Perfect at midpoint
Farragut High School’s football team will return home this week. The Admirals, ranked No. 4 statewide in Class 6A, will put a 17-game winning streak on the line when they host West High School Friday, Sept. 22, at Bill Clabo Field.
The Runnin’ Rebels [3-2 in 2017] recently had a three-game winning streak snapped when they dropped a 23-13 decision at Oak Ridge last Friday. But Farragut head coach Eddie Courtney said West will give his squad another tough test.
“West is very athletic and they’re a good football team,” Courtney said. “This will be another tough football game for us.
“They caught Oak Ridge at a tough time and Oak Ridge got really physical with them.”
Losing their season opener to Bearden at home before edging Hardin Valley Academy and posting dominant wins over Karns and Halls, West paid a visit to Oak Ridge after the Wildcats suffered their most lopsided loss in recent memory. It was the Admirals [5-0] that thumped Oak Ridge 41-0 the week before the Rebels invaded Blankenship Field.
West is coached by Lamar Brown. In his first season with the Rebels, Brown came to Sutherland Avenue after a decade of success in Hamblen County at Morristown West. He replaces Jeff Harig, who returned to Loudon after two seasons in Knoxville.
“Lamar Brown is a good football coach,” Courtney said. “West has some good athletes and they understand, now, when he wants them to do.
“They’re well-coached and they’ve been playing really well lately. They’ve gotten better every week.”
Key players for the Rebels include: Drake Peer [a senior quarterback who has started in each of the last three seasons]; Cal Cook [senior, linebacker]; Daniel Ledbetter [senior, wide receiver] and Trariq Hardin [a senior running back, who had a big game at Hardin Valley].
Farragut enters Friday night’s contest after notching a 33-6 road win at Jefferson County. It was Braden Collins, Jacob Warren, Isaiah Gibbs and sophomore quarterback Gavin Wilkinson who provided the bulk of the offensive punch for the Admirals in Dandridge.
When West and Farragut renew acquaintances on the gridiron this week, the two teams will write another chapter in one of Knox County’s longest-running rivalries. The Rebels and the Admirals have played every year since 2007.
The series dates back to 1961 with Farragut holding a 12-10 all-time edge. The two teams have played to three ties.
Farragut notched a 20-0 victory at Bill Wilson Field in 2016. The Rebels won the last game in Farragut when they edged the Admirals 9-7 on a rainy night in Knox County.
Since the start of the 2015 season, Farragut has compiled a 29-3 overall record. West, Oak Ridge and Rhea County are the only teams that have beaten the Admirals during that span.
