November 18, 2021, by Alan Sloan
https://www.farragutpress.com/articles/2021/11/11288

For a Farragut offense that scored 21 points on mighty, unbeaten Maryville — without a turnover — perhaps senior guard Corey Walker best represented the Admiral spirit in a near major upset of the Red Rebels.

“The umpire came to me tonight, in the fourth quarter, and said, ‘Your No. 75 (Walker) hit one of their players the hardest I’ve seen in 10 years,’” said FHS head coach Eddie Courtney, whose team lost 28-21 in the TSSAA Class 6A state quarterfinals at MHS Friday night, Nov. 19. Farragut’s season ends with a 6-7 record. 

At 6-foot, 290 pounds, Walker also was a standout defensive tackle. “We haven’t had a guy at our school for a lot of years who has played that many snaps on both sides of the ball and been that effective,” Courtney said.

“We wanted it so much,” Walker said. “… The last four games, we had to pick it up, we had to get better.” 

As for other top efforts, especially seniors, “Of course, Dawson (Moore’s) leadership at quarterback,” the coach said. “He’s tough; he’s taken a lot of hits the last few weeks and he keeps bouncing back.”

Moore was 23-of-29 passing for 180 yards and two TDs. 

Led by senior Trace Corum (among the school’s all-time single-season leaders in receptions with 76 for 1,131 yards and 14 TDs), but with lots of help from senior Zach Keasling and sophomore Landis Davila (9-yard TD catch Friday) among others, “Our receiving corps just made a lot of improvement,” Courtney said.

Corum had six grabs for 38 yards, including a 1-yard scoring catch, Friday. 

“I think we came out and gave great effort,” he said. “We had about three drives that lasted five minutes or more.” 

“We incorporated new routes and we blocked well in the run game, so altogether we played a good game,” said Keasling (six catches for 47 yards. “We finished strong.” 

“And the run game, too,” Courtney said, which was led by senior Schumann Xie (622 season yards, 4.6 per carry) and junior Elijah Gibbs (572 for 2021, 4.7 per carry). Gibbs scored from 2 yards out late. 

“He had some tough runs,” Courtney said of Gibbs, who also had six catches (45 yards).  

“The offensive line made a lot of improvement the last five weeks,” he added, also led by seniors Aiden Smith and Dennis Longmire. 

Holding MHS (13-0) to only 306 total yards, “We knew it was going to be a hard game, but we knew we were going to scratch and claw to do whatever we could to get as close as possible to win,” senior defensive back/linebacker Jerome Brekken said. “… I’m proud of our team’s effort, I’m proud of how close we came.” 

In addition to recovering a fumble, sophomore linebacker Jack Alley, along with senior safety Sam Moses, led the Ads in solo stops with six each, including Moses’ minus-11 sack.

A special thanks to Carlos Reveiz 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.

November 18, 2021 by Alan Sloan

https://www.farragutpress.com/articles/2021/11/11268

CLEVELAND — From snakebitten to clutch, with some recent sweet revenge included, is the new status of Farragut High School football’s late-season/postseason run.

Earning a playoff berth on the game’s final play versus Bearden, then gambling and winning on the game’s final play on the road at Science Hill, Farragut sought revenge against the team that walked off FHS’s Bill Clabo Field victorious on the game’s final play four weeks earlier (Bradley Central).

The rematch was in round two of the Class 6A playoffs.

This game against the No. 2 seeded Bears, at BCHS Friday night, Nov. 12, saw Farragut’s offense outgain Bradley 404-versus-307 (and run 64 plays versus the Bears’ 42) thanks in large part to an improved defense versus four weeks ago, plus the dynamics of senior quarterback Dawson Moore, who missed the entire second half of the regular season meeting. 

“It just seems like the last half of the season he’s just turned his game up from the standpoint of just being physical as a runner and hanging in the pocket and making the accurate passes,” Admirals skipper Eddie Courtney said about Moore helping FHS get revenge with a 27-24 victory.

However, “We didn’t really talk about (revenge); what we talked about was moving on in the playoffs,” Courtney added. 

