Farragut and Bearden met for the 63rd time Friday night in the Battle of West Knoxville.  The biggest rivalry game for both schools.  The Bulldogs came into the contest on a two-game win streak after notching their first two wins of the season against Hardin Valley and Jefferson County.  The Admirals were looking to rebound after their first region loss of the year to Dobyns-Bennett the week prior.

Bearden won the toss and elected to defer to the second half, giving way for the Admirals to start the game with the ball at their own 25.  A completion on first down was followed by eight runs plays.  Then a 3-yard run on 3rd and goal from the 6 left the Ads with a decision on 4th down.  Simeon Sharp was called on and converted on a 20-yard field goal attempt that gave the Ads a 3-0 lead with 6:37 left in the 1st.  A 28-yard kickoff return set the Bulldogs up with the ball at their own 40-yard line.

Their drive started with a 17-yard completion followed by a 27-yard run that found Bearden inside the Admiral 10 yard line.  The Farragut defense held strong for 3 downs, forcing a Bearden FG that tied the game at 3-3 with 2:38 left in the 1st.

The Admirals’ offense took over, and after a conversion on 3rd-and-1, 27 yards on two completions, and a personal foul by Bearden,  Dion Williams’ touchdown run covered 4 yards to put the Admirals ahead once again.  A missed XP try meant the Admirals lead 9-3 with 10:57 left in the 2nd. The Farragut defense came out strong the next drive forcing a 3-and-out. The Admiral offense took over at their own 43-yard line, but an incompletion on 3rd-and-5 forced a punt.  The Bulldogs wasted no time, three plays into their drive, a 55-yard rush took them to the end zone, and gave them a 10-9 lead with 6:18 left in the 2nd.

Farragut took over and made quick work of the Bulldogs on the drive as Dawson Moore found Matt White on the second play of the drive for a 66-yard touchdown pass.  Eli Purcell would get the call on the 2pt try and was successful, give the Admirals a 17-10 lead.  Another successful series by the Admirals’ defense gave the ball back to the offense before halftime.  But an apparent TD pass was dropped and subsequent turnover on downs would leave the halftime score 17-10 in favor of Farragut.

Bearden returned the opening kickoff of the second half to their own 20 where their offense would take over.  A 29-yard run was the catalyst for the Bulldog drive that covered 80 yards.  The drive was capped off by a 2-yard touchdown run on the 12th play that tied the game at 17-17 with 8:21 left in the 3rd.  Farragut took over in Bearden territory after a penalty on the return spotted the ball at the Bearden 46.

Five straight runs covering 27 yards was followed by 19-yard Jake Wallace touchdown reception.  The touchdown gave the Admirals a 24-17 lead with 6:08 left in the 3rd. The Bearden offense took over at their own 26, but an incompletion on 3rd-and-6 forced a Bulldog punt.  The Admirals started their next drive at their own 41.  A holding penalty on 1st down put the Admirals behind the sticks, but a 24-yard Matt White run got Farragut back to a normal down and distance.

Four plays later, Schumann Xie found the end zone on a 16-yard run, capping off a drive filled with no pass attempts.  The Admirals led 31-17 with 1:41 left in the 3rd.  A mishap on the kickoff return meant the Bulldogs got the ball on their own 6-yard line.  A minus yard tackle on first down was followed by a Grant Rice interception that gave the ball back to the Admirals at the Bulldog 14.  Three plays later, Dawson Moore found Mason Collins for an 11-yard touchdown that gave Farragut a 38-17 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The ensuing Bearden drive looked promising after a 25-yard run on the first play, but the Admiral defense held strong on 4th-and-4 to turn the ball back over to the Farragut offense.  The Admirals started this drive at their own 17 and loss of 4 yards on 2nd down proved too much to overcome, as Brady Hodges punted the ball away.

The Bulldogs took over at their own 38.  After picking up one first down, an Eli Purcell sack on 1st down, then a Micah Johnson and Eli Purcell sack on 3rd down led to a Mason Collins interception.  Following a penalty on the return, which had been returned for a touchdown, the Admirals took over at their own 31.  The 5-play drive was capped off by an Alex Taylor touchdown catch that extended the Farragut led to 45-17 with 3:33 left to play.

