The Oak Ridge Wildcats advanced to a Class 5A football semifinal game after a 31-28 quarterfinal win at West on Friday.
Here are photos by Barry Houchin, used with permission.
[Read more…]Football photos: Oak Ridge at West in quarterfinal win
Wildcats advance to semifinals after win over West
The Oak Ridge Wildcats advanced to a Class 5A football semifinal game after a 31-28 quarterfinal win at West on Friday.
The semifinal game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, November 27, against South Doyle (10-3) on Blankenship Field in Oak Ridge.
Before Friday, the Wildcats (10-3) had lost to the Rebels 22-7 during the regular season in September. A year ago, their season ended at West (12-2) in a 34-14 second-round loss.
The Wildcats led early in the Friday night game, but West took the lead late in the second quarter and held it into the fourth quarter. Then, the two teams traded leads three times in the fourth quarter. Oak Ridge senior quarterback Mitchell Gibbons threw the winning touchdown to senior wide receiver Jonathan Stewart with 2:33 remaining in the game.
[Read more…]Booker of Oak Ridge a Mr. Football semifinalist
Oak Ridge senior quarterback Herbert Booker (13) runs during a 41-13 win at Sevier County on Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. (Photo by Luther Simmons)
Herbert Booker, the senior quarterback and cornerback for the Oak Ridge Wildcats, has been named a Mr. Football semifinalist.
The semifinalists for the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards were announced Thursday by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, or TSSAA.
Booker, who also plays basketball for the Wildcats, was named a Mr. Football semifinalist in Division I, Class 5A.
He was one of five semifinalists. The other four are Michael Burdick of Page, Cade Larkins of David Crockett, Deshawn Page of Fulton, and Grayson Tramel of Shelbyville.
Stanton Martin, Anderson County’s quarterback, was named a semifinalist in Division I, Class 4A. [Read more…]
See 2017 Oak Ridge football schedule here
Note: This story was updated at 11:20 a.m.
Here is the 2017 game schedule for Oak Ridge Wildcats football:
- August 18—Hardin Valley at home (Blankenship Field)—7:30 p.m.
- August 25—Dobyns-Bennett in Kingsport (away)—7:30 p.m.
- September 1—Campbell County in Jacksboro (away)—7:30 p.m. (Region 3-5A game)
- September 8—Farragut at Farragut (away)—7:30 p.m.
- September 15—West at home—7:30 p.m. (Region 3-5A game)
- September 22—Sevier County at home—7:30 p.m.
- September 29—Karns at home—7:30 p.m. (Region 3-5A game)
- October 13—Clinton at home—7:30 p.m. (Region 3-5A game)
- October 20—Powell at Powell (away)—7:30 p.m. (Region 3-5A game)
- October 27—Fulton in Knoxville (away)—7:30 p.m. (Region 3-5A game)
Fulton and West, both of Knoxville, are new regional opponents of Oak Ridge in 2017 under the 2017-2018 classification.
Farragut and Lenoir City—two high schools that were in Division I, Class 5A, Region 3, with Oak Ridge last year—have both moved to another class or region. Farragut, a longtime Oak Ridge rival, is now in Class 6A, although the Wildcats will still play the Admirals this season. Farragut won the Class 5A state championship in 2016 after losing to Oak Ridge during the regular season. [Read more…]
Football: Oak Ridge remains at No. 2 in Class 5A; Farragut moves up to No. 5
Information from WYSH Radio
The Associated Press high school football polls for this week were released on Monday, and once again, East Tennessee is well-represented across the board.
In Class 6A, Maryville remains number one with Bradley Central representing East Tennessee as well at number four.
The Class 5A polls is dominated either by teams from our coverage area or those teams they could face in the postseason. Oak Ridge remains at number two, while Farragut moved up to number five after their win at Campbell County last week. Rhea County slipped to number six, McMinn County—which hosts Oak Ridge Friday—is number seven, with Campbell County falling three spots to number eight and Knox West hanging in the top 10 at number 10.
See the rest of the story on WYSH Radio for more information.
WYSH Radio in Clinton is an Oak Ridge Today news partner.
Football: Oak Ridge Wildcats ranked No. 2 in Class 5A
Information from WYSH Radio
The high school football polls for this week were released on Monday, and here is how area teams stack up.
In Class 6A, Maryville remains at number one.
In Class 5A, Oak Ridge remains number two, with Knox West at number three. Farragut is number nine, and Campbell County enters the poll at number 10. Two teams that local teams could see in the postseason are also ranked, with Cleveland at number four, and this week’s Clinton opponent, Rhea County, coming in at number six. [Read more…]
Higgins, only the second Mr. Football from OR, on Ch. 12 Locker Room tonight
Some of the winners of the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football awards for 16 backs and linemen in eight classifications of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association are pictured above at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Monday, Nov. 30, 2015. Oak Ridge junior Tee Higgins is wearing a Tennessee Titans jersey with the number 5 on it. (Photo by Martin McDonald)
Note: This story was updated at 8:25 p.m.
