Oak Ridge Today

Wildcat track pancake breakfast is Saturday, Feb. 18

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Members of the Oak Ridge Wildcat track team are pictured above. (Submitted photo)

Members of the Oak Ridge Wildcat track team are pictured above. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Wildcats track team has a pancake breakfast on Saturday, February 18. The pancake breakfast is scheduled from 8 to 10 a.m. February 18 at First United Methodist Church, which is near Oak Ridge High School.

Tickets are $5 and now available from any team member or at the door the day of the breakfast.

“So join us and have a short stack for a tall cause and thank you for supporting the Wildcat track team!” a press release said.

Basketball photos: Wildcats at Fulton

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Oak Ridge Higgins Layup Fulton Feb 11 2017 Simmons Web

Oak Ridge senior Tee Higgins (5), making a layup here, scored a career-high 33 points during a 76-65 win at Fulton on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

KNOXVILLE—Oak Ridge senior Tee Higgins scored 33 points, a career high, during a 76-65 win at Fulton on Saturday. Here are photos from the basketball game by Luther Simmons. [Read more…]

Higgins scores 33, a career high, during win over Fulton

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Oak Ridge Higgins Shoots Fulton Feb 11 2017 Simmons Web

Oak Ridge senior Tee Higgins (5) scored 33 points, a career high, during a 76-65 win at Fulton on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

KNOXVILLE—Oak Ridge senior Tee Higgins scored 33 points, a career high, during a 76-65 win at Fulton on Saturday.

Higgins hit three three-point shots, made 12 free throws (he had 14 attempts), and pulled down 10 rebounds.

“He told me on the way over here he was ready to go,” Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said.

Falcons fans remember Higgins. In the last game at Jody Wright Arena two years ago—the gym was loud, hot, and packed that night, too—Higgins hit a three-point shot with 3.1 seconds left to give Oak Ridge a one-point victory. The Wildcats had been down by two, but Higgins, who was then a sophomore, finished the dramatic all-out battle between the two top-five teams. Besides the game-winning three-pointer, he had 20 points and 14 rebounds in that classic game.

The Wildcats didn’t get off to a great start this year in the non-district game on Saturday, the last of the regular season for Oak Ridge. Fulton jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and led for much of the first quarter.

“We gave up some easy points defensively,” Green said. [Read more…]

Basketball photos: Lady Wildcats at Fulton

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Oak Ridge Kassner Fulton Feb 11 2017 Simmons

Oak Ridge junior forward Destiny Kassner (30) grabs a rebound during a 48-47 loss at Fulton on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. The game was decided on a free throw with 0.2 seconds left. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

KNOXVILLE—The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats lost a close 48-47 game that was decided by a free throw in the final 0.2 seconds at Fulton on Saturday. Here are photos by Luther Simmons. [Read more…]

Tied with Oak Ridge, Fulton wins on free throw with 0.2 seconds left

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Oak Ridge Guinn Drive Fulton Feb 11 2017 Simmons

Oak Ridge sophomore Jada Guinn (24), shown driving to the basket here, scored a game-high 27 points during a 48-47 loss at Fulton on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. The game was decided on a free throw with 0.2 seconds left. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

KNOXVILLE—It was the closest game of the year for the Lady Wildcats, and it was decided on a free throw after a controversial foul was called with 0.2 seconds left.

The half court foul, beyond the three-point line, sent Fulton junior LayLay Manning to the line to shoot three times. Giving hope to Oak Ridge fans, who wanted overtime, she missed the first two. But after timeouts were called, Manning dropped in the third free throw, giving the Lady Falcons a 48-47 win over Oak Ridge in a non-district game on Saturday, the last of the regular season.

It was a battle throughout, with the two teams regularly trading leads. Most of the time, neither team led by more than four points. One reporter compared it to a state championship game.

Fulton (22-4, 7-2 District 3-AA) was led by Keke McKinney, a 6-foot-1 senior forward who announced in October that she is going to Kentucky. She scored 22 points in the hot, loud, packed Jody Wright Arena on Saturday.

Oak Ridge (24-3, 16-0 District 3-AAA) was led by Jada Guinn, a 5-foot-8 sophomore guard. She scored a game-high 27 points, with 18 in the second half alone. [Read more…]

Tajion Jones a Mr. Basketball finalist

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Oak Ridge Jones Halls Jan 23 2017 Web

Oak Ridge senior Tajion Jones (3) scored 32 points as the Wildcats topped 100 points during an 108-56 win over Halls at Wildcat Arena on Monday, Jan. 23, 2017. (File photo by Luther Simmons)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1:50 p.m.

Oak Ridge senior Tajion Jones has been named as one of three finalists for Mr. Basketball in Class AAA in Tennessee.

Among other accomplishments, Jones is second on the all-time Oak Ridge list for career three-point shots with 189, according to broadcaster David Clary.

The other two Mr. Basketball finalists in Class AAA are Tyler Harris of Cordova High School and Alex Lomax of Memphis East High School.

It’s the second year in a row that Oak Ridge has had a Mr. Basketball finalist. Last year, Tee Higgins, who was then a junior, was named a finalist.

