Bearden defeats Farragut in District 4-4A championship
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The Bearden Bulldogs smile for a photo after defeating the Farragut Admirals 83-50 in the District 4-4A championship game on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, at McMinn County High School.
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Several Farragut and Bearden players were given All-Tournament nods at the conclusion of Tuesday’s District 4-4A championship game. From left to right: Aidan Foshie, Parker Lane, Dan Lanning, Brendan Murphy, Theo Mills, Carson Asbaty and Justin Nordin.
ATHENS — In 2025, the Bearden Bulldogs lost narrowly to Maryville High School in the District 4-4A championship game.
On Wednesday, Feb. 24, they ensured themselves a different outcome by beating Farragut 83-50 in the 2026 district championship.
It marked the Bulldogs’ third win over the Admirals this season, as they turned a 15-12 lead into a 46-20 lead at halftime.
“As a coach, you always think, ‘I hope we start well,’” Bearden boys coach Jeremy Parrott said. “And we did well enough. We blew some defensive assignments early, but we shot at such a high clip that it canceled those things out.”
Carson Asbaty led all scorers with 19 points, including back-to-back 3-pointers on the Bulldogs’ first two possessions. Behind him, Justin Nordin scored 13 points, and Brendan Murphy totaled 10.
“He’s really strong and is a good finisher,” Parrott said of Asbaty. “His shoulders are always where they’re supposed to be at the bucket, and when he can add that element of knocking down outside shots, he’s a tough cover.”
Asbaty earned tournament MVP honors, while Murphy, Nordin and Theo Mills all received All-Tournament honors.
Aidan Foshie and Parker Lane received the same nods for Farragut, pouring in 14 and 10 points, respectively, and Dan Lanning earned All-Tournament too with nine points in the tournament finale.
Foshie and Lane sparked an Admiral team that went blow-for-blow with Bearden to start the second half. But it was not enough to overcome the deficit, as the Bulldogs stretched their lead later in the game.
“Last time against them, Parker really struggled,” Farragut coach J.P. Burris said. “I thought he did a much better job against them this time. Then Aidan shot the ball with confidence, and he carried that throughout the game. He was aggressive within what we do offensively.”
Foshie will look to bring that approach into the next round, as FHS will face District 3 3-seed Halls on Saturday night in the Region 2-AAAA quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Bearden will take on the 4-seed, Powell, at BHS.
Both games are elimination matchups and will begin at 7 p.m.
