Late Dawgs push overcomes Farragut fast start; semifinal win set up BHS-Mville final
HARDIN VALLEY — Once again it was Bearden’s depth of scoring talent and perimeter pressure defense that made a big difference, this time turning back Farragut’s red-hot start that kept the Ads ahead into the final quarter.
In the end, however, one offensive cog was especially vital, as the Bulldogs pulled away in the final 90 seconds for a 72-64 victory in the District 4-4A Tournament semifinal Saturday night, Feb. 22, at Hardin Valley Academy.
Sean Capshaw, 6-foot-1 junior forward, scored a game-high 30 points. “Sean is capable of doing that ... he was just able to make all of his open looks,” BHS head coach Jeremy Parrott said, as his top-seeded and No. 3-state-ranked Bulldogs improved to 27-4. “I’m really proud of him tonight.”
Bearden played No. 3 seed Maryville, which pulled a mild upset in beating No. 5 state-ranked Knoxville West (21-5) in the other Feb. 22 semifinal. That showdown Tuesday night, Feb. 25, at HVA came after deadline. (Visit farragutpress.com for game details)
Other top individual efforts
The No. 4-seeded Ads fell to 18-13 despite a game-high 29 points from Farragut standout senior wing Dom VanAcker, an All-District honoree who earlier this month eclipsed the 1,500-point career scoring mark.
“Our guys played great, they battled,” Admirals skipper JP Burris said. “The effort was there all night.”
Early on, “They were really exploiting us by shot-making,” coach Parrott said about Farragut.
Three All-District Bulldogs contributed offensively: senior JaMichael Blair Jr. scored 12, senior guard King Hubbard 10 and junior point guard Justin Nordin nine.
Senior wing Drew Parrott added eight, including a pair of key three-point baskets. Brandon Murphy scored two and Dominic Mahoney added a free throw. “We had timely shots from different folks,” coach Parrott said.
Dan Lanning, Ads All-District junior guard, scored 15, while Parker Lane, FHS junior point guard and All-District honoree, added 13 points.
Other Farragut scorers were Bryce Howard with three and two points each for Reid Vining and Britton Lewis.
Final thoughts, region
In summing up how his team lost its advantage in the fourth quarter after leading 54-51 with eight minutes to play, “Just too many little mistakes down the stretch ... missed box-outs, unforced turnovers ... not getting to the free-throw line,” Burris said. “And that’s a really well-coached team.”
Regardless of Tuesday’s outcome, Bearden will host a Region 2-4A quarterfinal (7 p.m., Saturday, March 1). FHS will be on the road Saturday.
