Oak Ridge Today

Volleyball: Lady Wildcats win fourth straight district championship

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The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats volleyball team won its fourth consecutive District 4-AAA tournament championship at Bearden High School on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019. (Photo submitted by Buzz Patrick)

The Oak Ridge volleyball team won its fourth consecutive District 4-AAA tournament championship on Thursday.

The Lady Wildcats were undefeated in the district during the regular season, and as a result, they did not have to play in the first round of the district tournament, which was at Bearden High School.

Here is information about the tournament provided by Buzz Patrick:

Oak Ridge faced the number five seed, Karns, in the semifinal match on Thursday, and the Lady Wildcats swept the Lady Beavers in three sets (25-12, 25-15, 25-16) behind the stellar serving of junior Paige Halcrow, who notched seven aces against the Lady Beavers to help the ‘Cats counteract some of their own passing errors.

After a short break, the Lady Wildcats faced the number two seed, West, in the finals. Oak Ridge defeated West for the third time this year (25-22, 25-12, 25-12) to earn the 2019 District 4-AAA tournament championship to accompany their regular season championship.

[Read more…]

Playoffs today: Volleyball regional tournament, girls soccer district tournament

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The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats volleyball team will play in the Region 2-AAA tournament at Oak Ridge High School on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge volleyball)

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats volleyball team will play in the Region 2-AAA tournament at Oak Ridge High School on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge volleyball)

 

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats volleyball team will play in the Region 2-AAA tournament at home today, and the girls’ soccer team will play in the District 3-AAA tournament, also at home.

The volleyball team (24-9) won the District 4-AAA championship on Tuesday, October 3. With a 6-0 district record, the girls were undefeated in District 4-AAA and the top seed in the district tournament.

Oak Ridge, the District 4 champion, will play Heritage, the District 3 runner-up, in a regional semifinal in Wildcat Arena at 5:30 p.m. today (Tuesday, October 10).

The two teams met twice during the regular season. The Lady Mountaineers won the first one 3-0 at Heritage on September 25. The Lady Wildcats won the second game 2-1 in the Courtside at Concord Tournament on September 30. [Read more…]

Volleyball: Lady Wildcats win District 4 championship

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The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats won the District 4-AAA volleyball championship in Wildcat Arena on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats won the District 4-AAA volleyball championship in Wildcat Arena on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Oak Ridge won the District 4-AAA volleyball championship on Tuesday, sweeping Bearden in three straight sets. It’s the second year in a row the girls have won a district championship and the fourth district championship for Oak Ridge in five years.

The District 4-AAA tournament was played in Wildcat Arena at Oak Ridge High School on Tuesday. The Lady Wildcats (24-9, 6-0 District 4-AAA) advanced to the championship game by beating Halls in three straight semifinal sets.

The scores of the Oak Ridge-Halls semifinal sets were 25-14, 25-17, and 25-18.

The scores of the Oak Ridge-Bearden championship sets were 25-12, 25-23, and 25-17.

Lady Wildcat senior Olivia Milloway was named most valuable player of the district tournament. Seniors Emily Lawless and Reagan Dickens were named to the All District Tournament Team. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge wins District 3 soccer championship

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The Oak Ridge Wildcats boys' soccer team won the District 3-AAA championship with a 4-0 shutout win over Central at the Oak Ridge Soccer Complex on Friday, May 12, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Oak Ridge Wildcats boys’ soccer team won the District 3-AAA championship with a 4-0 shutout win over Central at the Oak Ridge Soccer Complex on Friday, May 12, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

This story was last updated at 12 a.m.

Oak Ridge won the District 3-AAA soccer championship on Friday, shutting out Central 4-0 at home.

It’s the fourth year in a row that the Oak Ridge boys’ soccer team has won the district championship.

The Wildcats, who were undefeated in the district this season, will now play the loser of the District 4-AAA championship game in a Region 2-AAA semifinal at the Oak Ridge Soccer Complex on Tuesday.

Oak Ridge doesn’t know which team it will play yet. The District 4-AAA championship game between Maryville and Farragut is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday at Maryville. [Read more…]

Soccer: Oak Ridge beats Maryville, plays Farragut on Senior Night today

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Oak Ridge Soccer Karns April 20 2017

The Oak Ridge Wildcats boys’ soccer team is pictured above during a break in play at Karns on Thursday, April 20, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Oak Ridge beat Maryville 2-0 on Tuesday. The Wildcats play the last regular-season soccer game at home against Farragut at 7 p.m. today (Wednesday, May 3). It’s also Senior Night, and a varsity only game.

