October 19, 2022 by Bill Howard, Correspondent, Farragut Press
CLEVELAND — It was an up-and-down performance for Farragut High School’s football team Friday night, Oct. 14, on the road at Bradley Central High School.
But a standout running back and a formidable defense ensured the Admirals would roll to their fifth straight win.
Senior running back Elijah Gibbs ran for 220 yards on 22 carries and scored three touchdowns as FHS defeated the Bears 31-10 at Bear Stadium. Farragut improved to 6-2 overall, 3-1 in Region 2-6A.
“The running game went really well,” FHS head coach Eddie Courtney said. “Elijah Gibbs ran the ball real hard tonight. Our offensive line has gotten so much better in run blocking and pass blocking.”
“I think it went pretty good today,” Gibbs said. “We had a full week to correct some mistakes and watch their film. I think our O-line really did it for us today, honestly. I’ve got to take care of the O-line.”
Farragut’s stout defense had two linebackers with double-digit tackles: Jack Alley with 12 (10 solo) and Jay Smiley with 11 (five solo). Defensive lineman Brice Fontenot had a pair of sacks to go along with his six tackles (three solo).
John Duncan and Jackson Fisher each had seven tackles. Cornerback Griffin Mashburn had an interception
“The (defensive) line was unbelievable, so many sacks,” Alley said. “I thought the corners and the safeties played great, (having) coverage sacks. That was awesome.”
“Our defense stepped up and made a couple of turnovers,” Courtney added. “We had to have that. Our secondary made some plays back there. We got pressure up front.”
It was a dominant first quarter for the Admirals, as they built a 17-0 lead after one period. The first score came when Gibbs broke through the line and ran 29 yards for the touchdown. The score came with 9:14 left in the quarter.
On its next possession — which started on the BC 19 when Bradley’s fourth-down pass failed — the Admirals had a first and goal on Bears 5, but could manage only a 22-yard field goal by Reese Keeney with 4:39 left in the first.
When Ashton Auker returned a Bradley punt to the Bears 31, Farragut was right back in business. On second and goal from the BCHS 5, quarterback Luke Johnson hit Landon Collins who plowed his way into the end-zone.
With 14 seconds left in the quarter, it was 17-0 Admirals.
For most of the next two quarters, however, Farragut struggled offensively. Two second-quarter possessions resulted in three-and-outs. The first two drives in the third period ended with a punt and an interception.
With 3:38 left in the third, Farragut took over on BC’s 39 and needed but three plays to score. On third and two from the 31, Gibbs went up the middle, then cut right and outran the defenders to the endzone.
The touchdown made it 24-3 with 2:02 left in the third, and put the game out of reach.
Gibbs’s third score, a 9-yard run with 9:03 left in the game, completed the Admirals’ scoring.
“We started off pretty good and we were able to seal it at the end,” Courtney said. “… a big, important region win tonight.”
During its five-game winning streak, Farragut has outscored its opponents 190-37. The Admirals return home Friday, Oct. 21, to play Fulton in a non-region game.
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.
