Cleveland Archives - Oak Ridge Today

After two wins at the buzzer, Lady Wildcats play for championship today

Posted at 1:12 pm December 29, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge senior guard Jada Guinn (24) was named most valuable player at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix on Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. She had a winning shot at the buzzer against Daniel Boone in a first-round game at the Andrew Johnson Bank Ladies Classic basketball tournament in Greenville on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats Basketball/Paige Redman)

Note: This story was updated at 2 p.m.

After two wins at the buzzer this week, the Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats will play for the championship in the Andrew Johnson Bank Ladies Classic basketball tournament in Greenville today (Saturday, December 29).

It’s the second championship game in a week for the girls. Oak Ridge (14-2, 3-1 District 3-AAA) won their divisional championship in the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix last Saturday.

Oak Ridge senior guard Jada Guinn was named the most valuable player of the Nike Tournament on Saturday, December 22.

She had one of the buzzer-beating shots, a layup, in the Andrew Johnson Bank Ladies Classic this week. That was in the final five seconds of a 50-48 win over Daniel Boone, an upper East Tennessee team, in a first-round game on Wednesday.

The Lady Trailblazers ended the Lady Wildcats’ last season with a 62-51 Class AAA sectional win in March, and Guinn told 5StarPreps, a high school sports website, that she didn’t want to lose to Daniel Boone this week. [Read more…]

Wildcats hold off late rally by Science Hill to leave with 10-point win

Posted at 1:49 am December 19, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

oak-ridge-tajion-jones-science-hill-dec-17-2016

Oak Ridge senior Tajion Jones (3) had a game-high 20 points during an 82-72 win over Science Hill in the Champion Chevrolet Shootout at Science Hill High School in Johnson City on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2016. (Photo by Robert Kell)

JOHNSON CITY—Oak Ridge held off a late rally by Science Hill on Saturday to leave Johnson City with their second win in two days.

The undefeated Wildcats (11-0, 5-0 District 3-AAA) beat Science Hill 82-72 in the Champion Chevrolet Shootout at Science Hill High School in Johnson City on Saturday.

That victory came one day after they beat Cleveland, which had also been undefeated, 76-56.

The Wildcats led the Hilltoppers 70-42 after three quarters on Saturday. [Read more…]

In battle of two undefeated teams, Oak Ridge emerges with win

Posted at 2:15 pm December 17, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

oak-ridge-ej-bush-levert-smith-cleveland-dec-16-2016

Oak Ridge senior E.J. Bush (2) led the Wildcats with 20 points during a 76-56 win over Cleveland in the Champion Chevrolet Shootout at Science Hill High School in Johnson City on Friday. Dec, 16, 2016. (Photo by Robert Kell)

JOHNSON CITY—Oak Ridge and Cleveland were both undefeated top-ranked teams before they played in Johnson City on Friday, and only the Wildcats remained undefeated afterward. Oak Ridge beat Cleveland 76-56 in the Champion Chevrolet Shootout at Science Hill High School in Johnson City.

The Wildcats are now 10-0 overall and 5-0 in District 3-AAA.

The Blue Raiders are now 11-1 overall and 4-0 in District 5-AAA.

Like the earlier girls’ game, the boys’ game was closer in the first half: 16-15 after the first quarter, and 32-30 at halftime. But Oak Ridge had a 20-6 run through most of the third quarter and an 8-0 run in the last part of the fourth quarter. [Read more…]

Basketball: Eight games in two days at ORHS in Rick McGill Toyota Classic

Posted at 8:37 am December 10, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Wildcats Boys Basketball Team Nov. 17, 2015

Members of the Oak Ridge Wildcats boys basketball team are pictured above during an 87-67 season-opening win over Grace Christian at home on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015. From left are juniors Tyshawn Young (15), Tajion Jones (3), and E.J. Bush (2), seniors Geevantay Gee (12) and Javien Johnson (11), junior Deandre Gibson (10), and senior Darel Middleton (33). (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Rick McGill Toyota Classic will feature eight basketball games in two days at Oak Ridge High School this month.

The classic is December 18-19 at ORHS. The participating teams are high school boys and girls teams from Cleveland, Dobyns Bennett, Oak Ridge, and Science Hill.

Here is the schedule: [Read more…]

Football playoff brackets posted: Oak Ridge plays Soddy-Daisy

Posted at 11:59 am November 2, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Wildcats Tee Higgins and Soddy-Daisy Trojans

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…]

Two 12-0 teams meet at Blankenship tonight for first time ever

Posted at 11:33 am November 21, 2014
By John Huotari 1 Comment

Oak Ridge and Rhea County Pregame Scoreboard

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…]

Wildcats use playoff ‘fury,’ determination to eliminate Soddy-Daisy

Posted at 12:27 am November 8, 2014
By John Huotari 2 Comments

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…]