Oak Ridge Today

With win over Sequoyah, Lady Wildcats advance to semifinals in Lenoir City Christmas Tournament

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Lady-Wildcats-Dowdell-Sequoyah-Dec-28-2015

Oak Ridge sophomore post Mykia Dowdell (34) had 15 points for the Lady Wildcats during a first-round quarterfinal game in the Lenoir City Christmas Tournament on Monday, Dec. 28, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

LENOIR CITY—The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats advanced to a semifinal game in the Lenoir City Christmas Tournament with a 49-29 win over Sequoyah on Monday.

Sophomore Mykia Dowdell led Oak Ridge (10-2, 5-0 District 3-AAA) with 15 points. Senior Caelyn Thompson scored eight, and junior Courtney Ellison and freshman Jada Guinn each added six. Nine players scored for the Lady Wildcats, who got off to an 8-0 start in the first quarter and never trailed.

Madi Haymes scored 10 for Sequoyah, a 6-8 Class AA team from Madisonville, and Bailee Lane and Haley Isbell had six each.

Oak Ridge will play Lenoir City (7-6, 1-3 District 4-AAA) in a seminal game in Lenoir City at 6 p.m. Tuesday, December 29. The winner of that game will play the winner of the Upperman-Stone Memorial game in a championship game at 6 p.m. Wednesday, December 30. [Read more…]

Lady Wildcats defense shines in 42-34 win over Dobyns-Bennett

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Lady-Wildcats-Guinn-Dobyns-Bennett-Dec-18-2015

Freshman point guard Jada Guinn (24) led Oak Ridge with 13 points during a 42-34 win over Dobyns-Bennett at Wildcat Arena on Friday, Dec. 18, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Lady Wildcats defense played its best game of the year as Oak Ridge beat Dobyns-Bennett 42-34 at home on Friday, Coach Paige Green said.

The Lady Wildcats missed 13 layups and 14 or 15 free throws, Green said. But, “we can fix layups and free throws,” Green said during the two-day Rick McGill Toyota Classic at Wildcat Arena.

The teams exchanged leads in the first half. Oak Ridge trailed 7-8 at the end of the first quarter, and the Lady Wildcats led 18-15 at halftime. Oak Ridge kept a narrow 28-26 lead through the third quarter after Dobyns-Bennett tied it at 24, but the Lady Wildcats outscored the Lady Indians 14-8 in the final quarter.

Freshman point guard Jada Guinn led Oak Ridge (8-2, 5-0 District 3-AAA) with 13 points, and she scored nine of those in the fourth quarter. [Read more…]

Lady Wildcats lose lead in final seconds, falling to Farragut 32-31

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Wildcats-Dowdell-Shoots-Admirals-Dec-3-2015

Oak Ridge sophmore Mykia Dowdell (34) led the Lady Wildcats with a game-high 16 points in a 32-31 loss to Farragut at Wildcat Arena on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Oak Ridge had the basketball and a one-point lead with 13.4 seconds to go. But the Lady Wildcats struggled to get the ball inbounds in their own end, and Farragut regained possession on a jump ball. The Lady Admirals quickly scored on a layup by senior Miranda Burt to take a one-point lead with about six seconds left.

Oak Ridge was unable to score again, and the Lady Wildcats lost to the Lady Admirals 32-31 at Wildcat Arena on Thursday. It’s the second loss to Farragut in the past two weeks. But this game was closer than the earlier match on Monday, November 23, when Oak Ridge fell to the Lady Admirals 52-39.

The Lady Wildcats (3-2, 1-0 District 3-AAA) had six turnovers in the first quarter on Thursday but were only behind by two, 7-5, after a low-scoring first quarter. The Wildcats came back in the second quarter and took a 16-11 halftime lead. [Read more…]

Higgins hits four three-pointers as Wildcats start 2-0

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Wildcats-Gee-CAK-Nov-19-2015

Oak Ridge senior guard Geevantay Gee (12) drives to the basket during a 93-61 win over CAK at home on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 11:55 p.m.

Junior Tee Higgins hit four three-point shots on Thursday as the Oak Ridge Wildcats—both the boys and girls teams—started the regular season 2-0 with wins over Grace Christian on Tuesday and Christian Academy of Knoxville on Thursday.

The girls beat CAK 64-42 at home on Thursday, and the boys won 93-61.

The boys had 12 players scoring on Tuesday. They had 10 scoring on Wednesday.

They hit 10 three-point shots on Tuesday. They had nine more on Thursday.

“That’s not a fluke,” Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said. Four different players hit three-point shots: Higgins had four, all in the first half; juniors Tajion Jones and Deandre Gibson each had two; and senior Javien Johnson had one. [Read more…]

Wildcats open basketball season with wins over Grace

Posted at
By 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), who did not play Tuesday. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:15 p.m.

