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With ground game, defense, Dawgs control Hawks at Hardin Valley

September 20, 2023 by Alan Sloan

HARDIN VALLEY — Jayzon Thompson’s and Drew Parrott’s huge rushing games would have gotten even more attention, except for their buddies on defense who were just as impressive for Bearden during a Region 2-6A trip to Hardin Valley Academy Friday evening, Sept. 15.

Two early mistakes by the Bulldogs — a spectacular interception by Hawks senior defensive back Brady Miner — after catching his own deflection of a Drew Parrott pass in Bearden end zone for a HVA touchdown, and a fumble-turned-41-yard field goal by Nathan Holbrook had the home team up 9-7 with 3:41 left in the first quarter.

But the ground success of Thompson, sophomore running back, and Parrott, junior quarterback — plus a few others — was too much to contain, while BHS’s defense proved smothering for most of the final three-plus quarters. The end result was a 41-9 Bulldogs victory.

Saying he had holes to run through, “especially the left side, Brody (Smith, sophomore offensive lineman), he was blocking good all night,” Thompson said.

Strong youth football week

September 20, 2023 by Staff Reports

Four wins by Farragut Youth Football’s four oldest teams last week adds up to three remaining perfect, while the other has suffered just one loss in 2023.

That included Roy Stone’s Varsity MAC 8th-Graders staying perfect at 5-0 — and earning the team’s fourth straight shutout — after a 28-0 win at Alcoa Thursday evening, Sept 14.

Junior Varsity MAC

Zack Holmes’ Farragut 7th-Graders marched into Alcoa High School Sept. 14 and took charge quickly, blanking the host team 34-0 while improving to 4-1 on the season.

After earning a safety thanks to a bad punt snap, Nicholas Stewart’s 25-yard kickoff return landed Farragut at the Alcoa 20. Overcoming a 10-yard penalty, Brayden Wilder’s 21-yard run set up Nicholas’ 5-yard scoring run. Gavin McClurkin’s first of what would be four 2-point conversion kicks, with Oliver Jett holding, pushed the score to 10-0 with 2:12 left in the first half.

Nicholas cranked it up on the next Farragut possession, this time rushing 38 yards to paydirt. It was 18-0 with 4:49 remaining in the third quarter.

Farragut’s passing game wasn’t to be denied in terms of scoring, as quarterback Harrison Holmes fired deep and found receiver Carter Maltais open inside the Alcoa 5 for a 30-yard scoring pass on fourth down. The Mini Ads’ lead was now 26-0 win just nine seconds left in the third frame.

Back-and-forth 5-setter ends with HVA edging Lady Ads

September 20, 2023 by Bill Howard, Correspondent

HARDIN VALLEY — It was a volleyball match worthy of the strong rivalry between the two teams.

Thursday night, Sept. 14, at home, Hardin Valley Academy outlasted a determined Farragut team 3-2. The Lady Admirals led two sets to one but dropped the final two.

Farragut’s won sets one and three by scores of 25-22 and 25-21. HVA won sets two, four and five by scores of 25-14, 25-18, and 15-4.

Lady Hawks head coach Joy Waller thought her team didn’t play its best.

“Good to hang in and get the win,” she said. “We didn’t play always like we’re capable of. Farragut really came to play.”

“I’m proud of them, the way they fought,” FHS coach Andre Alves said. “We’re still learning to play together, but we fought hard tonight and gave them a good match.”

HVA led 5-0 in the first set and held the lead to 15-10. FHS then ran off seven straight and finished the set off with a kill by outside hitter Elsa Morrison.

Irish firepower sends Briarcrest back home a 49-24 loser

September 20, 2023 by Staff Reports

KNOXVILLE — Knoxville Catholic and Memphis Briarcrest Christian had not played in 20 years before Friday night, Sept. 15, and it might take 20 more years for Briarcrest to want to play them again.

Meeting in a non-region game, Catholic (4-1) beat Briarcrest easily, 49-24, led by senior running back Braylon Harmon’s three touchdowns — all on plays of at least 60 yards — and junior quarterback Jayden Neal, who threw four touchdown passes.

Neal threw for 280 first-half yards, and Harmon had 140 all-purpose yards by halftime.

The lone bright spot for Briarcrest was the running of JoJo Saleem, who ran for 140 yards, including a nifty 60-yard scoring run in the first quarter.

The Irish pass rush pressured Briarcrest quarterback Cade Carlson into having to get rid of the ball with short pass attempts.

Both teams combined for four touchdowns in the first quarter. Neal’s pass to Tyree King, who is being courted by several Division I-A colleges, for a 64-yard touchdown only 1:17 into the game, began the scoring. Briarcrest answered four minutes later on Saleem’s TD run, but the remainder of the quarter belonged to Catholic.

Impressive streaks keep growing, Lady SoccerDawgs blank FHS

September 20, 2023 by Staff Reports

The streaks extended to 56 matches unbeaten with a 51-match winning streak for the defending national champion/two-time defending Class AAA state champion Bearden Lady SoccerDawgs after a visit to rival Farragut Thursday evening, Sept. 14.

Jumping ahead quickly and building a 4-0 halftime lead, Bearden cruised past the Lady Admirals 5-0, ending this week with a perfect 7-0-0 record. Farragut stood at 5-3-1, 0-1-1 in District 4-AAA at week’s end.

Three goals and one assist from star senior forward Alivia Stott, a University of Tennessee commitment, led the way for BHS. Jayle Blue added one goal and two assists, while Nyla Blue scored on an assist from Tyler Roth. Breanna Mendoza also had an assist.

“I always joke, when I talk to Ryan (Radcliffe, Bearden head coach), about, like, ‘what drills do you do when it comes to finishing (turning shots into goals), because they finish better than any team in the state in the box,” FHS head coach Jessie Burkhart said. ‘... It’s one thing to know it and another thing to defend it.”