Oak Ridge Today

Photos: Wildcats scrimmage against Heritage

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Oak Ridge rising sophomore quarterback Kevin Reedy (15) throws a pass during a scrimmage against the Heritage Mountaineers at Blankenship Field on Friday, July 29, 2016. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

The Oak Ridge Wildcats had a scrimmage against the Heritage Mountaineers of Blount County at Blankenship Field on Friday. Here are photos by John Huotari of Oak Ridge Today and contributor Luther Simmons.

See a story on the scrimmage here.

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Oak Ridge rising sophomore quarterback Herbert Booker (13) runs during a scrimmage against the Heritage Mountaineers at Blankenship Field on Friday, July 29, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

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Oak Ridge rising sophomore quarterback Herbert Booker (13) takes a snap during a scrimmage against the Heritage Mountaineers at Blankenship Field on Friday, July 29, 2016. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

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Wildcats scrimmage against Heritage; need to improve tackling, blocking, coach says

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The Oak Ridge Wildcats had a scrimmage against the Heritage Mountaineers at Blankenship Field on Friday, July 29, 2016. Pictured above is rising sophomore running back Jordan Graham (22). (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge Wildcats had a scrimmage against the Heritage Mountaineers of Blount County at Blankenship Field on Friday.

Oak Ridge could have blocked better and tackled better, Wildcats Coach Joe Gaddis said.

“They don’t score if we tackle,” he said.

The Oak Ridge first team tied the Heritage team 13-13. The Moutaineers outscored the Wildcats once the second teams came in, and the final score was 33-13.

But the focus wasn’t on the final score. Instead, Gaddis wanted to try different possibilities. Among other things, the Wildcats wanted to run the option quite a bit, he said.

“Scrimmages are all about learning about your team,” Gaddis said. [Read more…]

Wildcats 7th in state in 800-meter run, 4×800-meter relay

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Oak Ridge Boullie at State Track Meet May 27 2016 Moore

Oak Ridge senior Tyler Boullie finished 7th in the 800-meter run in the state track and field meet in Murfreesboro on Friday, May 27, 2016. (Photo by Kindell Moore)

 

Duhamel, AC’s Flatford have second-place finishes

Oak Ridge senior Tyler Boullie finished seventh in the 800-meter run in the state championship track and field meet in Murfreesboro on Friday, and the Wildcats’ 4×800-meter relay team also finished seventh. The Oak Ridge boys finished ninth in the state in Class AAA in the 4×100-meter relay.

Anderson County senior Derek Flatford finished second in the 110-meter hurdles and fourth in the 300-meter hurdles. Senior Gashaw Duhamel, who ran cross country for Oak Ridge in the fall, finished second in Class A-AA in the 3,200-meter run, running for Tennessee School for the Deaf.

In other Oak Ridge finishes, senior Jordan Hardy, who battled a hamstring injury for much of the season, was 13th in the state in the long jump in Class AAA, and sophomore Jose Villegas was 14th in the 3,200-meter run.

Boullie, who had been the number two seed in the 800-meter run, had also been on the 4×800-meter relay team at the Section I finals in Johnson City on May 14. The relay team had been the third seed coming into the state track and field championship. But Boullie did not compete in the 4×800-meter relay at state because he wanted to have a fresh race in the 800-meter run. [Read more…]

State track meet: Boullie second fastest in 800-meter qualifying, boys 4×800 third fastest

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ORHS Sectionals TF-12 Boullie Relay May 14 2016 Etheridge

Oak Ridge senior Tyler Boullie had the second-fastest qualifying time in the boys 800-meter run in the Section I championship at Science Hill in Johnson City on Saturday, May 14, 2016, and Boullie is on the boys 4×800-meter relay team that had the third-fastest qualifying time for the state track and field meet in Murfreesboro this week. (Photo by Adrian Etheridge)

 

Oak Ridge senior Tyler Boullie had the second-fastest qualifying time for the boys 800-meter run in the state championship track and field meet in Murfreesboro this week. And he is also on the Wildcats’ boys 4×800-meter relay team that had the third-fastest qualifying time in Tennessee.

Boullie had a time of 1:56.04 in the 800-meter run at the Section I track and field finals at Science Hill High School in Johnson City on Saturday, May 14. Kenton Bachmann, a sophomore at Hardin Valley Academy, had the fastest time, but at 1:55.99, he finished only 0.05 seconds ahead of Boullie. Two other East Tennessee seniors, Bruce Boles of West and Josh Routh of Daniel Boone, rounded out the top four qualifying spots, or seeds, coming in third and fourth respectively in Division I Class AAA.

