CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville High Wildcats football team is coming off their second straight undefeated regular season. Now, the Wildcats are preparing to face a much different set of opponents this fall, with their sights set on playing deep into November.
“These kids have gotten in the weight room and grown a lot this offseason,” Wildcats head coach Isaac Shelby told Clarksville Now. “We preach to our kids to play multiple sports, and a lot of them grew competitively in basketball or baseball too, so we’re excited about that.”
The Wildcats have lived up to their name on the field with a hard-nosed, run-heavy offense, all based on the triple option. CHS has no shortage of offensive weapons heading into the 2025 season, which includes wide receiver Jamarcus Watkins and running backs Bryson Ellington and Ahvare Galbreath. After playing in a three-quarterback system last year, junior Kayden Pledger will take the reins under center this fall for Clarksville High.
“We’re always going to be a running team, that won’t change,” said Shelby. “However, this year we’ve been dealt a roster with a lot of really explosive athletes. The bones of what we do will be the same, but we’re going to adapt to best fit the guys we have, and when you have a returning quarterback, that really helps. Kayden is a special player with a special arm.”
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Despite the Wildcats’ regular season success, they have not been able to win a postseason game in the last two years. Now paired up with West Creek and Rossview, along with several metro-Nashville schools in Class 6A Region 5, this team has one goal in mind: play ball late into November and make a run in the postseason.
“We just have to advance later in the playoffs,” Shelby said. “We’re not as worried about how good we are in July as we are in November. We have to be ready to be able to give our best shot to any team we match up with. I just tell our kids to be where their feet are. If they’re in English class, focus on English. If you’re at football, focus on football. That’s how they grow, not only as players but as young men.”
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