Spring Practice for the 2023 season is just around the corner. The Admirals will take to the practice field beginning on April 26th. The annual Blue vs. Grey Game will be held on Friday, May 5th at 6:00 pm at Bill Clabo Field. The Admirals will also host the Central Bobcats in a scrimmage to conclude the spring session on Tuesday, May 16th at 6:00. Opportunities will purchase season tickets and merchandise for the upcoming season will be available at both events.
Farragut Football is seeking to improve and expand the locker room facility and needs your support. The Farragut Football Booster Club along with Coach Courtney is launching a fundraising campaign to help fund this project. Coach Courtney is determined to provide a first-class experience for the high school student-athletes in the football program. This campaign is essential to enhance the resources needed to support student-athlete development at Farragut. This addition would include positional meeting rooms, study area, nutritional fueling station, and a players’ lounge to be used to provide the best instructional setting for coaches and players to interact and provide the best support for all players.
The new addition would include four classrooms to be used as a space for small-group instruction between players and coaches. It will also provide a space for players to bond in a new players’ lounge. The facility expansion would need to be an approximate 2,800 sq. feet added to the east end of the existing football field house.
The estimated cost for this project is $300,000 for construction and installation of needed technology. Opportunities to give monetary donations or materials are broken down in the following categories with incentives.
Donation packages will include varying levels of incentives including priority tickets for home games, discounted merchandise in the Battle Station, recognition in the media guide, representation on the FHS Football website, as well as displayed throughout the facility.
If you would like to help Coach Courtney and the FHS Football Booster Club with this campaign or make any type of donation, please contact Head Coach Eddie Courtney by email at eddie.courtney@knoxschools.org . Checks can be made payable to the FHS Football Booster Club.
The contracts have been signed to complete the scheduling for the 2023 and 2024 football seasons. No adjustments were made to the Region 2-6A alignment by the TSSAA so the Admirals will continue to compete with Bearden, Bradley Central, Cleveland, Hardin Valley, and Maryville for a Region Championship the next two years. The TSSAA did however schedule the region calendar in an effort to provide officials at each game every week. In 2023, Cleveland will visit Bill Clabo Field Sept. 1st along with Bradley Central on Sept. 29th. The Admirals will travel to Bearden on Sept. 21st for Rivalry Thursday following an open date, and finish the regular season with two straight road games at Hardin Valley and Maryville on Oct. 20th and 27th.
Coach Courtney and the Admirals’ coaching staff was able to fill in the remainder of the schedule with 5 non-region opponents. Farragut will open the season at home versus Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett on Aug. 18th and will host Powell on Aug. 25th. The Admirals last played Kingsport in 2020 in a Region 1-6A contest. Powell last visited Farragut during the 2016 State Championship season. The Admirals return to West on Sept. 1st to face the defending Class 5A champions before region play begins. Oak Ridge and Jeff County will visit Farragut on Oct. 6th and 13th to close out non-region play. The Wildcats and Admirals have played every year since 1992, but this will be the first October matchup since the two programs were in Region 2-5A in 2008. Jeff County was a first round opponent for the Admirals in 2022 and were region opponents in Region 1-6A from 2017-2020. All told, the Admirals will host 6 home games in 2023 so don’t miss your chance to purchase season tickets when they become available.
Four Admiral players were named All-State this week in Class 6A for the 2022 season. Reese Keeney (Mr. Football Finalist for Kicker of the Year) was named Class 6A 1st Team All-State by both the Tennessee Sports Writers Association and the coaches of the Tennessee Football Coaches Association. Joining Keeney were classmates Luke Johnson (Quarterback) and Ashton Auker (Wide Receiver) on the TnFCA Class 6A 1st Team All-State team. Returning Admiral linebacker Jack Alley earned 1st Team All-State as a junior from the TnFCA. Additionally, Offensive Coordinator Geoff Courtney was recognized as the Assistant Coach of the Year for Class 6A from the TnFCA.
Click the link to a story published in the Farragut Press.
November 9, 2022 by Bill Howard, Correspondent, Farragut Press
In post-season high-school football, each game is a win-or-go-home affair. “Survive and advance” is a common psychological approach.
Friday night, Nov. 4, at Bill Clabo Field, Farragut High School’s football team survived its first-round game of the 6A state playoffs against Jefferson County and advanced to the second round.
But the 17-7 home win wasn’t pretty.
The Patriots (7-4) had more total offense than the Ads (9-2), numerous sacks and only three penalties (21 yards) to Farragut’s nine (86 yards). FHS did win the turnover battle 3-2.
“It wasn’t clean,” Admirals’ head coach Eddie Courtney said. “I thought at times we just weren’t disciplined enough. We got frustrated some. But our kids hung in there. We just kept making plays when we had to.
“They pressured a lot,” Courtney added about the sacks. “They brought that fifth and sixth guy. We didn’t pick them up enough.”
It was Courtney’s 200th win as head coach of the Admirals. After the game, FHS principal Dr. John Bartlett and athletic director Don Dodgen presented him with the game ball. (See photo on page 1A)
The game had numerous momentum swings, with both teams seldom able to capitalize. At least three times FHS defenders almost had an interception but didn’t grab hold.
Farragut took a 7-0 lead with 3:40 left in the first quarter when, on second-and-1 from the JCHS 35, quarterback Luke Johnson hit Ashton Auker over the middle for the score.
Johnson was 16-of-24 for 224 yards and the TD to Auker. Landis Davila was Johnson’s favorite target, hauling in seven passes for 83 yards. Auker caught four for 73.
“I have all the trust in the world in my receivers,” Johnson said.
“It kind of feels like a loss,” Davila said. “We’ll get some stuff together and come out like we usually do.”
A turning point came early in the second. Down 7-0, the Patriots were driving. On first down from the FHS 18, quarterback Izaiah Hall threw into the end zone. Admirals’ cornerback Jordan Sheppard went up and made a spectacular one-handed interception.
Farragut took over on its 20 with 10:17 left and promptly drove 80 yards in nine plays for the touchdown and a 14-0 lead. Elijah Gibbs scored from 7 yards out on first-and-goal.
Entering the game with 1,094 for the season, Gibbs was held to just 70 on 22 carries against Jefferson County.
Farragut completed its scoring with 3:31 left in the half when kicker Reese Keeney’s 24-yard field goal attempt was good. The Admirals went into intermission up 17-0.
The Patriots’ lone score came on the opening drive of the third quarter when running back Bryson Letterman ran 28 yards for a touchdown.
Jay Smiley had 11 tackles, five solo, for FHS. Kent Carbaugh had 10 total, seven solo.
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.
