All posts by Geoff Courtney

Farragut Falls Short Against Maryville 35-24

The Admirals hosted the Maryville Rebels at Bill Clabo Field on Friday, September 27 as fans packed the stadium to see the two 6A programs square off in a non-Region clash. The Admirals and Rebels battled in last year’s Class 6A Playoff Quarterfinals which ended in a 26-10 decision in favor of the Rebels. Maryville (5-0) entered the game undefeated and ranked #1/2 in most major Class 6A polls. The Admirals (2-3) came into the game with a much needed Region 1-6A win versus Morristown West. Though these two teams came into the game with much different records the game was still very much anticipated from both fanbases.

Senior Alec Keathley does his best to defend a Chambers pass. Photo credit: Carlos Reveiz crfoto.com

Maryville put their high-powered offense on display first as the Admirals elected to kickoff to begin the game. Andrew Doane recorded a big tackle for loss to keep the Rebels at bay early. A 3rd down conversion from QB Cade Chambers to talented WR A.J. Davis was aided by a facemask penalty to put the Rebels in Farragut territory for the first time. Chambers would find Davis two plays later for a 17 yard gain and move the ball inside the red zone. The Admirals’ defense would force another 3rd down opportunity but once again the Rebels would convert. Chambers hit WR Nick Dagel for a 9-yard score to put the Rebels up 7-0 early with 8:00 left to play in the first quarter.

Farragut’s Hunter Shopovick would return the ensuing kickoff out to the 23-yard line to start their opening series. QB Gavin Wilkinson hit WR Judah White early and found TE Alec Keathley over the middle to convert on an early third down attempt. The Admirals would stall from there, though, and Brady Hodges was called in to punt after the Admirals had moved the ball out to their own 44-yard line.

Maryville would begin their next drive on their 23-yard line following Hodges’ punt. The Rebels began with two quick first down runs by RB Parker McGill to start the drive. With the ball close to midfield the Admirals’ defense began to stand its’ ground. After a couple of nice stops, the Rebels decided to go for it on 4th-and-13 from their own 48-yard line. Farragut’s Andrew Doane would come up from his linebacker position to make a huge hit on the Rebel’s McGill as he attempted to catch a screen pass sneaking out of the backfield. The hit would cause a fumble that was recovered by Maryville, however the Admirals would take over on downs in great field position.

Sam Kniss carries the ball. Photo credit: Carlos Reveiz crfoto.com

Wilkinson and the Admirals’ offense would start possession on Maryville’s 43-yard line. A couple runs by RB Sam Kniss and a short, 3rd down conversion run by Senior Gabe Hensley put the Admirals just outside the Maryville red zone. Wilkinson would throw to Judah White for 13 yards and move the offense closer as the first quarter came to a close. After flipping ends of the field, Hensley would take a handoff and burst through the middle of the Rebels’ defense for 8 yards down to the 5-yard line for first-and-goal. On second down, Wilkinson would drop back to throw and see room for himself outside the pocket. Wilkinson’s scramble managed to beat the Rebels’ Mason Shelton to the right pylon to score from 5 yards out. The Admirals had moved 43 yards in nine plays on the drive and tied the score at 7-7 with 11:03 remaining until halftime.

Maryville would answer on their next drive after taking over on their own 35-yard line following Simeon Sharp’s kickoff. Cade Chambers hit A.J. Davis from 6 yards out to put the Rebels back ahead. The Rebels’ drive covered 65 yards in six plays taking little time off the clock. A big play on the drive was a 43-yard swing pass to RB McGill out in the flat. With 8:57 left in the second quarter the Rebels led 14-7.

Farragut would again move the ball into Maryville territory on their next series. Sam Kniss found a big hole up the middle and sprinted 18 yards across midfield. Farragut would march 33 yards on seven plays but a Maryville sack of Wilkinson on second down pushed the Admirals’ offense back to the 43-yard line. A failed third down attempt would bring on punter Brady Hodges to punt away.

Gabe Hensley (21) and Andrew Doane (29) appear to stop MHS Quarterback Cade Chambers for no gain. Photo Credit: Carlos Reveiz of crfoto.com

Maryville would begin possession from their own 20-yard line and move 51 yards in 10 plays into Farragut territory. But the Admirals’ defense would again hold their ground. Juniors Trey Nesbitt and Eli Purcell would converge for a tackle for loss on the Maryville running back. The ensuing play would result in an incomplete pass and bring up 4th down. Maryville’s Chambers dropped back from his own 29-yard line and immediately felt pressure from the Admiral rush. Junior DE Dawson Brown would corral Chambers for no gain as he attempted to escape the pocket and give the ball back to the Admirals’ offense after forcing their second 4th down stop on the night.

Farragut’s offense would not capitalize, though, as it fumbled the ball back to Maryville on its’ second play of the drive and give Maryville their best starting field position of the night at the Admirals’ 31-yard line. Chambers and the Rebels needed just six plays to score as McGill sprinted in from 14 yards out to score. With just :58 remaining until half, Maryville had stretched their lead to 21-7 over Farragut.

Senior OL A’koiyea Johnson provides protection. Photo credit: Carlos Reveiz crfoto.com

Wilkinson would lead the Admirals’ offense down the field in a great two-minute drive. Farragut needed 8 plays to move the ball 58 yards with Wilkinson going 4-of-5 passing and wasting little time on the clock. Wilkinson was able to hit Keathley for nine yards and a first down to start the drive. He found Judah White twice for a total of 19 yards to move the ball into Rebel territory. Gabe Hensley sprinted up the middle for nine yards to pick up a short third down conversion and move the ball dow to the Rebels’ 32. Wilkinson found Shopovick one play later on the sideline to move the ball for 18 yards and inside the Rebels’ red zone. Sophomore kicker Simeon Sharp came on and drilled the 31-yard field goal as time expired in the half. The Rebels led 21-10 but Farragut had claimed some momentum going into the locker room.

Isaiah Arrington celebrates his 10-yard scoring reception. Photo credit Carlos Reveiz crfoto.com

Farragut would continue to ride that momentum on the opening drive of the second half. Wilkinson would lead the Admirals on an 11-play, 71-yard scoring drive resulting in an Isaiah Arrington TD reception covering 10 yards. Strong running by Kniss combined with timely passing from Wilkinson kept the Rebels’ defense on their heels. Shopovick found room across the middle as Wilkinson found him for 29 yards to move the ball into the red zone. After a holding penalty against the Admirals, Shopovick would again find room in the Rebels’ secondary for 16 yards to move the ball down to the 13-yard line. Wilkinson would find Arrington two plays later and the Admirals had cut the deficit to 21-17 with 7:50 remaining in the third quarter.

Dawson Brown (61) stops the Rebels’ Quarterback. Trey Nesbitt (27) closes in. Photo credit: Carlos Reveiz crfoto.com

Maryville’s offense would again move into Farragut territory on their ensuing possession. But the defense of Farragut would stand strong yet again. Eli Purcell and the Admirals’ defense would repeatedly apply pressure to the Rebel QB and a third down incomplete pass brought up another 4th down decision for the Rebels. This time they sent out their placekicker to attempt a 39-yard field goal from the right hash. Purcell, once again applying pressure, saw the kick come up short of the crossbar and the Admirals’ defense had held once again.

Hunter Shopovick catches a pass to move into Rebels’ territory. Photo credit: Carlos Reveiz crfoto.com

The Farragut running game combined with short passes to Keathley and Shopovick moved the ball across midfield. But after gaining 36 yards in just six plays, the Admirals would see their second fumble of the night end the drive at the Rebels’ 42-yard line.

Maryville’s offense would capitalize this time. After being penalized 15 yards for a late hit personal foul on the Rebels’ offense, Maryville would see themselves in a 3rd-and-16 situation. Chambers dropped back and found his speedy WR Ashton Maples behind the secondary for a 64-yard TD strike to push the Rebels’ lead to 28-17 following the extra point. The Rebels claimed an 11-point advantage as 1:13 remained on the third quarter clock.

Gavin Wilkinson throws to an open receiver. Photo credit: Carlos Reveiz crfoto.com

Farragut’s offense would again try to respond. Starting from their own 35-yard line following Maryville’s kickoff that went out of bounds, Farragut would march 39 yards in eight plays into the red zone. A 34-yard reception to Keathley on third down helped extend the drive. Wilkinson could not find Keathley again two plays later, and a Maryville sack on third down ended the drive. Simeon Sharp was called upon once again but his 43-yard attempt sailed just wide to the left as the Rebels would maintain an 11-point lead.

Maryville would go to the ground to run some clock as McGill and Chambers combined to move for yardage on the ensuing drive. Facing a third-and-goal, Chambers found A.J. Davis from nine yards out to push the Maryville lead to 35-17. The Rebels had managed to march 80 yards in nine plays, and with 6:36 remaining in the game, Maryville had it’s largest lead of the night.