Tee Higgins, who is only the second Mr. Football from Oak Ridge, will be on The Locker Room Chat on BBB-TV, Comcast Channel 12, at 7 p.m. today (Wednesday, December 2).
Higgins, a 6-foot-5 junior at Oak Ridge High School who plays football and basketball, won a Tennessee Titans Mr. Football award during a luncheon at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Monday. He was named Back of the Year in Class 5A.
There have been other Mr. Football finalists from Oak Ridge, but only won other player has won the award. Greg Woofter won the Lineman award in 1998, according to broadcaster David Clary of Prepradio.com.
The last finalist that didn’t win was Spencer Gulmire in 2005, Clary said. [Read more…]
Higgins wins Mr. Football award in Class 5A
Oak Ridge High School junior Tee Higgins, second from left, was named Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Back of the Year in Class 5A during a luncheon at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Monday, Nov. 30, 2015. Higgins is pictured above with ORHS Athletic Director Mike Mullins, left, and Wildcats Coach Joe Gaddis and Receivers Coach Kwayu Graham. (Photo by Martin McDonald)
Note: This story was updated at 3:30 p.m.
Oak Ridge junior Tee Higgins won a Tennessee Titans Mr. Football award during a luncheon at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Monday. Higgins was named Back of the Year in Class 5A.
The other Class 5A Back of the Year finalist was Nate Johnson of Independence High School, which is coached by former Oak Ridge Coach Scott Blade. The Wildcats are now coached by Joe Gaddis.
Higgins is a wide receiver, punt returner, and defensive back, and a star playmaker for the Wildcats. He had 46 catches for 841 yards and 16 touchdowns this season. He also had a punt return and an interception for a touchdown, and another interception and some big punt and kickoff returns.
Higgins, who has committed to the University of Tennessee, also plays basketball, and he was named the most valuable player at the 17th Annual Tabernacle Baptist Christian Academy Thanksgiving Basketball Tournament last week. [Read more…]
Higgins one of two Mr. Football finalists for Class 5A Back of the Year
Oak Ridge junior Tee Higgins (5) is one of two finalists for Class 5A Back of the Year in the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards. The awards will be presented on Monday, November 30, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Above, Higgins makes a catch at Ooltewah in a second-round Class 5A playoff game on Friday, Nov. 13, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)
Oak Ridge junior Tee Higgins is one of two finalists for Back of the Year in Class 5A in the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards.
Higgins, who has committed to the University of Tennessee, is a wide receiver who has also played at defensive back and punt returner this year. Higgins also plays basketball for Oak Ridge High School.
The other finalist in Division I Class 5A is Nate Johnson of Independence High School.
The Mr. Football Awards will be presented to the top 16 backs and linemen in eight classifications of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association on Monday, November 30, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. The top kicker in the state will be recognized with a Mr. Football Award, regardless of classification.
Four semifinalists for each category and each classification were announced on November 5. There are six classifications in Division I and two in Division II. [Read more…]
WYSH: Clinton-Ooltewah football playoff game moved to Thursday
(From our news partner WYSH Radio in Clinton) The Clinton-Ooltewah playoff game has been moved to 7 p.m. Thursday due to the threat of severe weather in Ooltewah on Friday night.
Oak Ridge will play at home on Blankenship Field at 7 p.m. Friday against Soddy-Daisy. You can read more and find a link to the Class 5A football playoff bracket here.
Football playoff brackets posted: Oak Ridge plays Soddy-Daisy
Oak Ridge wide receiver Tee Higgins (5), who was then a sophomore, catches a 30-yard touchdown pass over defender Christian Bell of the Soddy Daisy Trojans at 5:51 in the third quarter in the first round of the 2014 football playoffs on November 7 on Blankenship Field. (Photo by Julio Culiat)
The state football playoff brackets have been posted. Oak Ridge will play Soddy-Daisy on Blankenship Field at 7 p.m. Friday, November 6.
Oak Ridge (9-1) is the number two seed in Region 3 in Class 5A, and Soddy-Daisy (7-3) is the number three seed in Region 4. The Wildcats beat the Trojans 53-28 in the first round of the 2014 playoffs after a close first half.
Here is the schedule for other Region 3-5A teams on Friday: [Read more…]
Oak Ridge ranked third in AP high school football poll
The Oak Ridge Wildcats (8-1) are ranked third in Class 5A in this week’s Associated Press high school football poll.
Coming in at the top two spots are Independence (9-0) at number one and Hendersonville (8-1) at number 2.
Oak Ridge moved up from number seven last week.
Farragut (8-1), which beat Oak Ridge 31-14 on September 4, is number four, and Sevier County (8-2), which lost to the Wildcats 44-34 on September 24, is number six. Farragut moved up from number eight last week, and Sevier County moved up from number 10.
See the complete poll results for Class 1A to Class 6A on the Tennessean website here.
