Bleached hair, big splash
Farragut Admirals baseball tradition carries on in 2026
Often, that phrase is overused in sports.
But for a program as steeped in tradition as Farragut baseball, it’s true.
Look no further than the Admirals’ recent state championship celebration, as players and coaches gathered around the hotel pool on Friday, May 22, at the Hyatt Place hotel in Murfreesboro.
Rather than shedding their uniforms, the platinum-haired, pinstripe-wearing Admirals jumped straight into the water to commemorate their fifth-straight state title.
As the players whooped and splashed around, one would think they were having an impromptu celebration together.
Instead, like their hair alterations a few nights earlier, this moment was premeditated — making up one small part of this program’s rich history.
No time to waste
On Thursday, May 14, Farragut topped Science Hill, 7-5, in a decisive Game 3 of the Class 4A sectional.
Since the Hilltoppers had won the earlier game that day, Travis Brummitt’s final strike in the rubber match did not land in Jake Harris’ catcher’s mitt until after 11 p.m.
Erin Harris, Jake’s mom, celebrated in the moment. But as the team made its way back from Johnson City, she knew it was time to break out the salon items she had purchased the previous day.
“It’s one of those things that you plan for but you don’t talk about it,” Erin Harris said, referring to a hair-bleaching tradition that began during the Tommy Pharr era almost two decades ago. “So with the hair bleaching, we always do it as a team after that final sectional win, when we know we’re going to state. I went and bought all the supplies the day before and kept it, so I held onto it and we took it and did it that night.”
With the game ending so late, why not wait until the next day?
“Historically, they’ve always done it that night, so we didn’t want to break tradition,” said Valerie Brummitt, the senior ace’s mom. “We got home about 1:40 a.m., went over to Neyland Williams’ house and did it until about 4:30 in the morning with the whole team and families there. I think we all got in bed about 5 a.m. It was exhausting but fun.”
“That’s what we did last year,” added Williams, whose hair shone brightly against his skin. “Between superstition, wanting to get it over with and wanting to be with your boys, something’s different about doing it the same night. It was a good time.”
“Once you wash it out and you look up, it definitely shocks you a little bit,” he added with a grin. “It’s nice to be able to do that, almost like one of our achievements, because you get to show everybody, and it’s fun and is a team-bonding experience.”
Harris made sure to thank the staff at Sally Beauty in Turkey Creek for their help, noting they are well aware of the routine each spring.
“That’s where we’ve gotten it for all the past years that I’m aware of,” she said. “They know how much we need and how much we use, and they’re on board. They know that if something crazy happens and we don’t make it, we can return it. But we haven’t had to do that.”
A big splash
The pool tradition began a little later during Matt Buckner’s tenure as the Admirals’ head coach.
For that, the protocol is similar to the bleached hair approach. In other words, you don’t talk about it until you accomplish the act that unlocks that achievement.
Essentially, the process begins when the team qualifies for the state tournament.
After that, the team makes reservations at the same Hyatt Place hotel where FHS has stayed for several years now.
From there, the only act of preparation left is the one that takes place on the field: winning.
And even for a Farragut team that locked up its 20th straight state tournament win in this year’s title game, that process can be easier said than done.
The Admirals blitzed through their first two games, beating Collierville and Nolensville, 6-3 and 8-2, to put them in the driver’s seat for yet another state championship appearance.
They just needed one more win over Collierville that Thursday, May 21 — and got it with a 5-3 victory made complete by a Brody Watkins save.
The state championship itself was a bit more complicated, as Farragut trailed Houston by three runs twice in a game that took place at two different venues because of rain.
But in the end, the Admirals roared back for an 11-5 win that Friday night. And by the time the players walked off the field, Harris had fired off an email to the Hyatt Place staff so they knew the team would be arriving soon.
Back at the hotel, parents and family members crowded around the well-lit pool, which cast a blue, shimmering glow.
Cheers erupted as the bus pulled in, growing louder once players’ outlines were visible in the lights of the parking lot.
Finally, the team gathered around the water, and, with cameras at the ready, players jumped in and mobbed one
another. Coaches soon followed with skipper Garrett Copeland the final one to make a splash.
It was a fitting way to end another year at the top for
Farragut baseball. But then again, that’s just part of the tradition, too.
“I think it’s really important to them,” Valerie Brummitt added. “For them, doing it all together and keeping up the tradition is super important. They all live and breathe Farragut, so I think that’s why they like to continue it.”
