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Admirals Shutout Bradley Central 34-0

A Tanner Corum interception on the opening drive of the game would set the tone Friday night for the Admirals. Eight total turnovers by Bradley Central would be the story of the game. Corum would come up with two more interceptions on the night to tie the school record of three INTs in one game, set by Earl Chisholm in 1987 (Bearden) and tied by Spencer Boyer in 1998 (Rhea Co.), Zach Allen in 2007 (Dobyns-Bennett), and Justin Kirkendall in  2015 (Powell).

The Admirals however started the game in similar fashion when a fumble ended their first drive of the game,

Referee John Ward and Caleb Kuhn signal Farragut ball after a Bradley fumble on 8/17. PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz/Ashley Wathen, CRFOTO.com

but a Bradley fumble on the very next play gave the ball back to the Admirals.  An unsuccessful 4th down try turned the ball over to Bradley, but yet another fumble would end the Bear drive and give the Admirals the ball on the Bradley 16-yard line.  Two plays later, Kyle Carter scampered into the end zone from 13 yards out.  A missed extra point try gave Farragut a 6-0 lead with 7:11 left in the 1st.

On the next Bradley offensive drive, Corum’s second interception came as the Bears had driven the ball down to the Farragut 26-yard line.  A 41-yard Kyle Carter run setup a 30-yard, Gavin Wilkinson to Matt White touchdown pass.

Tanner Corum intercepts a Bradley pass en route to tying a school record for most INTs in a game on 8/17. PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz/Ashley Wathen, CRFOTO.com

Another Corum interception and fumble by Bradley would leave the Bears with 6 first half turnovers.  A 9-yard Caleb Kuhn sack would help derail a Bears late 2nd quarter drive, and ensured a 13-0 halftime lead for the Admirals.

Farragut’s offensive line against Bradley on 8/17. PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz/Ashley Wathen, CRFOTO.com

In the second half, the Admirals’ rushing attack continued to pickup steam as Kyle Carter rushed for 17 and 25 yards, to set himself up for a 2-yard touchdown run that made it a 20-0 with 7:32 left in the 3rd.

Kyle Carter carries the ball against Bradley on 8/17. PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz/Ashley Wathen, CRFOTO.com

A fumble on the ensuing kickoff resulted in the 7th turnover for Bradley on the night, however the Ads were unable to capitalize and turned the ball over on downs.

Farragut held on to a 20-0 lead as the 4th quarter began.

Billy Seal sacks the Bradley QB on 8/17. PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz/Ashley Wathen, CRFOTO.com

However, a fourth down Bradley pass attempt found Admiral Matt White, resulting in an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown, extending the Admiral lead and accounting for the eighth Bear turnover.  The eight turnovers forced by the defense tied a FHS record from 1998 versus Rhea County.  The Admirals led 27-0 with 10:42 left to play in the contest.  A 9-yard sack on the next drive would force a Bear punt and give the ball back to the Admirals near midfield.

Gabe Hensley carries the ball against Bradley on 8/17. PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz/Ashley Wathen, CRFOTO.com

A 7-play, 54-yard Farragut scoring drive was capped off by Gabe Hensley who carried the ball in from 2 yards out. The Farragut defense would shine again as the reserves denied the Bears three times from inside the 9-yard line in the final stages of the 4th quarter.

As the final horned sounded, the Admirals improved to 1-0 after a 34-0 victory of Bradley Central. Farragut will host the Cherokees from McMinn County next week at 7:30

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.

 

OFFICIAL GAME STATS

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Jamboree and Scrimmages Over, Game Week is Here

After three weeks filled with practices, scrimmages, and a jamboree, fall camp is over and game week is officially here.

Fall camp officially began on July 23rd with the first day of practice, also the first two-a-day practice of the year. After six practices, the Admirals  traveled 85 miles south to take on the Owls from Ooltewah in the first scrimmage of fall camp.

Gavin Wilkinson throws the ball at Farragut High School during the first day of football practice with pads Monday, July 23, 2018. Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel

The Admirals and the Owls are familiar foes, both former members of the old Region 2-AAAAA TVAC, having met 13 times on the gridiron. After an hour and a half scrimmage, both teams got great work and came out injury-free.

