Oak Ridge Today

Football photos: Oak Ridge and Campbell County

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Wildcats Tee Higgins Catch against Campbell County Oct. 30, 2015

Oak Ridge junior wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) hauls in a catch near the left sideline during a 45-6 win over Campbell County on Blankenship Field on Friday, Oct. 30, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

The Oak Ridge defense shut down Campbell County, and the Wildcats used an opportunistic offense and great punt returns in a 45-6 rout of the Cougars on Friday. Here are photos by Julio Culiat.

See a story on the game here. See stats here.

Wildcats Darel Middleton against Campbell County Oct. 30, 2015

Oak Ridge senior wide receiver Darel Middleton (9) stretches to catch a pass that was slightly overthrown by senior quarterback Logan Fadnek during a a 45-6 win over Campbell County on Blankenship Field on Friday, Oct. 30, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

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Oak Ridge scores on five turnovers by Webb in 62-6 blowout

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Oak Ridge Jordan Dunbar and Webb Oct. 23, 2015

Oak Ridge senior quarterback Jordan Dunbar (14) scored the first touchdown for the Wildcats during a 62-6 blowout win over Webb on Blankenship Field on Friday, Oct. 24, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1 a.m.

Oak Ridge scored on five turnovers by Webb in a 62-6 blowout win at Blankenship Field on Friday night. Junior wide receiver Tee Higgins scored three of the nine touchdowns for the Wildcats, all in the second quarter.

Webb fumbled four times in the second quarter on four consecutive possessions. Oak Ridge converted all four Webb turnovers, which were in Spartans territory, into scores. The Wildcats had a fifth touchdown after a turnover, an interception, in the third quarter.

Six different Wildcats scored touchdowns on Friday. Besides Higgins, they were senior quarterback Jordan Dunbar, senior running back Gavin Warrington, freshman running back Jordan Graham, sophomore running back Adarius Simpson, and sophomore quarterback Johnny Stewart.

Oak Ridge (8-1, 3-1 Region 3-5A) dominated in total yardage, picking up 480 yards to Webb’s 197. The Wildcats had 403 yards rushing, compared to 167 for Webb (4-4, 2-1 Class A, East and Middle).

“It was just a good all-around effort,” Oak Ridge Coach Joe Gaddis said. [Read more…]

Undefeated Eagles finish season 8-0, win league championship over Grace Christian

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JMS Eagles Jack Replogle and Grace Christian Oct. 8, 2015

Jefferson Middle School quarterback Jack Replogle (18), an eighth-grader, runs for his second touchdown in a 30-14 middle school championship win over Grace Christian at Blankenship Field on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The undefeated Jefferson Middle School Eagles finished the football season 8-0 and won the league championship 30-14 at home against Grace Christian on Thursday. They were named Tennessee Valley Athletic Conference champions.

A week earlier, the Eagles won the city championship in a 52-0 win over Robertsville Middle School.

That means the Eagles were city champions, league champions, and undefeated this year. That gave jubilant JMS fans a reason to celebrate as they tried to recount the last season like this. It’s the best in a long, long time, Jefferson Middle School Coach Brian Wilson said.

It was the second time this year that the Eagles beat the Grace Christian Rams.

JMS eighth-grade quarterback Jack Replogle ran for two touchdowns on Blankenship Field on Thursday and three two-point conversions. [Read more…]

Wildcats football game rescheduled to Thursday, JMS league championship game starts earlier

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Joe Gaddis

Joe Gaddis, Oak Ridge Wildcats football coach

The Oak Ridge Wildcats will play McMinn County at home on Thursday rather than on Friday because of a high chance of thunderstorms on Friday, and a league championship game featuring Jefferson Middle School will start earlier Thursday.

The Wildcats game starts at 8 p.m. Thursday, October 8, on Blankenship Field, Oak Ridge Coach Joe Gaddis said. Gates will open at 7 p.m.

There is also a previously scheduled game on Blankenship Field on Thursday. That’s the Tennessee Valley Athletic Conference league championship game, and it features undefeated Jefferson Middle School and Grace Christian, which has lost two football games, including one to JMS. That game had been scheduled to start at 6 p.m., but it will now start at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Gaddis said.

