Oak Ridge Today

Wildcats scrimmage against Heritage; need to improve tackling, blocking, coach says

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Oak-Ridge-Graham-Heritage-Scrimmage-July-29-2016-2

The Oak Ridge Wildcats had a scrimmage against the Heritage Mountaineers at Blankenship Field on Friday, July 29, 2016. Pictured above is rising sophomore running back Jordan Graham (22). (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge Wildcats had a scrimmage against the Heritage Mountaineers of Blount County at Blankenship Field on Friday.

Oak Ridge could have blocked better and tackled better, Wildcats Coach Joe Gaddis said.

“They don’t score if we tackle,” he said.

The Oak Ridge first team tied the Heritage team 13-13. The Moutaineers outscored the Wildcats once the second teams came in, and the final score was 33-13.

But the focus wasn’t on the final score. Instead, Gaddis wanted to try different possibilities. Among other things, the Wildcats wanted to run the option quite a bit, he said.

“Scrimmages are all about learning about your team,” Gaddis said. [Read more…]

Nickle kicks two field goals—one a record-breaker—in Toyota East-West All-Star Classic

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Oak Ridge Wildcats Brandon Nickle

Kicker and punter Brandon Nickle (19), who was then a junior, set the record for the most consecutive extra points made without a miss in mid-September 2014. The record was 53. Holding is Wildcats quarterback Logan Fadnek (17). (File photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:30 a.m.

Oak Ridge senior kicker Brandon Nickle kicked two field goals, including one that was a record-breaker, in a win for the East in the Toyota East vs. West Tennessee All-Star Classic in Cookeville on Friday.

Nickle, who has kicked and punted for the Wildcats, had field goals of 29 and 42 yards in the 19-17 victory for the East at Tennessee Tech in the ninth annual game. The 42-yard kick is the longest field goal in the All-Star Classic.

Nickle’s second field goal gave the East a 19-0 lead with 9:41 left in the third quarter.

Nickle also had a 74-yard punt. He had five punts for a total of 230 yards, or 46 yards per punt.

[Read more…]

Three Wildcats, Thackerson named to East-West All-Stars roster

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Oak Ridge Alex Alcorn and Soddy Daisy Justin Cooke Nov. 5, 2015

Oak Ridge senior defensive end Alex Alcorn (66) pursues Soddy Daisy junior quarterback Justin Cooke during a 45-33 win for the Wildcats in a first-round Class 5A playoff game on Blankenship Field on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Three Oak Ridge Wildcats and players from Clinton, Karns, Farragut, and Sevier County have been named to the East All-Stars roster for the 2015 Toyota East vs. West Tennessee All-Star Classic.

The Oak Ridge players are Alex Alcorn (offensive guard), Davon Middleton (cornerback), and Brandon Nickle (kicker).

Tyler Thackerson of Clinton and Deuce Wallace of Sevier County were named quarterbacks for the East.

The game is for seniors only. [Read more…]

Down early, Oak Ridge rallies, but falls short at Ooltewah

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Wildcats Tee Higgins Catch at Ooltewah Nov. 13, 2015

Before he was injured, Oak Ridge junior Tee Higgins (5) makes an impressive catch during a 26-17 loss at Ooltewah in a second-round Class 5A playoff game on Friday, Nov. 13, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was updated at 4:45 p.m. Nov. 15.

OOLTEWAH—Oak Ridge gave up 17 points in the first quarter and lost its star playmaker in the second, but the Wildcats rallied to close the gap before falling short in a second-round Class 5A playoff game in Ooltewah on Friday.

The final score was 26-17 in favor of the Owls, who move on to play Rhea County in a Class 5A quarterfinal game next week.

A lot went wrong for Oak Ridge (10-2) in the first quarter at Ooltewah on Friday: an early fumble, a dropped end-zone pass, a missed field goal, and a turnover on a punt return. Ooltewah (10-2) breezed to a 17-0 lead in the first 11 minutes.