This year’s finalists were announced Friday by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, or TSSAA. The Mr. and Miss Basketball awards will be presented to the top boys and girls in five TSSAA classifications in the Murphy Center at Middle Tennessee State University on Tuesday, March 7. [Read more…]

ORHS Boys SoccerCats kick off season with Midnight Madness on Friday

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The Oak Ridge High School Boys SoccerCats will kick off their season with Midnight Madness at 9 p.m. Friday, February 10. The community is invited.

This free play event will take place at the ORHS soccer complex, an event notice said.

“Hot chocolate and cookies will be provided while you enjoy a fun night of soccer supporting our team,” the notice said.

Basketball: Schedule changes, last regular-season home game tonight

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There have been changes to the basketball schedule because of some school closings in the region, and the Oak Ridge Wildcats and Lady Wildcats will play at home for the last time during the regular season tonight.

Here is the new schedule:

  • Tuesday, February 7—Oak Ridge and Campbell County at Wildcat Arena
  • Thursday, February 9—Oak Ridge and Halls at Halls
  • Saturday, February 10—Oak Ridge and Fulton at Fulton

The girls’ games start at 6 p.m., and the boys’ games begin at 7:30 p.m.

Senior Night will be rescheduled and will not take place tonight (Tuesday, February 7).

Six senior athletes honored during National Signing Day at ORHS

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Tee-Higgins-National-Signing-Day-2-Feb-1-2017-Web

Surrounded by family members and school officials, Oak Ridge senior wide receiver Tee Higgins signs to play football at Clemson University at Oak Ridge High School on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Six senior athletes at Oak Ridge High School were honored during National Signing Day at Oak Ridge High School on Wednesday.

The six athletes, their sports, and the schools they will attend are:

  • Jake Etheridge—cross country, University of Tennessee in Chattanooga;
  • Alex Sherles—vollebyall, East Tennessee State University;
  • David Dunn—rowing, Stanford University;
  • Leah Scudder—soccer, Erskine College;
  • Kyndall Clark—football, Gardner-Webb University; and
  • Tee Higgins—football, Clemson University.

National Signing Day is the first day that high school seniors can sign a binding letter of intent with NCAA schools, ORHS Athletic Director Mike Mullins said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge receives Blankenship Field grant, primarily for synthetic turf

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Blankenship Field Overall Plan

An overall view of the proposed renovation of Blankenship Field and Jack Armstrong Stadium. (File image from April 2015)

 

Oak Ridge has received a state grant of just under $500,000 that will be used primarily for synthetic turf at Blankenship Field. But it is also expected to help pay for track improvements, upgraded restrooms, fencing between the football field and track, and improvements to the Cedar Hill trailhead behind the visitors bleachers at Jack Armstrong Stadium, city officials said Thursday.

The Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant requires a 50 percent match. The match is supposed to be provided by the nonprofit Blankenship Field Revitalization Foundation, and it can be a mix of cash and in-kind contributions, although the precise percentage of each—cash versus in-kind contributions—isn’t clear yet. The foundation has been chaired by Tennessee Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate Randy McNally.

Officials expect to know more after four of them—City Manager Mark Watson, City Council member Rick Chinn, Recreation and Parks Director Jon Hetrick, and Allen Thacker of Oak Ridge Schools—attend mandatory grant training in Nashville in February.

After that, the Oak Ridge City Council could accept the grant, possibly as early as the February 13 meeting. [Read more…]

Photos, videos: Oak Ridge, Halls basketball game

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Oak Ridge Higgins Dunk Halls Jan 23 2017 Web

Oak Ridge senior Tee Higgins (5) had two powerful dunks, including this one in the second half, during a 108-56 win over Halls at Wildcat Arena on Monday, Nov. 23, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

Oak Ridge topped 100 points and senior Tajion Jones scored 32 as the Wildcats beat Halls 108-56 at home on Monday. Here are photos by Luther Simmons and videos by Myles Hebrard. [Read more…]

Wildcats top 100 points, Jones scores 32 in win over Halls

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Oak Ridge Jones Halls Jan 23 2017 Web

Oak Ridge senior Tajion Jones (3) scored 32 points as the Wildcats topped 100 points during a 108-56 win over Halls at Wildcat Arena on Monday, Nov. 23, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

Oak Ridge topped 100 points and senior Tajion Jones scored 32 as the Wildcats beat Halls 108-56 at home on Monday. It was the fifth-highest point total for an Oak Ridge game in program history, according to broadcaster David Clary. The record of 137 was set in 1971.

It was an apparent career high for Jones. Eighteen of his points came from six three-point shots, and he had 24 points in the first half alone.

“He’s shooting well,” Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said.

Senior Tyshawn Young, who has had some high-scoring games in the past month, added 27 points, and senior Anthony Gibson had 17.

The seniors racked up all those points in the first three quarters, before reserves came in for Oak Ridge. Bench players added 21 points in the fourth quarter. That included three three-point shots by sophomore Joe Kesterson. [Read more…]