Updated: Oak Ridge scores six TDs in first start for Fadnek

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10 p.m. Sept. 7.

CLINTON—Clinton struck first, scoring on an 80-yard touchdown pass on the opening play of the game.

But Oak Ridge answered with two touchdowns of its own. The second score, a five-yard run by junior T.J. Allison, put Oak Ridge on top 14-7 at 5:38 in the first quarter. The Wildcats never trailed again.

Four other Wildcats (2-0, 1-0 District 3-AAA) also scored touchdowns in the 44-21 win over the Dragons (1-2, 0-2), the first district game of the season for Oak Ridge, and junior Brandon Nickle added a field goal.

It was the first start for junior Wildcats quarterback Logan Fadnek. Fadnek also played last week against the Farragut Admirals, but junior Gavin Warrington started at quarterback in that game. On Friday, Fadnek completed 11 of 21 passes (52.4 percent) for 196 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions.

Sophomore wide receiver Tee Higgins had a team-high 117 yards on five catches, including a 35-yard touchdown pass lofted high in the air near the right pylon with 32 seconds left in the first quarter. Higgins, who is 6’3” and 175 pounds and also plays basketball, was second in rushing yards, picking up 33 yards on one carry.

For the second time in two weeks, senior cornerbacks Ted Mitchell and Jemiah Hall both had interceptions, one a midfield pick by Hall and the other a goal-line interception by Mitchell.

Junior running back Isiah Jones led eight Wildcats in rushing, picking up 75 yards on 13 carries.

 

Clinton relied heavily on junior quarterback Tyler Thackerson, junior running back Zack Jones, and senior running back Aaron Watson, who scored on a one-yard run in the middle of the third quarter.

Oak Ridge finished with 417 yards, compared to 478 for Clinton.

Both coaches said their teams need to work on tackling.

Oak Ridge coach Joe Gaddis said the Wildcats gave up too many yards and had too many penalties, although the offensive line, which only returned one starter this season, did better in its second week of the season.

“We played much better offensively,” Gaddis said. But, he added, “We’ve got to do better, and we will.”

 

Oak Ridge was able to create some holes, and getting the ball to Higgins early helped spread out the Dragons defense, Gaddis said.

He said game highlights included the comeback score for Oak Ridge, a four-yard catch by Jones at 10:11 in the first quarter. That was less than two minutes after Clinton scored on the opening pass from Thackerson to junior wide receiver Beau Crisp.

The Wildcats gave up two touchdowns they shouldn’t have against a good offensive team, but answered with 44 points of their own, Gaddis said.

“We did it,” he told the team in a post-game huddle. “We never looked back.”

The first drive of the second half was important, Gaddis said. During that drive, the Wildcats ran and passed the ball on a 70-yard drive, and junior Jaylen Nickerson scored on a one-yard run up the middle, giving Oak Ridge a 31-13 advantage with 8:51 remaining in the third quarter.

“We needed to come down and score,” Gaddis said.

Jones added a second touchdown for Oak Ridge, a short run with 4:17 remaining in the third quarter after a 25-yard catch by Higgins. Senior Malik Hardy scored late in the fourth quarter, with 3:24 left in the game.

Dragons coach Josh Kerr said the hard-fought game was within reach until the fourth quarter.

“These kids kept on fighting and moving the ball,” Kerr said. Besides tackling better, he said, the Dragons have to be able to punch the ball into the end zone.

 

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Here are preliminary statistics courtesy of Mark Haste: