Oak Ridge Today

ORHS Homecoming pep rally is Thursday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ORHS Homecoming Pep Rally

The Oak Ridge High School Homecoming pep rally is on Thursday evening at ORHS.

The pep rally starts at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, September 17, on the front steps of Oak Ridge High School. The 2015 Homecoming Court will be introduced.

It’s a community event, and it will feature a senior Wildcat football player dance, ORHS cheerleaders, and Dance Cats.

There will also be prize drawings.

The Homecoming football game is at Blankenship Field at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Wildcats will play Lenoir City.

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

With few games left, JMS Eagles football team 5-0

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

JMS Jack Replogle and CAK Sept. 10, 2015

Jefferson Middle School quarterback Jack Replogle (18), an eighth-grader, runs against CAK on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015. (Photo by Heather Hartman)

 

The Jefferson Middle School Eagles are undefeated, and the 5-0 team will play Webb at home on Thursday. It will be one of the last few games of the football season.

“It’s going to be a competitive, tough game,” said Brian Wilson, Eagles football coach and JMS physical education teacher.

The Eagles will play the Robertsville Middle School Rams on Thursday, October 1.

The Tennessee Valley Athletic Conference will have its league championship on Thursday, October 8, although it’s not clear yet who will play. The team that is ranked number one will host it. That will be the end of the middle school season. [Read more…]

Dragons routed at Rhea 62-10

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

On Friday night, the Clinton Dragons ran into bad weather and a buzzsaw of a football team as the Rhea County Golden Eagles dismantled them 62-10.

Following an 89-minute lightning delay, the Dragons scored first on a 17-yard Deonta Duncan touchdown run and answered a quick Rhea County score with a Garrett Zody field goal that put them up 10-7 with 6:45 to play in the first quarter.

From there, however, it was all Rhea County as they scored 55 unanswered points on their way to a lopsided victory at home. The numbers tell the story as the Eagles outgained Clinton 502-174, ran for six touchdowns and threw for three more.

See a game summary and stats on the WYSH website.

Delayed for lightning, OR-AC game will resume Monday, will be free

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Wildcats Davon Middleton and Mavericks on Sept. 12, 2015

Oak Ridge senior running back Davon Middleton (32) picks up a big first down on a fourth-and-2 near the Mavericks’ end zone, setting up a touchdown catch by Wildcat T.J. Allison in the first quarter at Anderson County High School on Friday, Sept. 11, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

The Friday night football game between Oak Ridge and Anderson County was delayed because of lightning, and it will resume at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Anderson County High School.

It will be free and start where it ended, with Oak Ridge leading 7-0 at 1:28 in the first quarter, Wildcats Coach Joe Gaddis said Saturday.

He said lightning was last spotted at about 9:30 p.m. Friday at ACHS. A 30-minute delay is required each time lightning is spotted, meaning the game could not have restarted any earlier than 10 p.m.

But if officials had observed more lightning before the restart, they would have had to wait another 30 minutes, Gaddis said.

“It kept happening over and over,” he said. [Read more…]

Weather: Oak Ridge-Anderson County football game canceled, rescheduled to Monday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Joe Gaddis

Joe Gaddis, head coach of the Oak Ridge Wildcats football team

The Oak Ridge-Anderson County football game has been canceled tonight (Friday, September 11) due to weather and rescheduled for Monday, September 14. The rescheduled game will start at 7:30 p.m.

The Wildcats led 7-0 when the game was canceled with 1:28 left in the first quarter Friday.

There have been a few cancellations and other delays across East Tennessee due to weather. For example, the Kingston and Rockwood game kicked off a little before 9:30 p.m. Friday.

The Clinton and Rhea County game in Rhea County, set to resume at about 9:15 p.m., was under way again as of 9:40 p.m.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Oak Ridge-Anderson County, Clinton-Rhea County football games on weather delays

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Wildcats Logo

The Friday night football games between Oak Ridge and Anderson County and Clinton and Rhea County are on weather delays.

The Clinton and Rhea County game could re-start in Rhea County at 9:15 p.m. Friday.

Meanwhile, a decision on the Oak Ridge and Anderson County game at Anderson County High School could be made at 9:15 p.m.

The games have to be delayed 30 minutes after lightning is spotted.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Football photos: Oak Ridge and Farragut

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Wildcats Tee Higgins TD Catch and Farragut Admirals

Oak Ridge junior receiver Tee Higgins (5) hauls in his first touchdown catch, a 37-yard reception, at 6:47 in the first quarter at Farragut on Friday, Sept. 4, 2015. Also pictured is Farragut defender Justin Kirkendall (3). (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

The Oak Ridge Wildcats had their first loss of the football season on Friday, falling 31-14 to the Farragut Admirals.

See a story on the game here.

