As the old saying goes, it’s not how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get up. Coach Eddie Courtney has certainly been a fighter throughout his career and always seems to find the silver lining in the worst of storms.

He valiantly battled Hodgkin’s disease in 2005 with courage that most would have had trouble finding. So much so, that in 2006 the Knoxville News Sentinel created the Eddie Courtney Courage Award, “an award that will be given each year to a player, coach or contributor to local high school football who has shown the spirit to face fear or danger with confidence, resolution and dignity.” Coach Eddie Courtney was the first ever recipient of the award which was named in his honor.

After a routine yearly physical this summer, his doctor noticed his PSA levels were slightly elevated. Coach visited a specialist who requested further testing and a biopsy. The result of the biopsy was a cancerous tumor contained to the prostate. Coach Courtney was one of more than 191,000 men that will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. While it was certainly not the results that anyone would hope for, the prognosis for this type of prostate cancer are good,  especially since the tumor is contained in the prostate and had not spread.

Always wanting to act as quickly as possible, Coach Courtney was ready to do surgery the next day. Unfortunately, the body needs to heal after a biopsy, so six weeks after the biopsy was as soon as surgery could be performed.

That pushed the surgery date to Wednesday, September 16th, two days before the Admirals are set to open region play against Morristown-West. This could mark the second game since 1981 that Coach Eddie Courtney will not be on the Farragut sidelines, the most recent in 2008 at Soddy Daisy. Coach Courtney stated that his future is clear because he knows that it is in God’s hands.

**9/16/2020 11:00am UPDATE***
Coach Courtney is out of surgery and doctors are pleased at the outcome, as everything went as planned. Please continue to keep him and his family in your thoughts as the road to recovery begins.

The Admirals returned home Thursday night after a much-needed bye week following a disappointing night at West in Week 2. Thursday night was also senior night at Bill Clabo Field, usually reserved for the final home game of the year but moved up due to COVID concerns, as the 24 seniors were honored. 

Farragut won the toss, elected to defer, and started the game on defense. The Wildcats wasted no time getting the ball moving, going on a seven play, 80-yard drive that was capped off by a 43-yard touchdown pass. That put Oak Ridge on the board first, leading 6-0 with 9:48 left in the 1st after a missed PAT. The Farragut offense took the field looking to answer, and they did just that.

A 73 yard, ten play drive ended as Eli Purcell gave the Admirals their first lead of the night at 7-6 on a 1 yard touchdown run with 6:50 left in the 1st. Oak Ridge took to the field and a 78 yard drive was capped off by a 36 yard touchdown pass. After another missed PAT, the Wildcats led 12-7 with 4:39 left in the 1st. The Admirals again looked to answer the Oak Ridge touchdown and were able to do so after Dawson Moore found Matt White in the end zone from 6 yards out, putting Farragut back in the lead 14-12 to close the 1st quarter. 

The Wildcats would take over at their own 20 and march down the field to the Farragut 12-yard line but were unable to convert on a 4th and 3 as an incompletion ended the drive.

A 39-yard Dawson Moore to Matt White touchdown pass again capped off a drive this time 10 plays and 88 yards. The Admirals extended their lead to 21-12 with 3:30 left before halftime. A three and out was in store for the Wildcats on their next drive as they were forced to punt for the first time of the evening. 7 plays later, the Admirals were forced to bring their punter onto the field for their first punt of the night. With 1:24 left before half, Oak Ridge desperately needed points, as the Admirals were set to get the ball after halftime. They did just that, as an 8-play drive ended with a 15-yard touchdown pass that made the score 21-18 at half, after a failed 2 point try. 

The Admirals opened the second half with the ball looking to extend their lead after giving up a touchdown with a few seconds left before the half.

Dawson Moore’s 1 yard touchdown run capped off a 10 play, 71 yard drive and gave the Admirals a 28-18 lead with 8:27 left in the 3rd. Oak Ridge answered the call yet again, as a 24 yard QB scramble pulled the Wildcats back to within three, as Farragut still lead 28-25 with 4:28 left in the 3rd. An eight-play drive would end as Dawson Moore connected with Matt White for the third time of the night on a 24-yard touchdown pass and give Farragut a 35-25 lead with 2:37 left in the 3rd. 

The ensuing Wildcat drive ended with an incompletion on 4th and 12 and a turnover on downs. Unfortunately, the Admirals were unable to sustain a drive and punted away giving the Wildcats the ball back at their own 6.

On their next drive Oak Ridge was unable to convert on a 4th and 2, thus giving the ball back to the Admirals at the Wildcat 14. Farragut struggled to get anything going, but a Reese Keeney 32-yard field goal allowed the Admirals to make it a two-touchdown game, extending the lead to 38-25 with just 2:50 left to play.

The Admiral defense would again hold strong, forcing a turnover on downs after an incompletion on 4th and 5. The Admiral offense took over with 1:36 left looking to run the clock out. Junior Schumann Xie had other plans, as he would bust loose on the second play of the drive for a 46-yard touchdown. This put the final score at 45-25, as the Admirals now hold bragging rights in this storied rivalry until next year.

