September 14, 2022 by Bill Howard, Correspondent, Farragut Press

OAK RIDGE — In Farragut High School’s first three football games this season — a win followed by two losses — the Admirals had their challenges on defense. 

Friday evening at Oak Ridge, Farragut’s “D” was both stingy and opportunistic, holding the Wildcats to just 263 total yards. The effort helped the Ads shut out Oak Ridge 24-0 at Blankenship Field Sept. 9.

“We played good, assignment football tonight,” Admirals head coach Eddie Courtney said. “The guys rallied around the ball and got to the ball, and we needed to do that.”

Wildcats head coach Scott Cummings wasn’t reticent with his frustration. 

“We just keep kicking ourselves in the foot,” said Cummings, who’s in his first year at Oak Ridge. “Making mistakes. We gotta just clean things up and be more coachable and disciplined.”

Farragut jumped to a 7-0 lead on the game’s first possession when, on third-and-17 from OR’s 43, quarterback Luke Johnson connected with Jordan Sheppard for a 57-yard touchdown in the back of the end zone. 

The Admirals made it 14-0 with 1:09 left in the first when, on third-and-goal from the OR 3, workhorse running back Elijah Gibbs went around the right side for the score. The seven-yard, three-play drive was set up when John Duncan recovered Oak Ridge’s fumbled punt.

Gibbs carried 16 times for 92 yards and two scores. Johnson was 8-of-13 passing for 74 yards, including the touchdown toss, and one interception.

The Admirals’ much-improved defense was led by senior linebacker Jay Smiley, who had a huge night with 15 total tackles, 13 solo. Jack Alley had seven solo as part of 14 total. 

Brice Fontenot had a pair of sacks to go along with nine tackles. Junior defensive end Naaol Kerro had a sack as well. 

“I challenged Brice before the game,” said Courtney. “I told him ‘I need some plays out of you tonight.’ He had to make sure to contain the quarterback. Brice did a good job of running our game plan.”

“I mean it’s big,” said Smiley of the win. “Coach always preaches six-second effort every play. Even if you’re on the back side you hustle and hustle and try to make a play … like a strip-sack or strip-fumble. I do my best.”

After a less-than-stellar second quarter – possessions ending with a failed fourth-down run, a pick, and a punt – Farragut (2-2, 0-1 Region 2-6A) added a huge touchdown on its first possession of the second half. 

It started on OR’s 23 when Duncan recovered his second fumble on the ‘Cats’ first play from scrimmage. Gibbs ran five straight times, and on the fifth, took it in from the two for a 21-0 lead.

It would turn out to be way more than enough.

Oak Ridge might still have made a game of it, but the Admirals’ defense made a game-clinching play on the next drive. Starting on their own 20, the ‘Cats drove to Farragut’s three, where they had a fourth and one. 

De’Jauvis Dozier, OR’s shifty, speedy running back, took the handoff and was stuffed for a two-yard loss. The drive ended with 1:23 left in the third. The ‘Cats wouldn’t threaten again.

Reese Keeney’s 27-yard field goal late in the game completed the scoring. 

“I feel like we played a lot better today,” Kerro said. “This is gonna give us confidence.”

Farragut hosts regional foe Cleveland (2-2) starting at 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 17

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.

September 7, 2022, by Alan Sloan(Farragut Press)

MARYVILLE — By not quitting when hopes of a victory were lost, Farragut had a respectable outcome against powerful Maryville at MHS last Friday. 

“The second half we played pretty good football,” FHS head coach Eddie Courtney said about a 41-28 loss Sept. 2, dropping the Ads to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in Region 2-6A. “We are getting better.”

Offensively, “In the second half we executed better,” the Admirals skipper added. “In the first half (down 28-7 at halftime) we just shot ourselves in the foot too many times. … Didn’t knock them off the ball enough.”

Luke Johnson, FHS senior quarterback, completed 22-of-31 passes for 333 yards and TD passes of 61 yards to Hank DeVault and 22 yards to Jordan Sheppard. He threw no interceptions, as both teams were turnover free, while rushing for two touchdowns: an 8-yard scramble and a 1-yard sneak. 

