Oak Ridge Today

Lady Wildcats score more than 100 for first time since 2003

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Oak Ridge was led by sophomore Jada Guinn (24) with 30 points, the most for one of the Lady Wildcats since 2014, in a 104-19 win over Karns at Wildcat Arena on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats scored more than 100 points for the first time since 2003 in a 104-19 win over Karns at home on Tuesday.

The girls were led by sophomore Jada Guinn with a game-high 30 points, the most for a Lady Wildcat since Mykia Dowdell, who is now a junior, scored 32 against Central in 2014, according to broadcaster David Clary.

It’s the 11th time the Lady Wildcats (14-2, 6-0 District 3-AAA) have scored more than 100, Clary said. The last time was in 2003 against Alcoa.

Coaches said the 30 points for Guinn, including 17 in the first quarter alone, was likely a personal best. [Read more…]

Photos: Oak Ridge, Bradley Central in Ladies Classic championship

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Oak Ridge sophomore Jada Guinn (24) led the Lady Wildcats with 55 points in four games at the Andrew Johnson Bank Ladies Classic in Greeneville last week. Guinn is pictured above driving to the basket in a 63-32 loss to Bradley Central in the championship game on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

GREENEVILLE—The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats finished in second place in the Andrew Johnson Bank Ladies Classic in Greeneville on Saturday, losing to Bradley Central 63-32 in the championship game. Here are photos from Saturday’s game.

See the story from Saturday’s game here. [Read more…]

Basketball: Oak Ridge finishes second in Ladies Classic

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The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats finished as runner-up in the Andrew Johnson Bank Ladies Classic in Greeneville on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

GREENEVILLE—The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats finished in second place in the Andrew Johnson Bank Ladies Classic in Greeneville on Saturday, losing to Bradley Central 63-32 in the championship game.

Rhyne Howard of Bradley Central, a 6-foot-1 junior, dominated. The tallest player on the floor, she scored a tournament-high 30 points. No other player scored more than 12. Howard also led both teams with 10 rebounds and eight steals.

It was a much better performance for Howard than in March, when Oak Ridge and Bradley Central played in the Class AAA semifinal game in Murfreesboro. The Lady Wildcats beat the Bearettes 38-31 in that game to advance to the Class AAA state championship, and Howard, who was then a sophomore, was limited to six points, two rebounds, and one steal.

Bradley Central had other advantages on Saturday, including in rebounding and turnovers, and better shooting. The undefeated Bearettes shot 57 percent from field goal range, compared to 37 percent for the Lady Wildcats, and they were 4-of-12, compared to 0-for-3, from three-point range. They led in total steals, 17-5, and forced 23 Lady Wildcat turnovers, while giving up about half as many, 13. [Read more…]

Lady Wildcats play for championship in basketball tournament today

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Oak Ridge junior Jaymi Golden (32) dribbles the ball during a 69-50 win over Greeneville in a quarterfinal game at the Andrew Johnson Bank Ladies Classic in Greeneville on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016. At left is sophomore Jada Guinn (24). (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

GREENEVILLE—The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats will play for the championship in a basketball tournament in Greeneville today (Saturday, December 31).

Oak Ridge (13-1, 5-0 District 3-AAA) will play Bradley Central, a team the Lady Wildcats beat 38-31 in the Class AAA state semifinal last season. Today’s championship game in the Andrew Johnson Bank Ladies Classic starts at 4:30 p.m. in the Hal Henard Gymnasium in Greeneville.

The Lady Wildcats advanced to the championship by winning three straight games in the tournament this week. That included a Friday night 51-41 semifinal victory over South Greene (14-2, 2-0 District 1-A). The Lady Rebels, a Greeneville team, were the Class A state champions last season, and they made it to the final game of the Ladies Classic last year.