The Oak Ridge Wildcats boys and girls basketball teams opened the regular season with wins over Grace Christian on Tuesday.

The boys won 87-67, and the girls won 39-27. It was the first game for new coach Paige Green, who replaced former girls coach David Scott in June. Paige Green is married to Aaron Green, the boys basketball coach.

The Oak Ridge teams play at home again tonight (Thursday, November 19) against the Christian Academy of Knoxville (CAK). The girls game starts at 6 p.m., and the boys game begins at 7:30. [Read more…]

Powell beats Lady Wildcats in overtime 60-54

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats Caelyn Thompson and Courtney Ellison

Oak Ridge junior Caelyn Thompson (22) had seven points during a district tournament semifinal game against Powell on Saturday, and sophomore Courtney Ellison, seen here behind Thompson, led all Lady Wildcats with 17, including three three-point shots. (Photo by Luther Simmons) 

 

Note: This story was last updated at 7:08 p.m.

KNOXVILLE—The Lady Wildcats took a one-point lead on a three-point shot by Princess Bates with nine seconds left, but Powell rallied in overtime to beat Oak Ridge 60-54 in a district tournament semifinal game in Knoxville on Saturday.

The Lady Wildcats, who have qualified for the Region 2 tournament, will play for third place in a consolation game against the loser of the Saturday afternoon game between Anderson County and Halls. The consolation game starts at 6 p.m. Monday at Central High School in Knoxville.

The Lady Wildcats led 27-22 at halftime and stayed on top for much of the second half, leading by as much as seven points. They got big momentum boosts from the three three-point shots of sophomore point guard/wing Courtney Ellison, who led Oak Ridge with 17 points, and three more from freshman wing/post Jasmine Hembry, who scored 12.

Bates, a freshman wing, and Caelyn Thompson, a junior post, each had seven.

Oak Ridge hit a total of eight three-point shots, for 24 points total.

“You hate it for them,” Oak Ridge Coach David Scott said of his team’s loss in the high-pressure game, undecided until the final seconds of the four-minute overtime. “They worked so hard.” [Read more…]

Undefeated in district, Wildcats end regular season at Fulton on Saturday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Geevantay Gee of Oak Ridge Wildcats at Karns

Geevantay Gee of Oak Ridge (12) had eight points and 10 assists against the Karns Beavers in the last regular-season district game on Friday. (Photo by Terri Blair)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1:55 a.m. Feb. 7.

Oak Ridge ends regular season at Fulton on Saturday

KARNS—The first game was a blowout. The second wasn’t.

In early January, the Oak Ridge Wildcats rolled over Karns 83-49.

But on Friday night, the Beavers kept it closer, pulling within one point (32-31) late in the second quarter.

But the Wildcats gave themselves a five-point cushion going into halftime and stretched their lead to 16 late in the third. Karns struggled to cut into the Wildcats’ double-digit lead throughout the fourth. [Read more…]

Fans ask for dunks, Mitchell gives them two

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Ted Mitchell of the Oak Ridge Wildcats Dunks Against Gibbs

All year, fans had been asking senior guard Ted Mitchell (4) of the Oak Ridge Wildcats to dunk the ball, and Tuesday night, he obliged. Mitchell dunked twice in his last regular-season home game at Wildcat Arena. (Photo by Melissa Livesey)

 

All year, fans have been asking Ted Mitchell to dunk it. On Tuesday, the senior gave the fans what they wanted—and more. He dunked the ball twice in his last regular-season home game at Wildcat Arena.

It was a dramatic finish in a high school career that included trips last year to the state championship game in basketball and the state quarterfinal game in football. The Wildcats’ basketball team finished first in District 3-AAA this year and will advance to the playoffs.

Mitchell, who has plans to play football in college, was the only senior to play for the Wildcats on either the boys’ or girls’ team at home on Senior Night against the Gibbs Eagles on Tuesday.

Here’s more on those games from freelance contributor Trenton Duffer:

Oak Ridge celebrates Senior Night with two victories over Gibbs

Tuesday night, the Oak Ridge Wildcats and Lady Wildcats celebrated Senior Night in the home finale at Wildcat Arena. However, only one senior would be playing his last game in the arena: Ted Mitchell. In some ways, it seemed like “Ted Mitchell Night,” as both sets of Wildcats rolled to easy victories over the Gibbs Eagles and Lady Eagles. Neither set of Eagles had the lead the entire night.

Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats Mykia Dowdell against Gibbs Eagles

Freshman Mykia Dowdell (34) had 15 points against the Gibbs Eagles on Tuesday at Wildcat Arena. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

Lady Wildcats Stomp Lady Eagles

The Lady Wildcats (17-9, 12-3 District 3-AAA) were the first up to play, and they did not disappoint. The Lady Wildcats would go on to crush the Gibbs Lady Eagles (6-18, 5-10) by a score of 65-29. A one-two punch of offense and defense helped the Lady Wildcats walk away with this victory unscathed.

