By HARVEY SIMPSON

Dispatch Sports Editor



LOUISVILLE — Unable to make Thomas Jefferson’s favorite jet sweep plays crash and burn more times than they safely landed in the end zone, Fullington Academy’s Trojans dropped a gut-wrenching 30-24 GISA Class A state semifinal decision Friday night.

That outcome advanced the host Jaguars to a sixth state championship game appearance in the last nine years. They’ll play host this Friday to Terrell Academy, a 28-0 winner over Briarwood in the other semifinal. Fullington finishes its best season in years with an 8-4 mark.

“Our kids played their hearts out and never quit,” frustrated Trojans’ head coach Ken Fowler said. “Even after we got down by 14 late in the game, we battled back and had a chance to win before throwing an interception that allowed them to run out the clock.

“From a fan perspective, it was a great game to watch but from the standpoint of our players and coaches the loss really stings. The further I get removed from the game, the prouder I am of the accomplishments of our kids, par

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ticularly the seniors and the job they did these last two years in turning our program around.”

Fullington wasted no time in showing the heavily-favored home team it had come to play, getting a 70-yard touchdown run on the third play of the game. Caleb Frenchko recorded it when he hit off left tackle behind a key block by Stephen Simmons. Frenchko then ran the conversion to leave the home crowd stunned and the Jaguars facing an 8-0 deficit just 1:24 into the contest.

Much of the remainder of the period turned into a defensive struggle before Thomas Jefferson cranked up a 14-play, 71-yard scoring drive capped by Austin Dressell’s 7-yard run with 10:05 left in the half. A missed PAT left the home team trailing 8-6.

“On that drive, they kept running their best play — the jet sweep — just like they’ve being doing for years,” Fowler said. “Sometimes we did OK against it and sometimes we didn’t. When it’s blocked right, it’s hard to stop.”

After the Trojans shanked a punt on their ensuing possession, the Jaguars set up shop just 36 yards away from the Fullington end zone. On the first snap from there, Taylor Barrentine reached paydirt on a —yep, you guessed it —jet sweep. He also ran the two-point conversion for a 14-8 lead.

“At that point in the game, our guys really showed a lot of character in the face of all the excitement on Thomas Jefferson’s sideline by responding to their score with one of our own,” Fowler said. It came on an eight-snap, 80-yard march that ended on Dylan Gay’s 14-yard sprint. Brandon Bailey’s conversion run put Fullington back on top, 16-14.

“At halftime, we were feeling confident we could win but we also knew it would be a battle all the way,” said Fowler who saw his prediction begin to come true when the now 9-2 Jaguars scored less than two minutes into the third period.

Starting from its own 48 after taking the second half kickoff, Thomas Jefferson quickly wheeled its way 52 yards in six plays for the score that put it ahead to stay. A couple of 22-yard gallops by Barrentine set up Nick Whitmer’s 3-yard plunge. Barrentine ran the conversion for a 22-26 advantage.

The Trojans weathered another Thomas Jefferson scoring threat late in the third period when Bruce Hutchinson recovered a fumble inside the Fullington 10.

After the teams swapped possession of the football a couple of times, the Jaguars went on a 71-yard, four-play TD thrust that ended when Dressell first broke free for a 42-yard gain on the jet sweep and later dashed 14 yards for a score. Barrentine’s two-point conversion run made it 30-16 with just 5:08 to go.

Forced to punt the ball back three plays later and with time winding down, the Trojans had every reason to throw in the towel. Hutchinson’s second fumble recovery of the night, though, gave them the spark needed to take the game down to the wire.

Starting at its own 50 after the Jaguars’ bobble, Fullington immediately got a 22-yard pass completion from David Faircloth to Gay. On the next snap, Faircloth kept the football on the speed option and darted 28 yards for a score. Gay’s conversion run accounted for what would be the final tally 2:36 from the wire.

It almost didn’t end that way, though, as with only 2:36 showing on the clock, the Trojans recovered their onsides kick at the Jaguars’ 44. A 5-yard run moved it to the 39 but on the next snap the Jaguars intercepted a screen pass that enabled them to eat up the remaining time.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Fullington Academy 8-8-0-8 — 24

Thomas Jefferson 0-14-8-8 — 30



SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

10:36 F — Caleb Frenchko 70 run (Frenchko run)

Second Quarter

10:05 TJ — Austin Dressell 7 run (run failed)

9:05 TJ — Taylor Barrentine 36 run (Barrentine run)

5:56 F — Dylan Gay 14 run (Brandon Bailey run)

Third Quarter

10:04 TJ — Nick Whitmer 3 run (Barrentine run)

Fourth Quarter

5:08 TJ — Dressell 14 run (Barrentine run)

2:36 F — David Faircloth 28 run (Gay run)

TEAM STATISTICS

First Downs: F 11, TJ 14.,

Rushes-Yards: F 46-274, TJ 53-310.

Yards Passing: F 25, TJ (-8).

Passes C-A-I: F 2-12-1, TJ 1-4-0.

Fumbles-Lost: F 0-0, TJ 3-2.

Punts-Average: F 6-31, TJ 3-39.

Penalties-Yards: F 4-42, TJ 5-25.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing: Fullington — Frenchko 24-164, Gay 15-61, Caleb Malone 1-20, Faircloth 5-28, Bailey 1-1; Thomas Jefferson — Barrentine 15-159, Whitmer 14-60, Chase Walden 7-(-29), Dressell 14-107, Michael Bridges 3-13.

Passing: Fullington — Faircloth 2-10-1 25, Frenchko 0-2-0; Thomas Jefferson — Walden 1-4-0 (-8).

Receiving: Fullington — Joseph Lamberth 1-3, Gay 1-22; Thomas Jefferson — Bridges 1-(-8).