He said there is a 90 percent chance of thunderstorms on Friday and Friday night, continuing into Saturday morning, and coaches didn’t want to take chances. The Wildcats have already had one game this season stopped in the first quarter and then restarted a few days later because of lightning. [Read more…]

Jefferson Middle wins city championship in 52-0 blowout over Robertsville

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Jefferson Middle Isaiah Johnson and Robertsville Middle Keyon Porter on Oct. 1, 2015

Isaiah Johnson (20) of Jefferson Middle School returned a Robertsville Middle School punt for a touchdown to give the Eagles a 24-0 lead at 4:05 in the first quarter. Here is being pursued by Keyon Porter (1) of Robertsville Middle School. Johnson also returned an interception a few minutes earlier for a touchdown in the first quarter of a 52-0 win over the Rams on Blankenship Field on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Five Jefferson Middle School football players scored touchdowns, and Eagles quarterback Jack Replogle ran for two and threw for one during a 52-0 blowout city championship win over Robertsville Middle School on Blankenship Field on Thursday.

Replogle wasn’t the only Eagle to score two touchdowns. Isaiah Johnson also had two. He returned an interception for a touchdown a few minutes into the first quarter, and he returned a punt for a TD about two minutes after that, giving Jefferson a 24-0 lead at 4:05 in the first quarter.

Three other Eagles scored touchdowns during the annual city championship on Thursday: Jonathan Ellis, Carson Hope, and Mitchell Gibbons. [Read more…]

Photos: Homecoming Court on Homecoming Night

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Treston Henderson and Alex Allen ORHS Homecoming King and Queen 2015

Treston Henderson, left, was named 2015 Homecoming King and Alex Allen was named Homecoming Queen on Homecoming Night on Blankenship Field on Friday, Sept. 18, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Treston Henderson was named 2015 Homecoming King at Oak Ridge High School, and Alex Allen was named Homecoming Queen, school officials said Thursday.

The five couples of the Homecoming Court were recognized during Homecoming Night on Blankenship Field on Friday, September 18, and the king and queen were announced. The Oak Ridge Wildcats football team beat the Lenoir City Panthers 55-15 during that game.

On Thursday, Diana Homan at Oak Ridge High School said the five couples recognized on Friday were:

  • Kennedy Baker and Treston Henderson,
  • Ellie Brown and Ian Wilder,
  • Maguire James and Alex Allen,
  • Peter Magill and Gabby Romanoski, and
  • Madison Gilmore and Ben Carlson.

The Homecoming Court are all seniors, and they are selected by the senior class. Nominations are made, and the list is narrowed down to five girls and five boys. The entire school selects the king and queen, Homan said.

Here are more photos from the Friday night halftime ceremony and a few photos from before the game: [Read more…]

Four inducted into Oak Ridge Sports Hall of Fame

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Butch Jones, Dave Moore, and Regina Kirk at Blankenship on Sept. 18, 2015

University of Tennessee Volunteers football coach Butch Jones, left, is pictured with former Oak Ridge High School athletes Dave Moore and Regina Kirk on Homecoming Night on Blankenship Field on Friday, Sept. 18, 2015. Moore and Kirk were inducted into the Oak Ridge Sports Hall of Fame. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Four former Wildcat athletes were inducted into the Oak Ridge Sports Hall of Fame at halftime on Homecoming Night on Friday, September 18, at Blankenship Field.

The four were picked by the board of the Oak Ridge Sports Hall of Fame. They are:

  • Lowell Wilson—1953, track, football;
  • Dennis Strickler—1968, tennis;
  • Dave Moore—1972, football; and
  • Regina Kirk—1984, basketball.

The 2015 class covers four different sports in four different decades.

A reception with refreshments was held at the Soup Kitchen following the game.