The Admirals improved to 2-1 on the season with the win over Oak Ridge. Region play will begin next week as Morristown-West will travel to Bill Clabo Field on Friday night. 

A special thanks to Carlos Reveiz and Ashley Wathen of CRFOTO for the action shots from the game. Be sure to checkout CRFOTO.com every week for a full photo gallery from Friday’s game.  See a photo you like?  They are also available for purchase directly from his website.  Click here for this week’s photos.

 

CLICK HERE FOR STATS

The Admirals traveled to Knox-West to take on the Rebels for some Saturday Night Lights action in Week 2. This has become an annual matchup with the teams meeting every season since 2007, as Farragut looked to start the season 2-0.

The Admirals won the coin toss and elected to defer to the 2nd half, meaning West started the game on offense.

The Rebels got off to a hot start gaining 40 yards on their first three plays and scored a touchdown on the 7th play of the drive thanks to a 19-yard pass. With 9:01 left in the 1st, West led Farragut 7-0. The Admiral offense would start their first drive of the game at their own 17 looking to answer. A pair of incompletions and a run for a loss caused the Ads to go three and out.

The Farragut defense would however answer the call, when Mason Collins intercepted the ball on the second play of the drive and set the Farragut offense up at the West 41. Unfortunately, it was a mirror image of the first time, two incompletions and a minus yard run forced a Brady Hodges punt. After a forced punt by the Farragut defense, the offense again took over from their own 20 looking to tie the game.

A 9-play, 80 touchdown drive would ensue, as a 22-yard completion Dawson Moore to Matt White completion would be the catalyst on 3rd and 7.

Matt White would again provide a spark a few plays later rushing for 28 yards from the quarterback position. Two plays later, a 3-yard Dawson Moore to Alex Taylor touchdown pass would even the score at 7 with 10:41 left in the 2nd. The Admirals and the Rebels would trade punts, and then a Dylan Cosey forced fumble from the West receiver and Grant Rice recovered the ball just before going out of bounds. Failed forth down conversions by Farragut and West ended the first half tied at 7. 

The Ads received the ball after half and looked to take the lead. A 28-yard Matt White run on 2nd down hoped to be a spark that the Ads needed, but a holding penalty two plays later deep in the back field would kill the drive. The Ads were forced to punt away on 4th and 28, but the Rebels were able to penetrate and block the punt. It took 3 plays for West to score from 8 yards out, giving them a 14-7 lead with 7:58 left in the 3rd.

Another three and out for the Admiral offense led to a 19-yard Rebel field goal making the score 17-7 with 2:15 left in the 3rd. The Ads were able to pick up a first down on the ensuing drive but were unable to convert on a 3rd and 4, giving away for another Brady Hodges punt. 

The Rebels would embark on a 10-play, 78-yard drive that was capped off by a 23-yard touchdown pass that extended their lead to 24-7 with 8:13 to play.

The Ads looked to answer, but a sack and delay of game penalty killed the drive. Brady Hodges eighth punt of the night capped the drive off and the Rebels would return the punt 40 yards for a touchdown. The extra point was missed and put the final score at 30-7. 

The Admirals fell to 1-1 on the season after a tough night at West. Farragut is off next week before hosting Oak Ridge in Week 4 on Thursday night, September 10th. Stay tuned here for all things Farragut Football.

A special thanks to Carlos Reveiz and Ashley Wathen of CRFOTO for the action shots from the game. Be sure to checkout CRFOTO.com every week for a full photo gallery from Friday’s game.  See a photo you like?  They are also available for purchase directly from his website.  Click here for this week’s photos.

CLICK HERE FOR GAME STATS

After an offseason filled with uncertainty and angst, the Admiral faithful descended upon Bill Clabo Field with masks donned, temperatures  checked, and socially distanced as the Admirals played host to the Bears of Bradley Central on Friday night to open the 2020 campaign.  This year marks the fourth straight year the Admirals and Bears face each other in the season opener. The two teams also faced each other in the first round of the TSSAA playoffs last season, where Farragut won 56-21.

Bradley won the toss and chose to defer, and the Admirals started their first drive of the season on offense. However, Farragut’s offense wasn’t able to get going and a three and out ensued. But after just two plays on defense, the craziness of 2020 would continue as three separate lightning delays caused an almost hour and a half pause in action with 9:19 left in the 1st. At approximately 9:15pm play resumed, and the Admiral defense was able to force a punt after two penalties led the Bears to a 4th and 29.

The Admiral offense took to the field again and a 69 yard Eli Purcell run setup a 7-yard Dion Williams touchdown run to put the Admirals up 7-0 with 6:44 left in the 1st. A 25-yard return on the ensuing kickoff setup the Bears just across the 50 at the 48. Bradley would waste no time, scoring in just three plays on a 33-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7 with 5:31 left in the 1st. Farragut would get a drive going and march down to the Bradley 24, but a missed field goal was the end result. The Bears took over at their own 20 and another three and out was in store, as a holding penalty on 2nd down gave them a 4th and 15 to punt.

