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.
