Ads look to avoid ‘Science lesson’ Friday
Explosive No 8-ranked Science Hill visits No. 3 FHS with region top spot at stake
Farragut High School’s football team will face its toughest test to date when it returns to action Friday night, Sept. 29.
The state’s No. 3-ranked Class 6A Admirals [6-0 overall, 2-0 in Region 1-6A] will resume their league schedule when they host No. 8 Science Hill [5-1, 2-0] in a huge region game at Eddie Courtney Stadium/Bill Clabo Field. Farragut will put its 18-game winning streak on the line against a high-powered Hilltoppers squad.
Things won’t be easy for the 2016 Class 5A state champions.
“They can score a lot of points,” Admirals head coach Eddie Courtney said. “They’re a very good and very athletic football team. They’ve scored over 60 points twice.
“They’ve scored 35 twice and they had 50 points in their other win,” he added. “They have some good running backs, they have some really good receivers and they have a very good, very athletic quarterback and he likes to run with the ball.”
Science Hill enters Friday night’s region tilt having won its two regional games over Bearden [35-21] and Tri-Cities rival Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett [35-14].
Opening its 2017 campaign with a 50-25 victory over Elizabethton, Science Hill continued to pour on the points while beating Ooltewah, 62-35, before routing Daniel Boone 63-6 last week.
Science Hill suffered its lone setback of the season when it dropped a 42-26 decision to Class 4A powerhouse Greeneville.
“Defensively, we’re going to have to play assignment football,” Courtney said. “They run out of the gun and pistol attack. They have good athletes on the field and they do multiple things out of the gun and the pistol. In a game like this, you have to do your job. You can’t bump down and try to help somebody else.”
Jaylan Adams, Science Hill’s senior quarterback, is a savvy veteran with athletic ability according to Courtney.
“He’s a great athlete and he’s a senior,” Courtney said. “He played and started for them last year.”
The longtime coach also said his Admirals understand the importance of this game.
“This is a big game,” Courtney said. “This is an important gamfor both of us. There’s a lot on the line. Every game we play will be important for us because it’s that time of the year. They’ve gotten better every week and they’re a 5-1 football team. So, it is what it is.”
If last week’s game is any indication, defense shouldn’t be a problem.
The Admirals knocked off longtime rival West 14-9 in a home non-league tilt. Farragut’s defense forced the Rebels into five turnovers and Alex Williams returned a pair of touchdowns on interception returns.
Farragut and the Hilltoppers have met four times previously with the Admirals holding a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series.
The two teams last met in 2013. Science Hill won that shootout in the Class 6A playoffs 56-42.
Farragut prevailed 28-7 in 2008, also winning 33-20 in 2000 and 37-16 in 1999.