The Wildcats are 11-3-2 overall and 8-0 in District 3-AAA.

Maryville and Farragut are both District 4-AAA teams, meaning it’s possible the Wildcats could face one or both teams in the Region 2-AAA tournament, depending upon what happens in the upcoming district tournaments.

Like Oak Ridge, Maryville is 11-3-2 overall and, at 5-0, undefeated in its district, District 4-AAA, according to information posted on CoachT.com. [Read more…]

Soccer: Wildcats finish first in district with win over Campbell County

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This photo is property of Allen Greene. Unauthorized use of this photo is not permitted without consent.

Oak Ridge’s Brent Robinson, who was then a junior midfielder, heads the soccer ball during a 3-1 loss to Dobyns-Bennett in a Class AAA sectional in Kingsport on Saturday, May 21, 2016. Now a senior, Robinson scored two goals in a 5-2 win at Campbell County on Monday, May 1, 2017. (File photo credit: Allen Greene/TriCitiesSports.com)

 

The Oak Ridge Wildcats boys’ soccer team finished first in District 3-AAA after beating Campbell County 5-2 on Monday. It was the last district game of the regular season.

The Wildcats will play at Maryville, a District 4-AAA team, at 7 p.m. today (Tuesday, May 2).

Because of a bad weather forecast for Thursday, the final regular-season home game against Farragut, also a District 4 team, has been moved to Wednesday. The Oak Ridge-Farragut game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Oak Ridge Soccer Complex at Oak Ridge High School. It will be Senior Night.

Oak Ridge Coach Jeff Trombly said senior Brent Robinson scored two goals against the Cougars on Monday. Seniors Masa Kato and Austin Vinyard had one each, and sophomore Cris Avila also scored. [Read more…]

Soccer: With win tonight, Wildcats would finish undefeated in district

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The Oak Ridge Wildcats won the championship game 1-0 over Lowndes High School from Valdosta, Georgia, during the Taxslayer Border Classic Soccer Invitational in Augusta, Georgia, on Saturday, March 18, 2017. (Photo submitted by Cathy Lawless)

The Oak Ridge Wildcats are pictured above in this file photo after winning the championship game 1-0 over Lowndes High School from Valdosta, Georgia, during the Taxslayer Border Classic Soccer Invitational in Augusta, Georgia, on Saturday, March 18, 2017. (Photo submitted by Cathy Lawless)

 

If they win tonight at Campbell County, the Oak Ridge Wildcats will finish the regular season undefeated in District 3-AAA.

The game starts at 6 p.m. Monday, May 1, at Campbell County.

A win would also clinch first place in the district and give the Wildcats home-field advantage in the District 3-AAA tournament, Oak Ridge Coach Jeff Trombly said.

The district tournament is scheduled to start Saturday. [Read more…]

Upchurch scores 25, but Maryville can’t stop Oak Ridge

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Oak Ridge senior Anthony Gibson (23) led the Wildcats with 13 points during a 46-43 win against Maryville in a Region 2-AAA semifinal elimination game at Wildcat Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

Oak Ridge senior Anthony Gibson (23) led the Wildcats with 13 points during a 46-43 win over Maryville in a Region 2-AAA semifinal elimination game at Wildcat Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

Maryville senior guard Easton Upchurch scored 25 points and made seven three-point shots on Tuesday, but it wasn’t enough to keep Oak Ridge from advancing to its fifth straight regional championship.

The Wildcats were held to their lowest offensive output of the season in the 46-43 Region 2-AAA semifinal win over the Rebels at Wildcat Arena. No Oak Ridge player scored more than 13, which is unusual.

Maryville Coach Mark Eldridge said Oak Ridge has better players than the Rebels, so his team tried to limit the number of possessions. More possessions mean the better team wins, Eldridge said.

The Wildcats probably had about half as many possessions as they normally do, Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said. Maryville has guards who are good enough that the Rebels could run time off the clock—and they did.

“Sometimes you have to find ways to grind them out,” Green said. “Our guys haven’t had a lot of close games, and our guys kept their composure.”

