Special seasons at FHS even more special by Monday?
March 3, 2022 by
A happy bunch of Farragut Admirals celebrate the program’s first district tournament championship since 2001, as tourney MVP Dillon Atwell (4) leads the team parade at Heritage High School Tuesday night, Feb. 22, following a 73-62 victory against rival Bearden in the championship game. Among those celebrating alongside Atwell, from left, were senior guard Ryan Neal (5), also an All-District tourney selection, junior post Preston Fuller (20), senior All-tourney guard Carter Mayfield (14) and senior wing Isaiah Smith (12). Admirals skipper Jon Higgins and Company were looking for even more when hosting the Region 2-4A semifinal game versus district foe William Blount, the No. 3 seed, Tuesday night, March 1 (after deadline). It was a must win against the Govs, with season survival on the line. However, a win would allow the Ads to host tonight’s region champion game (7 p.m. opening tip), in what might be a rematch with the BHS Bulldogs, if Bearden defeated District 3-4A tourney champ Oak Ridge (also played March 1 at FHS).
If reaching tonight’s region final, the local rivals would each be just one win from the TSSAA state tournament berth — the boys program hasn’t been to state since 1983 — in the Section 1-4A game, which begins at 7 p.m., Monday night, March 7, with champions of Region 1-4A (Upper East Tennessee) and Region 2-4A hosting those games. Meanwhile, Jason Mayfield’s Lady Ads (25-7) earned the program’s first substate berth since 2015 after a 40-31 region semifinal win against Oak Ridge (20-11), District 3-4A tourney champs, Monday night, Feb. 28, at Bearden. Farragut’s girls would claim the program’s first state tournament trip with a substate win Saturday, March 5, regardless of its region final outcome versus the Lady Dawgs (30-3) Wednesday, March 2, at BHS (after deadline). (See FHS-Oak Ridge girls story on page 2B).
