HIGH SCHOOL

Farragut's Courtney reaches pinnacle of coaching career

Chris Thomas
USA TODAY Network - Tennessee

Eddie Courtney addressed his team with confidence.

Farragut head coachEddie Courtney yells to his players during their Class 5A state playoff game against McMinn County Friday, Nov. 4, 2016. (WADE PAYNE/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS SENTINEL)

The 21-point Class 5A BlueCross Bowl deficit his Farragut High School football team faced at halftime was no matter. The Admirals had been in this position some two weeks earlier.

It was an easy angle for a veteran coach.

"I knew we had a 15-minute halftime," said Courtney, the PrepXtra Coach of the Year. "So we had eight minutes to address the team. I said, 'we’ve been here before. We rallied from 28 points to beat Ooltewah in the quarterfinals. I told you all week long, we’re not here to play the game; we’re here to win the game.' "

The ensuing quarters will be cemented in Farragut lore forever.

The Admirals scored on the first offensive play of the second half, a 74-yard touchdown pass from Adam Fulton to Braden Collins, to spark an improbable rally to their first state championship in program history. With Courtney's words as a spark plug, Farragut scored 38 unanswered points to deny Thompson Station Independence's repeat bid, 45-35.

"It ranks at the top because of who Independence is and what Scott (Blade) has done with that program," Courtney said. "They reminded us of the Maryville teams, because they don’t beat themselves.

"We took that approach that we have to play our best ball game."

They did. And Courtney reached the pinnacle of his coaching career, in the process.

He arrived at Farragut as an assistant under Ken Sparks in 1977 and was promoted to head coach before the 1996 season. But a title had eluded him for each of those years, and this year's bunch had too many holes to fill to consider Cookeville a realistic option in the preseason.

Courtney thought this team could be good. But he didn't see 14-1.

The Admirals had a small senior class of 15 players, the leanest grouping Courtney can remember during his tenure. Quarterback Adam Fulton was a first-year starter, and he knew it would be difficult to replace four all-state players lost from the previous season's Region 3-5A championship squad.

Making matters worse, top wide receiver Davis Simmons was sidelined because a season-ending knee injury in a Week 4 win over Bearden, a week after Farragut fell to rival Oak Ridge, 30-25.

The Admirals never wavered, though.

Fulton blossomed into one of the state's top passers, setting single-season school records for passing yardage (3,223) and touchdown passes (41). Farragut eliminated McMinn County, Rhea County and Ooltewah to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 1995. A win over South-Doyle pushed the Admirals to the championship..

"I think the biggest thing, I saw about week 7 or 8, I really saw these kids bonding together," Courtney said. "We had a lot of juniors and sophomores. We had a couple of seniors that weren’t going to play; they just got beat out. But they bought into their roles, and were good scout team players. That’s what makes it worth it as a high school coach.

"Everybody bought into their role."

Chris Thomas covers high school sports. Follow him at twitter.com/christhomaskns

Past PrepXtra coaches of the year

2015: Steve Matthews (Catholic)
2014: Scott Cummings (West)
2013: George Quarles (Maryville)
2012: Rob Black (Fulton)
2011: Rusty Bradley (CAK)
2010: Scott Cummings (West)
2009: Caine Ballard (Greeneville)
2006: Mark Pemberton (Catholic)
2007: Brad Taylor (Bearden)
2006: Buck Coatney (Fulton)
2005: George Quarles (Maryville)
2004: Buck Coatney (Fulton)
2003: Buck Coatney (Fulton); Mark Pemberton (Catholic)

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