Ads bounce back with defense; girls win two
POWELL — Ending a four-game skid came down to defensive improvement.
In a defensive struggle at Powell Friday night, Dec. 16, Farragut won for the first time in two weeks, edging the Panthers 45-42.
“We only scored 45 points but we won the game, and that’s a credit to our defense,” Ads skipper J.P. Burris said.
“It’s been a rough week-and-a-half; we’ve had to have lots of self-reflection, figuring out where we’re at,” he added. “... We just thought about, ‘we’ve got to get better defensively.’
“And that’s on me for getting away from that. I shouldn’t have put such an emphasis on our offensive end that we probably neglected our defense a little too much.”
The defensive improvement “is a credit to coach (Steve) Hampton, coach (Adam) Jenkins and coach (Marcus) Huie for what they bring in practice on the defensive end,” Burris said.
“We had one of our best practices of the year yesterday,” he added. “We just told them, ‘we’re going to compete, we’re going to turn up the intensity’ — and it carried over to tonight.”
Entering this week 6-6 overall and 1-1 in District 4-4A, Farragut was led in scoring at Powell by sophomore wing Dominic Vanacker with a game-high 18 points. Parker Lane, freshman point guard, added 13 for the Admirals.
Luke Johnson pumped in seven, followed by Aiden Vanacker scoring five and Berkley Naro two points.
Farragut was six-of-seven at the free throw line.
Noah Brewer’s 14 points led the Panthens. Kaleb Walker and Bryce Jardret each scored 13 for Powell.
POWELL — An eighth consecutive victory versus one of your two biggest rivals, followed by a 22-point road win would seem to be a satisfying two-game stretch for Farragut girls basketball
However, “I think we’re still looking for a little bit more from our players,” Lady Admirals head coach Jason Mayfield said following a 46-24 win against a struggling Powell team at PHS Friday night, Dec. 16.
“We’ve just got to get a little bit more focus out of them, a little bit more of a competitive edge,” he added. “Tonight we got up, and then just got kind of comfortable with the lead instead of really extending that out and getting better.”
Beating rival Hardin Valley Academy in a District 4-4A clash of rivals in FHS’s Lynn E. Sexton Gymnasium 57-46 Tuesday night, Dec. 13, plus Friday’s win improved Farragut’s record to 8-4, 1-1.
Scoring balance was a Lady Admirals theme against Powell, as 11 FHS players produced points, led by senior wing Maelyn McNealy and sophomore guard Lucy Beck with seven each. Hannah Enderson scored six, with Lilly Mullins and Annie Priest adding five apiece. Annalise Bishop and Mya Johnston each had four.
Audrey Rust scored three while Anna Corum and KJ McNealy had two each. Anna Margaret Pitts hit a free throw.
Against HVA, Maelyn McNealy led her team in scoring with 13 points. (Read more details at farragutpress.com)