“These last three games our kids have had to play four quarters. They know how to finish now.” 

Passing for 274 yards (17-of-28) and two touchdowns with no interceptions, while rushing 23 times for 115 yards (a 3-yard scoring run to put the Ads ahead for good in the third quarter), Moore and Company used a time-killing 6:30 march to end the game by reaching the Bears’ red zone. 

Clinging to the 27-24 lead, Farragut ran out the clock to seal victory after a fourth-down Moore pass to Landis Davila for a first down. 

“He’s certainly leading our football team right now,” Courtney said of Moore. 

Davila (five catches, 108 yards that included a –yard score joined senior receiver Trace Corum, whose single-season program receiving record (70) was improved with six catches for 124 yards, which included a 42-yard TD catch.

“They really picked it up on both sides of the formation,” Moore said of Corum and Davila. 

The Ads defense did a much better job of slowing down Bears running back Jackson Wilson and quarterback Aiden McClary — despite giving up three big scoring plays, This was most evident early in the fourth quarter, as Bradley marched into the FHS red zone down 27-21. 

Courtney spoke about “getting a really good push on both sides of the ball” as being a key. 

“… In the trenches we were a little more physical in the second half,” he added. 

But led by sophomore linebacker Jack Alley’s 12 tackles (six solo), Farragut dug in and stopped the host team, giving up only a field goal and keeping the lead.

Moore and Company did the rest.

Other top defenders in Navy blue and silver were senior linebacker Brice Fontenot (10 total stops, five sole including a sack), Jay Smiley with 10 (three solo) and Sam Moses seven (five solo).

With junior kicker Reese Keeney out of the line-up, senior Simeon Sharp stepped in flawlessly and booted a pair of 25-yard field goals along with going three-of-three on extra points. He also filled in for Keeney punting-wise. 

Advancing to the 6A state quarterfinals, the Admirals (6-6) travel to No. 2-state-ranked and unbeaten Maryville (12-0), with the opening kickoff at 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 19. Bradley’s season ends at 9-3.

A special thanks to Carlos Reveiz 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.

November 11, 2021, by Alan Sloan

https://www.farragutpress.com/articles/2021/11/11251

JOHNSON CITY — Perhaps a rugged 2021 regular season schedule toughened up Farragut, and all the disappointment of losing five close games served as lessons learned, after an amazing display of overcoming obstacles resulted in a wild come-from-behind overtime playoff victory — doing so on the road.  

However, the only first-half scoring the Ads could muster at Science Hill came on a 5-yard Elijah Gibbs TD run, set up by John Duncan’s interception and 45-yard return early in the first quarter.

With the Hilltoppers’ high-powered offense blending pass and run quite effectively — and Admirals turnovers, a dropped TD pass and key penalties preventing a balanced scoreboard — SHHS led 28-7 at halftime on Steve Spurrier Field in this opening round Class 6A playoff game Friday night, Nov. 5. 

But an improved Farragut running attack in the second half, the FHS defense forcing a fumble killing a promising Science Hill drive (recovered by Duncan) followed by Jack Alley’s exciting 59-yard interception TD return were key in tying the game 28-28 in the third quarter. 

Saying his “tight-end days” kicked in “as soon as I got it,” Alley, a sophomore, raced down the left sideline, then cutting diagonally to the middle of the field, dodging and breaking tackles the whole way,

Toughness again was needed late in what turned out to be a thrilling 57-56 win by the Admirals, the No. 4 seed from Region 2-6A, against No. 1 seed Science Hill from Region 1-6A. 

“We just went out there and executed in the second half,” said senior quarterback Dawson Moore, whose key third-down runs were numerous in the second half, rushing 23 times for 81 yards and three TDs. Included was a 3-yarder to give the Ads its only lead before the end, 35-28, with 7:21 left in the fourth frame.

“Dawson, he played so hard tonight,” Admirals skipper Eddie Courtney said.

