Now in his third season as Rhea County’s head coach, Taylor Harvey has come to trust Austun Fugate to do just about anything he asks on the football field.
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound senior can kick a 50-yard field goal, return kickoffs and punts, catch passes, play quarterback and be a lockdown defender, all in the same game. That collection of talents have made him one of the most versatile playmakers in Tennessee prep football, and Fugate will again try to help guide the Golden Eagles after delivering 68 tackles, seven interceptions and eight pass breakups on defense while generating more than 800 all-purpose yards and scoring five touchdowns last fall.
“Austun is basically a coach on the field,” said Harvey, whose 2025 team won the TSSAA Region 3-5A championship. “I would bet he could jump in and play some offensive line if needed, and he would be able to do the right things. He is a smart kid who just understands the game. I never have to worry about No. 11 being in the wrong spot or doing the wrong thing.”
It’s that field awareness and football IQ that truly set Fugate apart, and it’s built on a strong work ethic that includes a devotion to studying game video, which helps him anticipate what opponents are trying to do.
In last week’s season-opening 29-27 home win over Red Bank, he made a one-handed interception while falling backward to prevent a big gain on a pass by Austin Jones, who finished with 276 total yards in the defeat.