“Elijah (Gibbs), he did a great job running the ball tonight,” Courtney said about his senior running back, who gained 51 yards on 13 carries while catching nine passes for 73 yards.

“We had a pretty good tempo coming into the second half,” Gibbs said. “… We didn’t give up; we still put points on the board.”

Overall, “We kept fighting to the end, that’s a positive right there,” Courtney said. 

“I felt like holding them to seven points in the first half was a win for us,” said Maryville head coach Derek Hunt, whose team improved to 3-0, 1-0. 

Noah Vaughn, Red Rebels All-state running back and University of Virginia commit, rushed for scores of 11, 3, and 1 yards while hauling in a 69-yard touchdown pass. “He’s really special; we kinda go as he goes,” Hunt said of Vaughn. “Obviously, he can touch it in a lot of different ways.” 

Other top Admirals

In terms of special teams, senior punter Reese Keeney booted a 68-yard punt while recording three touchbacks on kickoffs and converting all four of his extra-point tries. 

In addition, Keeney’s onside kick was recovered by the Admirals late in the game. 

Defensively, senior linebacker Jay Smiley led in solo tackles with eight, including one sack. 

Sheppard also had a 46-yard kickoff return, while Jacob Farhat added a 28-yard kickoff return.

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.

August 31, 2022, by Bill Howard, Correspondent(Farragut Press Link)

KNOXVILLE — In last week’s 31-28 season-opening win over Beech, the Farragut High School football team’s defense struggled against the run, as the Buccaneers rushed for well more than 300 yards. The Admirals’ late-game defense came through to preserve the win.

Friday evening, Aug. 26, on the road at Knoxville West High School, Farragut’s run defense in the first half was solid enough, holding standout running back Brayden Latham to 66 yards. 

But then came the second half, and the Admirals struggled mightily to stop the Rebels’ ground game. On the first play of the half, Latham bolted 80 yards for a touchdown. Down 7-6 at the half, West pulled away for a 40-21 win. 

For the game, West ran for 363 yards. 

“Second half we didn’t play very well,” Admirals head coach Eddie Courtney said. “Give them credit. They got after us and we didn’t make things happen our way.”

“In the second half I thought our offensive line and backs came out and played really well,” Runnin’ Rebels head coach Lamar Brown said.

Farragut’s halftime lead came from a 73-yard touchdown hookup from quarterback Luke Johnson to wide receiver Ashton Auker on the first play of the second quarter. The Admirals held West to two Tyson Siebe field goals in the first half.

After Latham’s score to open the second half put West up 12-7, FHS answered right back to lead 14-12 with another Johnson-to-Auker scoring strike, this time for 24 yards with 8:39 left in the third quarter.

For the game, Johnson was 14-of-20 passing for 242 yards and three scores. He also threw an interception.

West again retook the lead, 19-14, on the ensuing possession when Latham, on first down from the Farragut 37, broke free for the score after appearing to be stopped.

Latham’s third touchdown of the game came on the next West drive — a 5-yard run with 3:25 left in the third — making it 26-14. Latham gained 249 yards on 24 carries on the night for the Runnin’ Rebels (2-0). 

“They just got in a good running game and they kicked us off the line of scrimmage,” Courtney said. “They did a good job blocking, and we didn’t respond defensively like we should have.”

The Admirals managed a late score when Johnson hit Landis Davila for a 23-yard touchdown with 4:45 left in the game. Auker led Farragut’s receivers with four catches for 146 yards and two scores. 

Farragut senior running back Elijah Gibbs, who ran for 180 yards against Beech, gained 87 yards on 16 carries.

“Elijah did well, played tough, ran the ball tough,” Admirals’ assistant coach Marcus Giles said. “When the momentum hits like that in football, it’s a crazy thing. We just gotta go back and regroup. It was just one of those things.”

“Our tempo was off in the second half,” Gibbs said. “I feel like we need to be more prepared for Maryville (2-0),” where FHS opens Region 2-6A play at MHS Friday, Sept. 2.

Senior linebacker Jay Smiley led the Ads with five stops.

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.