Thunderous start allows Ads to sail smoothly, grab decisive win at Oak Ridge
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Landon Collins, Farragut senior receiver, makes a tough catch among lots of Oak Ridge traffic. - Photos by Carlos Reveiz/crfoto.com
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Harrison Kilpatrick, (on top), FHS senior defensive end, and Ads senior linebacker Bryce Thompson (below) make a tackle. - Photos by Carlos Reveiz/crfoto.com
OAK RIDGE — Six weeks into this season, Farragut High School’s football team stood at 0-5, 0-2 in Region 2-6A. The season seemed lost.
A regional win at Bradley Central Friday, Oct. 4, gave the campaign a potential breath of life.
After playing Oak Ridge at Blankenship Field last Friday, Oct. 11, the Admirals just might have turned that proverbial corner.
Following a dominant 28-0 first half, FHS shook off the Wildcats’ second-half comeback attempt and won 28-13. With the victory, Farragut improved to 2-5 overall, 1-2 in the region.
“We’re continuing to get better,” Admirals head coach Geoff Courtney said. “We’re getting healthier, those are all good things. Just had to settle in and adjust.”
The game couldn’t have started any better for the Admirals. Sophomore Ethan Farhat, back from injury after missing three games, fielded the opening kickoff on the 5 and galloped 95 yards for the touchdown. Most of the run was up the right sideline.
Sixteen seconds into the game, FHS led 7-0
“Just found a way to make a play,” Farhat said. “Coach talks about how we have to execute on special teams.”
After forcing a Wildcats punt, Farragut took over on its own 24 with 8:09 left in the first quarter. On third and nine from the 25, sophomore quarterback Corbin Hobson hit senior receiver Landon Collins over the middle for a 75-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead.
The Admirals were just getting warmed up.
Another ORHS punt gave Farragut the ball on its own 31 with 4:57 left, still in the opening period. On the 12th play — first and goal from the Wildcats’ 3 — Randon Miller ran it in for a 21-0 lead, three seconds into the second quarter.
Yet another punt by the Wildcats put FHS in business on its 33 with 8:50 left in the half. The 11-play scoring drive — which culminated with running back Charlie Noble’s 29-yard touchdown carry — included a fourth-and-one conversion and a crucial 17-yard completion on third and 10 from the ORHS 46.
With 3:22 left in the half, the Admirals led 28-0.
“In the first half we were able to execute, we were able to throw the football,” Courtney said. “We made some explosive plays, we were able to run the football.”
Oak Ridge made it interesting with consecutive touchdowns starting late in the third quarter. Damillyan Porter’s 5-yard scoring run with 24 seconds left was followed by a successful onside kick.
On the eighth play of the ensuing drive, Porter scored from the 21 to make it 28-13 with almost nine minutes still to play. The extra point was partially blocked. Another onside attempt was unsuccessful, and the Wildcats didn’t threaten again.
“They got in there and put a drive together and got the extra possession, but I thought our defense responded and stopped ‘em when we needed to,” Courtney said.
For the game, Hobson was 11 of 18 passing for 220 yards and a score.
“I knew coming into this game we had the team that could beat this team,” Hobson said. “We used our playmakers and we won. I think the next few weeks we’re set up to go 4-0.”
While Collins finished with four catches for 147 yards and the long TD grab, he also had four tackles and an interception in the Admirals’ secondary.
Noble, a senior, gained 108 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries — his first 100-plus rushing performance of 2024.
Bryce Thompson, senior defensive end, finished with 10 total tackles, which included two sacks and three other tackles-for-loss.
The Admirals play their final road game of the regular season this Friday, Oct. 18, heading north to Jefferson County (4-3) in a non-region game. Opening kickoff is 7 p.m.
