After watching game film and preparing for the star Ole Miss running back commitment all week Farragut contained Mathers and the Blaze offense in the first half allowing only seven points. The Admirals carried a 17-7 lead into half, but starting quarterback Rule left the game after three series due to sickness and it was only a matter of time till Mathers broke free. He ran wild in the second half and ended up with a school record 346 yards on 26 carries and five touchdowns. The Admirals never gave up and were able to cut the lead to three with 30 seconds left, but were unable to recover the onside kick ending their season 41-38.
The second half started badly as five plays after a Johnson fumble Mathers scored on an eight yard touchdown run. The Admirals were then forced to punt on their next possession pinning the Blaze back at their own 13 yard line. This proved to be meaningless as Mathers broke an 87 yard touchdown giving Blackmon the lead 21-17.
Johnson again fumbled on the Admirals next drive and the Blaze capitalized. Three plays later quarterback Tyler Strickland found wide receiver Thahal May for a 21 yard touchdown extending their lead to 28-17.
Farragut responded to the 21 unanswered points with a touchdown only to see Blackmon’s offense continue with a touchdown of their own 35-23.
Backup quarterback Bryan Phillips hit Johnson for a 24 yard touchdown pass cutting the lead to five 35-30. The sophomore quarterback showed great poise and finished with impressive numbers going 20-of-30 passing for 225 yards and two touchdowns.
With a little over three minutes remaining the Admirals attempted an onside kick that was nullified after they touched the ball before it went ten yards. Mathers continued his dominance as he surpassed the school’s rushing record on the drive, finishing it off with another touchdown run from seven yards out.
Despite being down 41-30 with time running out Farragut did not quit. Phillips led the Admirals down the field and hit Urevick for a 13 yard score. He followed the touchdown with a two point conversion to Zach Thomas closing the gap to three with 30 seconds left.
The rest is history as Blackmon recovered and time ran out. The season is over, but Farragut had yet another good season going (7-4). The team created memories that will be remembered for the rest of their lives. The senior class went to the playoffs all four years and won far more than they lost. Their tenure was marked by accomplishment and should be a source of pride.