Selfless Admirals return to state semifinals
Ben Sachs doesn’t have to look far to find an example of teamwork.
His Farragut men’s lacrosse players might as well comprise Exhibit A, as most of them have developed chemistry on the field since their middle school days.
Now, that effect is showing on the field. After claiming their second consecutive region title, the Ads beat Cookeville, 17-4, last Friday, May 1, to book their second-straight appearance in the TSSAA Class AA state semifinals.
“It’s fun,” Sachs said with a grin. “Absolutely excited for these guys. Second year in a row, and these boys deserve it. They have worked hard and we have talked about this since October. Everything they have done has led to these final games, so we’re excited to be here.”
In the semifinal round, the Ads will take on defending state champion Nolensville — the same team that ended Farragut’s season in a 15-9 result a year ago.
This time, FHS will be looking for a different result when it travels to the mid-state for this clash.
And if they want to find it, the Ads need to take some notes from a semifinal stomping against the Cavaliers.
That night, FHS jumped out to a 10-2 halftime lead with an electric offensive performance.
Finn Sachs scored seven of the team’s 17 total goals, misfiring on a mere three of his 10 shots on goal.
“The biggest thing is being able to move the goalie out of the way,” Sachs said of the sophomore attacker.
“Finn can pick and choose where he wants to put that ball and gets it in the back of the net. And he has talent around him that does the same thing. So no matter who’s got it, they’re able to choose where to put the ball in the net, and they do it.”
Matthew Kitchiner added three more scores while Brock Lockhart, Brody Gruver and Dan Lanning added two apiece for a Farragut team that tallied nine assists as a team.
Also, Bennett Elton won 15 of the team’s 22 face-offs, giving the Admirals an early advantage, and Ian Fanta kept the Cavs at bay with five saves in goal.
“Right in the first quarter, he got a one-on-one stop to shut down their momentum,” Sachs said of Fanta. “That set the tone for us, and we had some really good aggressiveness after that, too.”
Now, Sachs certainly hopes to see the same gritty, unselfish approach Friday.
“Continue the climb,” he summarized. “Keep the pedal to the metal, and INAM, right? It’s not about me. We share the ball, and that’s why we put it in the back of the net so much. When we do that, it’s really hard to stop us. So just need to continue that selflessness.”
