Back to state
Soccer Ads blank KDB, return to Murfreesboro
When the 2017 soccer season began, Paul Calkins wasn’t sure that he’d be able to play for Farragut High School. But Calkins scored the most important goal of the campaign Saturday afternoon for the Admirals.
“I tore my ACL over the summer and I didn’t know if I was going to be able to play high school soccer,” Calkins said after Farragut notched a 2-0 victory over Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett in a Section 1-AAA match at Farragut Soccer Stadium May 20. “But it was great to score that goal and it’s great to be going back to state. It’s been a long time.”
Outscoring its opponents 30-4 in the postseason through sectional play, Farragut (18-5-1) began Class AAA state tourney action in Murfreesboro versus Houston in a quarterfinal game Tuesday, May 23 (after deadline). The state championship game begins at 5 p.m., EDT, 4 p.m., CDT, Friday, May 26.
“We haven’t been to state since my freshman year [2014],” Calkins said. “I didn’t know if I was going to get to play this season. But I planned on coming out here and cheering this team on all year. But I never thought that I would get the opportunity to score that goal. Without my teammates, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. I have to thank my friends and family for all the support that they’ve given me.”
Calkins, a senior, has played all season and has emerged as a team leader for the Admirals. And on a hot and humid Saturday afternoon, Calkins delighted Farragut’s faithful soccer fans when he fired a free kick past Indians freshman goalkeeper Jacob Park and into the back of the net from just inside the midfield stripe.
“I got the free kick and they told me to get it into the box,” Calkins said. “I got it into the box and it went in.”
Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett head coach Blake Rutherford was impressed by Calkins’ marker, which gave the Admirals a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute.
“That was just a great shot,” Rutherford said. “It was perfectly timed and I don’t think any goalkeeper in the state could’ve stopped that shot.”
Farragut head coach Ray Dover said he was extremely happy for Calkins.
“This was great to see. Paul tore his ACL in July and he’s worked extremely hard to get back,” Dover said. “I’m really pleased with the way that he’s handled himself. He’s a coach on the field and he does a lot of the communicating out there.”
The Indians (17-6) could’ve pulled even, but missed a golden opportunity to tie the game when senior forward Jordan Broadwater clanked a penalty kick off the post in the 32nd minute.
Getting a second goal from Wes Jeter in the 43rd minute, the Admirals have constructed a postseason run that saw them edge Oak Ridge 2-1 at ORHS Thursday, May 18, to win Region 2-AAA.
“We played really well and it’s great to be going to state,” said Jeter, a sophomore who scored both goals against the Wildcats.
“We played really well today and we’ve outscored our opponents 30-4 in the playoffs,” Dover said. “Today, we had to answer a call and do something that is very hard to do. It’s extremely hard to beat a team twice.
“Now, we’ve done it twice. We beat Dobyns-Bennett today and we beat Oak Ridge ...,” Dover added.