The Bulldog offense began the next drive at their own 32.  The Bearden drive ended before it ever got started, as Mason Collins notched his second interception of the night on the first play.  The Admiral reserves were able to run the clock out to preserve the win. Behind 322 yards rushing and over 500 total yards of offense,  the Admirals improved to 3-1 in Region 1-6A play and 5-3 overall after the 45-17 win over Bearden. 

Farragut will host Hardin Valley next week in the final home game of the year before traveling to Jefferson County the following week to end the regular season.  The Admirals are looking for revenge against Hardin Valley after being beaten by the Hawks 33-6 in a monsoon at their stadium last season.  Kickoff is set for 7:30p on October 23rd and tickets can be purchased at: https://knoxschools.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/7594/231/False/True

A special thanks to Carlos Reveiz and Ashley Wathen of CRFOTO for the action shots from the game. Be sure to check out 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.

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Farragut came into Friday night looking to be in the driver’s seat for the Region 1-6A title but standing in their way were the Indians from Dobyns-Bennett. The Indians made their way down from Kingsport having only given up 2 touchdowns all year and only allowing 17 total points through 6 games.

Friday night also marked the return of Head Coach Eddie Courtney to the Admiral sidelines after coaching the last two games from the press box while recovering from prostate cancer surgery.

The Admirals won the toss and elected to defer to the second, setting up the Farragut defense to take the field first. A 44 yard completion on the second play of the DB drive set them up at the Farragut 13, where they would score three plays later via a 3 yard run, giving the Indians a 7-0 lead with 9:03 left in the 1st.

An incompletion on third down for the Admirals on the ensuing drive brought on Brady Hodges to punt the ball away for the Admirals. On the second DB drive of the night, runs of 15, 8, and 4 yards were followed by a 40 yard touchdown pass. The Indians led 14-0 with 6:25 left in the first. The next Farragut drive saw runs of 6 and 12 yards followed by two runs totaling 0 yards and an incompletion, as another Hodges punt was in store. 

On their next drive, the Indians would sustain their longest drive on the night so far, a 12-play 81 yard drive that was capped by a 4 yard touchdown run, extending their lead to 21-0 with 9:44 left to play in the 2nd.

The Admirals took the field on their next drive needing points to keep the game from slipping out of control. A 12-play, 58 yard drive was in store and culminated in an 11-yard Dawson Moore to Matt White touchdown pass, making the score 21-7, DB, with 3:40 left before half. The Indians took over at their own 31 yard line and four plays later a 52 yard touchdown run extended their lead to 28-7 with 1:35 left in the 2nd.

Armed with three timeouts and 1:35 on the clock, Farragut looked for points before half and to try and carry momentum into halftime as they got the ball after half. A 68-yard drive would see nothing but pass plays and ended with Dawson Moore finding Mason Collins in the end zone on an 8 yard touchdown pass, as the Admirals trailed 28-14 at half. 

The Ads looked to carry momentum over from the end of the first half into the opening drive of the second half. The DB defense had other plans as Farragut was unable to gain any yardage on the drive and punted away to the Indians.

The Admiral defense held strong on their first drive on the second half by forcing the first Indian punt of the night after a three-and-out. The Farragut offense picked up a first down on the following drive, but an incompletion on 4th and 4 turned the ball over to DB. The Indians wasted no time, as a 46 yard touchdown run on the second play of the drive put the DB lead at 35-14 with 6:30 to play in the 3rd. The Admirals took the field desperately needing an answer.

The answer came in the form of an 8-play, 89 yard drive that ended in Trace Corum catching a 36 yard touchdown pass and cut the DB lead to 35-21 with 3:32 left in the 3rd. The Indians continued their dominance on their next offensive drive, this time marching 81 yards in 8 plays and scoring on a 21 yard run. The score was 42-21, Indian lead, at the end of the 3rd.

An interception ended the ensuing Admiral drive and gave the ball back to DB at the Farragut 49.

