Oak Ridge Today

All-District football accolades announced: Gaddis is Coach of the Year

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Oak Ridge Wildcats Coach Joe Gaddis and Team

Oak Ridge Wildcats Coach Joe Gaddis and his football team celebrate an October win in a post-game huddle. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Information from WYSH Radio

The All-District 3AAA football team for 2014 was announced last week as were individual postseason honors.

The Coach of the Year is Oak Ridge’s Joe Gaddis.

Anderson County’s Matt Fox was named Player of the Year, while Campbell County’s Ethan Jeffers was named Offensive Player of the Year and Gibbs’ Hunter Lane was named Defensive Player of the Year.

Lineman of the Year honors went to Oak Ridge’s Alex Alcorn, the D3AAA Newcomer of the Year was Oak Ridge’s Tee Higgins, and the Specialist of the Year was Oak Ridge’s Brandon Nickle. [Read more…]

Wildcats round up Mavericks, win AAA District Championship

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Oak Ridge Wildcats Undefeated 2014 Season

The Oak Ridge Wildcats football team went undefeated 10-0 in the regular season in 2014 for only the 12th time in school history and the first time since 1999. The Wildcats also won the District 3-AAA title in a Thursday night game against the Anderson County Mavericks at Anderson County High School in Clinton. (Photos by Julio Culiat)

 

CLINTON—Many players on the Oak Ridge football team don’t remember the last time the Wildcats went undefeated back in 1999. But now, 15 years later, they all have something to hang their hats on: an undefeated season and a district championship.

The Wildcats (10-0, 8-0 District 3-AAA) outlasted the Anderson County Mavericks (8-2, 7-1) to win the district title 28-16 on Thursday at Anderson County High School in Clinton. Oak Ridge was led by the two touchdown catches of sophomore wide receiver Tee Higgins.

Both teams scored one touchdown each in the first quarter, but the usually reliable Brandon Nickle missed a field goal for Oak Ridge. The Wildcats’ touchdown came on a one-yard quarterback sneak by Gavin Warrington halfway through the first quarter.

However, the Mavericks soon proved they deserved to be playing in the District 3-AAA championship. Anderson County faked a handoff up the middle, and quarterback Garrett Johnson, who filled in for injured QB Zane Smith, threw a touchdown pass to Cale Brock.

But the Mavs missed the extra point, making it 7-6 Oak Ridge after the first quarter.

Oak Ridge stepped up on offense and defense in the second quarter. With 8:53 left in the second, senior cornerbacks Jemiah Hall and Ted Mitchell combined for a bone-crushing tackle on Anderson County running back Matt Fox. Mitchell recovered after Fox fumbled, but the Wildcats couldn’t capitalize on the following drive. [Read more…]

Fox scores three as Mavericks win another Battle of the Bridge

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Anderson County Mavericks and Clinton Dragons Battle of the Bridge

The Anderson County Mavericks won the sixth consecutive Battle of the Bridge 35-19 over the Clinton Dragons at Anderson County High School on Friday. (Photo courtesy Anderson County Schools)

 

Star running back Matt Fox rushed for more than 200 yards and scored three touchdowns as the Anderson County Mavericks opened the regular season with a 35-19 win over the Clinton Dragons on Friday night.

The crosstown rivals traded touchdowns in the first half, and the Mavericks had a slight 14-13 lead at halftime.

But the momentum quickly shifted at the start of the second half, when the Mavericks scored on a 21-yard run by Fox after only two plays and 29 seconds. That run followed a roughly 50-yard pass from Anderson County quarterback Zane Smith to Aaron Sharp.

Anderson County held the lead and scored twice more, once on a five-yard run by Fox midway through the third quarter and again after Garrett Johnson intercepted a pass from Clinton quarterback Tyler Thackerson and returned it for a touchdown with 11:01 remaining.

The final score was 35-19. [Read more…]

West eliminates Anderson County 32-19 on big plays in quarterfinals

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Anderson County Mavericks and West Rebels

Mavericks quarterback Tyler Hicks, right, looks downfield for a receiver as linebacker Noah Hoxie of the West Rebels rushes in during a 32-19 quarterfinals loss for Anderson County on Friday night.

CLINTON—Big plays made the difference on Friday night as Knoxville West eliminated Anderson County 32-19 in a Class 5A quarterfinals game.

Both coaches gave credit to the Mavericks (11-2, 7-1 in District 3) for playing well on offense and defense, and Coach Davey Gillum said Anderson County won most of the plays.

“But when they won a play, it was a big one,” Gillum said of the Rebels.

The Mavericks’ Matt Fox, who sprained an ankle last week against Cherokee, was still hurt and not playing at normal speed, and he had trouble cutting, Gillum said. The star running back was held to 25 yards on 12 carries. [Read more…]