Then, Oak Ridge lost star playmaker Tee Higgins late in the second quarter to a knee injury on his right leg. Higgins, a junior standout receiver, defensive back, and punt returner who is a University of Tennessee commitment, did not return. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge beats Soddy Daisy 45-33 on big plays, turnovers

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Oak Ridge Jordan Graham and Soddy Daisy on Nov. 5, 2015

Oak Ridge freshman running back Jordan Graham (30) had two touchdowns, including one on a kickoff return and another on a 50-yard run, during a 45-33 win over Soddy Daisy in the first round of the Class 5A football playoffs on Blankenship Field on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10:25 a.m.

Oak Ridge beat Soddy Daisy 45-33 on big plays and turnovers in the first round of the 2015 Class 5A football playoffs on Blankenship Field on Thursday.

The Wildcats (10-1) will travel to Ooltewah (9-2) on Friday, November 13, for a second round game. The Owls, who are ranked eighth, beat the Clinton Dragons (4-7) in another first-round game on Thursday to advance to play Oak Ridge.

The Wildcats, who are ranked third, had another big night on defense and special teams. Oak Ridge senior Davon Middleton intercepted one Trojans pass in the end zone to stop one Soddy Daisy drive deep in Wildcat territory, and he later deflected a third-down pass near the goal line to help end another.

Junior wide receiver Tee Higgins and freshman running back Jordan Graham also had big nights. They each had two touchdowns for Oak Ridge.

One of Graham’s touchdowns came on the opening kickoff of the second half. The small, speedy freshman broke tackles and curled from the left side of the field—after it looked like he had been stopped—to the right before racing 88 yards to score on a run that took 25 seconds to complete. Graham ended the night with the two touchdowns, including one on a 50-yard run, and 154 yards on eight carries. [Read more…]

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)

[Read more…]

Coaches agree: Oak Ridge peaking at right time, headed into playoffs

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Oak Ridge Wildcats and Campbell County Cougars Oct. 30, 2015

The Oak Ridge Wildcats defense stifled the Campbell County Cougars’ running game on Friday, Oct. 30, 2015, allowing only 33 yards rushing on Blankenship Field. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1:15 a.m.

The two football coaches agreed: Oak Ridge is peaking at the right time, late in the season and headed into the playoffs.

After a decisive 62-6 win over Webb last week, the Wildcats celebrated a 45-6 rout of Campbell County on Friday on Blankenship Field. That win ensured Oak Ridge (9-1, 4-1 Region 3-5A) will play at home next week against Soddy Daisy, a Region 4 team, in the first round of the playoffs. The game starts at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 6, on Blankenship Field.

The Wildcats, the No. 2 seed, shut out the Cougars (5-5, 3-2) at home in the first half on Friday, October 30. The score at halftime was 45-0. Campbell County, the No. 3 seed, scored after Oak Ridge put in reserves in the second half.

“There is no doubt this is the best team we’ve played,” Campbell County Coach Justin Price said. “They’ve improved tremendously as the season went on.”

Since losing to Farragut 31-14 on September 4, Oak Ridge has outscored its opponents 327-75 in seven games. That’s an average of about 47 points per game for the Wildcats. [Read more…]

Photos: Oak Ridge and Webb

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Webb Brody Leonard Fumble and Wildcats Oct. 23, 2015

Webb fumbled four times in the second quarter, and Oak Ridge converted all four turnovers into touchdowns during a 62-6 win for the Wildcats on Blankenship Field on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015. Junior linebacker Kyndall Clark (54) had at least two of the fumble recoveries. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

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.

Here are photos by Julio Culiat. [Read more…]

Wildcats score on four turnovers in 44-34 win at Sevier County

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Wildcats Jordan Graham and Sevier County on Sept. 24, 2015

Oak Ridge freshman Jordan Graham (30), who led the Wildcats in rushing, scores on a 74-yard touchdown run, widening the Wildcats’ lead to 37-20 at 9:19 in the fourth quarter in Sevierville on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat) 

 

Note: This story was last updated at 4:09 p.m.

SEVIERVILLE—Oak Ridge scored three touchdowns and a field goal on four turnovers by Sevier County in a 44-34 win in Sevierville on Thursday.

The Wildcats added three more touchdowns without the help of turnovers to maintain their game-long lead over the Smoky Bears in a televised game on Hardin-Robertson Field.

