Farragut fires early, never looks back
Still, when faced with the possibility of a rain-soaked season opener last Thursday, second-year coach Ben Sachs opted to move the match up one day.
The shift proved wise, as FHS stormed past Christian Academy of Knoxville 20-4 on Feb. 25, at the Farragut lacrosse field.
The win came under a slate gray sky that matched the color of the Ads’ helmets. Ultimately, those clouds gave way to a spitting rain but only after the final horn sounded.
“We played a lot of games in the mud last year, and the field treated us well,” Sachs said with a grin. “I was kind of torn because that creates a good environment for us to bond. So even though it’s supposed to rain really hard (Thursday), moving it up allowed our fans to come out and enjoy it before that.”
Prior to the postgame downpour, the Admirals’ offense struck like lightning.
Sophomore Finn Sachs scored the first goal of the season less than 30 seconds into the game. Less than three minutes later, FHS led 4-0 off two straight goals from senior Brock Lockhart.
The duo combined for 10 goals on the night with five each from Lockhart and Sachs.
“Brock went right at the goal,” Ben Sachs said. “He’s one of our captains, and it makes a big difference when he steps up and puts his best foot forward right out of the gate.”
The FHS coach offered similar praise for Finn Sachs, who is currently the second-ranked attackman in the state of Tennessee on MaxPreps.
“His stats reflect the support and trust his upperclassmen have in his skills,” Ben Sachs said. “Finn realizes that without other players like Brock Lockhart and Matthew Kitchiner, these type of stats are difficult to have.”
Kitchiner, a freshman, scored four times Wednesday. Also, he and Sachs tied for a team-high three assists, while senior Bennett Elton, freshman Pierce Ward and junior Alex Babb found the net once apiece.
Their output helped Farragut outlast the Warriors, who later cut into Admirals’ lead to make it 4-2. But FHS bounced back with nine straight goals to end the half, five in the first 5:09 of the second quarter.
“We came out hot and fast, and we like to play hot and fast,” Sachs said. “It allows our team to gain energy and momentum, so we enjoy putting ourselves in a good position to continue giving that effort.”
On the defensive side, Farragut sophomore goalie Ian Fanta registered nine saves out of 13 CAK shots, swatting away 69.2% of the Warriors’ attempts.
“Ian is a sophomore, so he’s young,” Sachs said. “But he will be an amazing goalie because he’s learning and it’s his wheelhouse. He can command the field with his defense, so he will be a wall for us.”
Altogether, the opening marked a start that FHS looked to continue Tuesday night at Knoxville Catholic. Now, come mud or high water, the Ads are prepared to make another strong push this season.
“Starting like this is a great way for us to hit the ground running,” said Sachs, who led the FHS youth program before taking the reins for the high school program last season. “The chemistry we have has been built up over the years. These seniors have been looking forward to this, and this is the year they want to really establish themselves. With my familiarity with this team, it means a lot to see the effort they’re putting in now.”
