state as a major upset, engraved her name in both Northeast and state history.

Northeast baseball player Evan Primasing throws a pitch at Vanderbilt in the Eagles' win over Clarksville High.FILE/JOEL CLINGER

Northeast baseball player Evan Primasing throws a pitch at Vanderbilt in the Eagles’ win over Clarksville High.FILE/JOEL CLINGER

Best boys athlete

When Clarksville football head coach Isaac Shelby says you’re a Division I prospect, you know you’re a special talent.

That’s exactly what he had to say about Northeast’s Dezmond Fort, a wide receiver for the Eagles. As a junior, Fort reeled in 42 receptions for 803 yards and 10 touchdowns – the first two being tops in the county with the latter being second most – while also grabbing a pair of two-point conversions and rushing for 144 yards on just seven carries.

His performance earned him All-Montgomery first team honors and an All-Midstate honorable mention nod. On top of that, he was one of the more experienced starters for the basketball team, serving as a veteran leader despite just being a junior.

Northeast wide receiver Dezmond Fort hauls in a touchdown pass.FILE/ROBERT SMITH

Northeast wide receiver Dezmond Fort hauls in a touchdown pass.FILE/ROBERT SMITH

Best girls athlete

Of course it’s Cierra Bowser.

Not only did she claim state gold, but she was – once again – dynamite on the basketball court for the Lady Eagles, as she has been for the past four years. Opposing coaches were always nervous to face Northeast because they knew that she could win games on her own.

The all-county second teamer averaged 13.2 points per game while also grabbing 5.2 rebounds and picking 2.6 steals per game.

Best boys team

This will be a classic two-for-one with a pair of spring teams.

Though their final record of 8-17 doesn’t show it, the Northeast baseball team had a rock-solid season. They finished 6-2 in District 13-4A with highlights coming in the form of a 3-2 win over Clarksville at Vanderbilt and an 11-5 whooping of Rossview, the eventual district and region champions.

They finished second in the district with head coach Charlie Ratliff being named district coach of the year. Though they were bounced before the region tournament with a heart-crushing loss to Springfield, the Eagles have a lot to be proud of from their season.

Cierra Bowser is awarded her gold medal at spring fling.FILE/MICHAEL GIGLIO

Cierra Bowser is awarded her gold medal at spring fling.FILE/MICHAEL GIGLIO

The boys soccer team deserves a lot of credit here, too. They also finished second in the district before falling short in the district title game and region semifinals. They finished 9-6-1 and beat all but one team they played in the county.

Best girls team

The Northeast girls track and field program continues to be an exemplary one – especially for a school that doesn’t even have a track.

Along with Bowser’s gold, the 4×100 meter relay team placed 13th in the state. They won the county championship with Bowser, Alijanae Cole, Teahnna Slaughter, the 4×800, 4×400, 4×100 and 4×200 relay squads, My’Kya Stinson, Desiree Brown, Sadie Gibson and Julicia Mack all earning at least one top-three finish in the area.

Pure dominance.

 

 

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