Bill Clabo Field on 5/8/2016 after the grass surfaced was completely removed. PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Cain, Professional Drone Pilot
The last 10 weeks have brought monumental change at Bill Clabo Field. The grass surface that covered the field for nearly 40 years was removed and a new artificial playing surface was installed. The process began on May 1st with the removal of the old grass surface. After four weeks weeks of removing the old surface, and dumping over thirty truckloads of dirt to build the playing surface level with the surrounding track, the first base layer of rock began to be graded. By the June 1st, the first layer of rock had been graded, and on June 3rd the new goalpost were installed, which
New goalposts being installed on 6/3/2016 . PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Cain, Professional Drone Pilot
replaced the previous goalpost that were updated before the 2015 season with longer uprights, but had been at Bill Clabo Field for nearly 40 years.
After installing both goalposts and laying the last base layer of rock, a process that lasted until June 21st, it was then time to do the final grading of the surface and ready it for turf installation.
View from 6/24/2016 after the final grading. The last. Photo of the field before the installation of the turf. PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Cain, Professional Drone Pilot
The final grade of the field was completed on June 24th and turf installation began the next day.
View from 6/28/2016 after 50 yards of turf had been installed. PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Cain, Professional Drone PilotView from 6/30/2016 after the entire playing field had been installed, excluding sidelines. PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Cain, Professional Drone Pilot
Once the installation process began, the playing field was covered quickly with the artificial turf, but the turf doesn’t have any markings, logos, or numbers on it except for the 5-yard markers. The process of inlaying the hash marks, sidelines, logos, yard makers, and end zone decorations proved to be the most time consuming part of the entire installation process, taking nearly four weeks. After finishing the playing field, attention turned to the installation of the sidelines. This is a large undertaking given there is a long jump pit on the home sidelines, which requires there be extra sideline space between the playing field and the pit.
The new Bill Clabo Field 7/22/2016 PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Cain, Professional Drone Pilot
After nearly three weeks of installing the sidelines, hash marks, logos, yard makers, and end zone decorations, on July 22nd the new Bill Clabo Field passed inspection and was ready for use.
Construction began on Monday, May 2nd on the new synthetic turf to be installed at Bill Clabo Field. This project began as the fourth turf installation project at a Knox County high school this spring. Powell, Fulton, and Bearden have also began construction on their fields as well.
Photo courtesy of Chase Scott
Construction crews from Baseline Sports Construction, LLC. entered the stadium Monday morning and began removing the existing goalposts at either end of the field. These goalposts will be moved to the practice field and replaced with new ones. The entire construction process will take eight to ten weeks for completion, which is plenty of time for the Admirals to become acclimated with the new surface prior to the home opener with the Powell Panthers on August 19th. Be sure to check back regularly for photos, videos, and updates to the construction process as we continue into the summer!
Photo courtesy of Chase ScottPhoto courtesy of Chase Scott
National Signing Day 2016, 5 signees surrounded by teammates.
Wednesday was National Signing Day for the Class of 2016. The Admirals saw 6 of their own commit to play at 6 different institutions.
DE/TE Cole Strange signed to play at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Cole chose Air Force over Army, UTC, and several other offers. In his senior season, Strange led the team in sacks, with 7.5, in minus yard tackles, with 18, and was 2nd in total hits, with 103.5 despite missing 4 games due to injury. Cole ranks 5th in school history for most tackles for loss in a season, with 18. He also ranks 11th in school history in career tackles, with 226.
RB Tanner Thomas signed with the Ivy League’s Columbia University in New York, NY. Tanner chose Columbia over Cincinnati, UTC, and several other schools. Tanner leaves Farragut as the 2nd leading career rusher in school history with 5,013 yards, and ranked 2nd with 64 touchdowns. Thomas’ junior and senior years’ rushing totals rank 9th and 4th, respectively, in school history. Tanner also set the record for most rushing TDs in a game, with 6 against Bearden in 2014.
K Carter Phillipysigned with Austin Peay University in Clarksville, TN. Carter chose Austin Peay over MTSU and several other offers. Carter leaves Farragut with the best PAT % for any kicker in history, hitting 99.2%, only missing one attempt in 129 tries for his career.
Long snapper Ben Hoffman signed with Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, KY. Ben was selected to play in the 2016 Under Armour All-American game, the first Farragut player to have received that honor.
DT Hunter Fox has chosen to continue his football career at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, KY. During Hunter’s senior season, he ranked 5th in total hits, tied for 3rd in minus yard tackles, and tied for 3rd in sacks.
QB Jacob Naumoff decided to further his football career at Bethel University in McKenzie, TN. Naumoff leaves Farragut 4th in career passing yards with 3,529. Jacob’s junior and senior seasons rank 11th and 3rd, respectively, for single season passing yards. Naumoff also holds the records for single game pass completions, 27, and single game pass attempts, 43, both coming in 2014 against West.
