Despite suspensions, losses, Ads boys fans give loud ‘thank you’

After a three-point jumper from the corner was nailed by junior wing Garrick Hrivnak in the game’s closing seconds, one would have thought Farragut’s boys were on the verge of celebrating a Region 2-4A championship, if judging by the roar of fans in general and the Admirals’ student section in particular.

The only curious thing — really not so curious taking into account what had happened in the previous 48 hours — rival Bearden was leading in this Thursday, March 3, game at FHS.

It was 74-40, which served as the final score.

However, older Ads fans and students alike knew the real score: this was the Admirals’ “thank you” game for an overall successful season — but a season, in fact, that essentially was over competitively with the suspension of all but three varsity players for two games following an incident at the end of the William Blount region semifinal two nights earlier. Several players were deemed to have left the bench, reacting to the incident, by the TSSAA.

But to further fan gratitude, a few dozen waited in the concourse to cheer each Admiral emerging from the locker room after the game.

The two-game suspension left only one senior, point guard Carter Mayfield, starting junior post Dallas Carbaugh — both named to the All-Region Touranment team — and reserve player Hrivnak to play with junior varsity Ads in substate versus Region 1-4A champ Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett at KBD Monday night, March 7. Farragut lost 62-46, ending its season 25-9.