Category Archives: Main Lead

Coach Eddie Courtney Announces Retirement

In a statement today, Coach Eddie Courtney announced his plans to retire after 28 seasons as head football coach at Farragut High School. In the statement, Coach Courtney said, “In making this decision, I’m looking forward to dedicating more time to my family and the joyous occasions we have yet to share.” The complete statement can be read by clicking here.

Coach Courtney began coaching as a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater, Mars Hill College, in 1975. In the summer of 1975, he started work on his M.S. at East Tennessee State University. While there, he served as a football graduate assistant with duties in scouting, recruiting, and coaching linebackers and defensive ends.

After spring practice and receiving an M.S. degree at E.T.S.U. in 1976, he joined the staff at the University of Tennessee as a grad assistant. While there, his duties were working with the linebackers, the defensive scout teams, and recruiting.

Eddie then joined the Farragut staff during the summer of 1977 when first-year Coach Ken Sparks recruited him to the Admirals. His first stent at Farragut was brief, as he spent two seasons as a defensive assistant.

Courtney got an opportunity to become a coordinator when new Halls head coach Bruce Lussier hired him to be the defensive coordinator for the Red Devils in 1979. Coach Courtney also spent the 1980 and 81 seasons at Halls.

Head Coach Dan Bland recruited Eddie to return to Farragut in 1983 as defensive coordinator for the Admirals, where we would spend the next 41 seasons on the sidelines.

After Coach Buddy Fisher retired in 1995, Coach Eddie Courtney was named head ball coach for the Farragut Admirals. During his 28-year tenure as Head Coach for the Admirals, Coach Courtney amassed 204 victories to only 121 losses and ranks in the 96th percentile in terms of total wins by any coach in the history of the State of Tennessee.

In 2016, Coach Courtney led the Farragut Admirals to its first-ever State Championship, completing a 14-1 record and thrillingly defeating Independence High School in the 5-A Blue Cross Bowl.

Among other honors, he received the PrepExtra Polston Coach of the Year award and the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame Pat Summitt Ignite Award.


On December 6, 2021, Coach Courtney was inducted into the 2020 TNFCA Hall of Fame class. In January 2022, Farragut Mayor Ron Williams declared Friday, January 28th, as Eddie Courtney Day in honor of his 26th year as head coach.

Coach Courtney and his wife, Anita, have been married for 41 years and have two children, Megan and Geoff. He has a 2-year-old granddaughter, Charley Rose.

Coach Eddie Courtney By The Numbers

  • 28 seasons as Head Ball Coach at Farragut
  • 204-121 Record as Head Ball Coach at Farragut
  • 43 Season as AC and HC at Farragut (1977 first season)
  • 325-167 record on the sidelines at Farragut as head and assistant coach
  • 486 of 849 Games Coached in Farragut Football History – 61% of All Games

Farragut Tames Maryville to Win 13-10

November 1, 2023, by Bill Howard, Correspondent, Farragut Press

MARYVILLE — When Farragut High School’s football team concluded its regular season Friday night, Oct. 27, it had won half the games it won in last year’s regular season: four versus eight.

And last year at this point, the Admirals were riding high headed into the Class 6A playoffs. This year? They’ll be spectators throughout.

But oh how sweet Friday night was.

With 2.4 seconds left in the game, sophomore kicker Ryan McCue connected on a 35-yard field goal to give FHS a 13-10 win over regional rival Maryville at Shields Stadium. 

It was the first time the Admirals had beaten the Red Rebels in 32 years, a span that included 17 wins by MHS.

McCue was asked if he was nervous before the final kick. 

“Not so much compared to what I thought I’d be,” he said. “I think that was the good end of the season.”

Farragut head coach Eddie Courtney was asked if the win vindicated his team’s subpar season. “It does (for the players),” he said. “We needed something. These kids came every day to practice, trying to get better and stay together. I’m so proud of them.”

The Admirals’ winning drive started on their 20-yard line with 6:31 left in regulation and the score tied at 10. McCue’s kick came on the 14th play of the drive. 

Nine of those plays were runs by senior running back Wyatt Drummy, who gained 46 yards on the drive, including a fourth-down conversion.

For the game, Drummy ground out 166 hard-fought yards on 38 carries. He finished the season with 1,010 yards, which he displayed with a 1,000-yard emblem he was given after the game. 

“I’ll remember this for the rest of my life,” Drummy said. “The defense was great; our offense just ran it down there. I couldn’t have done it without (the offensive line).”