With Farragut, just 5 yards from a 42-35 lead with less than two minutes to play, a fumble was returned 90 yards to the FHS 5. Three plays later, the Hilltoppers took a 42-35 lead with just 54 seconds left. 

But led by the passing of Moore, Farragut needed just 49 seconds to go 62 yards for the tie. Moore hit Zach Keasling on a 7-yard TD pass with only 5 seconds to play, tying the game with Reese Keeney’s extra point 42-42. 

He also found Landis Davila for catches of 13 and 15 on the last-second drive, along with Keasling for 17 and Noah Gunter for 15 yards. 

Trace Corum, who hauled in a 37-yard TD pass, ended with nine catches for 119 yards.

With the team’s trading touchdowns fairly easily in OT, the Ads pulled to within 56-55 on Moore’s 3-yard TD run in the second overtime. 

Courtney called for a 2-point try to either win or lose. “We felt Dawson had been running the ball real hard, and that the pass would be open — and it was,” Courtney said.

The senior’s play-action fake and roll to the right ended with a pass in the flat to Gunter, a sophomore tight end, who made a nice fingertip catch of a low throw before crashing over a defender just outside the SHHS 1 for the winning score. “I felt it, I knew it. We fought so hard coming back, I just knew we were going to win,” Gunter said. 

Improving its record to 5-6, the Admirals play at No. 2 seed Bradley Central (9-2) in round two at 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 12. SHHS’s season ends at 7-4. 

About his team’s running attack picking up after halftime, “It started with the offensive line because we really got on them at halftime. … They came out and knocked ‘em off the ball,” Courtney said, individually praising the second half and overtime performances of Corey Walker (also a defensive lineman) Logan Roark, Aiden Smith, Dennis Longmire, and Nathan Harville, with help from Roger McNeer.  

“A shout-out to our O-line, they did a great job blocking up front,” said senior running back Schumann Xie, who scored on a 27-yard run. 

Defensively, junior linebacker Jay Smiley led Farragut in total tackles with 11 (five solos), while Brice Fontenot had two minus-yardage stops among his four solo tackles.

A special thanks to Carlos Reveiz 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.

Friday night was Senior Night at Bil Clabo Field and also the regular-season finale. It also happened to be the biggest rivalry game for both Farragut and Bearden, the most storied rivalry in each program’s history.

Dawson Moore and Trace Corum connected on a 28 yard TD to give the Admirals the early lead, 7-0 with 7:12 left in the 1st.

The Bulldogs answered just before half tying the score at 7-7 as the teams went to half.

Late in the 3rd quarter, a 3 yard Schumann Xie touchdown run gave the Ads a 14-7 lead with 3:19 left in the quarter.

The Bulldogs tied the game at 14 all on a 36-yard touchdown run with 5:33 to play. This set the stage for the Admirals to embark on a game-winning drive. The 10 play drive saw a healthy dose of the Farragut ground attack, with only one pass attempt. With 2 seconds left on the clock, Reese Keeney, who had missed a 49-yard attempt before the half, lined up for a 44-yard game-winning attempt. Keeney’s first attempt split the uprights, but a Bearden timeout just before the snap wiped the attempt off. Two more pre-snap timeouts by Bearden set the stage for Keeney’s kick. Another delay would come in the form of an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by the Bulldogs for throwing turf and rubber pellets in the long snapper’s face. With the attempt being shortened to 29 yards, Keeney didn’t get all of the ball, but the ball sailed through the uprights giving the Admirals a 17-14 victory and a berth in the 2021 6A playoffs.

Farragut will next travel to Science Hill to take on the Region 1 6A champion Hilltoppers in the 1st round of the TSSAA playoffs and kickoff is set for 7:00 pm Friday night.

A special thanks to 5 Star Preps for the photos of this game. Click here for the full photo gallery.

October 21, 2021, by Alan Sloan
https://www.farragutpress.com/articles/2021/10/11184

Two huge and dramatic offensive plays in the second half weren’t quite enough for Farragut at Bill Clabo Field Friday evening, Oct. 15.

