Three games of sheer power as FHS girls win Belle Building Group Farragut T’Giving tourney
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Farragut Lady Admirals all smiles with Belle Building Group Farragut Thanksgiving Tournament plaque they earned in hand. - Alan Sloan
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Reacting to a loose ball are Farragut Lady Admirals posts McCall Willis, far left, a junior, and Saige Carbaugh, (14), a senior, along with a Livingston Academy player during the Belle Building Group Farragut Thanksgiving Tournament championship game Saturday night, Nov. 28, in FHS’s Lynn E. Sexton Gymnasium. The Lady Ads won this title game easily, 69-32. - Alan Sloan
Perhaps no Farragut Lady Admirals basketball team in program history has started a season with such dominance.
Jason Mayfield’s girls finished scorching the Lynn E. Sexton Gymnasium court with three over-matched opponents, as FHS hosted the Belle Building Group Farragut Thanksgiving Tournament last week.
Livingston Academy was the championship game victim, falling 69-32 Saturday night, Nov. 28.
Top individual efforts
Avery “Ace” Strickland, Lady Admirals junior wing, scored a game-high 27 points, which included four 3-point baskets.
“Ace is a special talent,” Mayfield said. “She seems to play best in the biggest moments. Just let her do her thing.”
Though Strickland said her team “pushed the ball really well” and “overall had a really good game,” she pointed out two areas needing improvement.
“We need to improve our defense and talk more on defense,” she added.
Ashlyn Sheridan, junior guard, scored 17 for Farragut.
‘I definitely feel I have a bigger responsibility on offense and defense this season. The ball is in my hands more as a post player, so my role has stepped up,” she said.
“Ashlyn is coming into her own as a scoring threat,” Mayfield said.
“We passed the ball well and pushed the ball upcourt, but we still need to box out and rebound better,” said Keeleigh Rogers, junior wing who scored two points.
“Keeleigh is averaging eight assists a game,” the coach said.
Macy Barnes, FHS senior wing, scored 10 in the championship game.
“She’s a huge scoring threat,” Mayfield said.
Annalise Bishop, sophomore point guard, scored five points. Allie Heins, junior guard, added two points, as did McCall Willis, 5-foot-10 junior post.
“McCall does a lot of little things none of our players can do as a post presence,” the coach said.
Overall in Belle tourney
The Lady Ads’ other tourney victims were South-Doyle, 83-26, and Clinton, 75-27.
“I liked the way we moved the ball. We have a lot of talented players, and if we’re moving the ball it just makes us that much better,” Mayfield said.
However, the Lady Admirals skipper echoed what some of his team leaders were saying about areas needing improvement.
“Better communication, boxing out and rebounding, those are the things that will win you championships,” he said.
“That’s where we hope to go.”
Falling to 4-2, Livingston Academy had no player reach double figures in scoring.
Lady Wildcats head coach Leslie Riddle is a former Lady Admirals skipper from the early 2000s.
