BY BRIAN HAMILTON
KNOXVILLE –
Farragut recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff and capitalized on the Cherokees’ miscue when Dawson Moore hit Trace Corum for a 6-yard touchdown, giving the Admirals a 7-0 lead with 9:03 remaining in the first quarter.
Moore found Corum again for a 5-yard touchdown with 4:15 left in the first period to give Farragut an early 14-0 advantage.
South-Doyle quarterback Nick Martin tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to slice the Admirals’ lead in half at 14-7 with 2:05 left in the first.
Both defenses held serve throughout the second quarter, as Farragut took a 14-7 lead into halftime.
The Admirals received the second half kick and found paydirt, as Moore and Corum hooked up for 51 yards for the duo’s third score of the game. Farragut took a 21-7 lead with just over 10 minutes left in the third quarter.
South-Doyle scored a touchdown to cut the Cherokees’ deficit to 21-14 with 3:09 left in the third quarter and the score would hold going into the final quarter.
Martin threw a 65-yard touchdown with 6:30 left in the game to tie the game at 21-21, as South-Doyle appeared to be working their second half magic again after a slow start.
The script would not go as planned, however, as Farragut’s Andrew Celeste powered into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown, giving the Admirals a 28-21 advantage with just 1:14 remaining in the game.
The Cherokees’ were unable to tie the game on their final possession, as South-Doyle drove to the Farragut 5-yard line but a fumble by Shawn Gary would end the Cherokees’ hopes.
South-Doyle suffered its second consecutive loss after starting the season 4-0.
Trace Corum led Farragut with 114 yards and three touchdowns on six catches.
The Cherokees (4-2, 1-1 Class 4A Region 2) will travel to Fulton (4-2, 1-1) for a region matchup that will play a big part in South-Doyle’s quest for an opening round home playoff game. Farragut (2-4) will head to Hardin Valley (0-5) for a Class 6A Region 2 bout.