Haley’s 7th-Grade boys a perfect 10-0, win MAC
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With the scoreboard telling the story, Farragut 7th-Grade MAC players gather around title trophy. - Photos by Alan Sloan
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Nathan Jacobs, left, and Anderson Glover with the MAC championship gold football earned by their 7th-Grade Farragut team Thursday, Nov. 3. - Photos by Alan Sloan
BEARDEN — Falling behind 8-0 on a 48-yard touchdown pass on Hardin Valley’s first possession, Farragut head coach Ty Haley admitted to being “a little nervous” about this MAC 7th-Grade Championship Game.
But Haley’s boys, undefeated and the No. 1 seed, got going pretty quickly. Scoring on consecutive possessions with one of the team’s two biggest weapons, running back Matthew Rogers, the Mini-Admirals breezed to a 32-16 title game victory at Bearden High School’s Bill Young Field Thursday evening, Nov. 3.
“To fall down 8-0, but end up winning 32-16, it really shows that those guys have worked hard for five to six months,” said Haley, whose team finished with a 10-0 record. “They deserved it.
“And we made history: this is the first time Farragut has had a 7th-grade team go undefeated,” the coach added.
Matthew’s touchdown runs of 32 and 15 yards, the latter breaking four tackles, put Farragut ahead 16-8 with five minutes left in the first half. “I just try to run hard and help my team out,” Matthew said.
Converting on fourth-and-15 at the HV 36, Farragut quarterback Kyle Clark fired a pass to receiver Brooks Johnston inside the HV 25, where Brooks lateraled to Nathan Jacobs, who went untouched the final 22 yards down the left sideline for the 36-yard touchdown. It was 24-8 lead with just 21 seconds left in the first half.
About the keys to the team’s offensive success, “We had great blocking and, of course, great running backs and great receivers — and just great talent all around,” Kyle said.
About being a champion, “Last year we took the loss (in the championship game), but this year it feels good to win,” Nathan said. “We have a really good, solid team. It feels amazing.”
Matthew scored from 6 yards out with 4:55 left in the third quarter. Kicker Logan Wright converted all four of his 2-point conversion kicks.
Haley also was proud about how his defense “got the message,” which was “outside contain, outside contain. They outside contained and we won the championship.”
With his defense allowing just 54 points in eight games this season — while scoring 315 — Haley labeled them “dominant” and named every starter and key contributor: left defensive end Colton Liner, left tackle Matthew Kitchiner, right tackle Brayden Gonzalez, right defensive end Hayes Sharp, left outside linebacker Donovan Lloyd, middle linebacker Matthew Rogers, right outside linebacker Nathan Jacobs, left defensive back Anderson Glover, right defensive back Logan Wright and safeties Brooks Johnston and Jack Kitchiner.
“Also playing an important role coming of the bench at middle linebacker is Brenton Haag,” Haley added.
Hardin Valley
Finishing its season at 7-2-1, Hardin Valley, the tournament’s No. 3 seed, broke ahead quickly on the 48-yard scoring pass from quarterback Roman Hogrefe, hitting receiver Xavier Bowman in stride at the Farragut 37. Bowman added the first of his pair of 2-point conversion kicks.
Dawson Head, the team’s leading rusher in the game, broke loose on a 57-yard scoring run with 2:37 left in the final quarter.
“No. 20 (Dawson), he’s a good kid running the ball,” Haley said.