 

The second week of fall camp was preempted by the annual Kickoff picnic and began with the final two-a-day practice of camp.  After that, practice returned to a more familiar, after school, time slot.  Thursday of that week saw the Admirals again return to the road, but this time they headed west to Cookeville.

Defensive line coach Tom Doucette talks to players at Farragut High School during the first day of football practice with pads Monday, July 23, 2018. Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel

Although they have never met on the gridiron, the two teams have become familiar with each other through annual preseason scrimmages since 2014. Much like the Ooltewah scrimmage, both teams were evenly matched and were able to get quality reps against a different color jersey.

The final week of fall camp was jammed packed with action, one scrimmage, three practices, school starting back, and a jamboree to cap it off.

Players practice at Farragut High School during the first day of football practice with pads Monday, July 23, 2018. Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel

Monday and Tuesday were work days for the Ads on the practice field to tune up and build on the previous week’s action.  Wednesday was the final scrimmage of 2018 Fall Camp, as the Admirals headed north to face the Greene Devils from Greeneville. Weather forced the scrimmage indoors to the Tusculum University Indoor Practice Facility.  The hour and a half scrimmage that ensued,  proved to be the most physical of camp.  A day of on-field practice was planned for Thursday, but the weather had other plans and turned it into a day of film and meetings.

Fall camp was capped off with the annual KOC Kickoff Jamboree, a one quarter exhibition of all Knox County teams plus three others. This year marked the first time since 2013 that the jamboree was held at Neyland Stadium.

A fleet of Admirals stop the Gibbs RB for a loss. PHOTO CREDIT: 5 Star Preps,5starpreps.com

Farragut played in the sixth of eight quarters planned for the evening against the Gibbs Eagles. A 12-yard TD run by Gabe Hensley, a 37 yard Daniel Bethel field goal, and three stout defensive series gave the Admirals a 10-0 victory over Gibbs.

Now that fall camp is over, the Admirals turn their attention to the Bradley Central Bears.

Isaiah Gibbs runs with the ball at Farragut High School during the first day of football practice with pads Monday, July 23, 2018. Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel

A team that used to be a region opponent when both were in Region 2-AAAAA. Farragut boasts a 11-1 record vs Bradley Central all-time. The teams played each other every year from 2001-2008 as region opponents, and again during the 1993 and 1994 seasons. Last season’s game was a thriller that was decided in overtime after the Admirals intercepted a pass that stopped what would have been the Bears winning TD drive with under a minute to play. The Admirals scored in OT to win the game 27-21. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30pm at Bill Clabo Field, for more outlook on the opening game, you can CLICK HERE.

 

Early Signing Period Sees 2 Admirals Sign

Jacob Warren and Braden Collins sign with Tennessee and Appalachian State, respectively, during the Early Signing Period for the class of 2018.

Wednesday, December 20th, 2017 was the Early National Signing Period for the Class of 2018.  The Admirals saw two of their own commit to play at different institutions.

TE/DE Jacob Warren signed to play at the University of Tennessee  in Knoxville, TN.  Jacob chose Tennessee over 11 other Power 5 schools, including Auburn, Louisville, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, and more.  Jacob, a two year starter for the Admirals played a vital role in the team’s success, starting at tight end and playing defensive end when called upon.  For his career Jacob caught 70 passes for 1,156 yards and 17 touchdowns.  Jacob played a vital role in the 2016 State Championship run.  Jacob’s career finds himself on several records boards at Farragut, including; 8th in season receiving yards (659), 6th in career receiving yards (1,156), tied for 2nd in career receiving touchdown (17), and 11th in season receptions (39).

