Senior class delivers state berth
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Farragut coaches smiled alongside their seniors Monday, March 9, after locking up the program’s first state berth in 43 years. - Jake Nichols
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Farragut’s Britton Lewis (11) goes up for a shot against Sevier County on Monday, March 9, at Sevier County High School. Lewis led the Admirals with 15 points in their 57-50 win over the Smoky Bears, as FHS has advanced to the TSSAA State Tournament for the first time since 1983. - Jake Nichols
Late Monday night, March 9, Farragut’s five seniors sat together near the top of the bleachers at Sevier County High School.
Having played together since sixth grade, they could have been waiting for a pickup game based on their relaxed posture. Instead, with wet hair and “STATE BOUND” shirts, they smiled after clinching the program’s first state tournament berth since 1983.
In a fitting twist, all five were Farragut’s top five scorers on their biggest night in Admiral uniforms.
“We’re just a brotherhood here,” senior Britton Lewis said. “We have shirts that say family, and Coach Burris has done a great job with that. We knew that was our goal, to go to state. And he’s kept us accountable to that.”
“Man, that means the world to me because it’s my group,” Burris added with a smile. “I hope that doesn’t sound selfish, but this is the group that came in with me. They bought into what our staff asked, telling them they would reap the benefits. And tonight they did.”
Lewis led the Ads with 15 points on the night, pacing FHS against a Sevier County team that upsetMaryville to lock up a host spot in sectionals. Fittingly, four of Lewis’ points came during two straight fast breaks during the run that put the game away.
“Britton is just Britton,” Burris said. “That steady hand, he guards the other team’s best player, and he can go get you a bucket when you need one. I thought he was really big when we put together that run to end it. You trust him, and he delivers.”
Two other seniors, Parker Lane and Reid Vining, delivered too with 12 points each. Lane knocked down a 3-pointer to break a 40-40 tie and hit multiple free-throws late, while Vining nailed a layup as part of the Admirals’ final push.
Fellow senior Aidan Foshie added 11 points of his own, including a clutch 3-pointer and a free throw that marked the last point of the game. And Dan Lanning scored three points, two of which came amidst Farragut’s first run when they responded to a 6-2 deficit with a 19-2 run to close the first quarter.
Yet even in an evening when they reached new heights, Farragut’s players found familiarity in their circumstances.
After jumping out to a 21-8 lead, the Admirals withstood a second-quarter push from the Smoky Bears to take a 31-24 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Still, Sevier County was not done. Far from it, in fact.
The home squad staged a quick 11-4 run out of the break, tying the score at 35 to send the purple-clad gym into bedlam.
Lane regained the lead with a pair of free-throws, only for Sevier County’s Parker Newman to hit a 3-pointer for the Smoky Bears’ first lead since the first three minutes of game time.
Foshie coolly responded with a triple of his own, but Sevier County knotted the score at 40 once more.
That set the stage for one final push — and this time, Farragut took firm control with a 17-10 run to salt the game away.
“They weathered the storm again,” Burris said. “This team has been so resilient all year.”