Sevier County, which fought to stay in the game until the end, had more total yards than Oak Ridge, 441 compared to 379. The Smoky Bears had almost twice as many first downs, 19 to 10. But the Wildcats (5-1, 2-1 Region 3-Class 5A) converted two interceptions and a fumble recovery into touchdowns, and a third interception led to a field goal.

“We won the turnover battle big time,” Oak Ridge Coach Joe Gaddis said. “Our defense played well all night.” [Read more…]

Delayed for lightning, OR-AC game will resume Monday, will be free

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Wildcats Davon Middleton and Mavericks on Sept. 12, 2015

Oak Ridge senior running back Davon Middleton (32) picks up a big first down on a fourth-and-2 near the Mavericks’ end zone, setting up a touchdown catch by Wildcat T.J. Allison in the first quarter at Anderson County High School on Friday, Sept. 11, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

The Friday night football game between Oak Ridge and Anderson County was delayed because of lightning, and it will resume at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Anderson County High School.

It will be free and start where it ended, with Oak Ridge leading 7-0 at 1:28 in the first quarter, Wildcats Coach Joe Gaddis said Saturday.

He said lightning was last spotted at about 9:30 p.m. Friday at ACHS. A 30-minute delay is required each time lightning is spotted, meaning the game could not have restarted any earlier than 10 p.m.

But if officials had observed more lightning before the restart, they would have had to wait another 30 minutes, Gaddis said.

“It kept happening over and over,” he said. [Read more…]

Wildcats miss opportunities in 31-14 loss to Farragut

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Oak Ridge Wildcats Jordan Dunbar at Farragut Admirals

Oak Ridge senior quarterback Jordan Dunbar (14) scrambles before throwing to junior receiver Tee Higgins in a 31-14 loss at Farragut on Friday, Sept. 4, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1 p.m. Sept. 6.

FARRAGUT—It was a game of missed opportunities. Oak Ridge Coach Joe Gaddis said. A missed field goal, a bobbled snap on a field goal, a touchdown that was called back, and another missed opportunity for a touchdown.

The Wildcats scored first and led for most of the first half. But Farragut gained a 17-14 lead going into halftime. Then, they added 14 more points in the second half while holding top-ranked Oak Ridge scoreless.

The final score was 31-14 in favor of Farragut. The Admirals had 28 unanswered points starting late in the second quarter.

Both teams were undefeated at 2-0 coming into the rivalry game. It was the first time Oak Ridge (2-1, 1-1 Region 3-5A) has trailed in a game this year. The Wildcats lost even though they had more total yards offense than Farragut (3-0, 1-0), with 409 compared to the Admirals’ 325. [Read more…]

Tipped, intercepted pass saves 17-14 win for Wildcats at Dobyns-Bennett

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Oak Ridge Wildcats Defense at Dobyns-Bennet Indians

The Oak Ridge defense stops Dobyns-Bennett quarterback Cole Maupin (6) during a 17-14 win for the Wildcats in Kingsport on Friday. Wildcats making the stop are Gavin Warrington (11), Jamalcolm Henderson (53), Kyndall Clark (54), and Adam Manookian (35). (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12 p.m. Aug. 29

KINGSPORT—A tipped pass intercepted by the Oak Ridge defense at their own 11-yard line with less than three minutes to play saved a 17-14 win for the Wildcats at Dobyns-Bennett on Friday.

Before the tipped pass and interception, the Indians had blocked a Wildcats punt at the Oak Ridge 33 and driven to the Oak Ridge 10. The Wildcats were ahead by three, but Dobyns-Bennett had a chance to tie the game or even take the lead.

But with 2:39 to play, Wildcats senior defensive end Alex Alcorn blocked a pass by Indians quarterback Cole Maupin, and senior linebacker Adam Manookian intercepted it, shifting the momentum from Dobyns-Bennett back to Oak Ridge.

After the interception, two big runs by senior quarterback Jordan Dunbar helped the Wildcats (2-0) get the football into Dobyns-Bennett territory, where Oak Ridge was able to let time run out at the end of the fourth quarter.

“It was definitely a nail-biter,” Manookian said. “They were so close to the end zone.” [Read more…]