Before South Greene on Friday, Oak Ridge defeated Jefferson County 57-50 in the opening round on Wednesday and Greeneville 69-50 in a quarterfinal game on Thursday. [Read more…]

Football: New Dragons coach talks about hire, community support

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Information from WYSH Radio

On Tuesday morning, Clinton High School’s new football coach, Randy McKamey, was on “Ask Your Neighbor” on WYSH Radio in Clinton. McKamey, a 1989 graduate of CHS, was hired last week to take over at his alma mater after spending 10 successful seasons at Grace Christian Academy in Knoxville.

Some people want to characterize the situation at Clinton High School as a rebuilding effort, but that is not the approach Coach McKamey is taking. Instead, he is referring to it as a “revival,” saying that sometimes “you can become a little complacent and stagnant and that’s the way we’re viewing it.”

McKamey said that after watching some game film, he is confident that one area where the Dragons will make immediate improvements will be in their confidence, which he says is something that “anybody can change if you have just a little bit of swagger and some people that believe in you. I think they lost that belief.” [Read more…]

Basketball photos: Oak Ridge beats Science Hill 64-56

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Oak Ridge senior Tyshawn Young (4) led the Wildcats with a game-high 29 points during a 64-56 win over Science Hill in the first round of the Arby’s Classic in Bristol on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016. (Photo by Allen Greene/TriCitiesSports.com)

 

BRISTOL—Oak Ridge senior Tyshawn Young scored a game-high 29 points and senior Anthony Gibson added 17 as the Wildcats beat Science Hill in the first round of the Arby’s Classic in Bristol on Tuesday. Here are pictures from the game by Allen Greene of TriCitiesSports.com.

It was the second time Oak Ridge defeated the Hilltoppers this month. They also won 82-72 in the Champion Chevrolet Shootout at Science Hill in Johnson City on December 17.

The Wildcats will play again in the Arby’s Classic at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, when they take on Trinity of Louisville, Kentucky, in a winners bracket game in the basketball tournament. [Read more…]

Young, Gibson lead Wildcats with Bush, Higgins out

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Oak Ridge senior Tyshawn Young (4) led the Wildcats with a game-high 29 points during a 64-56 win over Science Hill in the first round of the Arby’s Classic in Bristol on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016. (Photo by Allen Greene/TriCitiesSports.com)

 

BRISTOL—Oak Ridge senior Tyshawn Young scored a game-high 29 points and senior Anthony Gibson added 17 as the Wildcats beat Science Hill in the first round of the Arby’s Classic in Bristol on Tuesday.

It was the second time Oak Ridge defeated the Hilltoppers this month. They also won 82-72 in the Champion Chevrolet Shootout at Science Hill in Johnson City on December 17.

In the earlier game, the undefeated Wildcats (12-0, 5-0 District 3-AAA) played without standout senior Tee Higgins because his right shoulder was inflamed.

On Tuesday, they again played without Higgins. He is in Orlando for the Under Armour All-America Football Game on New Year’s Day. But they also played without another top senior, E.J. Bush, who injured his knee during the earlier Science Hill game and will not play in the Arby’s Classic basketball tournament this week.

Without those two in the lineup, other players are expected to step up, including some sophomore bench players. Sophomore Herbert Booker started for Bush Tuesday. [Read more…]

Higgins picked for Under Armour All-America Football Game on Jan. 1

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Oak Ridge senior wide receiver Tee Higgins has been selected by ESPN Recruiting to participate in the Under Armour All-America Football Game in Orlando on New Year’s Day, January 1. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN at 1 p.m. Sunday. Higgins is pictured above after a 56-21 rout of Clinton on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Oak Ridge senior wide receiver Tee Higgins has been selected by ESPN Recruiting to participate in the Under Armour All-America Football Game in Orlando on New Year’s Day, January 1. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN at 1 p.m. Sunday.

The roster includes more than 90 of the nation’s best senior high school football players. Besides Higgins, area football players also picked to participate are wide receiver Amari Rodgers of Catholic and punter Joe Doyle of Farragut.