The Admirals took over at their own 39-yard line to begin the 2nd quarter and a 37-yard Dawson Moore to Matt White pass setup a 2-yard Eli Purcell run to give the lead back to Farragut at 14-7 with 11:17 left in the 2nd. Bradley would punt after being unable to convert on 3rd and 5. The Admirals’ next drive was ended after a failed 3rd and 3 conversion, but a Brady Hodges punt would be downed at the Bradley 2-yard line to flip the field. The Bears however were not phased, and two long runs of 35 and 34 yards were the catalyst to a drive that ended with a 5-yard Bear touchdown run and tied the game at 14 with 3:31 left before halftime. The Admirals kicked it in high gear to try and score before half and were able to quickly drive to the Bradley 13, but the next two plays resulted in 13 yards of loss and a 4th and 23 that the Admirals were unable to convert on. The Bears would take a knee and take it to the half with the score tied at 14.

After an abbreviated halftime due to the earlier lightning delays, Bradley was poised to start the 2nd half at their own 33, looking for their first lead of the game.

The Admiral defense had other plans, as Trey Nesbitt forced and recovered a fumble on the first play of the drive giving the Admiral offense the ball at the Bradley 21. The Admirals were able to drive inside the 5-yard line, but had to settle for a 21-yard Simeon Sharp field goal, which gave them a 17-14 lead with 7:52 left in the 3rd. The Bears started their next drive at their own 36 and would embark on an 8-play drive that was capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run. The Bears had their first lead of the night at 21-17 with 4:29 left in the 3rd.

After three alternating punts, the Bears would take over at their own 13. On the second play of their drive, pressure from the Admiral defensive line would force the Bradley QB to intentionally ground the ball from the end zone, which resulted in a safety, and narrowed the Bradley lead to 21-19 with 11:11 left to play in the game. The Admirals fumbled the ensuing kick and gave the ball right back to the Bears at their own 44. Bradley would drive down to the Farragut 34, but the Admiral defense held strong forcing a Bear punt.

The Farragut offense took over at their own 9 with 8:31 left looking to retake the lead and win the game. Junior Quarterback Dawson Moore, making his first start as an Admiral, completed 3 of 4 passes, all of which were the catalyst for Dion Williams’ 7-yard touchdown run that gave the Admirals back the lead at 25-21 with 4:51 left to play.

Bradley started their final drive from their own 20, when a Dylan Cosey sack on third down made it 4th and 6 from their own 12, and the Bears elected to punt. The Admiral offense would drive the ball down to the Bradley 1 before getting into victory formation and running the clock out.

All the uncertainty around the season just a few weeks prior to Friday and an almost 90 minute lightning delay wouldn’t hamper the Admirals from beginning the season 1-0. Farragut will travel next week to Knox-West for a Saturday night showdown against the Rebels with kickoff set for 7:00pm. The Rebels’ week 1 opponent, Bearden, suspended operations and were not able to play, making the week 2 matchup the season opener for Knox-West.

A special thanks to Carlos Reveiz and Ashley Wathen of CRFOTO for the action shots from the game. Be sure to checkout CRFOTO.com every week for a full photo gallery from Friday’s game.  See a photo you like?  They are also available for purchase directly from his website.  Click here for this week’s photos.

CLICK HERE FOR GAME STATS

As questions about the 2020 high school football season continue to multiply, the Admirals continue to forge ahead with off-season workouts. While this summer has been anything but routine for the Farragut Football Admirals, a new sense of normalcy is beginning to set in. Whether it is having your temperature checked upon arrival, supplying your own water, or being required to wear a face mask at times, players are settling into the new routine.

Summer workouts are typically the final preparation point for a player before the grind of two-a-days and the regular season begin. Summer workouts not only prepare the body, but also the mind for all of the details that a season necessitates. Players reported May 26th, after the Knox County Health Department gave the go-ahead and set strict guidelines for having organized team activities

With the exception of large group activities, workouts have followed a very similar structure as in years past. The one glaring difference has been the absence of 7-on-7 activities. June and the first part of July is typically the time where quarterbacks, wide receivers, linebackers, and defensive backs are able to compete against other teams and get the competitive juices following before putting on pads.

Even though we are at the point where shoulder pads should be popping, we are still in a holding pattern awaiting the green light to enter the next phase of practice.

The season was set to begin on August 21st when Bradley County traveled to Bill Clabo Field, but that contest is looking more uncertain with every passing day that there is no more guidance from state officials. The governing body of Tennessee high school athletics, the TSSAA, did announce contingency plans for football if the current ban on contact sports is not lifted before Aug. 29th. You can read more about that plan by clicking here. The ban, as it stands, does not allow for padded football practice until August 29th. From then, it would take at least a couple of weeks for full preparation before a season could commence.

Whenever the season does begin, the Admirals will be well prepared and ready for the challenge that is 6A football. The summer workouts, even in there altered state, are the catalyst for that preparation. Stay tuned to this website, as well as our Twitter feed, click here for that, for all the latest information and updates about the upcoming season.

A special thanks to Danny Parker and 5Star Preps for covering workouts and shooting some wonderful photos and the video above, a full article and gallery are available by CLICKING HERE. Should you be interested in purchasing a picture or two, please email Danny at ParkerPhotography@Yahoo.com.