Wildcats win, but game closer than score suggests

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9 a.m.

By Alex Myers/Oak Ridge Today

CORRYTON—The Wildcats visited Gibbs High School on Friday night and left with a hard-earned win.

The final score showed the Wildcats beating the Eagles 38-21, but that didn’t tell the entire story. Penalties hurt the Wildcats all night long and often helped to extend drives for Gibbs. The Wildcats were penalized 16 times for 133 yards, while Gibbs was penalized five times for 38 yards. Gibbs ran an options offense, which at times proved to be tough to stop. However, in the long run, the Wildcats were just too much for Gibbs.

Oak Ridge trailed the Eagles early on but tied the game up with a seven-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Logan Fadnek to receiver Tee Higgins, who made a jump ball catch, with 7:50 left in the second quarter. Kicker Brandon Nickle put Oak Ridge in front at halftime as his 42-yard field goal gave the Wildcats a 10-7 advantage.

Running back T.J. Allison was the workhorse in the second half for Oak Ridge. He got into the end zone with a nine-yard run that gave the Wildcats a 17-7 lead early in the third quarter.

 

The Wildcats went through the air as Fadnek connected with Jordan Junbar for a 62-yard touchdown pass with just 16.9 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

At the start of the fourth quarter, all seemed well for Oak Ridge, but Gibbs didn’t go away easily. After a 26-yard touchdown pass early in the quarter, and a two-yard touchdown run just a few minutes later, the Eagles were right back in the game trailing by just three points.

Gibbs seemed to have taken all of the momentum, but on the very next possession, the Wildcats would put the game out of reach. Allison pounded the ball down the field, but in the end, it was Fadnek who capped off the drive with a one-yard touchdown run.

 

As Gibbs tried one last time to put something together, Alex Alcorn forced a fumble, and Darel Middleton was there to pick the ball up and take it 24 yards for the final score of the night.

The Wildcats (5-0, 3-0 District 3-AAA) will be back at home next week as they get set to take on Campbell County (5-1, 3-1).

Post-game interview

Oak Ridge coach Joe Gaddis said highlights of the game included the opening drive of the third quarter, when the Wildcats drove down the field and scored on the nine-yard run by Allison.

“At that point, we just kind of ran it down their throats,” Gaddis said. “That drive was nice.”

Another highlight: the short 10-15 yard reception that Dunbar turned into a 62-yard touchdown play near the end of the third quarter.

The coach wasn’t pleased with the penalties against the Wildcats, though. They included illegal procedure, holding, and personal fouls.

“We had as many penalties in one game as we’ve had in the other four put together,” Gaddis said.

One of the penalties, roughing the kicker, erased a Gibbs field goal and allowed the Eagles to score from about four yards out, Gaddis said.

Gibbs finished the first half with 84 total yards, compared to 73 for Oak Ridge.

“They were a tough, physical, hard-nosed team,” Gaddis said.

But Oak Ridge finished the night with 287 yards, compared to 232 for Gibbs.

Gaddis said the Wildcats got a little cushion with the field goal right before halftime and played well in the third quarter before scoring late in the game as Gibbs closed the gap.

 

Stats

Rushing:

• T.J. Allison—22 rushes for 114 yards and one touchdown
• Malik Hardy—Five rushes for 47 yards
• Logan Fadnek—Five rushes for minus two yards and one touchdown
• Brandon Bonds—One rush for seven yards
• Adam Manookian—One rush for six yards
• Gavin Warrington—One rush for minus one yard

Passing:

• Logan Fadnek—Five completions on 13 attempts for 116 yards and two touchdowns
• Gavin Warrington—Zero completions on one attempt for zero yards

Receiving:

• Jordan Dunbar—One catch for 62 yards and one touchdown
• Tee Higgins—Four catches for 54 yards and one touchdown

More information will be added as it becomes available.

