Oak Ridge Today

Lady Wildcats, Campbell County—both undefeated in district—play Tuesday

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The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats huddle with Coach Paige Green during the championship game against Bradley Central in the Andrew Johnson Bank Ladies Classic in Greeneville on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge and Campbell County girls’ basketball teams are both undefeated in District 3-AAA, and the two teams will play today.

One team will remain undefeated, and the other will pick up its first district loss of the season.

Oak Ridge, ranked number seven in the first Class AAA poll of 2017, is 14-2 overall and 6-0 in District 3-AAA.

Campbell County is 13-4 and 6-0 in District 3-AAA. [Read more…]

Led by Etheridge, Wildcats finish third in state cross country meet

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Led by senior Jake Etheridge, third from right, the 11th-place individual runner, the Oak Ridge Wildcats finished third in the state boys’ cross country meet in Nashville on Saturday. Pictured from left are Christian Borden, Reid Dukes, Jose Villegas, Will Jeter, Etheridge, Daeton Byars, and Dalton Morgan. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

NASHVILLE—Led by senior Jake Etheridge, the Oak Ridge Wildcats finished third in the state boys’ cross country meet on Saturday.

Etheridge finished 11th among the 181 top male runners from across Tennessee in the large Class AAA high schools. His time was 16:18.72.

The other top four runners among the seven Wildcats who competed were:

  • sophomore Dalton Morgan at 26th with a time of 16:50.17,
  • junior Jose Villegas at 34th with a time of 17:00.59,
  • junior Reid Dukes at 38th at 17:02.56, and
  • senior Will Jeter at 59th at 17:13.72.

The scores of the top five runners on each team are included in the team score. [Read more…]

Volleyball: Hardin Valley eliminates Oak Ridge in Region 2 semifinal

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Oak Ridge lost in three sets to Hardin Valley during the Region 2-AAA semifinal at Farragut on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2016. Pictured above is senior Alex Sherles (25). (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

FARRAGUT—Oak Ridge kept it close through three sets during a Region 2-AAA tournament semifinal at Farragut High School on Tuesday, but their effort wasn’t enough to hold back Hardin Valley, which eliminated the Lady Wildcats and advanced to the regional championship volleyball game against Farragut.

Oak Ridge and Hardin Valley were usually within a point or two and they were often tied, with the Lady Wildcats (20-11, 8-0 District 3-AAA) sometimes ahead. But the Lady Hawks (30-8-1, 6-2 District 4-AAA) had the lead at the end of all three sets, when it mattered most. The final scores were 25-21, 26-24, and 25-22.

“They played their hearts out,” Oak Ridge Coach David Kolodney said. “It’s a matter of inches. It’s a matter of a couple of points.”

The Lady Wildcats, who played without senior Stella Powell on Tuesday, fought through injuries and rotations this season, and played as a team, Kolodney said. [Read more…]

Volleyball: Lady Wildcats finish undefeated in district

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The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats finished undefeated in the district at home against Central on Senior Night on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016. (Photo by Jennifer Galloway)

 

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats volleyball team finished undefeated in the district with a 3-0 win over Central on Senior Night at home on Thursday.

That win followed a 3-0 win over Clinton last Monday and 3-0 wins over Powell and Halls the previous week.

Oak Ridge (20-8, 8-0 District 3-AAA) has two games remaining in the regular season. The first is against Farragut at home on Tuesday, September 27. It’s the annual Dig Pink match meant to raise awareness of breast cancer, and it’s expected to be a good match. Junior varsity teams start at 5 p.m., and varsity matches begin at 6.

Farragut (19-3, 5-0 District 4-AAA) finished as state runner-up in Class AAA last year, losing 3-0 to Brentwood in the state championship game in Murfreesboro in October.

Here are final scores from the Oak Ridge-Central game on Thursday: [Read more…]

Photos: Oak Ridge, Duhamel, AC’s Flatford at boys state track meet

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Oak Ridge Colburn Dukes Etheridge and Villegas Relay Medals at State Track Meet May 27 2016 Bowden

The Oak Ridge boys 4×800-meter relay team finished 7th in the state track and field meet in Murfreesboro on Friday, May 27, 2016. Pictured above from left are senior Thomas Colburn, junior Reid Dukes, junior Jacob Etheridge, and sophomore Jose Villegas. (Photo by Wallace Bowden)

 

Here are photos by Kindell Moore and Wallace Bowden from the boys state track and field championship in Murfreesboro on Friday.