A $10 million donation from the Haslam family, Pilot and Pilot Flying J will mean new, artificial turf fields for the 13 high schools in Knox County. Five schools will receive new tracks in the gift: Austin-East, Bearden, Gibbs, Halls and South-Doyle.
But that’s not all. $1.3 million will go to academics and education in Knox County. Each school will receive $100,000 to fund improvements in the classrooms across the county.
The new additions will be rolled out during the next three years, with the first project to break ground on April 1. Fulton is guaranteed to receive their new artificial turf field in the first year because of the “Pilot Battle of Champions” matchup with Maryville on Saturday, August 27th. The game will air on WVLT with a grand opening ceremony, involving the Haslam family before the game kicks off.
After a drawing Thursday, the order is set for Knox Co. schools to receive turf football fields.
After a random drawing Thursday night, this is the order that construction will begin in April.
“Thank you to the Haslam family for this great gift. Congrats to Farragut High School , both academically and athletically” said Farragut Head Coach Eddie Courtney.
2016 – Farragut High School
– Powell High School
– Bearden High School
– Fulton High School
2017
– Halls High School
– Gibbs High School
– Karns High School
– Central High School
– Carter High School
2018
– South Doyle High School
– Austin-East High School
– Hardin Valley High School
– West High School
Farragut High School football coach Eddie Courtney doesn’t want a heartbreaking season-ending loss to define his 2015 team.
“I’m really proud of these kids,” Courtney said after the Admirals came up on the short end of a 40-34 decision against Rhea County Friday night in a second-round Class 5A Playoff game before a packed house on a chilly night at Bill Clabo Field. “These kids have worked hard and they won a region championship.
“This hurts right now but this game will not and does not define us.”
Farragut (10-2) struggled to contain the Golden Eagles’ multi-pronged running attack,
“That Wing-T is hard to defend and all the credit has to go to Rhea County,” Admirals senior running back Tanner Thomas said. “They’re a great team and they played a great game.” The Golden Eagles (9-3) scored first on quarterback Daniel Dotson’s 1-yard run. Kicker Bhodi Buffenbarger added the extra point to give the visitors a 7-0 lead with 7 minutes, 25 seconds remaining in the opening frame.
PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz, crfoto.com
Rhea County’s defense stifled Farragut on its first possession but the Admirals got a huge break when Noel Patterson muffed a punt from Farragut’s Joe Doyle. Jack DeVault recovered the fumble and gave his squad the ball at the Rhea County 13-yard line.
A touchdown run from Thomas knotted the game on the next play.
Farragut never led in the game and fell behind 34-17 late in the third quarter before its sputtering offense and struggling defense came to life to tie the game in the fourth quarter.
“We gave them a lot of yards in the first half and in the third quarter before we were able to make some adjustments,” Courtney said.
During Rhea County’s early dominance, the Golden Eagles intercepted Farragut’s Jacob Naumoff and got a touchdown run
PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz, crfoto.com
from Mason Stephenson that made the score 21-7. Patterson also caught a 22-yard scoring strike from Dotson to help the Golden Eagles retake the lead.
Thomas had a 54-yard touchdown run to make it 21-14 midway through the second quarter and that represented the last scoring before halftime.
PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz, crfoto.com
The Admirals took the third-quarter kickoff and engineered a long drive that netted a 33-yard field goal from Carter Phillipy to make the score 21-17.
But Rhea County scored a pair of touchdowns to push its advantage to 34-17. Dotson appeared to put the game away when he scored from one yard out.
But the Admirals wouldn’t go away. Naumoff’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Tanner Mengel pulled Farragut to within 34-24 early in the final frame.
Thomas, who finished with 182 yards, made the score 34-31 and Phillipy went on to tie the game with a 34-yard field goal with 4:46 left to play.
PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz, crfoto.com
“We didn’t quit,” DeVault said. “We never quit.”
Rhea County took a 40-34 lead with just under a minute to play but Buffenbarger missed the extra point, leaving Farragut one last chance to win and advance.
Farragut’s final drive came up empty when Tyler Pendleton intercepted a Naumoff pass at the Rhea County 24.
“I was really proud of our kids for coming back after they tied the game,” said Golden Eagles’ coach Mark Pemberton, who guided Knoxville Catholic to a Class 3A State Championship in 2008. “Farragut has a great football team over there and they’re well coached.
“They came in here 10-1 for a reason and we just made one more big play than they did.”
The loss was a bitter one for junior Admirals junior Cooper Hardin.
PHOTO CREDIT: Carlos Reveiz, crfoto.com
“We fought hard to get back in this thing and it hurts to have it taken away on a big play,” Hardin said. “We have a great senior class and I’m going to miss those guys.”
A special thanks to Carlos Reveiz of CRFOTO for the action shots from the game. Every week be sure to checkout CRFOTO.com 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.