The first quarter was actually very close. Within the first 1:30, Oak Ridge jumped out to an 11-2 lead before the Lady Eagles came storming back, making it 18-14 after one quarter. [Read more…]

Wildcats roll to victory at Campbell County; Lady Wildcats lose nail-biter

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Wildcats Logo

JACKSBORO—The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats and Wildcats made the long trip to Campbell County Tuesday night for their matchup against the Lady Cougars and Cougars. While the boys rolled to an easy 78-47 victory, the girls came up just short of beating the Lady Cougars, losing 47-46 in a nail-biter.

Lady Wildcats stunned by Lady Cougars

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats (15-9, 10-3 District 3-AAA) were beaten last night by the Campbell County Lady Cougars 47-46 in a game that had the entire crowd on edge. The Oak Ridge crowd really seemed to be after the officials all night, as they made many questionable calls in the game.

“Those refs were brutal,” said one fan. “It seemed they were out to get us.”

Controversial calls aside, the Lady Wildcats just couldn’t muster up enough at the end to come back for the victory. The loss marks the 16th time in the schools’ series history that Campbell County has been victorious over the Lady Wildcats. [Read more…]

Wildcats, Lady Wildcats edge Halls, set sights on first place

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Wildcats Logo

The Lady Wildcats and Wildcats of Oak Ridge traveled to Halls on Tuesday to take on the Lady Red Devils and Red Devils. The crowd at Halls is always loud and troublesome for visiting teams, but both sets of Wildcats came out unscathed against their opponents. The victories helped solidify each team’s place at the top of the district leaderboard.

Girls’ Team

A strong first half defensively for the Lady Wildcats proved to be the difference-maker in the end. Oak Ridge would squeak by the Lady Red Devils of Halls by a score of 50-42.

The Lady Wildcats opened the game up with a 13-4 run before going on to finish the first quarter ahead 18-6. The second quarter was a low-scoring quarter for both teams, as the Lady Wildcats only put up 10 points compared to eight by Halls. The score was 28-14 at the half. [Read more…]

Wildcats, Lady Wildcats extinguish Dragons

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Wildcats Tee Higgins Dunk

Sophomore Tee Higgins (5) of Oak Ridge had two dunks in the first quarter and led the Wildcats with 14 points against the Clinton Dragons at Wildcat Arena on Tuesday. (Photos by Melissa Livesey)

 

Eleven miles is all that separates the bitter rivalry between the Oak Ridge Wildcats and the Clinton Dragons. However, since 1990 the rivalry has been nothing but Oak Ridge. For 57 straight games, Oak Ridge has bested Clinton on the basketball court, and Tuesday night was no different for the Wildcats and Lady Wildcats. Both teams went on to soundly defeat their opponents.

Girls’ game

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats were the first matchup of the night. Clinton’s players and coaches were pumped up before and during the entire game, and it was obvious that they had upset on the mind. However, thanks to a strong fourth quarter, the Lady Wildcats were able to defeat the Lady Dragons by a solid score of 65-54.

Clinton actually jumped out to an early lead on Oak Ridge. With a little less than 5:20 left in the first quarter, the Lady Dragons had an 8-1 lead. However, the Lady Wildcats fought back to a 10-8 lead thanks to a three-pointer by Jasmine Hembry with 3:51 left in the first quarter. Hembry would finish with 14 points, which was second on the team. After fighting back and forth, Oak Ridge would score a basket with :20 seconds left, and the score after one quarter was 15-13. [Read more…]

New Year, Same Results: Both Wildcat teams cut down rival Beavers

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Geevantay Gee of Oak Ridge Wildcats and Karns

Junior point guard Geevantay Gee (12) scored 11 points and was one of four Oak Ridge Wildcats in double digits against the Karns Beavers on Tuesday at Wildcat Arena. (Photos by Melissa Livesey)

 

In the first 2015 game at home for Oak Ridge, both teams had a familiar foe awaiting them: the Karns Beavers and Lady Beavers. Both sets of Beavers gave it their all, but neither could withstand the firepower of the Wildcats or Lady Wildcats.

Girls’ Team

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats had a tough time with their opponent for the first quarter of the game, but they soon woke up and clobbered the Lady Beavers of Karns by a score of 57-39. Early foul trouble by the Lady Beavers proved to doom them late in the game.

Karns came out of the gate and scored the first two points of the game. For the first six minutes, there would be seven lead changes and three ties. Both teams were back and forth, with neither one gaining the upper hand. [Read more…]