Jaycen McGhee Archives - Oak Ridge Today

Football: Gaddis named Coach of the Year in Region 3-5A

Posted at 11:54 am November 27, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 1 Comment

Oak Ridge Coach Joe Gaddis celebrates his 300th football coaching win after the Wildcats beat Clinton 42-6 on Blankenship Field on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Information from WYSH Radio

The All-Region 3-5A Football Team has been announced, and among those honored from Oak Ridge are Joe Gaddis, Jeff Miner, Johnny Stewart, Kai’Reese Pendergrass, and Isaac Quick.

Gaddis was named Coach of the Year, Miner was named Defensive Assistant of the Year, and Stewart was named Co-player of the Year. Pendergrass was named Defensive Back, and Quick was named Punter.

Oak Ridge players named to the First Team were Adarius Cox, Caleb Martin, T.J. Johnson, Cobe Angel, Jack Borchers, Ramar Hawkins, Jeremy Mitchell, Jacob Adams, Adarius Simpson, and Jaycen McGhee.

Sam McFarland of Oak Ridge was named to the Academic Team.

Here is the complete list of those who were honored: [Read more…]

Football: Wildcats improve to 4-2 with win over Sevier County

Posted at 2:00 am September 26, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge senior linebacker Adarius Simpson (24) makes a tackle against West at home on Blankenship Field on Friday, Sept. 15, 2017. In the background is senior linebacker Cobe Angel (22). (Photo by Luther Simmons)

The Oak Ridge Wildcats improved to 4-2 for the season with a 30-14 win over Sevier County at home on Blankenship Field on Friday.

The Wildcats are now 2-0 in Region 3-5A. Their remaining four games are all region games.

After their season-opening win at home against Hardin Valley, the Wildcats:

lost 28-25 in a non-region game at Dobyns-Bennett in Kingsport on August 25,
won 17-15 in their first region game at Campbell County on September 1,
were shut out 41-0 at Farraugt, a non-region opponent, on September 8, and
won their second region game, 23-13, over West at home on September 15.

The win over Sevier County this past Friday night was the second straight win for the Wildcats.

Here are the four games remaining, all Region 3-5A games:

at home against Karns (2-4, 0-3) on Friday, September 29;
at home against Clinton (2-3, 0-1) on Friday, October 13;
at Powell (5-1, 2-1) on Friday, October 20; and
at Fulton (4-1, 2-0) on Friday, October 27.

All games start at 7:30 p.m.

Here are highlights of the season so far: [Read more…]

Football photos: Oak Ridge-West

Posted at 7:05 pm September 22, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge junior defensive back Herbert Booker (13) tackles West junior wide receiver Jackson Snodgrass (11) on Blankenship Field on Friday, Sept. 15, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

Here are photos by Luther Simmons from the Oak Ridge football game at home on Blankenship Field against West on Friday, September 15. Oak Ridge won 23-13. It was the third win of the season, out of five games total, and the second region win of two played. [Read more…]

Football photos: Oak Ridge-Farragut

Posted at 6:24 pm September 22, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge junior wide receiver Kai’Reese Pendergrass (12) is pictured above at Farragut on Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

Here are photos by Luther Simmons from the Oak Ridge football game at Farragut on Friday, September 8. Oak Ridge was shut out 41-0. It was the third non-region game and the fourth game of the season. [Read more…]

Baseball: Wildcats play Halls again in district tournament at Karns

Posted at 2:25 pm May 9, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today

KARNS—Oak Ridge stayed alive in the District 3-AAA baseball tournament with a 7-5 win over Clinton at Karns on Monday, and the Wildcats advanced to play Halls in a losers bracket today (Tuesday, May 9).

It’s the second time in three days that Oak Ridge will play Halls. The Wildcats lost to the Red Devils 8-0 in a first-round game on Sunday.

Halls (17-12) was bumped into the losers bracket of the double-elimination tournament with a 2-1 loss to Karns on Monday.

Today’s game starts at 5:30 p.m. on Coach Dwight Smith Field at Karns High School. The season is over for the loser. The winner advances to play Karns (25-8) at 8 p.m. today.

