Admirals down the Dawgs
Emotional win against an old rival
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FHS, 42, Colt Brooker (left), and FHS, 16, (right) Noah Haag, tackle BHS, 13 (helmet comes off). - Carlos Revelz, carlos@crfoto.com
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FHS, 14, Nathan Jacobs, runs long. - Carlos Revelz, carlos@crfoto.com
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FHS, 20, Connor Parris, tackles BHS, 4. - Carlos Revelz, carlos@crfoto.com
It was a football game fully worthy of an intense, decades-old rivalry.
The game had it all: quick-strike big plays, costly mistakes, stark momentum swings. When it was over, Farragut High School had clawed out a come-from-behind 25-21 win over Region 2-6A archrival Bearden High School to finally get in the win column (1-5 overall, 1-2 Region).
The Bulldogs (0-5, 0-3) remain in search of their first win.
“Obviously it’s a big win,” FHS coach Geoff Courtney said. “A lot of emotions, a lot of excitement. Almost a classic Farragut/Bearden game.”
“I’m proud of the way we fought,” said Brad Taylor, ‘Dogs’ coach. “Sometimes these kinds of games hurt more than when you get blown out.”
In the first quarter, it looked like Farragut might run away with the game. After an opening kick return to Bearden’s 30, the Admirals needed but two plays to make it 7-0. The score came on quarterback Corbin Hobson’s 17-yard TD throw to Anderson Glover 47 seconds into the game.
After forcing a punt, FHS then got a 47-yard field goal from Ryan McCue to make it 10-0 with 5:36 left in the first.
Another three-and-out by BHS put Farragut in business on their own 46. On the drive’s fourth play, Hobson again connected with Glover, this time from 27 yards to make it 16-0 with 2:04 still to play in the first.
But Bearden wasn’t about to roll over. With 8:53 left in the half, junior Paxton Parrott capped off a seven-play drive with a four-yard keeper around right end to make it 16-7.
Later in the second, the ‘Dogs’ Connor Gilbreath picked off Hobson with 2:54 left. On the first play of the ensuing drive, quarterback Aiden Thacker hit Grant Cross for a 52-yard score, which led to a halftime score of 16-14, Farragut.
The Bulldogs’ comeback effort continued on the first drive of the second half. On the seventh play, Thacker hit a wide-open Parrott for a 38-yard TD. The Bulldogs had their first lead, 21-16, with 9:42 left in the third.
“We got out to a hot start, made several big plays early,” Courtney said. “We gotta give them credit; they battled back.”
“Paxton Parrott played his butt off tonight,” Taylor said. “A lot of guys … special teams made some plays.”
McCue’s second field goal, this one from 39 yards, cut it to 21-19 on the first play of the fourth.
On the ensuing drive, Thacker was picked off by Glover, and the Admirals were suddenly 15 yards away from the endzone.
On first and goal from the five, Noah Haag ran it in, and with 9:33 left in the game, FHS again led, 25-21.
Bearden was forced to punt on its next possession, and the Admirals were then able to run out the clock.
Thacker was 15 of 27 for 197 yards, two scores and a pick. FHS running back Nathan Jacobs rushed for 140 yards on 15 carries but left the game injured. The Admirals ground out 260 overall.
“Our guys were resilient, we kept our composure in the second half,” Courtney said.
“Hopefully we can build off this momentum,” said Admirals’ tight end Aaron Heatherly.