Oak Ridge (28-2) advances to play Bearden (21-8) in the Region 2-AAA championship at Wildcat Arena at 7 p.m. Thursday. The season is over for Maryville (24-6). [Read more…]

Oak Ridge eliminates Bearden, despite second-half rally by Lady Bulldogs

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Oak Ridge juniors Jaymi Golden (32), left, and Desiree Bates (20), center, play defense against Bearden junior Trinity Lee (2), who led the Lady Bulldogs with 25 points, in a 62-56 loss to the Lady Wildcats in a Region 2-AAA quarterfinal game at Wildcat Arena on Friday, Feb. 24, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

Oak Ridge juniors Jaymi Golden (32), left, and Desiree Bates (20), center, play defense against Bearden junior Trinity Lee (2), who led the Lady Bulldogs with 25 points in a 62-56 loss to the Lady Wildcats in a Region 2-AAA quarterfinal game at Wildcat Arena on Friday, Feb. 24, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats eliminated Bearden 62-56 in a Region 2-AAA quarterfinal game at home on Friday, despite a high-scoring second-half rally by the Lady Bulldogs.

After scoring only 15 points in the first half, the Bearden girls scored 41 in the second, narrowing an Oak Ridge lead of 24 points in the third quarter to three points late in the fourth.

“It was a fun ball game,” Oak Ridge Coach Paige Redman said. “They did not back down. They did not quit…They went on a great run. We managed to contain it.”

Bearden (24-4) struggled to make three-point shots in the first three quarters. They made only two, both by junior Trinity Lee. That changed in the fourth quarter, when Lee hit four. She led the Lady Bulldogs with 25 points and had 17 of Bearden’s 27 points in the final quarter. She had all six of Bearden’s three-point shots.

Oak Ridge (27-3) was led by sophomore guard Jada Guinn with 32 points, a game high and career high. Like Lee, Guinn also made six three-point shots. She knocked down four in the second quarter alone. [Read more…]

Jones named MVP as Wildcats win fifth straight district championship

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The Oak Ridge Wildcats won their fifth straight District 3-AAA championship with an 86-58 victory over Powell at Clinton on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

The Oak Ridge Wildcats won their fifth straight District 3-AAA championship with an 86-58 victory over Powell at Clinton on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

CLINTON—Oak Ridge senior Tajion Jones was named most valuable player as the Wildcats won their fifth straight District 3-AAA championship with an 86-58 victory over Powell at Clinton on Tuesday.

Oak Ridge (26-2) will play West, which finished fourth in District 4-AAA, in a first-round Region 2-AAA game at Wildcat Arena at 7 p.m. Saturday. West (15-17) lost to Hardin Valley 64-58 in the third-place District 4 game on Tuesday.

The Wildcats, the top seed in the District 3-AAA basketball tournament, advanced to the district championship at Clinton High School on Tuesday by beating Clinton, which had been the number five seed, 111-77 in a semifinal game on Saturday.

Oak Ridge was led against Powell on Tuesday by senior Anthony Gibson. He scored a game-high 24 points, with 22 of those in the first half. Gibson knocked down three three-point shots.

Jones scored 21, with 12 of those on four three-point shots. Jones, a Mr. Basketball finalist in Class AAA, also had a baseline drive for a dunk. [Read more…]

Soccer: Lady Wildcats upset Powell to win district championship

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The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats upset the Powell Lady Panthers 2-0 in the District 3-AAA championship game at the Powell Soccer Complex on Friday, Oct. 14, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 5:45 p.m. Oct. 15.

POWELL—Oak Ridge upset Powell 2-0 to win the District 3-AAA championship on Friday.

It was an especially satisfying victory for the Lady Wildcats after losing the district championship to the Lady Panthers last year. Powell won that one in a penalty kick shootout after two 10-minute overtimes and two five-minute sudden death overtimes. It was believed to be the first-ever district soccer title for the Lady Panthers.

The Lady Panthers also won the last two regular-season games 4-1 (one this year and one last year), and Oak Ridge last beat Powell in 2013. Powell (12-3-1) was the number one seed in the district tournament this year, and Oak Ridge (12-6-1) was number two.

“Our entire team was focused on winning, and we wouldn’t accept anything else,” said Lady Wildcats senior Olivia Hoyt, who played midfielder Friday. “It was kind of a grudge match.” [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…]