A 41 yard completion on 3rd and 5 was the spark that led to a 1 yard TD run three plays later for DB. The drive furthered the Indian lead to 49-21 with 6:17 left to play. On the next Farragut drive, a completion on 3rd down extended the drive and two plays later Dawson Moore found Mason Collins for his second touchdown reception of the night, putting the score at 49-28 with 4:16 to go.

The Indian offense responded quickly though, 69 yards on two plays got the Indians to pay dirt and extended their lead to 56-28 with 3:15 to play.The Admirals would follow-up with competitions of 39,10, and 21, the last being a touchdown strike to Zach Keasling that made the final score 56-35. 

The Admirals fell to 4-3 on the season and 2-1 in region play following the loss to DB. Farragut will be on the road next week to play Bearden in the annual rivalry match looking to get back on track. 

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.

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The Admirals loaded buses Friday with one thing mind, return home from Johnson City 2-0 in region play. First though, they would have to defeat the Hilltoppers from Science Hill who were 2-0 in the region after wins over Hardin Valley and Jefferson County.

Farragut won the opening toss and elected to defer the option to the 2nd half. The Admiral defense came out of the gate strong, forcing a three-and-out after two runs for zero yards and an incompletion. The Admiral offense took over at their own 25 looking to get on the board first, but an 11-play drive ended at the Hilltopper 19 after a failed 4th down attempt.

The Ad’s defense would hold strong again, this time it was Camden Kuhn coming up with an interception that turned the ball over. The very next play, Dawson Moore found Matt White for 44 yards and an Admiral TD, giving Farragut a 7-0 lead with 4:03 left in the 1st. On their next drive, two penalties caused Science Hill a 3rd and long situation when a sack forced a Hilltopper punt. Farragut took over just shy of midfield, but another failed 4th down conversion gave the ball back to Science Hill.

The Admiral defense forced another Science Hill punt after Trey Nesbitt pressured the QB for a 14-yard loss. Farragut began their drive at midfield looking for paydirt, but two incompletions brought out Brady Hodges to punt it away.

Hodges’ punt would be downed at the Hilltopper 2 forcing them to be conservative with their play calling. The Admiral defense again forced a three-and-out and a Hilltopper punt. A 31-yard Matt White punt return setup Farragut’s offense at the Science Hill 39.

After two Schumann Xie runs totaling 23 yards, Dawson Moore found Trace Corum for a 17-yard TD. This gave the Admirals a 14-0 lead with 6:40 left before half. Another Hilltopper drive followed, but with similar results, sacks by Camden Kuhn and Trey Nesbitt forced a Hilltopper punt. The ensuing Admiral drive looked promising after picking up 5 first downs, but an untimely interception ended the drive. The Science Hill offense wasted no time capitalizing, throwing a 63-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the drive, cutting the Admiral lead to 14-7 at half.

After half, the Admirals received the kickoff, but a costly holding penalty put Farragut behind the sticks and forced a punt. The Admiral defense was able to carry their momentum into the 2nd half, as two minus yard tackles and an incompletion called for another Hilltoppers punt. The Farragut offense would then embark on a 78-yard, 13 play drive on which Dawson Moore was 5 of 5, but the run game carried the drive into the endzone as Dion Williams carried the ball in from 7 yards out. The touchdown extended the Admiral lead to 21-7 with 3:46 left in the 3rd. As the Hilltoppers were returning the ensuing kickoff, the returner fumbled the ball and Dylan Cosey recovered it.

The Admirals setup on the Hilltoppers 26 ready to strike. The 8-play drive that followed showcased nothing but the Admiral running game, as it called for 8 straight runs and was capped off by Dion Williams’ second touchdown carry of the night, this time from 1 yard out. Farragut led Science Hill 28-7 with 11:58 left in the 4th.

The Farragut defense took the field and would give the Hilltoppers more of the same, this time it was an Eli Purcell sack and a Micah Johnson minus yard tackle that lead to the punt. A 28-yard completion to Zach Keasling was the catalyst for the following Admiral offensive drive. Four plays later Dawson Moore found Trace Corum for the 47-yard touchdown and grew the Admiral lead to 35-7 with 7:01 left to play. The Hilltoppers were not giving in though, completing 4 of 4 passes on their final drive, the last being for a 39-yard touchdown. Camden Kuhn would block the PAT, which made the final score 35-13.

