The Admirals rolled into Blankenship Field on Friday night to take on  the Wildcats from Oak Ridge.  The home team has won every year in this matchup going back to 2013, but the Admirals were looking to change that Friday night.

For the second consecutive week, the Admirals received the opening kickoff and started the game on offense.  The tone was set early that points would be at a premium as both offenses started off with punts on their first drives.

A 10-yard sack by Jake Parsons helped get the Admiral defense off the field on the first Oak Ridge possession.  An interception on a tipped ball ended Farragut’s second offensive drive and gave the Wildcats the ball at the Admiral 25.  Two plays later, Oak Ridge threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to take a 7-0 lead with 5:08 left in the first frame. This was an unfamiliar spot for the Admirals, as it is the first time they had trailed all season.  The next Farragut offensive drive ended with a punt back to the Wildcats.

The Admiral defense opened the second quarter in a tough spot, but were able to stop the Wildcats on a 4th-and-1 from the Farragut 2-yard line.  The Farragut offense found themselves against their own goal line at the 2, but a 56-yard run by Kyle Carter on second down gave the Admirals some breathing room.

Four plays later Gavin Wilkinson found Tanner Corum all alone on a 50-yard TD pass that tied the score at 7-7 with 9:48 left in the second quarter.  The Admiral defense forced a quick Wildcat punt on the next possession, thanks to a 7-yard tackle for loss by Eli Purcell, and gave Farragut the ball back near midfield.  A 41-yard Tanner Corum catch setup a 3-yard Gavin Wilkinson TD run to give the Ads a 14-7 lead with 5:47 left before half.  The Admiral defense would again hold strong, this time after a 17-play drive ended in a missed Oak Ridge field goal as time expired in the first half.

The second half started the same as the first did for the Admiral defense, forcing an Oak Ridge punt on their opening drive of the second half.  The Admiral offense marched down to the Oak Ridge 8 yard line, thanks to passes of 32 and 28 yards from Gavin Wilkinson to Jaden Gibbs and Tanner Corum.  However, the Oak Ridge defense had other plans by intercepting a Gavin Wilkinson pass and taking it 99 yards for a tying touchdown.

The score was tied at 14-14 with 8:28 to play in  the third quarter. Farragut and Oak Ridge would again swap punts and the Admirals found themselves with the ball once again.  A 22-yard completion to Tanner Corum sparked the next Farragut offensive drive and setup Daniel Bethel for a 46-yard field goal attempt.  Bethel booted it through the uprights to give the Admirals the lead, 17-14 at the end of the third quarter.

A 13-yard sack by Benji Cheatham, which forced a Wildcat punt, jump started the Admiral defense to begin the fourth.

The Farragut offense then embarked on an 18-play, 63-yard drive that took 8 minutes and 39 seconds from the game clock. The drive ended in another big field goal for the Admirals, this time Bethel’s attempt was good from 32 yards and made the score to 20-14 with 1:50 left to play.  After the ensuing kickoff the Wildcats took over at their own 10-yard line with just 1:38 to play.  The Admiral defense would continue to do as it did all night long, stand strong against a potent Oak Wild offense.

On what would be the final play for the Wildcats, Alec Keathley and Neyland Harmon both met the Oak Ridge quarterback as he dropped back to pass, Keathley stripped the ball out as the sack was being made and Caleb Kuhn recovered the fumble.  As the clock expired, the Admirals improved to 4-0 with a 20-14 victory over Oak Ridge.

Next week is homecoming for the Admirals as they play host to the Patriots of Jefferson County in an important Region 1-6A matchup.

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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The Admirals traveled to Morristown to take on the Trojans of Morristown-West on Friday night, the first region game of 2018.

After a 60 yard return by Wyatt Lucas on the opening kickoff, the Admirals offense quickly hit their stride when Gavin Wilkinson found Isaiah Gibbs for a 15 yard touchdown pass on the fourth play of the drive. The Ads led 7-0 just 1:16 into the game.

A  5 yard, Caleb Kuhn tackle for a loss helped stop the next Trojan drive in its tracks. Farragut took over and Isaiah Gibbs found the end zone from 39 yards out on the fifth play of the drive, as Farragut led 14-0 with 7:11 left to play in the 1st. Tanner Corum collected his fourth interception of the season on the next series and a fumbled punt by Mo-West on the series after that would set the Ads up with the ball at the Mo-West 16. Runs of 5 and 10 yards by Kyle Carter set him up for a 1 yard TD run to extend the Admirals lead to 21-0 at the end of the 1st.