Here is one set of photos by Julio Culiat. See a second set of photos here.

Tanner Thomas Farragut Admirals and Oak Ridge Wildcats

Farragut senior running back Tanner Thomas (1) had 183 yards on 23 carries against the Oak Ridge Wildcats at Bill Clabo Field on Friday, Sept. 4, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

[Read more…]

Photos: Oak Ridge and Dobyns-Bennett

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Wildcats Defense at Dobyns-Bennet Indians

The Oak Ridge defense stops Dobyns-Bennett quarterback Cole Maupin (6) during a 17-14 win for the Wildcats in Kingsport on Friday. Wildcats making the stop are Gavin Warrington (11), Jamalcolm Henderson (53), Kyndall Clark (54), and Adam Manookian (35). (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

KINGSPORT—A tipped pass intercepted by the Oak Ridge defense at their own 11-yard line with less than three minutes to play saved a 17-14 win for the Wildcats at Dobyns-Bennett on Friday. See the story here.

Here are pictures by Julio Culiat and John Huotari.

Oak Ridge Wildcats Tee Higgins and Dobyns-Bennett

Oak Ridge junior receiver Tee Higgins (5) led all Wildcats in receiving with 136 yards on seven carries, four first downs, and one touchdown at Dobyns-Bennett in Kingsport on Friday, Aug. 28, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

[Read more…]

Higgins, Wildcats receiver, commits to play football at UT

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Wildcats Tee Higgins Clinton Dragons

Junior receiver Tee Higgins (5) celebrates his first touchdown catch for the Oak Ridge Wildcats against the Clinton Dragons on Friday, Aug. 21, 2015. Higgins had three catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns. Higgins announced on Monday that he has committed to play football for the University of Tennessee. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Oak Ridge junior wide receiver Tee Higgins announced on Twitter on Monday that he has officially committed to play football at the University of Tennessee.

Higgins, who is a 6’4″ and 185 pounds, is the No. 1 Class of 2017 prospect in the state, according to 247Sports.

Higgins chose the Volunteers over scholarship offers from more than a dozen other teams, including Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss. [Read more…]

Photos: Oak Ridge Wildcats and Clinton Dragons

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Wildcats Chase Kimbro and Clinton Dragons

Oak Ridge junior linebacker Chase Kimbro (10), who had four tackles, one assist, and a sack, tackles Clinton senior quarterback Tyler Thackerson (8). (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

The Friday night football game between the Oak Ridge Wildcats and Clinton Dragons at Blankenship Field was very well-attended, with the ticket line snaking around the lower parking lot at Blankenship Field and down Broadway. The Wildcats won 24-13 in the season opener. Here are pictures by Julio Culiat and John Huotari.

Oak Ridge Wildcats Adarius Simpson and Clinton Dragons

Oak Ridge sophomore Adarius Simpson (24) returns the football to the Clinton 45 after a Dragons field goal attempt was blocked by junior Wildcat Jaret Miner. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

[Read more…]

Wildcats: ‘Coaches Corner with Joe Gaddis’ starts Wednesday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Joe Gaddis

Joe Gaddis

The live broadcast “Coaches Corner with Joe Gaddis” starts this Wednesday, August 19.

The show, which starts at 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, usually features a review of the previous week’s performance by the Oak Ridge Wildcats football team as well as a preview of the upcoming game.

The live broadcast is every Wednesday at Pizza Inn in Oak Ridge. If you can’t make it, you can watch it on Channel 12, BBB-TV.

The regular season starts Friday, August 21, at home on Blankenship Field. The Wildcats will play the Clinton Dragons, and kick-off is at 7:30 p.m. [Read more…]

ORPD officer, a former Vandy standout, terminated as statutory rape allegation investigated

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ORPD Cassen Garrison

Witnesses said ORPD Officer Cassen Garrison used his hands to break out a back window of an Emory Valley Center van and rescue a client from the back of it after a May 12, 2015, crash at Northwestern and North Purdue avenues. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9:25 a.m. Aug. 18.

A probationary Oak Ridge police officer who once played football for Vanderbilt University and the Kansas City Chiefs has been investigated, terminated, and will be prosecuted for allegations of statutory rape of a 16-year-old girl and other charges, authorities said Monday.

The victim’s stepfather, who was in custody at the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton, made an allegation that the officer, Cassen Jackson-Garrison, 30, had engaged in inappropriate contact with his stepdaughter, Anderson County District Attorney General Dave Clark said in a press release. The allegation was made to an Anderson County Sheriff’s Department deputy investigator at the jail.

Clark said Garrison was one of two officers who met the victim when he responded to the victim’s home in connection with a domestic violence complaint. The victim’s stepfather was arrested because of that complaint and remains jailed at the ACDF, Clark said. [Read more…]