***

Here are preliminary stats, courtesy of Mark Haste. (Note: The one major stat from the Friday night game that does not appear in these sheets is the 24-yard fumble recovery scored by defensive end Darel Middleton.)

TEAM STATISTICS
Oak Ridge		Gibbs
	FIRST DOWNS
14	Total	10
10	By rushing	4
2	By passing	3
2	By penalty	3
	RUSHING
35	Attempts	39
205	Yards gained	128
34	Yards lost	11
171	Net yards	117
	PASSING
5	Completions	6
14	Attempts	13
35.71%	Percentage	46.15%
0	Intercepted	0
116	Net yards	115
	TOTAL OFFENSE
287	Net yards	232
	PUNTS
5	Attempts	6
41.2	Average	35.5
	RETURN YARDS
57	Punt returns	0
41	Kickoff returns	0
0	Interception returns	0
	FUMBLES
2	Total	1
0	Fumbles lost	1
	PENALTIES
16	Total	5
133	Yards lost	38

 

Rushing Stats

Num	Player	Total_Carries	Total_Yards	Long	Average	Yards_Gained	Yards_Lost	Carries	FD	TD
6	Allison, TJ	22	114	20	5.18	124	10	-4,  12,  11,  0,  20,  11, -3,  3,  9,  1,  11,  1,  4,  4,  3,  4,  2,  11,  3, -3,  11,  3	6	1
11	Warrington, Gavin	1	-1	-1	-1.		1	-1
15	Hardy, Malik	5	47	22	9.4	48	1	-1,  2,  22,  13,  11	2
17	Fadnek, Logan	5	-2	12	-.4	20	22	-14, -8,  12,  7,  1	1	1
35	Manookian, Adam	1	6	6	6.	6		6	1
81	Bonds, Brandon	1	7	7	7.	7		7
	TOTALS	35	171			205	34		10	2

Receiving Stats

Num	Player	Completions	Yards_Gained	Yards_Lost	Total_Yards	Catches	FD	TD
5	Higgins, Tee	4	54		54	 30,  7,  13,  4	2	1
14	Dunbar, Jordan	1	62		62	 62		1
	TOTALS	5	116		116		2	2

Passing Stats

Num	Player	Completions	Attempts	INT	Percent	Yards_Gained	Yards_Lost	Total_Yards	Catches	FD	TD
11	Warrington, Gavin		1			0	0
17	Fadnek, Logan	5	13		38.46%	116	0	116	 30,  7,  13,  4,  62	2	2
	TOTALS	5	14		35.71%	116	0	116		2	2

 

Tackles by Position – Gibbs 2014
No.	Name	Tack	Assists	TOT	Yards	Sacks	Yards	INTs	Yds	Fum	Rcv	Fum	Blk	Blk	Blk
					Lost		Lost			Rec	Yds	Cause	FG/EP	Punt	Pass
35	Manookian, Adam	4	9	15	1	2
16	Chitwood, Ricky		10	10	5
54	Clark, Kyndall	3	4	7
78	Fleming, Shawmain	1	6	7
4	Kaczocha, Tommy	2	4	6	3
66	Alcorn, Alex		5	6	1	1						1
34	Warmbrod, Matt	1	4	5	1
99	Middleton, Darel		4	5		1				1	24
11	Warrington, Gavin		5	5
81	Bonds, Brandon		5	5
1	Mitchell, Ted	2	1	3
63	Brown, Diaz	1	1	3		1
53	Henderson, Jamalcolm		2	3		1
22	Myer, Riley		3	3
23	Hall, Jemiah		2	2
7	Anderson, Jamar	1		1
18	Hurd, Tomarrea		1	1
3	Anderson, Jamal			0
6	Allison, TJ			0
10	Kimbro, Chase			0
15	Hardy, Malik			0
19	Nickle, Brandon			0
24	Freeman, Trevon			0
33	Hannah, Jordan			0
36	Hammer, Wilson			0
68	Gray, Hunter			0
84	Miner, Jaret			0
86	Waddell, Ryan			0