Farragut’s offense would not go quietly. Wilkinson led the offense on a 10-play 74-yard scoring drive capping it off with his second rushing touchdown on the night. Isaiah Arrington had two catches for 38 yards on the drive to move closer to the red zone. Maryville would be called for a pass interference penalty to move the ball to the 13-yard line. Sam Kniss would dart up the middle for nine yards and Wilkinson’s second touchdown run on the keeper would cover the final four yards. Farragut had managed to cut the lead to 35-24 with 3:03 remaining in the game but Farragut’s attempt at an onsides kick would fail. The Maryville offense was able to pick up two first downs that were needed to run out the clock.

Farragut dropped to 2-3 overall on the season, but still look to defend their Region 1-6A Championship from a year ago. The Admirals remain unbeaten (1-0) in Region 1 play and begin a five-game stretch against Region 1 opposition this week. Farragut and Maryville will play Freshmen and JV games on Monday, September 30, at Bill Clabo Field. Kickoffs are set for approximately 5:30 and 7:15 respectively. As always be sure to check out photos from all the games at crfoto.com and check out replays of the Varsity games online made possible by the Farragut Football Boosters Club.

Farragut’s first opportunity to bounce back will be at home this Friday versus Science Hill (2-4) at Bill Clabo Field. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm. Despite their overall record (2-4), the Hill Toppers will look to remain atop the Region 1 standings at 2-0.

Admirals prevail over morristown west

The Admirals travelled to Morristown on Friday, September 20 to take on the Trojans of Morristown West to begin Region 1-6A play. Farragut came into the contest hungry after two consecutive losses for the first time since the 2014 season. The Admirals would leave Morristown victorious while leaving little doubt that they could compete at a high level against Region 1 competition.

The Admirals began the night on offense after the Trojans had elected to defer their option to the second half. A nice return by senior Connor Lyle set up the Admirals at their own 26-yard line to begin the first drive. Seven plays and 76 yards later, the Admirals wasted little time finding the end zone as Gavin Wilkinson would connect with Isaiah Arrington for a 31-yard score. Simeon Sharp’s extra point attempt sailed wide and the Admirals led 6-0 with 9:34 left in the first quarter.

The Admirals’ defense would start strong by stopping a short drive by the Trojans and forcing a punt. A nice return by Jackson Fontenot would be negated, however, due to a running into the kicker penalty. No harm was done as the Admirals forced another quick punt to set the Admirals’ offense in good field position at their own 37-yard line.

Gavin Wilkinson would hit tight end Alec Keathley on play one for a 47-yard gain to enter the Trojan red zone. Two carries by Dion Williams would net 16 yards and capitalized with a touchdown. The last carry covering 11 yards to put the Admirals ahead 13-0 after Sharp’s PAT with 5:15 remaining in the first frame.

The defense would come up huge once again forcing another Trojans punt. This time the snap from center sailed high and junior Eli Purcell was able to track down the errant snap at the Trojans’ 23-yard line to set the offense up in great position to tack on another score before the end of the first quarter.

Dion Williams carried for 14 yards on first down and senior Gabe carried the final 9 yards on play number two to increase the Admirals’ lead to 20-0 as Sharp would once again convert the PAT.

The Admirals defense would forced another quick stop of the Trojans. This time junior defensive end Trey Nesbitt would sack the Trojan QB for a loss of 10 yards on third down to force the three-and-out. The Admirals’ offense would take over at their own 39-yard line and waste little time once again finding the end zone.

A 15-yard penalty on the Trojans would move the ball across midfield before junior Sam Kniss would dart through the Trojan defense for a 41-yard gain. The Admirals would score three plays later on a 5-yard keeper from Wilkson. Sharp’s ensuing extra point would make the score 27-0 in favor of Farragut with 7 minutes left before halftime.

Great coverage on the ensuing kickoff would have the Trojans’ offense starting their next drive inside their own 5-yard line. Juniors Logan Foody and Brock Hodges would corral the Trojan returner along with sophomore Dylan Cosey to pin the Trojans deep. Foody would again deliver a blow with a big hit on third down to prevent a conversion. The Trojans’ punter would once again see the snap sail over his head, this time for a safety, and a 29-0 Admirals’ lead.

On the ensuing return, Connor Lyle would once again create great field position for the Admirals’ offense. Gabe Hensley would slice through the defense for a 19-yard gain on first down to start the drive. Wilkinson would hit Arrington for 13 yards, and then find sophomore Zach Keasling for 10 yards to move the offense into the red zone. Wilkinson would once again find his tight end Keathley, this time for a 12-yard score, to up the Admirals’ lead over the Trojans. Freshman placekicker Reese Keeney’s PAT would sail wide but the Admirals held a 35-0 advantage going into halftime.

The Admirals would re-establish their dominance in short order to begin the second half. Once again, great coverage by the kickoff cover team would pin the Trojans deep in their own territory. After a quick three-and-out and a short punt, the Admirals would find themselves just 26 yards away from the Trojan end zone to begin their next drive.

Dion Willliams would take the handoff from sophomore Dawson Moore on the first play of the series and scamper into the end zone. With a running clock already in hand, the Admirals had increased their lead to 42-0 following Keeney’s successful PAT attempt.

The Trojans would tack on a couple of late scores against some Admiral reserves with the help of some successful onsides kick attempts to cut the lead to the final margin of 42-14. In all, the Admirals had dominated the Trojans to improve to 1-0 in the Region 1-6A standings and 2-2 overall. The Admirals will return home next week to face the Maryville Rebels in a non-region clash and rematch of last season’s Quarterfinal matchup. As always, you can find images from Friday night’s win in Morristown by visiting crfoto.com and catch the replay on the FHS Football livestream channel.

12 Admirals earn All-Region 1-6A honors

The 2017 Admirals had yet another successful campaign.  Although it did not achieve it’s ultimate goal of a second straight State Championship, the team still garnered many accomplishments in route to a 9-3 season.  The Admirals were ranked in the AP Top 5 in Class 6A for eight straight weeks while riding a 19-game winning streak dating back to last season, the longest in school history.  The Admirals finished the season as the Region 1-6A runner-ups with wins over Morristown West, Jeff County, Science Hill, and Bearden, earning a home playoff game against Cleveland.  The Admirals also had impressive non-region wins over Bradley Central and Oak Ridge, both Quarterfinalists in their respective classifications.  The 2017 senior class will graduate as the winningest class in program history with 33 wins to only 6 losses in addition to the 2015 Region Championship and 2016 5A State Championship.  Due to the cumulative efforts by many players, certain individuals were recognized on the All-Region 1-6A team.

Braden Collins – Athlete of the Year – Braden led all receivers in 1-6A with his 793 receiving yards and 57 receptions.  He caught 8 passes for 200 yards versus Kingsport D-B and later tied his own school record with 13 receptions against Hardin Valley.

The Farragut offensive line stands tall against Science Hill on 9/29. PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz/Ashley Wathen, CRFOTO.com

Jonathan Buchanan – OL Jonathan finished his Admiral career having started all 27 games the last two seasons.  Jonathan consistently graded out as one of the top performers each week on the Offensive Line.

Cade Burkey returns a fumble against Cleveland on 11/3 PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz/Ashley Wathen, CRFOTO.com

Cade Burkey – LB  Cade led all tacklers in 1-6A with 136 tackles on the season.  He finishes his Admiral career 3rd all-time in career total tackles with 334.

Drew Butler tackles the McMinn running back on 8/25. PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz, CRFOTO.com

 

Drew Butler – LB  Drew finished second in 1-6A with 135 total tackles and 13 tackles for loss.  Drew ends his outstanding career as the all-time leading tackler with 433 total stops.

Isaiah Gibbs stretches out for the touchdown against Cleveland on 11/3 PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz/Ashley Wathen, CRFOTO.com

Isaiah Gibbs – RB  Isaiah led the Admirals with 1,283 yards from scrimmage and was fourth in 1-6A in rushing.  Gibbs also accumulated 248 yards in returns as he returns in 2018 for his senior season.

Neyland Harmon recovers a fumble against West on 9/22. PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz/Ashley Wathen, CRFOTO.com

Neyland Harmon – OLB Neyland was fourth for the Admirals’ defense with 79 total stops.  Other highlights include a 4-yard rushing TD to help seal the victory over Bearden.  Neyland returns in 2018 for his senior season.

Caleb Kuhn sacks the quarterback against Bearden on 10/13 PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz/Ashley Wathen, CRFOTO.com

Caleb Kuhn – DE  Caleb finished second in 1-6A with 9.0 sacks on the year.  He also led the team with 15.0 tackles for loss, and was third on the team with 90 total stops.  He will return in 2018 for his senior season.

Wyatt Lucas intercepts a ball against Bearden on 10/13 PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz/Ashley Wathen, CRFOTO.com

Wyatt Lucas – DB  Wyatt led all defenders in 1-6A with 6 interceptions on the year.  He nabbed 2 interceptions to go along with 130 all-purpose yards in the win over Bearden.  Wyatt returns in 2018 for his senior season.

PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz/Ashley Wathen, CRFOTO.com

Andrew Maxey – OL Andrew completed his Admiral career having started all 39 games the last three seasons at Left Tackle.  He graded out with the highest performance grade for OL on multiple occasions.