Unbeaten Bradley Central (8-0, 4-0) overcame giving up a tying score following a fumble deep in FHS territory with less than seven minutes to play, then overcome giving up a 69-yard touchdown pass with two minutes left — both late scores from senior receiver Trace Corum.

Tied 28-28, the Bears drove to the FHS 24 — aided by a pass interference call in the closing seconds, and nailed a 41-yard field goal as time expired to win 31-28.

A rushing attack featuring the power and speed of Bears running back Jackson Wilson and the elusiveness of quarterback Aiden McClary — plus the Admirals offense going three-and-out on three straight second-half possessions, helping to tire an otherwise determined Farragut defense.

Admirals skipper Eddie Courtney Courtney pointed to “a couple of missed blocking assignments” to explain the stagnation.

As a result, Courtney said his defense “was out there for a bunch of plays.”

Clutch passing plays by McClary also fueled Bradley’s late-game scoring success.

“We didn’t think (they’d) run him as much,” the FHS coach said about McClary. “Give credit to him. And they made a couple of great catches on the sideline — that last one I’m not sure about, but it is what it is.”

Overall, “They made a couple more plays than we did,” added Courtney, whose team fell to 3-5 overall, 1-3 in the region. “… We seem to play everybody at their best. You can see why they’re undefeated.”

“I still think we had chances to beat them tonight, but hats off to them. … We just needed a play or two at the end.”

An apparent interception that likely would have forced overtime was nullified by the pass interference, moving the Bears from the FHS 40 to the Admirals 25, setting up the winning field goal.

“We’ve got to get back to work, improve on some stuff for next week (at Fulton),” said Corum, whose 25-yard end-around run — breaking tackles down the right sideline — put the Ads up 21-20 with 5:26 left after Reese Keeney’s extra point.

That series began with senior linebacker Sam Moses recovering a Bradley fumble at the Bears 27 with 6:09 to play.

About the 69-yard pass from Luke Johnson, Ads junior back-up quarterback, “That was a perfect pass,” Corum said. “It shows a lot. Luke’s been working hard all year. Before the last couple of weeks he didn’t (play) in varsity and he wasn’t playing in JVs.”

Early in the game

With Farragut mishandling the game’s opening kickoff, Bradley was at the FHS 12.

But after two runs for only 1 yard, then a dropped touchdown pass on third down, the Bears’ 23-yard field goal was blocked by Griffin Mashburn and the loose ball was returned by junior John Duncan to the Bradley 48.

Corum scored on a jet sweep reverse to the left from 13 yards out, after starting quarterback Dawson Moore completed a pass to senior receiver Zach Keasling for 18 yards to help set up the game’s first score.

Tied 7-7 after an 82-yard Bears TD pass, the Ads pinned Bradley at its 2 thanks to Keeney’s punt — he ended with a 42.2 average during the game — and forced a short BCHS punt.

Needing only 32 yards, the Ads scored on Johnson’s 11-yard scoring pass to Ben Reed, where the junior somehow avoided a sack and reversed his field from left to right.

Despite Johnson’s lack of experience, “He’s got great composure,” Courtney said.

Missing players

Although Corum came up huge, Johnson also was challenged because “we had a couple of receivers out tonight, banged up a little bit,” the coach said.

“… That was a struggle there.”

Moore, FHS starting quarterback, was pulled late in the first half after taking a couple of sacks, as the senior had recovered from a concussion and was nursing a high ankle injury according to Courtney.

Looking ahead

As for the team’s postseason outlook, “It’s going to come down to us and Bearden (Friday, Oct. 29)” for the final Class 6A playoff spot (top four teams from each region),” Courtney said, as the Bulldogs are 3-5 but 2-2 in the region.

But having the non-district trip to Fulton next on the Farragut schedule, “We’ve got to look at winning these next two games for our pride, our own character, and everything else,” the coach added.

“And the two or three times we sent pressure up inside, they picked it up pretty good and broke a run on us,” he added. “We thought we could blitz them more, but they got us out of that because their guards were doing a good job pickup up our (line)backers on stunts.”

A special thanks to Carlos Reveiz 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.