600 and counting
David Moore isn’t one to call attention to his personal accomplishments on the softball field but he recently found his latest milestone too good not to talk about.
“I usually don’t like to talk about these kinds of things,” said Moore, Farragut High School’s longtime softball coach who recently won his 600th game as the Admirals coach. “But I wanted to give the girls credit for the way that they came back and won the game.”
Farragut notched a 7-4 comeback victory over South-Doyle on Saturday, April 16. The Admirals erased a 3-2 deficit with two out in the top of the seventh inning against the Cherokees at South-Doyle in the Maryville RBI Classic.
“We were down 3-2 with two out in the seventh,” Moore said. “Emma Geron got a two-out hit, Niki Slone walked. Andrea Sarhatt walked and Lexee Lamoree had a three-run triple. Mary Claire Coyne had another triple.”
When the dust settled, Farragut scored five times with two outs.
“It takes the kids to do these things and win these games,” said Moore, who has taught in some capacity at Farragut High School since 1983. “I’ve been truly blessed. I’ve had great players and I’ve had great assistant coaches.
“I’m grateful to [former principal James W.] Bellamy. He gave me a job. I taught part-time here since 1983. Farragut High School is very special to me it’s really the only place that I know.”
In addition to being the head softball coach at Farragut since 1991, Moore also coached the volleyball team for more than two decades and once served as the junior varsity boys basketball coach. He guided the volleyball team to multiple state tournament appearances and led the softball team to multiple state tournament appearance.
He was the assistant softball coach in 1990 before taking the reins the following year. The Admirals won just five games in 1991.
Moore credited many assistant coaches such as Kellie Ivens, Nick Green, Ben Lyle, Dick Waters and others for much of his success. He also had high praise for Leah Seffernick Bucklen, who both played and coached under him and Ray Watson, who has been the program’s longtime official scorekeeper and once worked with Farragut’s pitchers.
“I’ve been extremely blessed to have great assistant coaches and I’m thankful for them,” Moore said. “I’ve also had some great players.
“I’ve had too many great players to mention all of them. I’ve had great players. But I’ve also had role players; players who only hit or only run the bases. You have to have role players who are willing to play those roles. You have to have good assistant coaches. That’s why softball is a team game.”
Wins might’ve been sparse during Moore’s first season as head coach but Farragut has won some big games during the veteran coach’s tenure at the school. Farragut was 5-21 during Moore’s inaugural season as head coach.
But he and the Admirals have done plenty of winning since. FHS has also had many players to play college softball.
The current senior class has amassed more than 100 wins. At press time the Admirals had 21 wins and were preparing for the District 4-AAA Tournament.
