Sports
August 19, 2026 by Jake Nichols
KNOXVILLE — Amid the buzzing crowd last Friday, Aug. 14, three words were audible: “football is coming.”
Now, it is officially here.
But before teams across the area looked toward their Week 1 matchups, they went through final tune-ups during the Knoxville Orthopedic Clinic’s Kickoff Classic last weekend at Bearden High School.
Farragut, Bearden and Hardin Valley all participated, each finding a different result in a quarter of action.
When the Admirals took the field, they did so after traveling back from a scrimmage at Walker Valley the day before.
Running backs Brenton Haag and Carter Collier took a couple early carries, then quarterback Hayes Sharp tried to hit Johnny Jacobs on a pair of long passes.
The latter resulted in a defensive pass interference, but the drive soon fizzled out. West found the same result, though, as defensive linemen Kaden Renfro, John Eddelmon and Thatcher Cherry burst into the backfield.
The Admirals were unable to move the ball on their second drive, and West cashed in with a touchdown to take the lead. The next series, on 4th-and-7, Sharp scampered for what looked to be a first down.
It was called back for a holding penalty, but Bailey Pyle finished the night with one more sack before the Rebels had a high snap on their final play.
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August 19, 2026 by Jake Nichols
Friday, Aug. 14, Derek Wright settled onto Farragut’s home bench and gazed out at his new home.
The scene looked quite familiar to the longtime Admiral assistant soccer coach, who followed his own playing career by learning under the late Wallie Culbreth for seven seasons (2002-2007, 2012).
In that time, Wright assisted in capturing three of the state championship banners hanging along the fence.
Now he is hoping to lead the Ads to more accomplishments, having been announced as their newest head coach last week.
“I’ve talked to some other high school programs over the years about opportunities and have said no because I would never want to coach against Farragut,” Wright said. “It’s my home and the school I love, and I am so grateful for this opportunity.”
Wright succeeds Bradley Culbreth, who led the Ads to a 59-35-12 with a 13-2-2 mark last season.
Wright brings three years of experience as Farragut’s middle school coach, too, also having cut his teeth in club soccer, using the principles he learned in the first few years of his career.
Wright added a special thanks to his wife, Melissa, and kids Bennett, Logan and Karis.
“I have a wife that the Lord has blessed me with who encourages me, champions me and she loves the opportunity I’ve had to be part of this,” Wright said. “We celebrated 20 years of marriage while this job was coming open, so we talked and prayed about what this next chapter might look like. I think she was more excited than I was, and that made me want to do this even more.”
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August 19, 2026 by Jake Nichols
Will Feehan stepped up to the first tee, moved into his backswing and smacked a drive into
the sweltering summer air at Gettysvue Country Club.
It was the first swing of the afternoon, as Farragut High School took on Bearden and Powell in a match last Thursday, Aug. 13.
Feehan led the Admirals with a score of 35 through nine holes, while Dane Helzer and Tate S. (no last name given) shot the same for the Bulldogs and Panthers, respectively.
The Ads outshot their rivals 153-155, winning by two strokes while the Lady Admirals shot a 78 to beat Bearden and Powell by 28 strokes.
On the girls side, Sophie Williams led FHS with a 38 while Olivia Coleman and Harper Holmes totaled 40 and 44, respectively.
“Both teams played really well,” head coach Ryan Mahoney said. “They’ve both been putting in work on their games, and it’s finally starting to show in matches. We were really happy with how they played.
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August 19, 2026 by Jake Nichols
Since winning its fifth straight state championship, the Farragut baseball team has enjoyed plenty of celebrations.
But the final one last Thursday, Aug. 17, was a fitting cherry on top.
In the Town’s weekly Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting, Alderman and former Admiral Drew Burnette read a proclamation declaring that day as “Farragut Admirals Baseball Day.”
“What has clearly surpassed as a good baseball team doing good things has turned into an absolute dynasty for the Town of Farragut,” Burnette said before reading the proclamation. “I don’t use that word lightly, but what you all do, what your coaches do and don’t forget what your parents pay for, commit to and all that stuff, I know, firsthand, that is a tremendous lift from the parental side.
“So, thank you, parents. Students, thank you for representing this town so well and carrying the name of Farragut throughout — it’s not just Tennessee, it’s throughout the whole country — and I see those rankings, and we get to watch them, and we love it, so thank you for all you do.”
The proclamation itself cited the program’s unprecedented feat of five straight state titles — which gave FHS the most in Tennessee history with 15 overall — and delved into the Admirals’ rich history, sportsmanship, discipline and “the pride they have brought to our community.”
“They deserve all the recognition they get,” head coach Garrett Copeland added after the ceremony. “To have the town’s support and the community’s support, it’s great for our players to be recognized for their hard work.
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