The 2017 Admirals had yet another successful campaign. Although it did not achieve it’s ultimate goal of a second straight State Championship, the team still garnered many accomplishments in route to a 9-3 season. The Admirals were ranked in the AP Top 5 in Class 6A for eight straight weeks while riding a 19-game winning streak dating back to last season, the longest in school history. The Admirals finished the season as the Region 1-6A runner-ups with wins over Morristown West, Jeff County, Science Hill, and Bearden, earning a home playoff game against Cleveland. The Admirals also had impressive non-region wins over Bradley Central and Oak Ridge, both Quarterfinalists in their respective classifications. The 2017 senior class will graduate as the winningest class in program history with 33 wins to only 6 losses in addition to the 2015 Region Championship and 2016 5A State Championship. Due to the cumulative efforts by many players, certain individuals were recognized on the All-Region 1-6A team.
Braden Collins – Athlete of the Year – Braden led all receivers in 1-6A with his 793 receiving yards and 57 receptions. He caught 8 passes for 200 yards versus Kingsport D-B and later tied his own school record with 13 receptions against Hardin Valley.
Jonathan Buchanan – OL Jonathan finished his Admiral career having started all 27 games the last two seasons. Jonathan consistently graded out as one of the top performers each week on the Offensive Line.
Cade Burkey – LB Cade led all tacklers in 1-6A with 136 tackles on the season. He finishes his Admiral career 3rd all-time in career total tackles with 334.
Drew Butler – LB Drew finished second in 1-6A with 135 total tackles and 13 tackles for loss. Drew ends his outstanding career as the all-time leading tackler with 433 total stops.
Isaiah Gibbs – RB Isaiah led the Admirals with 1,283 yards from scrimmage and was fourth in 1-6A in rushing. Gibbs also accumulated 248 yards in returns as he returns in 2018 for his senior season.
Neyland Harmon – OLB Neyland was fourth for the Admirals’ defense with 79 total stops. Other highlights include a 4-yard rushing TD to help seal the victory over Bearden. Neyland returns in 2018 for his senior season.
Caleb Kuhn – DE Caleb finished second in 1-6A with 9.0 sacks on the year. He also led the team with 15.0 tackles for loss, and was third on the team with 90 total stops. He will return in 2018 for his senior season.
Wyatt Lucas – DB Wyatt led all defenders in 1-6A with 6 interceptions on the year. He nabbed 2 interceptions to go along with 130 all-purpose yards in the win over Bearden. Wyatt returns in 2018 for his senior season.
Andrew Maxey – OL Andrew completed his Admiral career having started all 39 games the last three seasons at Left Tackle. He graded out with the highest performance grade for OL on multiple occasions.
Jacob Warren – TE Jacob finished the year second in 1-6A in receiving yards with 659 yards. His eight TD receptions led all receivers in the region. His best performance was four-TD night to help defeat Bradley Central in the season opener.
Gavin Wilkinson – QB Gavin finished second in 1-6A with 2,130 passing yards and was first with 17 TD passes. He had three 300-yard plus performances versus Mo-West, D-B, and Hardin Valley. He returns in 2018 for his junior season.
Alex Williams – Scholar Athlete Alex finished 2017 with 66 total stops, 8 tackles for loss, and 3 INT’s. His work in the classroom was impeccable as he narrowly bested several other of his classmates with the team’s highest GPA of 4.37 over his high school career.
The 2018 Admirals are already hard at work to carry on the success that has been laid before them and much will be expected. The Admirals will return five players that garnered All-Region honors in addition to many others looking to build off their success in 2017. The Admirals will carry a 14-game home winning streak into the 2018 home opener against Bradley Central on August 17th. The rising senior class will look to extend the Admirals’ on-field success and compete for another championship next fall.
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