Another Farragut interception ended a Morristown-West drive, this time it was Matt White coming up with the pick. The Admiral offense struggled to find its rythm in the second quarter, however. The Morristown-West offense found life in the second quarter marching the ball into the red zone, but a Matt White 99 yard interception return for a touchdown ended that drive and made it a 28-0 game at half.

Morristown-West received opening kickoff of the second half, but the Admirals defense would force a three-and-out to get the ball back. After a punt by Farragut, the Admiral defense stood strong once again on a 4th and 1 to get the ball back to the Admiral offense. Two plays later, Gavin Wilkinson found Tanner Corum for a 64 yard TD pass that extended the Admiral lead to 35-0 and made it a running clock as 3rd quarter came to a close.

The Trojans opened the fourth quarter with the ball and completed a 59 yard TD pass on the third play of the drive to make it a 35-7 game.

The Admiral offense would answer on their next drive by marching  80 yards on 12 plays, scoring via  a 32 yard Kyle Carter touchdown run. When the final horn sounded, the Admirals improved to 3-0 on the season and 1-0 in the region with a 42-7 victory over Morristown-West.

The Admirals will be on the road again next week taking on perennial rival Oak Ridge 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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It wasn’t another shutout by the Admiral defense, but a strong  defensive showing along with explosive play by the offense lifted the Admirals to 2-0 on the season, with a 47-7 victory over the Cherokees of McMinn County.

The Ads started off the game by forcing a Cherokee three-and-out, then quickly marched down the field and saw a Daniel Bethel connect on a 27 yard field goal try that gave the Ads a 3-0 lead with 7:26 to play in the first. The next drive saw the Farragut defense again stand strong after a 40 yard McMinn pass and forced anther Cherokee punt.

When Farragut got the ball back they would lead a 14-play, 71 yard drive that was capped off by a 15 yard Kyle Carter touchdown run. This extended the Admiral lead to 10-0 with 11:30 to play in the 2nd.

The Cherokees would however answer three plays later, on a 76 yard touchdown pass of their own to cut the Farragut lead to 10-7 with 10:34 to play in the 2nd.

A 53 yard kick return on the ensuing kickoff by Wyatt Lucas gave the Admirals the ball at the McMinn 43 yard line. Farragut would need just 4 plays this time to punch it in, as Isaiah Gibbs did so on a 6 yard touchdown run that extended the Farragut lead to 17-7 with 9:24 to play in the 2nd. Another three-and-out by the Ad defense and a 35 yard Wyatt Lucas punt return, setup another Daniel Bethel field goal opportunity, this time from 41 yards. Bethel drilled the kick and gave the Ads the a 20-7 lead with 6:03 to play before halftime.

The fourth three-and-out by the Cherokee offense in their first five drives, thanks in large part to an 8 yard Eli Purcell sack on the first play, gave the ball back to Farragut’s powerful offense.  A 7 yard Jake Evans to Alec Keathley touchdown pass capped off  a nine play, 69 yard Admiral TD drive that made the score 27-7 at halftime.

After receiving the opening kickoff, the second half began just as the first ended, with fireworks from the Admiral offense. This time however, Jake Evans found Tanner Corum for a 19 yard Farragut touchdown just four plays into the half. The touchdown gave the Ads a 34-7 lead with 10:26 left in the 3rd quarter.

In even more familiar fashion, the Farragut defense stopped the Cherokees on a fourth down conversion attempt by forcing a fumble that gave the ball back to the Admiral offense. After an 18 yard Kyle Carter run and a 20 yard Hunter Shopovick completion, Gavin Wilkinson found Alec Keathley for his second touchdown reception of the night and extended the Farragut lead to 40-7 with 6:10 to play in the 3rd.

The Admirals would get the ball back with 2:53 left in the 3rd after another stellar defensive series. A 60 yard Jake Evans to Matt White pass would setup a 1 yard keep by quarterback Jake Evans pushed the score at 47-7 with 1:39 left in the 3rd and put the game on a running clock.

The fourth quarter saw wholesale changes for the Admirals as many of the starters were pulled and the younger Ads were given  valuable Friday night snaps. The opening defensive series saw sacks by Caleb Kuhn and Gabe Hensley end yet another McMinn County offensive series. The fourth quarter would fly by as the clock continuously ticked. The Admirals would however bring on the punt team for the first time all night, which resulted in a 47 yard punt by Daniel Bethel.

As the Admiral defense took the field, there was time for one last play by the Cherokees before the clock ran out.

After an incomplete pass and time expired, the Admirals improved to 2-0 after an explosive 47-7 win over McMinn County. Farragut will be on the road for the first time this season next we as they travel to Burke-Toney Stadium to face Morristown West at 7:30pm.

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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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,

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.