Oak Ridge senior Tyler Boullie finished seventh in the 800-meter run at the state meet, and the Wildcats’ 4×800-meter relay team also finished seventh. The Oak Ridge boys finished ninth in the state in Class AAA in the 4×100-meter relay.

Anderson County senior Derek Flatford finished second in the 110-meter hurdles, and senior Gashaw Duhamel, who ran cross country for Oak Ridge in the fall, finished second in Class A-AA in the 3,200-meter run, running for Tennessee School for the Deaf.

Oak Ridge Boullie Medal at State Track Meet May 27 2016 Bowden

Oak Ridge senior Tyler Boullie finished 7th in the 800-meter run in the state track and field meet in Murfreesboro on Friday, May 27, 2016. (Photo by Wallace Bowden)

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Wildcats 7th in state in 800-meter run, 4×800-meter relay

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Oak Ridge Boullie at State Track Meet May 27 2016 Moore

Oak Ridge senior Tyler Boullie finished 7th in the 800-meter run in the state track and field meet in Murfreesboro on Friday, May 27, 2016. (Photo by Kindell Moore)

 

Duhamel, AC’s Flatford have second-place finishes

Oak Ridge senior Tyler Boullie finished seventh in the 800-meter run in the state championship track and field meet in Murfreesboro on Friday, and the Wildcats’ 4×800-meter relay team also finished seventh. The Oak Ridge boys finished ninth in the state in Class AAA in the 4×100-meter relay.

Anderson County senior Derek Flatford finished second in the 110-meter hurdles and fourth in the 300-meter hurdles. Senior Gashaw Duhamel, who ran cross country for Oak Ridge in the fall, finished second in Class A-AA in the 3,200-meter run, running for Tennessee School for the Deaf.

In other Oak Ridge finishes, senior Jordan Hardy, who battled a hamstring injury for much of the season, was 13th in the state in the long jump in Class AAA, and sophomore Jose Villegas was 14th in the 3,200-meter run.

Boullie, who had been the number two seed in the 800-meter run, had also been on the 4×800-meter relay team at the Section I finals in Johnson City on May 14. The relay team had been the third seed coming into the state track and field championship. But Boullie did not compete in the 4×800-meter relay at state because he wanted to have a fresh race in the 800-meter run. [Read more…]

Hausladen, a freshman, finishes eighth in state in 300-meter hurdles

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Hausladen Hurdles State Track Meet May 26 2016 1 Bowden

Oak Ridge freshman Kate Hausladen finished 8th in the 300-meter hurdles and 11th in the 100-meter hurdles at the state track and field meet at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro on Thursday, May 26, 2016. (Photo by Wallace Bowden)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9:50 p.m.

Oak Ridge freshman Kate Hausladen finished eighth in the 300-meter hurdles in the state track and field meet in Murfreesboro on Thursday.

Hausladen, the only Oak Ridge girl to make it to the state meet, also finished 11th in a field of 16 in the Class AAA girls 100-meter hurdles.

The Oak Ridge boys are competing today in the state meet, which is part of the 2016 TSSAA Spring Fling in the Murfreesboro area.

Ravenwood, Memphis Central, and Hunters Lane had the top three finishes in the girls 300-meter hurdles on Thursday, and freshman Caroline Lewis of West, who finished sixth, and sophomore Lizzie Davis of Hardin Valley Academy, who was seventh, completed the race ahead of Hausladen. [Read more…]

Photos: Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats in Class AAA championship

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Oak Ridge sophomore Mykia Dowdell (34) was named to the Class AAA Girls’ All-Tournament team in the 2016 BlueCross Basketball Championships in Murfreesboro on Saturday, March 12, 2016, when the Lady Wildcats finished as state runner-up. Also pictured are Riverdale sophomore Brinae Alexander (32), junior Anastasia Hayes (3), and sophomore Alexis Whittington (25). (Photo by Paul Ward)

 

MURFREESBORO—The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats finished as state runner-up in the Class AAA girls’ basketball championship in Murfreesboro on Saturday. We published 11 pictures by Paul Ward in our Saturday story on the game. Here are a dozen more photos.

