Mid-Tennessee Battle Goes to East Robertson

<!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Kirkwood traveled East looking to knock off the Indians and they nearly did but in the end, the East Robertson playmakers and veteran core provided the plays to win. This was an exciting game to follow as both teams competed hard but the home team simply made more offensive plays compared to their counterparts. </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- Jumping out of region this week to play a 5A program in Kirkwood, the Indians of East Robertson had a battle on their hands but flexed their muscles in the second half to propel themselves towards a 29-21 victory over the visiting Cobras. This was a sloppy but entertaining game that saw over thirty penalties called on the night but both teams kept going blow for blow until deep into the 4th quarter where the home Indians came out on top.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The road Cobras produced the first blow of the night in the 1st quarter where senior quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1200717' first='Miles' last='Reding'] </strong>broke loose for a 50 plus yard touchdown run to put Kirkwood ahead, 7-0. That lead was kept until early in the 2nd quarter as East Robertson marched the ball down field where they went for it on 4th down and succeeded with a short pass to flat from <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1422904' first='Kason' last='Young'] </strong>to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2347346' first='Issac' last='Prince Jr.']</strong> The Indians would go for two and get it to grab a 8-7 lead.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2251651,"width":"230px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/07/mreding.webp?w=350" alt="" class="wp-image-2251651" style="width:230px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kirkwood didn't sit back and linger on the score as their offense went right back to work. The Cobras took the ball and went on a long drive that went all the way to the goal line where Reding produced his second rushing score of the half to push the road team back in front. At this point in the game, Reding was a big difference maker that the Indians defense didn't have answers for, especially stopping him from running.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Going late into the second quarter, the Indians had a few chances to put more points on the board but penalties ruined their best opportunity. East Robertson was sitting near mid-field when they decided to let the clock run out and give Kirkwood a 14-8 lead into the break. Both teams found some offensive success in the first period but a barrage of flags slowed down tons of momentum for both teams, especially the home Indians.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A few things must have been said in the locker room by the East Robertson coaching staff because the Indians came out in the second half ready to roll! The Cobras were getting the ball but the East Robertson coaches decided to go with an onside kick and they got it. That was a huge play for the Indians and they capitalized as Young threw a pretty over the shoulder ball to senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1136733' first='Brody' last='Perry'] </strong>and the two-way player separated from his defender and into the end zone. That score pushed the Indians ahead and that's where they would stay the rest of the way.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Getting a stop on defense, East Robertson took the ball right back and continued their second half resurgence. The offensive staff remained focused on exploiting the Cobras secondary as they looked to Perry again and he delivered with a long touchdown pass from Young that extended the Indians lead to 23-14. All the momentum was clearly on the side of the home team but Kirkwood wasn't done just yet.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cobras basically went into a two minute offense as they looked for their receivers early in the drive to get the ball in their hands and let them work. Senior wideout <strong>Dallas Clark </strong>was a key target in this drive as well as the entire night. Clark produced multiple catches to get the Cobras down field until Reding dropped back and found <strong>Elijah Hird </strong>in the back of the end zone to bring the game to within one score. It was an outstanding answer by the Kirkwood offense and impressive work by their receiving corps.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2405078,"width":"239px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/09/lbruce.jpg?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-2405078" style="width:239px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Holding a two point lead at 23-21, East Robertson was in front but needed to create some distance on the scoreboard, otherwise Kirkwood would have a chance to move out in front. Well the Indians delivered as they leaned on Prince Jr. and their run game. Handing the ball multiple times to their star freshman, Prince Jr. continued to bust through would-be Kirkwood tacklers until he finally broke loose for a second score of the game to push the Indians lead out to 29-21.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That ended up being enough as Kirkwood had one last opportunity to produce points but they fell short. East Robertson ran out the clock on the final drive of the game to defeat the Cobras and remain undefeated at 5-0. It was a hard fought, tough victory for East Robertson as they needed every minute to succeed but they got the job done. This win may do the Indians a lot of good moving forward as Kirkwood gave them a big challenge. It made the home team work and search for something inside to find themselves in the win column.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- - - - -&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player of the Game</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1422904"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aae31b42d3f1"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Early on, it was not a sure thing that Young would garner our player of the game award as others held a lead but the senior signal caller turned it on in the second half and earned this honor. The Indians quarterback ramped up his passing in the second period by throwing for two scores that put his team ahead while using his legs on occasions to produce positive gains. His leadership and toughness throughout the game also stood out as well. Young ended up being a big difference maker against the Cobras that was definitely needed to keep the Indians undefeated on the season.&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- - - - -&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Three Stars …..