Admirals off to best start of Culbreth era
All three factors have played pivotal roles in the Farragut boys soccer team’s 8-0 record, as the Admirals have shot out to their best start in Culbreth’s tenure as head coach.
He attributed the start to his players, noting “they want to win together.”
So far, FHS has done exactly that. They brought home the Smoky Mountain Cup last Saturday, March 28, going 3-0 with a 4-2 win over Bartlett in the championship match at Rocky Top Sports World in Gatlinburg.
“All three games were very competitive,” Culbreth said. “It was three tough teams, and we took it one at a time.”
Jason Gao put the Ads up 1-0 before halftime against Bartlett, only for the Panthers to tie the score 1-1 right at the start of the second half.
Uday Sujithkumar broke the stalemate, and Caleb Gahagan found the net shortly thereafter before Gao bookended the day with another goal to outlast a penalty kick from Bartlett in the final eight minutes.
Matthew Burney took the clean sheet in goal, having paced the Ads in their 2-0 win over Westminster, Georgia in the tournament opener, too.
The match saw one goal apiece from Gagahan and Charlie Sorochan before halftime while Tyden Sanchez scored both goals against Har-Ber (AR) in a 2-1 semifinal victory. That win featured Parker Fuller in goal as he and Burney complement each other with their styles of play.
“He played great, got tested plenty,” Culbreth said. “They’re both studs in their own way, and they have two different styles of what they’re good at, so I’m confident with both of them back there.”
He has similar confidence in the Ads’ offensive weaponry. Of the eight goals FHS racked up last weekend, no player had more than two apiece.
“We’re getting production from all over the field,” Culbreth said. “We can throw different styles at people. If I want the ball on the ground with skill players, I can do that. If I want big, strong, fast kids to run at you, I can do that. These kids don’t care who gets the credit. They just want to win together.”
FHS will look to utilize that approach this week, as it begins district play on Thursday, April 2, against Maryville.
And while an undefeated record is great, Culbreth noted he wants his team to approach this week with a clean slate.
“Everything you’ve done until now doesn’t matter,” he said. “It’s been a test to get us ready. Ours is the hardest district in the state, and we know that.”
