Ads rally to clip wildcats
In overcoming a 10-point second-quarter deficit, Farragut High School boys basketball team captured arguably its biggest win of the season Friday night.
The victory now has the Admirals’ perched in second place in the District 4-4A standings behind Kingston Pike rival Bearden.
Farragut notched a comeback win against Oak Ridge, prevailing against the Wildcats, 73-67, before a packed and spirited house at FHS’s Lynn E. Sexton Gymnasium and handing Oak Ridge its third consecutive loss.
Oak Ridge (11-9 overall, 4-4 in the district) got off to a fast start, opening a 22-14 lead by the end of the first quarter. The Wildcats continued to hold the upper hand early in the second stanza as they began the frame with a flourish and extended their advantage to 31-21 midway through the quarter.
The Admirals (16-7, 6-2), however, would respond and close out the first half with a 10-0 run, knotting the contest, 31-31, by halftime. The Admirals pulled even when Britton Lewis knocked down a 3-point shot inside the final minute of the first half.
Farragut built upon the momentum of its second quarter surge, and while the third frame was a back-and-forth battle, the Admirals did just enough to open a 54-50 advantage by the end of the third quarter. From there, FHS never trailed again. The game, however, was tied twice in the fourth quarter. The last deadlock came with 3 minutes, 34 seconds left in the game when Ja’Rell Jemerson scored, making it, 62-62.
The Ads then closed out the contest with an 11-6 run to seal their victory.
“This was a big win for our program,” Farragut coach J.P. Burris said. “Oak Ridge is a good team and Aaron Green is a great coach. He’s the best of the best.
“We have five seniors and we really, really lean on them. That’s just a huge win for us.”
Farragut boasted a balanced scoring attack against the Wildcats as Parker Lane led the way with 19 points. Reid Vining added 18 points, Lewis had 14 and Daniel Lanning finished with 12.
Defensively, Farragut held Charlie Taubenheim, Oak Ridge’s only returning starter from last year’s squad that reached the Class 4A State Championship Game, in the second half.
He did have 22 points in the contest but scored only six over the final 12 minutes.
Eli Peters had 15 points, while Justice West added 12 and Jemerson finished with 11.