 

WR/DB Braden Collins signed with Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.  Braden chose Appalachian State over Army, Air Force, Furman, Indiana, and many other schools.  Braden started at both wide receiver and defensive back for the Admirals.  In his career at wide receiver he caught 126 passes for 2,056 yards with 23 TDs.  Those accomplishments rank 2nd, 2nd, and 1st respectively in the program’s history.  A vital part of the 2016 State Championship run, Braden set school records for receptions (68),  receiving yards (1,242), and receiving touchdowns (16).  Braden also set several individual game records while at Farragut; most pass receptions (13) vs Ooltewah  in 2016  & Hardin Valley in 2017 and most receiving touchdowns (4) vs Ooltewah  ’16.

Stay tuned to Farragut Football on twitter and website, as there will be several more players sign with their respective schools in the next signing period, starting on February 7th, 2018.

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.

Admirals Fall to Maryville to End 2017 Season

MARYVILLE — Maryville football has been so dominant against East Tennessee playoff teams in the 21st century, it rarely has won by less than a double-digit margin — almost all have been blowouts with many outcomes decided by halftime.

Though far less dominant, Farragut’s program entered last Friday’s Class 6A playoff second-round showdown against the mighty Red Rebels with its own single-digit success: not losing by more than eight points the past three seasons — defeated just five times since 2014.

Perhaps an early hit set the tone for Maryville’s continuing blowout success against East Tennessee foes.

Jacob Warren catches a long pass against Maryville on 11/10 PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz/Ashley Wathen, CRFOTO.com

An apparent first-down reception early in the game by talented FHS senior tight-end Jacob Warren, a Tennessee commitment, was jarred loose on a vicious hit.

Maryville [11-1] didn’t punt in the first half, making things look easy on both sides of the ball — and special teams — with 38 first-half points.  The Red Rebels also turned back the Admirals’ one good first-half drive with an interception.  It ended as a 38-6 Maryville victory Nov. 10 at MHS’ Jim Renfro Field.  Farragut’s season concludes 9-3.

Andrew Williams catches a long pass against Maryville on 11/10 PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz/Ashley Wathen, CRFOTO.com

A 52-yard bomb from junior Jake Evans, Admirals back-up quarterback, to senior receiver Andrew Williams set up Farragut’s only points by placing FHS at the Rebels 1. Devin Yarborough, senior running back, scored on the next play with just 1:31 left in the game.

About Maryville, Williams said, “They executed their offense well and they executed their defense really well, and that’s just what it takes to win.”

Nnamdi McSwine, senior defensive end, said the Red Rebels “are a hard team to beat. They’re well-coached, they don’t give up much. They don’t jump off-sides or anything.”

Eddie Courtney, Admirals skipper, labeled the game “disappointing,” adding, “I know we’re a better football team than what we showed tonight.

“… We didn’t help ourselves out early.  At the end we tried to make some things happen and have some fun out there.”

However, “You’ve got to give Maryville credit, playing on all cylinders tonight and executing real well,” Courtney said.

McSwine and Williams were among the Admirals seniors who reflected on the their careers at FHS.

Jackson Powers, offensive tackle, said, “Overall we went 33-6 over the past three years, and I think that’s pretty good.

“Overall, I think me and my team have built friendships and a bond, and it’s beyond what you can get in any other sport.

“I’m never, ever going to lose what I made on and off the field with my brothers,” Powers added. “Coach Courtney and the other [coaches] have helped me grow as a person.  I’ve really matured through the team.

“I’m really thankful for everything that I’ve been given over the past four years.”

Jonathan Buchanan, offensive guard, said, “I couldn’t have asked for anything more.  The coaches here are incredible.  It’s been an honor to play with them.

“It’s been a great career,” he added.

McSwine said, “The past three years have been amazing.  All of these guys here are my brothers.  I wouldn’t ask for a better team to play for.  I want to say, ‘good luck’ to the guys for next year.”

Williams, also a defensive back, said, “It was a great time.  We got to win a lot of games and play with my brothers.  It was fun.”

“We’ve had a good run this year,” Courtney said. “… I know this senior group has had a lot of success the last three years [including the Class 5A state championship in 2016].

“I know they’re going to be successful young men,” he added. “In the next five to 10 years, people are going to see another chapter in their lives about how successful they’ll be.

“I love these guys. I appreciate their effort.”