</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(QB) [player_tooltip player_id='1200717' first='Miles' last='Reding'] - Kirkwood</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- This was the next player in-line for our player of the game, especially if the Cobras would have won. Reding had a sensational individual performance in this game as he caused damage both through the air and with his legs. His gritty game play was a big factor in why Kirkwood was in contention to win while his leadership played a role in keeping his teammates focused. The Cobras senior quarterback generated over 200 yards of total offense on the night while producing three touchdowns, two on the ground and one in the air.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>‘30 (RB) [player_tooltip player_id='2347346' first='Issac' last='Prince Jr.'] - East Robertson</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- Whenever the Indians needed a first down, a big run or someone to create a positive play, they went to this freshman running back. Prince Jr. was a difference maker that the Cobras defense could not get a clean grasp on as they bounced off him all night long. The Indians ball carrier was a force with the ball in his hands that produced over 200 yards of total offense while scoring twice, once through the air and once on the ground. Prince Jr. is a legit college prospect that showed me in this game that he has the power, speed combo that translates well to the next level.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(WR/S) [player_tooltip player_id='1136733' first='Brody' last='Perry'] - East Robertson</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- Possibly the most athletic guy on the field Friday night was this two-way playmaker that showed up big in the second half and helped propel his Indians team to victory. Perry had a quiet first half but delivered in the second period when his name was called. On two occasions, Young targeted Perry on the outside where he produced two long receiving touchdowns, going for over 100 yards on the night. His speed and ability to separate off man coverage proved to be a difference maker in the Indians eight point win.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- - - - -&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Game Notes ……</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- This game provided an opportunity to scout several players that are destined for the college stage but out of everybody, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2347346' first='Issac' last='Prince Jr.'] </strong>might have been the top prospect. Only a freshman but already providing a physical look that translates to the next level, Prince Jr. is a load to deal with the backfield that runs with a nice combination of athleticism, power and speed. He shows outstanding contact balance and the ability to break through tackles on a consistent basis while displaying upside in the receiving game as well. He of course is only a freshman with tons of development to go but in this game, he showed the most long term potential.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The next guy that stood out to me was <strong>Elijah Hird </strong>from Kirkwood. This junior wideout is a tad undersized but physical and stocky with the ability to break tackles. The Cobras wideout showed some of the best run after the catch in this game. Hurd displayed explosive flashes that works well in the college game. His route running needs to improve but I liked what I saw from the Clarksville native. East Robertson senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1136733' first='Brody' last='Perry'] </strong>was another guy that stood out. I'm still unsure if I like him better at receiver or safety but Perry is an athletic guy that runs well. His speed would work on either side of the ball as well as his ball skills.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- I was interested to zero in on both quarterbacks in this game and see how each guy has progressed since last season. I thought both <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1422904' first='Kason' last='Young'] </strong>(East Robertson) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1200717' first='Miles' last='Reding'] </strong>(Kirkwood) performed well and played to their strengths. Young is a gunslinger that can be creative with his arm while also providing a dual threat with his legs. What stood out the most about Young to me was his deep ball and his accuracy with throwing it. The Indians quarterback has solid arm power, it's not a cannon but Young has enough strength to make the needed throws. He is a winner too that has only lost five games since becoming the starter several years ago. I don't see a D1 guy right now in Young but an FCS school could do well with him on their roster.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Reding might have impressed me the most between the two guys but I still feel Young is the better prospect. The Cobras quarterback is a gamer, a tough minded competitor that simply knows how to make winning plays. Reding is a true dual threat guy that would win more with his legs in college than his arm. He can make certain throws and succeed doing so but Reding doesn't have the arm power to make a big impact in college. Maybe that can change in time but Reding is a “football player” that does all the little things for himself and his team to win games.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- Staying on the scouting trail, the Cobras had a few players I was interested to look deeper at but I must say, it wasn't a pleasant display of football potential. Two guys in particular with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1316743' first='Parker' last='Keenan'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2206403' first='Tomarco' last='Vereen'] </strong>were guys I was targeting in this game and I thought neither one had a good night and really disappeared throughout the evening. Keenan wasn't targeted a lot on offense but it was his lack of want-to in his blocking that popped off page for me. Committed to Arkansas, Keenan must become more dominating and physical if he wants to make a mark in the Southeastern Conference.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vereen shows upside as a college pass rusher but I don't remember spending much time seeing him in the Indians backfield. Either his motor was not high enough or the East Robertson offensive line did a good job of bottling him up. His ability to cause havoc against Young was needed in this game but I think most of the time, Vereen was nullified by the Indians running the ball with Prince Jr. a ton. He still could have made an impact in this contest that might have proved to be a difference in the Cobras finishing on top.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2405079,"width":"238px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/09/kyoung.jpg?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-2405079" style="width:238px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->