Here are photos of the inductees on Homecoming Night, when the Wildcats played Lenoir City, as well as a brief summary of their athletic careers. [Read more…]

Photos: Oak Ridge and Lenoir City football

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Wildcats Jordan Graham Touchdown and Panther

With UT Coach Butch Jones watching from the sidelines, Oak Ridge freshman running back Jordan Graham (30) runs for his third touchdown, a 60-yard sprint, in a 55-15 win over Lenoir City on Homecoming Night at Blankenship Field. Blocking at right are senior Darel Middleton (9) and junior Tee Higgins (5). Middleton and Higgins both had TD catches on Friday, Sept. 18, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Led by the three touchdowns of freshman Jordan Graham, the Oak Ridge Wildcats beat the Lenoir City Panthers 55-15 on Homecoming Night at Blankenship Field on Friday. Here are photos from the Friday night game, with all but one by Julio Culiat. [Read more…]

Stats: Oak Ridge and Lenoir City football

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Wildcats Logan Fadnek and T.J. Allison and Lenoir City Sept. 18, 2015

Oak Ridge senior quarterback Logan Fadnek (17) tosses the ball to senior running back T.J. Allison (6) in a 55-15 win over Lenoir City at Blankenship Field on Homecoming Night on Friday, Sept. 18, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Led by the three touchdowns of freshman Jordan Graham, the Oak Ridge Wildcats beat the Lenoir City Panthers 55-15 on Homecoming Night at Blankenship Field on Friday. Here are preliminary stats by Mark Haste. [Read more…]

Wildcats freshman scores three TDs in 55-15 win over Lenoir City

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Wildcats Jordan Graham Touchdown and Panther

With UT Coach Butch Jones watching from the sidelines, Oak Ridge freshman running back Jordan Graham (30) runs for his third touchdown, a 60-yard sprint, in a 55-15 win over Lenoir City on Homecoming Night at Blankenship Field. Blocking at right are senior Darel Middleton (9) and junior Tee Higgins (5). Middleton and Higgins both had TD catches on Friday, Sept. 18, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1:15 p.m. Sept. 19.

Wildcats freshman running back Jordan Graham scored three touchdowns, including one on the opening kickoff return and another in front of University of Tennessee Coach Butch Jones, during a 55-15 win over Lenoir City on Homecoming Night at Blankenship Field on Friday.

“It was a great experience,” Graham said. He gave credit to his teammates and their blocking for setting up his first three Wildcats touchdowns.

Graham, who ended with more than 100 yards rushing, started the scoring on a 91-yard kickoff return on the first play of the game. He initially fumbled the ball, but he recovered his own fumble and raced to the Panther end zone, first making defenders miss and then outrunning them.

Graham, a small, fast 14-year-old, scored again at 5:51 in the second quarter, sweeping around the right side of the offensive line after a toss from senior quarterback Jordan Dunbar, weaving through defenders in the center of the field, and running 59 yards to score inside the left pylon, making it 21-8. [Read more…]

Four former Wildcats to be inducted into OR Sports Hall of Fame on Friday

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Four outstanding former Wildcat athletes will be inducted into the Oak Ridge Sports Hall of Fame at halftime at this Friday’s game with Lenoir City at Blankenship Field.

The four have been picked by the board of the Oak Ridge Sports Hall of Fame. They are:

  • Lowell Wilson—1953, track, football;
  • Dennis Strickler—1968, tennis;
  • Dave Moore—1972, football; and
  • Regina Kirk—1984, basketball.

This 2015 class covers four different sports in four different decades.

A reception with refreshments will be held at the Soup Kitchen following the game, organizers said.

“Please attend the game and come greet these new members and welcome them as new inductees to the ORSHoF,” a press release said. [Read more…]

Wildcats: ‘Coaches Corner with Joe Gaddis’ starts Wednesday

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Joe Gaddis

Joe Gaddis

The live broadcast “Coaches Corner with Joe Gaddis” starts this Wednesday, August 19.

The show, which starts at 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, usually features a review of the previous week’s performance by the Oak Ridge Wildcats football team as well as a preview of the upcoming game.

The live broadcast is every Wednesday at Pizza Inn in Oak Ridge. If you can’t make it, you can watch it on Channel 12, BBB-TV.

The regular season starts Friday, August 21, at home on Blankenship Field. The Wildcats will play the Clinton Dragons, and kick-off is at 7:30 p.m. [Read more…]