Farragut High School was better than Gibbs in several aspects Friday night in its 38-14 home victory.
But the non-region Class 5A contest can best be described as the Kirkendall game. With four key plays in the first half on offense, defense and special teams, senior Justin Kirkendall was the 24-minute man.
The 165-pound wide receiver/defensive back began by blocking Gibbs’ first extra-point attempt, and then intercepted a pass deep in Admirals’ territory.
And he was just getting started.
With Farragut (2-0) up 14-6, Kirkendall scored on a 32-yard punt return with 2:57 left in the second quarter. He then closed out his big first half with a 43-yard touchdown reception from Jacob Naumoff.
“Our team allowed me to make these plays,” Kirkendall said after the game.
His coach, Eddie Courtney, gave him a little more of the credit.
“He has made some plays,” the coach said. “He really has during the first two weeks on both
sides of the ball.”
Tanner Thomas, who finished with 160 yards rushing, scored the Admirals’ first two touchdowns on short runs.
Gibbs (1-1) scored once in the first half on an exciting 81-yard touchdown pass from Zack Beeler to Tanner Rhodes in the first quarter.
In the second half, the Eagles trimmed the lead to 14 with a short touchdown run by Demarcus Hight and a two-point run by Logan Wolfenbarger early in the fourth.
However, Farragut put the game away with a 32-yard field goal by Carter Phillipy and a 9-yard run by Amon Johnson.
“Our kids came out in the first half and made a lot of things happen,” Courtney said.
Gibbs coach Brad Conley praised Farragut, but saw plenty of room for improvement with his team.
We’ve got to do a better job of competing and responding to the challenges,” he said.
John Shearer is a freelance contributor to the Knoxville News Sentinel
A special thanks to Carlos Reveiz of CRFOTO for the action shots from the game. Every week be sure to checkout CRFOTO.com 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.
OFFICIAL GAME STATS
** Due to formatting click the image file to see in larger resolution**
Teams Stats
Offensive Stats
Defensive Stats
Kicking Stats
Kick/Punt Return Stats
After three scrimmages with Ooltewah, Cookeville, and Bradley Central, the Admirals played in the annual KOC Jamboree on Friday, August 14th at Knox-West High School in the 2nd quarter against Hardin Valley.
Today marked the official start of the 2015 Farragut Football season, as the Admirals took to the field for the first time in full pads. Monday and Wednesday will be two-a-day practices for the Admirals, while Tuesday and Thursday the Admirals will only have one morning practice. The week will end with a scrimmage against former region rival Ooltewah at Farragut on Friday, July 31st. The Owls went 9-2 last year and lost in the 1st round of the TSSAA playoffs. The following Thursday, August 
7th, Farragut host Cookeville, who went 8-3 last year. On Tuesday, August 11th, Farragut will travel to Bradley Central in Cleveland to take on another former region rival. The final dress rehearsal before the 2015 season opener against Powell will be Friday, August 14th in the annual KOC Jamboree. The jamboree has been moved to Knox-
West High School after Bearden High School’s field will not be ready, and the Admirals play in the 2nd quarter against Hardin Valley. The following week will be see the Admirals preparing for August 21st, the opening game at Powell. Be sure to stayed tuned to our website and follow us on twitter @FarragutFB more up-to-date information, news, and highlights.
