Goal-line stop saves Wildcats’ win, sends Oak Ridge to Class 5A quarterfinals

Oak Ridge safety Tommy Kaczocha (4) tackles Cleveland wide receiver Isaiah Beaty (10) in a 10-6 second round Class 5A playoff win at Blankenship Field on Friday night. Kaczocha, a senior, had five tackles, two assists, an interception, and a blocked pass. Also pictured is junior linebacker Adam Manookian (35), who led the Wildcats with eight tackles and 10 assists. (Photos by Julio Culiat) 

Note: This story was last updated at 2 p.m.

The whole season boiled down to these last four plays. Down by only four points, Cleveland had the football on a first-and-10 at the Oak Ridge 11-yard line with 1:17 left to play.

The Wildcats were ahead 10-6, but the Blue Raiders only needed a touchdown to take the lead—and end Oak Ridge’s season in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs.

But a crucial goal-line stop at Blankenship Field on Friday night preserved the win for the undefeated Wildcats. They now move on to the quarterfinals, playing against Rhea County at home next Friday and setting up a showdown between two 12-0 teams.

Before the last series, the Blue Raiders (6-6) had been able to move the ball against the Wildcats—they finished the night with 21 first downs compared to Oak Ridge’s seven—but on these last four downs, Cleveland only gained four yards and had two incomplete passes.

Senior lineman Isaac Chapman and junior defensive end Alex Alcorn had the final stop, tackling Blue Raiders quarterback Jacob Gibson on a run up the middle on a fourth-and-six from the Oak Ridge 7 with 33.8 seconds left. Oak Ridge got the ball back on downs and ran out the clock.

“I knew our defense could stop them,” said Chapman, who has spent most of the year on the offensive line but has played more on defense since the October 30 game against the Anderson County Mavericks. “We’ve played together so great this year. We had each other’s back.”

Wildcats junior defensive end Alex Alcorn (66) and senior lineman Isaac Chapman (72) stop Cleveland quarterback Jacob Gibson on a fourth-and-six from the Oak Ridge 7 with 33.8 seconds remaining in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs. Also pictured are junior defensive ends Darel Middleton (99) and Matt Warmbrod (34).

Oak Ridge now has a chance to go 13-0 for only the third time in school history and for the first time since 1994.

Friday night’s win was uncharacteristic for Oak Ridge. The Wildcats rarely turn over the ball, but they had four fumbles against Cleveland and three resulted in turnovers. All three of those were by Oak Ridge’s leading rusher, junior T.J. Allison. The team’s only touchdown came on the first big catch of the season by junior wide receiver Colton Wade. Oak Ridge was held to 10 points Friday after averaging 40 per game in the regular season and scoring 53 in the first round last week. And the Wildcats, who only generated 160 yards of total offense Friday, were fighting for survival late in the fourth quarter, something they hadn’t had to do all year.

“Great teams find ways to win,” Oak Ridge coach Joe Gaddis said. “It wasn’t pretty on the offensive side, but defense was beautiful.”

Gaddis said a 45-yard field goal by junior kicker Brandon Nickle with 8:17 remaining in the game was critical because it gave the Wildcats their four-point 10-6 cushion, which forced the Blue Raiders to try to score a touchdown on their final drive.

The game was won by the defense and the kicking game, Gaddis said.

“We persevered,” he said. “Our defense had our offense’s back all night long.”

Other than the score, one of the few statistics that favored Oak Ridge was interceptions. The Wildcats had two, while the Blue Devils had zero.

Sophomore Tee Higgins (5), the Wildcats’ leading receiver, makes a diving catch at the Blue Raiders’ 13-yard line midway through the first quarter. Higgins hyperextended his knee on a deep ball late in the second quarter and did not return to the second-round playoff game. Higgins had three catches for 69 yards.

Cleveland scored first on Friday. Senior Brandon Romero kicked a field goal at 7:48 in the first quarter after Allison’s first fumble.

Nickle missed a chance to tie the game on a 33-yard field goal on the following Oak Ridge drive—and after a deep pass from Wildcats quarterback Logan Fadnek to sophomore wide receiver Tee Higgins, who made a diving catch at the Blue Raiders 13.

The Wildcats picked up the first of two interceptions on the next drive by the Blue Raiders when junior defensive end Darel Middleton deflected a pass from Gibson, and Oak Ridge safety Tommy Kaczocha caught it.

But neither team was able to score on the next few drives, and Romero missed a 33-yard field goal of his own for the Blue Devils. Romero’s kick fell short with 4:17 left in the half.

Junior T.J. Allison, the Wildcats’ leading rusher, had three turnovers on fumbles on Friday and was held to 48 yards on 13 carries.

On the next drive, Oak Ridge drove downfield with the help of Allison and junior running back Jaylen Nickerson, and a 39-yard pass to Higgins, who hyperextended his knee on the play and did not return to the game after tumbling to the ground.

A few plays later, the Wildcats scored from three yards out on a pass from Fadnek, who scrambled right, to Wade, who was in the end zone. The score was 7-3 in favor of Oak Ridge with 49.4 left in the half.

The Blue Raiders scored on the opening 14-play drive of the second half on a 36-yard field goal by Romero that bounced off the crossbar.

Oak Ridge dodged bullets on the next two Allison fumbles, getting the ball back once on downs and the second time on a Cleveland fumble.

Nickle kicked the 45-yard field goal at the end of a short drive that followed the Blue Raiders fumble.

Junior running back Jaylen Nickerson (29) had one fumble that he recovered and eight carries for two yards, as well as one catch for nine yards.

On the following Cleveland drive, senior cornerback Jemiah Hall picked up the second interception for the Wildcats.

Neither team was able to score again, although the Blue Raiders mounted one last 13-play, 80-yard drive that ended with the goal-line stop by the Wildcats.

“I’m proud of our football team,” Cleveland coach Ron Crawford said. “I’m proud of the game our team played against an undefeated team.”

Crawford said the Blue Raiders, who have struggled with injuries this season, including to their quarterback, were playing without five starters, and sophomore wide receiver Robert Anderson went out with an injury during the game.

A pass to Middleton, who also plays wide receiver, in the end zone in double coverage in the fourth quarter falls incomplete.

Hall said the Oak Ridge defense knew it had to come out and make plays Friday.

“This is probably the closest game that we’ve had,” Hall said.

Other defensive highlights included a blocked pass by Middleton, a fumble recovery by senior cornerback Ted Mitchell, and a sack and blocked pass by senior nose guard Shawmain Fleming.

Although the offense struggled Friday—they ran 37 plays compared to Cleveland’s 73—the defense stayed motivated.

“Rather than complain about it or whine and get upset about it, they just bear down and play even harder,” Gaddis said.

Gaddis expects a physical game against Rhea County at 7 p.m. Friday, November 21, at Blankenship Field. The Golden Eagles beat Ooltewah, which had also been undefeated, 47-14 in another second-round game on Friday.

With the temperature below freezing, the student section still shows Wildcat Pride.

Here are preliminary stats by Mark Haste:

Passing Stats

Receiving Stats

Rushing Stats

Cleveland Stats

Rushing:

• Senior running back T.J. Parker—32 carries for 119 yards
• Senior quarterback Jacob Gibson—six carries for -2 yards

Receiving:

• Senior wide receiver Rod Dennard—three catches for 48 yards
• Senior wide receiver Isaiah Beaty—seven catches for 43 yards