Oak Ridge obliterates Knox Central on Senior Night

Backup quarterback Gavin Warrington (11) sparked an offensive outburst early in the third quarter, scoring on a 47-yard quarterback keeper, as the Oak Ridge Wildcats dominated the second half in a 48-7 win over Central on Friday. (Photos by Julio Culiat)

Wildcats open up large lead in second half

The Oak Ridge Wildcats came into Friday night’s game against the Knox Central Bobcats undefeated and hungry to pick up one last home victory for the seniors on Senior Night. The Wildcats fed that hunger and went back for seconds against the Bobcats, trouncing Knox Central 48-7, with 45 of those points coming in the second half.

The first quarter was very defense-centered for both teams, with neither team scoring a point. Even the second quarter was quiet for both teams, with the only points coming from a 40-yard field goal from Brandon Nickle with 5:40 left in the second quarter. The score at halftime was 3-0 Oak Ridge.

But during the halftime break, running back T.J. Allison said, head coach Joe Gaddis gathered his team and told them to do one thing: “Execute.”

The whole team took that message and ran with it. Allison broke out a long TD run to start out the third quarter, but the play was ultimately reversed on a holding penalty. However, just a few short plays after that, backup quarterback Gavin Warrington snuck the ball up the middle and evaded multiple defensive players on his way to a 47-yard touchdown run. With 11:19 to play in the third, the score was 10-0 Wildcats. With 6:17 left in the third, Allison broke through for a 17-yard touchdown run, this time with no penalty flags to stop him. At that point, it was a commanding 17-0 lead for Oak Ridge (9-0, 7-0 District 3-AAA).

But the Bobcats (4-5, 3-4) wouldn’t go down without a fight. After completing a 66-yard pass downfield, Jeremiah Howard bounced to the outside for an 11-yard touchdown run to make it 17-7 Oak Ridge.

After the Bobcat touchdown, the Wildcats punished the Bobcats with back-to-back touchdowns, courtesy of a 60-yard pass from Warrington to Tee Higgins and a three-yard touchdown run by Jaylen Nickerson on the following drive. After the 28-point outburst, Oak Ridge had the lead 31-7.

However, late in the third quarter, defensive end Darel Middleton was down on the field in obvious pain. Middleton did not return to the game. Neither Coach Gaddis nor Middleton revealed what the actual injury was, but both weren’t worried in the least about it hindering the junior in the next game.

“The verdict is: He better get better in a week,” Gaddis laughed. “He’s gonna be okay.”

When asked whether he will play next week, Middleton smiled and replied, “Oh yeah, I’ll be ready.”

In the fourth quarter, Oak Ridge pounded the Bobcats through the air and burned them up on the ground. With 10:42 left in the fourth, the Wildcats extended their lead to 34-7 with a 25-yard field goal by Jacob Calhoun. Five minutes later, Logan Fadnek unleashed a 38-yard touchdown pass to Jiminquas Johnson to make it 41-7. The final touchdown of the night was scored by Nickerson, his second of the game, with 2:31 left. The final score from there was 48-7 Oak Ridge.

Jiminquas Johnson (2) scored on a 38-yard touchdown pass from starting quarterback Logan Fadnek in the fourth quarter Friday.

The Wildcats had a plethora of seniors that got to see their team go out in style at home during the regular season. #1 Ted Mitchell, #2 Jiminquas Johnson, #4 Tommy Kaczocha, #9 James Smith, #15 Malik Hardy, #16 Ricky Chitwood, #21 Jermiah Pearson-Graham, #22 Riley Myer, #23 Jemiah Hall, #24 Trevon Freeman, #28 Chance Hutson, #49 Jacob Calhoun, #52 Quintez Burum, #56 Zach Kassner, #72 Isaac Chapman, #75 Liam Hale, #78 Shawmain Fleming, #81 Brandon Bonds, and #86 Ryan Waddell were all a part of their final regular season home game against Knox Central.

“It’s been awesome,” Middleton said. “They’ve been leaders on and off the field, and in the classrooms, too.”

“When they go, it’s gonna hurt bad,” Allison added. “It’s gonna get to me. Last year, I had to wait a year and I love these seniors just as much as I loved them seniors.”

Warrington and Fadnek both saw playing time at quarterback. Warrington was 3-3 with 73 yards and a score, while Fadnek tossed the ball eight times with three completions for 69 yards and a score.

Allison led the team in rushing against Knox Central with 103 yards on 13 carries and a score. Warrington had four rushes for 62 yards and a score, and Nickerson ran the ball nine times for 49 yards and two touchdowns.

Only three receivers caught the ball in Friday’s game. Johnson had one catch for 38 yards and a touchdown, Higgins had one catch for 60 yards and a touchdown, and Jordan Dunbar led the team in receptions with four for 44 yards.

Matt Wrambrod led the way with 13 total tackles, five by himself and eight assists. Adam Manookian wasn’t far behind him with one solo tackle and 10 assists to give him a total of 11. The only two sacks of the night came at the hands of Wilson Hammer and Chitwood. Chitwood, Alex Alcorn, and Tommy Kaczocha each batted down one pass in the game.

As a team, the Wildcats led the way with first downs (11), net rushing yards (238), net passing yards (142), and, unfortunately, penalties (9 for 80 yards).

Oak Ridge coach Joe Gaddis (back to camera) talked to his football team in a post-game huddle. Among those pictured are T.J. Allison (6), Jaret Miner (84), Jae’Shawn Maddox (89), Mark Kaczocha (80), and Joey Kocak (79).

After the game, Coach Gaddis seemed more excited than anyone else on the field.

“We take care of business in games we’re supposed to win,” Gaddis said. “We faced adversity at halftime, and we absolutely go crazy in the second half… I love this football team. I don’t know how long we’re gonna play, but I’m bettin’ on us. I love it.”

Oak Ridge will be traveling to Anderson County (8-1, 7-0) next Thursday, October 30, to take on the Mavericks and battle to take back the district title. If the Wildcats are able to pull out the victory, it will be the 12th time in school history that the team has gone 10-0 in a season, the first since 1999.

“We’ve got the best tradition in the history of high school football in Tennessee,” Gaddis proclaimed. “We wanna win a District Championship and beyond.”

Trenton Duffer is a freelance contributor.

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Here are preliminary stats courtesy of Mark Haste:

Rushing Stats

Passing Stats

Receiving Stats