The Admirals will return home next Friday, October 9th to host region rival Dobyns-Bennett. Farragut will be looking to avenge a 38-13 loss to the Indians in the regular season last year. The winner of next week’s game will have a leg up in the chase of the Region 1-6A championship.

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.

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The Ads travelled to Maryville on Friday night for the final out-of-region game of the season to take on the defending state champion Rebels. Friday also marked the return on of Head Coach Eddie Courtney, just 9 days removed from prostate cancer surgery, as he coached from the press box. 

Farragut won the toss and elected to defer the option to the 2nd half, so the Rebels received the opening kickoff. The Admiral defense would hold strong, but the Rebels would be bailed out by two penalties on third down, and a fourth down penalty. The Rebels would score on a 2 yard run that gave them a 7-0 lead 5:46 left in the first. The Admiral offense took over at their own 20 and began to march down the field, gaining 22 yards on the ground, before quarterback Dawson Moore’s first pass attempt of the night was intercepted by Maryville. The Ads would again hold strong, this time forcing a Maryville punt from their own end zone. The Admirals offense took the field again, this time just shy of midfield. Similar results ensued, as Dawson Moore would throw his second interception of the night to end the drive. 

The Rebels took over at their own 32 after the interception. The drive would be cut short after their quarterback ran, fumbled, and Joe Maine recovered the ball. Farragut’s offense started the drive at the Admiral 27 looking for points before halftime. The ensuing 10 play drive saw just one pass attempt, a 14 yard completion to Alex Taylor on third down, as the Ads picked up 41 yards on the ground. Farragut was unable to convert on a 3rd and 5. Reese Keeney was called in to attempt a 37 yard field goal, which was successful and cut the Rebel lead to 7-3 with 2:12 left before halftime. The Admiral defense looked to hold strong before halftime and leave a one possession game as the Ads were set to get the ball after half. A storyline like the one that began the game for the Rebel offense ensued. Maryville would again be helped by penalties and capped the drive off with an 11 yard touchdown run, extending their lead to 14-3 at halftime. 

Farragut opened the second half with the ball and the drive looked to be a promising one, but an untimely Eli Purcell fumble ended the drive. The Rebels wasted no time answering, as they scored on the first play of the drive via a 66 yard touchdown run and extended their lead to 21-3 with 9:11 left in the 3rd. The Ads looked to answer, but a short run, an incompletion, and a short QB scramble forced a Brady Hodges punt. Maryville started the next drive at their own 45 and three plays in, took it 46 yards on a quarterback keep from the wildcat formation, extending their lead to 27-3, after a missed PAT. Farragut took over and marched from their own 20 to the Rebel 25, but a fumble, recovered by Farragut, a penalty, and three straight incompletions killed the drive. 

The Admiral defense again took the field and were able to force a turnover on downs after Corey Walker batted down the Rebel pass attempt on fourth down. Farragut’s offense struggled to get jump started as a minus yard rush and two incompletions ended the Admiral drive. The Rebels took over and embarked on a 13 play drive that ended with the Admiral defense holding strong on at the 3 yard line and stopping Maryville from scoring with :49 left to play. The Ads took over at their own three, but without time, the drive ended as the clock ran out and Maryville beat Farragut 27-3. 

Farragut drops to 3-2 on the season but are 1-0 in region play. The Ads return to region play next week as they travel to Johnson City and take on the Hilltoppers from Science Hill. Kickoff is set for 7:30pm, and please stayed tuned to the Farragut Football Twitter account for ticket information. 

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.

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Friday night was Homecoming at Bill Clabo Field and the Admirals looked to open region play with a win. It also marked just the second game since 1981 that Coach Eddie Courtney was not on the Farragut sidelines as he recovered from prostate cancer surgery.

The Trojans won the opening toss and elected to defer the option to the 2nd half. After a 25-yard kickoff return, the Admiral drive began at their own 40-yard line.

A 7-play touchdown drive would ensue, as Dawson Moore found Matt White in the endzone on a 7-yard throw. The Ads lead 7-0 with 9:18 left in the 1st. The Admiral defense then took the field at the Mo-West 30. On the 8th play of the drive the Trojan QB mishandled the snap and Trey Nesbitt recovered the ball.

The Admiral offense setup shop at their own 28. The drive looked bleak on 3rd and 11, but Dawson Moore found Zach Keasling for a 17-yard completion to keep the drive alive. Four plays later Dawson Moore found Matt White on a 25-yard touchdown pass to put the Admirals up 14-0 with 2:09 left in the 1st.

The Trojan offense looked to answer the call on their next drive. Mo-West converted on 3rd down twice and once on 4^th, en route to an 11 play, 64-yard touchdown drive that was capped off by an 8-yard touchdown run. The Ads still lead 14-7 with 9:57 left in the 2nd.

Farragut looked to answer the Mo-West offense, but 3rd and 11 put the drive in jeopardy, but Dawson Moore would find Zach Keasling yet again, this time for a 55-yard touchdown catch. This gave the Admirals a 21-7 lead with 8:18 left before halftime. Morristown-West would not back down though, as a 38-yard run on 4th and 1 was the catalyst for the 16-yard touchdown run 5 plays later, cutting the Admiral lead to 21-14 with 4:33 left before halftime. However, Farragut wasted no time answering, as Dawson Moore found Matt White on a swing pass that White took 68 yards to pay dirt. That play put the score at 28-14, advantage Farragut, with 4:09 left to play in the 1st half. The Admiral defense would hold strong on the ensuing Trojan drive, as a big 4th and 1 stop gave the ball back to the Admiral offense with just :40 left before half. The Ads were determined to get points and did just that.

Dawson Moore threw is 5th touchdown of the first half, this time 29 yards to Zach Taylor, extending the Farragut lead to 35-14 at halftime.

Morristown-West received the opening kickoff of the 2nd half looking to cut into the Admiral lead. The Farragut defense would answer the call though, forcing their first three-and-out of the night forcing the Trojans to punt. The ensuing Admiral drive would follow suit, as the Ads were forced to punt away after their first three-and-out of the night as well.

The next Trojan drive looked promising as they had a 1st and Goal from the 6, but a loss 6 yards on a run and a 13 yard Camden Kuhn sack proved to be too much as the Trojans were unable to convert on 4th and 25 as pressure from Trey Nesbitt forced a 12 yard sack on the QB. However, the Admiral offense would carbon copy their last drive, a three-and-out, as Brady Hodges punted away to Morristown-West.

The Trojan drive looked promising after a 45 yard completion set them up at the Admiral 23, but a Joe Maine interception and 35 yard INT return on a failed screen play, gave the Ads the ball at the Trojan 30.

A sack on 2nd down, followed by an incompletion on 3rd, setup a 41-yard Reese Keeney field goal attempt, which he nailed and extended the Ads lead to 38-14 with 11:49 left in the 4th. The Farragut defense would hold strong yet again, forcing another three-and-out. The Admirals took over, looking to score after a 15-yard Trojan punt that was downed at the Mo-West 27. However, a fumble on the second play of the drive ended it before it got started. Another big stop on 3rd down by the Admiral defense, forced the Trojans to punt.

The Admiral offense wasted no time, as Trace Corum turned a 7-yard hitch route thrown by Dawson Moore into a 54-yard touchdown. This touchdown pass gave Dawson Moore the Farragut High single game record for touchdown passes, with 6. This extended the Farragut lead to 45-14 with 7:02 left to play. Farragut’s defense had one more stop left in them, this time with backups getting some valuable Friday night reps, as pressure on 4th and 12 left the Trojans unable to convert. The Admirals looked to run out the clock on their next drive, and did just that, but first sophomore QB Barrett Smith was able complete his first varsity pass, as Max DeVault hauled in the 4-yard completion.

As the clock expired, the Admirals defeated Morristown-West 45-14 and improved to 3-1 on the season and 1-0 in Region 1-6A play. Farragut will travel to Blount County next week for the final non-region contest of the year against Maryville. Kickoff is set for 7:30pm at Maryville High School as tickets go on sale in the Main Office at Farragut High School starting Monday morning at 9:00am. We have a limited allotment for away games, so get your tickets early in the week! $8 each – while they last.

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.

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