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Oak Ridge freshman Jada Guinn (24) was named to the Class AAA Girls’ All-Tournament team in the 2016 BlueCross Basketball Championships in Murfreesboro on Saturday, March 12, 2016, when the Lady Wildcats finished as state runner-up. Also pictured are Riverdale sophomores Amanda Whittington (12) and Brinae Alexander (32). (Photo by Paul Ward)

 

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Oak Ridge junior Courtney Ellison (10) scored seven points during the Class AAA girls’ state basketball championship in Murfreesboro on Saturday, March 12, 2016, when the Lady Wildcats finished as state runner-up. (Photo by Paul Ward)

[Read more…]

Riverdale dominates, Lady Wildcats finish as runner-up in state championship

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Oak Ridge sophomore Jaymi Golden (32) drives against Riverdale junior Anastasia Hayes (3) during a 68-36 loss in the Class AAA girls championship game in Murfreesboro on Saturday, March 12, 2016. (Photo by Paul Ward)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 4:10 p.m. March 13.

MURFREESBORO—Riverdale dominated, and Oak Ridge finished as state runner-up in the Class AAA girls basketball championship in Murfreesboro on Saturday.

The Lady Warriors (32-4) led from start to finish in their 68-36 win. They’ve now won five state titles since 2007, with the last one in 2013.

The Lady Wildcats (30-5) have won three state championships, with the last one in 1997.

The Oak Ridge and Riverdale teams both featured young players this year, and both were led Saturday by first-year coaches. Players from both teams said no one expected them to end up in the final Class AAA game of the 2016 BlueCross Basketball Championships. The two teams have already set their sights on next season.

Riverdale was led Saturday by junior Anastasia Hayes, a Miss Basketball finalist, with a game-high 27 points, three rebounds, and four steals. Sophomore Alexis Whittington scored 14, pulled down five rebounds, and had five assists. Her twin sister Amanda Whittington had six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. [Read more…]

Photos: Oak Ridge 40, Dyer County 35 in Class AAA quarterfinal

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Oak Ridge sophomore Mykia Dowdell (34) battles Dyer County for a loose ball during a 40-35 win in a state Class AAA quarterfinal game at Middle Tennessee State University on Wednesday, March 9, 2016. (Photo by Paul Ward)

 

Oak Ridge beat Dyer County in a 40-35 quarterfinal win in the 2016 BlueCross Basketball Championships in Murfreesboro on Wednesday. Here are photos by Paul Ward.

The Lady Wildcats (28-4) advance to a Division I Class AAA semifinal game against Bradley Central (32-3), a Cleveland team, at 10 a.m. Central (11 a.m. Eastern) on Friday, March 11. The games are being played at Murphy Center at Middle Tennessee State University.

See the story on Oak Ridge’s Wednesday morning quarterfinal game here. [Read more…]

Lady Wildcats to play Dyer County in state basketball tournament Wednesday

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The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats and cheerleaders celebrate a 39-32 sectional win over Dobyns-Bennett at Wildcat Arena on Saturday, March 5, 2016. The win sends the Lady Wildcats to the state tournament for the first time since 2010. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats will play Dyer County in the quarterfinals of the state girls basketball tournament on Wednesday.

The 2016 BlueCross Basketball Championship is scheduled on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday for the Division I Class AAA girls teams. It’s at the Murphy Center at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.

The game between Oak Ridge and Dyer County on Wednesday is the first Class AAA quarterfinal game of the day. It starts at 10 a.m. Central time.

Oak Ridge, the number one seed in District 3, has a 27-4 record. The Lady Wildcats beat Dobyns-Bennett, the number one seed in District 1, 39-32 in a Class AAA sectional game on Saturday to advance to the state tournament for the first time since 2010. [Read more…]

Not the game anyone expected: Oak Ridge beats Fulton 81-31

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Oak Ridge senior point guard Geevantay Gee (12) drives for a basket in his last regular-season game at Wildcat Arena, an 81-31 drubbing of Fulton on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

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

It wasn’t the game anyone expected. In a battle of two top-ranked teams, Oak Ridge beat Fulton 81-31 at Wildcat Arena on Saturday.

The basketball game, the last in the regular season, was never really close. The Wildcats (29-2) were up by 16 points less than five minutes into the game, led 27-8 at the end of the first quarter, and went into halftime ahead 50-13. Junior guards Tee Higgins and Tajion Jones both had early dunks that fired up the loud, raucous standing-room-only crowd.

The Falcons (22-2), ranked number two in Class AA, shot 15 percent in the first half and probably didn’t do any better in the second, Coach Jody Wright said.

Meanwhile, Oak Ridge, ranked number eight in Class AAA, had 20 assists in the first half alone, a sign that the Wildcats were sharing the ball well, and they played their best game of the year, Coach Aaron Green said. Senior point guard Geevantay Gee had five of those first-half assists, and junior guard E.J. Bush had four. [Read more…]