Image courtesy World Webscapes/Chris Ayers
Two 12-0 football teams will play tonight at Blankenship Field for the first time in school history.
The Class 5A quarterfinal game between Oak Ridge and Rhea County starts at 7 p.m.
Wildcats coaches are asking fans to help fill up Jack Armstrong Stadium for the historic game between two undefeated teams. [Read more…]
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)Â
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. [Read more…]
Sophomore wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) of the Oak Ridge Wildcats catches a 30-yard touchdown pass over defender Christian Bell (26) of the Soddy-Daisy Trojans, giving Oak Ridge a 23-14 lead midway through the third quarter in a first-round playoff game on Friday. (Photos by Julio Culiat)
Note: This story was last updated at 10:15 a.m.
Ahead by 17-14 at halftime, the Oak Ridge Wildcats played with fury and determination in the second half of their first-round playoff game on Friday and opened up a large lead against Soddy-Daisy, winning 53-28—despite an impressive offensive performance by the Trojans.
The undefeated Wildcats were not happy with the three-point margin at halftime.
“For it to be that close was just unacceptable,†junior running back Jaylen Nickerson said.
The 11-0 team was determined to play better in the second half against the best offense they had played all year, Coach Joe Gaddis said.
“We just came out and played with a fury,†he said.
While the Trojans had held Oak Ridge to two touchdowns and a field goal in the first half, they allowed four in the second—including two by Nickerson—and gave up a safety and an interception returned for a touchdown, or 36 points total. [Read more…]
The undefeated Oak Ridge Wildcats play in the first round of the Class 5A football playoffs at home tonight against the Soddy-Daisy Trojans. The game starts at 7 p.m. today (Friday, November 7) at Blankenship Field in Oak Ridge.
Coach Joe Gaddis is asking for a huge, loud crowd.
“As we all know, playoff games are ‘winner take all’ in nature,” Gaddis said in a note to fans.”The winner advances, and the loser is finished for the season. It’s hard to believe but we have only had one home playoff game since 2005, and with that in mind, let’s have a HUGE and LOUD crowd Friday night! The weather is going to be cool, crisp, and beautiful…real football weather!”
The Oak Ridge Wildcats Football Boosters will have a tailgate party starting at 4:30 p.m. [Read more…]
The Oak Ridge Board of Education will consider three options for the Oak Ridge Schools Preschool on New York Avenue during a Monday night meeting. The building—which has lead paint that needs to be repaired, replaced, and painted, among other things—has to be renovated or vacated for the Head Start program to receive funding in the 2015-2016 school year.
It’s 70 years old and in need of repairs. Federal officials want it renovated or vacated by next year in order for the school system to continue to receive Head Start funding.
So, on Monday, the Oak Ridge Board of Education will consider what to do about the Oak Ridge Preschool, a building on New York Avenue that’s been on the repair wish list for years.
The school board will consider three options:
There is one option that is not on the table, school officials said Thursday.
“We have no intention…of shutting down the Preschool in any form or fashion,†said Chris Marczak, Oak Ridge Schools assistant superintendent. [Read more…]
Chris Jackson (7) of the Robertsville Middle School Rams tackles Brandon Spencer (4) of the CAK Middle School Warriors during a TVAC Championship game at Blankenship Field on Thursday. (Photos by Luther Simmons)
Robertsville Middle School Rams head coach James Branson with the TVAC Middle School Runner Up trophy.
It was a painful loss, a tearful way to end the season.
But the Robertsville Middle School Rams coaching staff tried to console their football team after a 20-16 championship loss to the CAK Warriors at Blankenship Field on Thursday night.
If you put everything you had into the game, the coaches said, then “hold your head high.”
The Rams finished the year with a 6-2 record. They lost one game in the regular season to Rhea County, and they beat CAK 14-8 during the regular season, said first-year head coach James Branson.
“This whole season, I don’t think there was a lot expected of them,” Branson said. “They compete. They came ready to play. [Read more…]
Junior running back T.J. Allison (#6) of the Wildcats runs behind the blocking of senior tight end Ryan Waddell (#86) as senior Joseph Elkins (#5) of Campbell County tries to strip the ball away. Allison ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns on Friday. (Photos by Julio Culiat)
Note: This story was last updated at 2:15 p.m.
Wildcats shut down big passing gains for Cougars
The running game was working well and burning up the clock, so Oak Ridge coach Joe Gaddis stuck with it.