Maryville (6-4 overall, 2-3 in Region 2-5A) jumped to a quick 7-0 lead on its first drive when Price Davis scored on a 7-yard run. 

FHS cut it to 7-3 with 47 seconds left in the half when McCue connected from 24 yards. The 15-play drive covered 60 yards and ran almost seven minutes off the clock. 

Twice on the drive Farragut converted on fourth down. For the game, the Admirals went for it on fourth five times — and converted all five.

“We came to win,” Courtney said, “and we had confidence we were gonna do that.”

Finishing 2-3 in 2-5A, Farragut took a 10-7 lead with 6:29 left in the third when quarterback Cam Duncan hit Robbie Jacobs for a 22-yard touchdown. The drive needed six plays and covered 58 yards. 

Maryville then tied it at 10 on a 31-yard field goal by Hudson Jamerson with 6:39 to go.

Senior linebacker Jack Alley finished No. 2 in FHS history in tackles, while senior receiver Landis Davila ended No. 3 all time in receiving yards.

A special thanks to Carlos Reveiz of CRFOTO for the action shots from the game. Check out CRFOTO.com weekly 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.

Ads Clip the Hawks, 27-3

Led by Drummy on ground, stingy defense, Admirals dominant at HVA

October 26, 2023 by Bill Howard, Farragut Press

HARDIN VALLEY — Farragut High School’s football game at Hardin Valley Academy Friday night, Oct. 20, featured two teams each desperately needing a win.

The Hawks opened the season with three straight wins, only to drop the next five. The Admirals won their first two, but then lost six straight.

Senior running back Wyatt Drummy led a fierce Admiral rushing attack that stopped Farragut’s bleeding, at least for a game.

The workhorse Drummy carried the ball 25 times for 219 yards — many of those yards tough and grinding — and three touchdowns to lead the Admirals to a 27-3 Region 2-6A win. Now 1-3 in Region 2-6A (3-6 overall), FHS kept its faint playoff hopes alive.

Admirals head coach Eddie Courtney was proud of his squad’s perseverance during the losing streak. 

“These guys have worked hard,” the coach said. “It’s been tough. They needed tonight. Just proud of them … their patience and coming out and executing like they did.”

The Admirals led 14-3 at the half behind a pair of touchdown runs by Drummy. The first came with 5:41 left in the first quarter and was set up by Landon Collins’ 36-yard punt return to the Hawks 14. 

On the first play, Drummy plowed his way in, and FHS led 6-0. Ryan McCue then tacked on the conversion kick. 

Then, with 9:47 left in the half, Drummy finished off a 60-yard, nine-play drive with a 1-yard plunge on first down. McCue’s conversion kick made it 14-0.

“I can always fall back on my team,” Drummy said when asked about putting the team on his shoulders. “(The O-line was) great up front. They did an amazing job.”

Courtney said of Drummy: “He’s done a good job. The offensive line gave him some holes tonight and he also stuck it in the ground.” 

HVA’s lone points came with seconds left in the first half on Nathan Holbrook’s 21-yard field goal. 

“Physically they beat us up,” Hawks head coach Jeff Miner said. “They ran the ball. We had a tough time protecting and  throwing the ball and they made us one dimensional. They did a good job blocking.”

A turning point in the game came late in the third. The Hawks (3-6, 0-4) drove to FHS’s 28 where they had a fourth- and-6. An incomplete pass gave Farragut the ball, and it promptly capitalized.

On second down from the FHS 35, Kent Carbaugh ran 39 yards to the Hawks 26. Two plays later, Collins took the snap and ran it in from the 19. The 20-3 score with 1:23 left in the third put the game long out of reach. 

Carbaugh had eight carries for 79 of Farragut’s 322 rushing yards. Neither team had noteworthy passing numbers. 

Jack Alley, Admirals senior linebacker, had nine solo tackles, 13 total, including a tackle for loss. HVA had a mere 57 yards offense in the first half.

Farragut finishes the regular season Friday night, Oct. 28, at 2-6A foe Maryville. 

The Hawks also finish in 2-6A, playing at Cleveland. A CHS Blue Raiders win eliminates FHS and puts Maryville in the playoffs, regardless of Friday’s outcome versus the Ads, as the No. 3 seed.

Ads Fall to Jeff. County, 31-14

October 18, 2023 by Alan Sloan

A promising first 18 minutes for Farragut football, building a 14-3 lead against Region 1-6A champion Jefferson County — sparked by a successful fake punt — turned into Freaky Friday the 13th thanks to a pair of deflected passes-turned-interceptions near the line of scrimmage.