Higgins and Rodgers have both committed to Clemson. [Read more…]

Bush, Higgins will not play in Arby’s Classic this week

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Oak Ridge senior E.J. Bush (2), pictured above, led the Wildcats with 20 points during a 76-56 win over Cleveland in the Champion Chevrolet Shootout at Science Hill High School in Johnson City on Friday, Dec, 16, 2016. (File photo by Robert Kell)

 

Two of the top players for the Oak Ridge Wildcats, E.J. Bush and Tee Higgins, will not play in the Arby’s Classic in Bristol this week. It’s a basketball tournament that has featured dramatic games, record-setting performances, and close wins—and losses.

Bush, a 6-foot-4 senior who was injured in the 82-72 win over Science Hill in the Champion Chevrolet Shootout in Johnson City on December 17, has a knee injury. It’s not clear how long he might be unable to play, or if he’ll travel with the team to the Arby’s Classic this week.

Bush can score 16-20 points per game and pull down six to 10 rebounds per game.

Meanwhile, Higgins, a wide receiver who has committed to Clemson, is leaving Tuesday for the 10th annual Under Armour All-America Football Game in Orlando on January 1. That game features more than 90 of the nation’s best senior high school football players. Besides Higgins, they include wide receiver Amari Rodgers of Catholic—he’s also committed to Clemson—and punter Joe Doyle of Farragut. [Read more…]

Campbell County finishes first, Clinton second in Christmas basketball tournament

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Daraon Jones (10) led Clinton with 12 points during a 57-46 loss to Campbell County during the Don W. Lockard Christmas Invitational Championship at Clinton High School on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2016. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

CLINTON—Campbell County held off a second-half rally by Clinton to beat the Dragon 57-46 and win the championship at the Don W. Lockard Christmas Invitational basketball tournament on Wednesday. Clinton finished as runner-up.

The tournament began at Clinton High School on Monday, and it ended on Wednesday.

Wednesday started with the Campbell County boys (12-5, 2-3 District 3-AAA) erasing an early 13-point deficit to blow out Oakdale 77-52.

The afternoon session began with Clinton’s boys—resting many of their starters—holding off First Baptist Academy, or FBA, 70-62. [Read more…]

Football: McKamey leaving Grace Christian to coach Clinton

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Information from WYSH Radio

Randy McKamey, who once coached at Clinton Middle School, is leaving Grace Christian Academy to coach football at his alma mater, Clinton High School.

Clinton High School Athletic Director Brad Collette announced the decision last week.

Collette said that McKamey was offered the job on Monday and accepted. He met with his Grace Christian players to inform them of his decision.

McKamey once coached at Clinton Middle School, but he has spent the last 10 years at Grace Christian, compiling an 89-32 record and making the playoffs nine times, including this season, when the Rams finished 6-6 and lost in the second round to Happy Valley. His Rams appeared in three state semifinals, won seven region championships, and went unbeaten in the regular season twice, including in 2011, when the program was serving a two-year playoff ban handed down by the TSSAA. [Read more…]

Basketball: Clinton girls finish as runner-up in Christmas tournament

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The Clinton Lady Dragons finished as runner-up in the Don W. Lockard Christmas Invitational basketball tournament in Clinton on Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2016, losing to Cumberland Gap 57-17. Clinton was led by Kinley Martin (5), who scored 11 points. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

CLINTON—The Clinton Lady Dragons finished as runner-up in the Don W. Lockard Christmas Invitational basketball tournament last week.

Clinton (4-10, 2-3 District 3-AAA) was overwhelmed by Cumberland Gap in the girls’ championship game. The Lady Panthers took a 34-2 halftime lead on their way to a 57-17 triumph at Clinton High School on Wednesday.

The Lady Panthers (6-5, 1-2 District 2-Class AA) also defeated the Lady Dragons 71-37 earlier in the day. [Read more…]