The Monday night game between Oak Ridge and Clinton was scoreless until the third inning, when the Wildcats opened up a 5-0 lead.

Two innings later, the Dragons responded with five runs of their own, tying the game at 5-5 in the top of the fifth inning. [Read more…]

Baseball: Oak Ridge beats Anderson County 11-1

Posted at 11:48 pm April 10, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Caldwell Pitch Anderson County Baseball April 10 2017 Web 2

Pitcher Seth Caldwell of Oak Ridge (0) threw a complete game, throwing 71 pitches during an 11-1 win over Anderson County on Monday, April 10, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Oak Ridge Wildcats beat the Anderson County Mavericks 11-1 in five innings on Monday.

The game ended on the run rule, which finishes a game if a team is up by 10 runs or more after five innings.

Anderson County is a good opponent, and Oak Ridge doesn’t normally run rule them, Wildcats Coach Mark Garrison said. In fact, until Monday, Anderson County had won five of the last six games between the two teams, dating back to 2014. The Wildcats last beat the Mavericks twice in one season in 2013.

But Oak Ridge scored seven runs in the fourth inning against Anderson County at Bobby Hopkins Park on Monday. They had one run in the first inning, tying the game until the fourth inning, and three in the fifth. Oak Ridge shortstop Logan Williams hit a single that allowed center fielder Jaycen McGhee to score the winning run in the fifth inning, Garrison said.

With the win, the Wildcats are now 8-8 overall and 3-3 in District 3-AAA, right in the middle of the district standings. [Read more…]

Baseball photos: Oak Ridge vs. Campbell County on Senior Night, II

Posted at 1:13 pm April 30, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Wildcats-Seniors-I-Campbell-County-April-27-2016

Five seniors on the Oak Ridge Wildcats baseball team are pictured above during a 12-2 rout of Campbell County at home on Wednesday, April 27, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Oak Ridge senior Spencer Wilson tied the season record for most wins by a pitcher on Wednesday, when he picked up his eighth win in a 12-2 rout of Campbell County at home. Here are photos from the game. It was Senior Night, and the last home game of the regular season.

Wildcats-Foster-Second-Campbell-County-April-27-2016

Oak Ridge senior John Foster (17) looks for a steal to third base during a 12-2 rout of Campbell County at home on Wednesday, April 27, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Wildcats-Seniors-II-Campbell-County-April-27-2016

Three more seniors on the Oak Ridge Wildcats baseball team are pictured above during a 12-2 rout of Campbell County at home on Wednesday, April 27, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

[Read more…]

Oak Ridge scores on five turnovers by Webb in 62-6 blowout

Posted at 11:40 pm October 23, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Jordan Dunbar and Webb Oct. 23, 2015

Oak Ridge senior quarterback Jordan Dunbar (14) scored the first touchdown for the Wildcats during a 62-6 blowout win over Webb on Blankenship Field on Friday, Oct. 24, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

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

Oak Ridge scored on five turnovers by Webb in a 62-6 blowout win at Blankenship Field on Friday night. Junior wide receiver Tee Higgins scored three of the nine touchdowns for the Wildcats, all in the second quarter.

Webb fumbled four times in the second quarter on four consecutive possessions. Oak Ridge converted all four Webb turnovers, which were in Spartans territory, into scores. The Wildcats had a fifth touchdown after a turnover, an interception, in the third quarter.

Six different Wildcats scored touchdowns on Friday. Besides Higgins, they were senior quarterback Jordan Dunbar, senior running back Gavin Warrington, freshman running back Jordan Graham, sophomore running back Adarius Simpson, and sophomore quarterback Johnny Stewart.

Oak Ridge (8-1, 3-1 Region 3-5A) dominated in total yardage, picking up 480 yards to Webb’s 197. The Wildcats had 403 yards rushing, compared to 167 for Webb (4-4, 2-1 Class A, East and Middle).

“It was just a good all-around effort,” Oak Ridge Coach Joe Gaddis said. [Read more…]