Those two turnovers set up the Patriots (7-1) for what turned out to be a pair of relatively easy touchdowns in an eventual 31-14 JCHS win in FHS’s Eddie Courtney Stadium on Bill Clabo Field Friday night, Oct. 13. The Admirals have now lost six straight and fall to 2-6.

“Everything did go against us after that … that’s football,” Admirals head coach Eddie Courtney said. “Our kids came back fighting, trying to make plays.”

Despite the losing streak, “This team still comes to practice and works hard, trying to win a ballgame,” the coach said. “We’ve just got to regroup and get ready for Hardin Valley.”

During Farragut’s first series, senior Brooks Burnette faked his punt attempt and took off running to the right, then cut down the sideline for a 30-yard gain to the Patriots 25. 

Wayne Drummy, Ads senior running back, converted a fourth-and-2 at the JCHS 5, then scored from 2 yards out to give Farragut a 7-3 lead only 26 seconds into the second quarter.

After the Ads defense stiffened and forced a short punt, FHS went 50 yards for another TD. Drummy’s 15-yard scamper came before Cam Duncan 26-yard slant pass to fellow senior Landis Davila, landing the Ads at the Jeff County 1. Drummy scored on the next play and sophomore kicker Ryan McCue added his second extra point of the game, making it 14-3 with 6:45 left in the first half. 

After forcing another Patriots punt, Farragut took over at its own 23. That’s when disaster struck and the momentum changed.

Duncan’s deflected pass at the line of scrimmage was intercepted by a JCHS lineman, who rumbled to the Ads 3. Jefferson County scored its first touchdown on the next play.

After a first-down reception by Burnette was wiped out due to a penalty, the Patriots went 65 yards to take the lead for good. 

Two runs by Omarian Mills, the second covering four yards, put Jefferson County up 24-14 at the 9:47 mark of the third quarter. For the game, Mills rushed for 175 yards and two scores.

The Pats went 43 yards for their last points, ending with a 12-yard scoring run less than one minute into the fourth quarter, making it 31-14. 

About his team’s sharp turnaround in 2023, Jefferson County head coach Spencer Riley said “Our kids have bought into our run culture … . We’re going to do what we do, which is run the football and throw deep.” 

As for his team’s intangibles, “They’re a gritty group, they play for each other,” Riley said. 

Jeff County’s victory marks the program’s longest winning streak, seven, since 2003. 

Defensively for the Admirals, senior linebacker Jack Alley recorded 18 total stops (11 solo), with two tackles-for-loss and one forced fumble.

Bryce Thompson, junior linebacker, also had 18 tackles (11 solo), with four tackles for loss, one quarterback sack and a forced fumble. 

Senior lineman Matt Purvis added eight stops (six solo) and one tackle-for-loss. Senior defensive back Landis Davila had seven total tackles (three solo), with two pass breakups.

Kent Carbaugh, junior defensive back, added seven tackles (three solo), while junior linebacker Harrison Kilpatrick had six (two solo).

Offensively, Drummy ended with 92 yards rushing on 25 carriers. Duncan completed 13-of-24 passes for 125 yards. Davila had five catches for 57 yards, and senior Robbie Jacobs added four for 19.

Farragut Loses to Oak Ridge, 35-3

October 11, 2023 by Ken Lay, Correspondent

Despite seeing his team endure more than its share of offensive struggles in its most recent outing, longtime Farragut High School football head coach Eddie Courtney remained upbeat.

“We have three games left and the key is that we’ll have to beat Hardin Valley and Maryville to make the playoffs,” Courtney said after his Ads came up on the short end of a 35-3 decision to Oak Ridge on FHS Homecoming Friday, Oct. 6, at Bill Clabo Field.

Farragut (2-5) has lost five straight games for the first time in a season since 2001.

The Admirals fell behind early as Oak Ridge (6-1) took the opening kickoff and engineered a 74-yard TD drive.

Farragut would answer on its opening possession when Ryan McCue kicked a 34-yard field goal.

The Admirals’ offense was far from anemic, at least in the first half. FHS moved the ball well, amassing more than 200 yards of total offense before halftime. The one bright spot was running back Wyatt Drummy, who had 112 yards on 20 carries for the game.

“He had a great night,” Courtney said. “He ran the ball well and picked up a lot of yards after contact.”