Two running backs, juniors T.J. Allison and Jaylen Nickerson, racked up more than 100 yards each and led the Wildcats to three touchdowns in the first, second, and third quarters. Kicker Brandon Nickle added a field goal in the fourth.
The 24-8 victory was an important district win for the Wildcats, who are now 6-0 overall and 4-0 in District 3-AAA. The only other undefeated team in the district is Anderson County (7-0, 6-0). The two teams will face off in the season finale on Thursday, October 30.
Oak Ridge came close to picking up its fourth shutout of the season on Friday night at Blankenship Field, preventing the Cougars, who had averaged 42 points per game, from scoring until late in the fourth quarter.
“Our defense played really well,” Gaddis said.
Senior wide receiver Malik Hardy (15) runs for a 16-yard touchdown in the third quarter as the Wildcats beat the Halls Red Devils 42-0 in Oak Ridge on Friday. (Photos by Julio Culiat)
Note: This story was last updated at 11:35 a.m. Sept. 13.
The Oak Ridge Wildcats got off to a sluggish start in the first half on Friday, but doubled their scoring output in the second.
All of the second-half points—four touchdowns—came in the third quarter of the 42-0 win over the Halls Red Devils, the second shutout of the season for the Wildcats.
Junior running back T.J. Allison (six carries, 53 yards) rushed for three touchdowns for the Wildcats, one in the first half and two in the second.
Red Devils coach J.D. Overton said Halls is a young, inexperienced team that was playing without a half-dozen starters on Friday night at Blankenship Field in Oak Ridge. He declined to say why the players were sitting out the game. Two of those starters play offense and defense.
“They didn’t play tonight,†Overton said. “That’s all I’m going to say.†[Read more…]
The Oak Ridge Wildcats open the regular football season at home against Farragut at 7:30 p.m. Friday. (Image courtesy Oak Ridge Wildcat Football)
The Oak Ridge Wildcats open the regular football season at home tonight against the Farragut Admirals. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. at Blankenship Field.
The Wildcat Football Boosters have a $6 catered tailgate party starting at 5 p.m. that will feature Mexican food at the upper parking lot of Blankenship Field before the game.
“Bring your pom-poms and your appetite,” a press release said. “Make sure you come early enough to cheer on our mighty Wildcats as they take their ‘Walk of Champions!’ Roll Wildcats Roll!”
After a Wildcat Day pep rally on Saturday, Coach Joe Gaddis said challenges this week will include using a new quarterback and winning battles up front, with a relatively inexperienced offensive line taking on an experienced Admirals defensive line.
“It’s still a work in progress,” Gaddis said. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge Wildcats senior receiver Ted Mitchell (Photos by Tim Waddell)
The Oak Ridge Wildcats played their first scrimmage of the season against the Maryville Rebels on Friday night at Blankenship Field. The Wildcats struggled on offense against a tough Maryville defense. The final score was 28-3.
The Rebels, the defending state Class 6A champions, were playing their third scrimmage, and they have eight returning starters on defense from last year’s 15-0 team. But the Class 5A Wildcats has two interceptions against the Rebels.
Oak Ridge opens the regular season at home against Farragut on August 29.
Here are pictures from the Friday night scrimmage by Tim Waddell of the Wildcats Football Booster Club. [Read more…]
The Oak Ridge Wildcats have a scrimmage against the Maryville Rebels at 7 p.m. today (Friday, August 8) at Blankenship Field.
Admission is $3 per person.
If there is lightning or enough rain to damage the field, the scrimmage will be postponed to Monday night. More information should be available by 5:15 p.m. today.
The football season starts at home against Farragut on August 29.
See the Oak Ridge Wildcats football website or Facebook page for more information.
Randy McNally
To the Editor:
One of Oak Ridge’s best assets is the tremendous support our community displays for our schools. Our citizens have greatly supported our schools, whether they are alumni or their children attend, or simply as a member of the community.
There is an upcoming event that needs our support which is a kickoff fundraiser for the renovation of the Jack Armstrong Stadium and Blankenship Field. This is the Temptations Revue, a musical featuring Nate Evans. It will be coming to Oak Ridge High School Auditorium on Saturday, August 9, at 7:30 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Oak Ridge Quarterback Club, with all proceeds going toward the stadium and field renovation project. [Read more…]