Jacob Warren catches a pass against Mo-West 8/31. PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz/Ashley Wathen, CRFOTO.com

Jacob Warren – TE  Jacob finished the year second in 1-6A in receiving yards with 659 yards.  His eight TD receptions led all receivers in the region.  His best performance was four-TD night to help defeat Bradley Central in the season opener.

Gavin Wilkinson rolls out and looks to pass against Dobyns-Bennett on 10/6. PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz/Ashley Wathen, CRFOTO.com

Gavin Wilkinson – QB Gavin finished second in 1-6A with 2,130 passing yards and was first with 17 TD passes.  He had three 300-yard plus performances versus Mo-West, D-B, and Hardin Valley.  He returns in 2018 for his junior season.

PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz/Ashley Wathen, CRFOTO.com

Alex Williams – Scholar Athlete Alex finished 2017 with 66 total stops, 8 tackles for loss, and 3 INT’s.  His work in the classroom was impeccable as he narrowly bested several other of his classmates with the team’s highest GPA of 4.37 over his high school career.

The 2018 Admirals are already hard at work to carry on the success that has been laid before them and much will be expected.  The Admirals will return five players that garnered All-Region honors in addition to many others looking to build off their success in 2017.  The Admirals will carry a 14-game home winning streak into the 2018 home opener against Bradley Central on August 17th.  The rising senior class will look to extend the Admirals’ on-field success and compete for another championship next fall.

2017 FHS Sports Hall of Fame

The 2017 edition of the Farragut High School Sports Hall of Fame banquet will be this Saturday, February 4th, at 5:30 pm in the Commons.  The football program will welcome two former players into this year’s class.   Quarterback Chris Avans, class of 1995, will join the Hall of Fame’s fifth induction class along with punter/kicker, Aaron Doyle, class of 2004.

Avans rewrote the record book as the Admirals’ signal caller for the 1992-94 seasons.  Avans’ 1993 squad captured the Region 2-5A championship and advanced to the Quarter-finals in the first year of the TSSAA expansion to five classifications.  Avans was 24-5 as a starting QB and now ranks 6th all-time in career passing yards (3,071), 2nd in career TD passes (45), 7th in career total offense (3,831), and 2nd in career total TDs responsible for (67).  Chris also lettered in baseball and basketball.

Aaron Doyle was named an All-American for his efforts on the Admirals’ soccer team that won back-to-back State titles in 2003 and 2004 along with being named National Champions in 2003.  Doyle joined the football team prior to his senior year to handle all punting and placekicking duties.  Aaron was able to finish the season with a 40.3 yard average on 46 punts as well as making 6 of 7 field goal attempts.  Most notably, his first attempt of the year was a game-winning, 36-yard field goal to beat Bearden 10-7 on the game’s final drive.  Aaron now ranks 12th in punting average all-time and converted a career long 47-yard field goal versus Ooltewah.

Other inductees into the 2017 Hall of Fame class include:

Donald Dodgen (coach, basketball)

Kelsey Benorden Baird (volleyball)

Jeff Glover (baseball, basketball)

Jessie Howard Baird (softball, swimming)

Alex Munday (basketball, track, volleyball)

Mandy Newman Watson (basketball, track)

Willie Parker (basketball, track)

Erika Thornton Scott (golf)

Justin Treadwell (basketball)

Tickets to the event are $30 and tables for eight can be purchased at $225.  This year’s ceremony will be featured by former Tennessee and NFL standout kicker Fuad Reveiz as the keynote speaker.  For tickets and information, contact Coach David Moore at 966-9775.

Joe Doyle plays in Under Armour All-American Game on ESPN

 

Senior P/PK will participate in the 2017 edition of the Under Armour All-American Game on Sunday, Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. ET.  The game

Photo courtesy of USA Today at usatodayhss.com, Sep. 15, 2016.

will be televised nationally on ESPN from Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL.  Joe becomes the second Admiral in as many years to be named as an Under Armour All-American.  Ben Hoffman participated in the 2016 edition of the national all-star game as a long-snapper before moving on to Eastern Kentucky.  Joe will represent the Admirals one final time and showcase his talents in front of many college recruiters.  Joe has recently received a scholarship offer from UNC-Charlotte to go along with many opportunities to come in as a preferred walk-on.  Joe will wear #12 for Team Highlight competing along with some of the best high school football players in America.  We wish Joe the best of luck as he represents the Admirals one final time before moving on to the college ranks.  Fans be sure to tune in to ESPN on Sunday, Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. ET and as always follow updates from Twitter at @FarragutFB and Facebook.