The Oak Ridge boys 4×800-meter relay team qualified with a time of 8:05.88. Two other East Tennessee high schools are the top two seeds: Science Hill with a time of 7:57.32 and Daniel Boone at 8:01.03. (Daniel Boone is in Gray, which is between Kingsport and Johnson City.)

The Oak Ridge boys 4×800-meter relay team finished third at the Section I championship at Science Hill on May 14, when the Wildcats qualified for state in seven events. Besides Boullie, the other 4×800 relay team members are sophomore Jose Villegas, senior Thomas Colburn, junior Jacob Etheridge, and alternate Reid Dukes, a junior. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge qualifies for state tournament in seven track, field events

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

Oak Ridge freshman Kate Hausladen qualified for this month’s state track and field tournament by finishing first in the girls 300-meter hurdles and third in the 100-meter hurdles in the Section I Championship at Science Hill High School on Saturday, May 14, 2016. (Photo by Allen Greene Photography)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:30 p.m.

Eleven Oak Ridge athletes have qualified for this month’s state tournament in seven track and field events. Three athletes—freshman Kate Hausladen, sophomore Jose Villegas, and senior Tyler Boullie—will each compete in two events.

Hausladen finished first in the girls 300-meter hurdles at Science Hill High School on Saturday with a time of 47.47. She was third in the 100-meter hurdles at 16.86.

Boullie was second in the boys 800-meter run at 1:56.04. He was also on the boys 4×800-meter relay team that finished third at 8:05.88. The other members of that relay team are Villegas, senior Thomas Colburn, junior Jacob Etheridge, and alternate Reid Dukes, a junior.

Besides qualifying as a member of the relay team, Villegas also qualified for state by finishing fourth in the boys 3,200-meter run with a time of 9:57.14.

To qualify for state, an athlete or team must finish in the top four in an event. Saturday’s qualifying meet was the Section I Championship at Science Hill in upper East Tennessee.

Also qualifying for state were: [Read more…]

Wildcats have 5 first-place finishes in Ben Martin meet; compete in Battle of Bridge today

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Oak Ridge senior Tyler Boullie finished first in the boys 800-meter run at the Ben Martin Invitational at Oak Ridge High School on Saturday, April 2, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge Wildcats had five first-place finishes in the Ben Martin Invitational track and field meet at Oak Ridge High School on Saturday, and the team will compete against Hardin Valley at home in the Battle of the Bridge today (Tuesday, April 5).

Those who picked up first-place finishes on Saturday at Ben Martin Track were:

  • freshman Jada Guinn in the girls high jump, with a height of 4’10”;
  • sophomore Brigid Bishop in the girls pole vault, with a height of 7’6″;
  • senior Tyler Boullie in the boys 800-meter run, with a time of 1:57.60;
  • the boys 4×100-meter relay team (Jordan Graham, Tony Miller, Tre Jackson, and Caleb Downard), with a time of 44.89; and
  • the boys distance medley (Boullie, Jacob Etheridge, Jose Villegas, and Caleb Downard), with a time of 10:59.67.

Oak Ridge Coach Allen Etheridge said he was as pleased with the girls’ performance as he has been in several years. They competed hard and scored a ton of points, he said. [Read more…]

Wildcats opened track, field season at Hardin Valley

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Boys 400-meter (Photo by Luther Simmons)

Boys 400-meter dash (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

HARDIN VALLEY—The Oak Ridge Wildcats opened their track and field season at Hardin Valley on Saturday, March 26.

The boys and girls teams finished about in the middle of the pack, Wildcats Coach Allen Etheridge said. The girls team was 11th out of 29 teams, and the boys were 18th in a field of 27.

But the teams didn’t set up to “score a ton of points,” Etheridge said.

The Wildcats were missing a few athletes, and with many new students on the team, they were trying new athletes in a few events and experimenting with different combinations.

“I saw a lot to be happy about,” Etheridge said. The teams have potential to be really good, Etheridge said.

The season opener was the Hardin Valley Academy Invitational. It featured 39 teams and 896 athletes.

Here are top 10 finishes for Oak Ridge girls: [Read more…]

Football photos: Oak Ridge and Ooltewah

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Oak Ridge senior running back T.J. Allison (6) led all Wildcats with 94 yards on 20 carries during a 26-17 loss at Ooltewah in a second-round Class 5A playoff game on Friday, Nov. 13, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 2:40 p.m.

Oak Ridge lost to Ooltewah, 26-17, in a second-round Class 5A playoff game in Ooltewah on Friday. Here are pictures by Julio Culiat.

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Oak Ridge senior defensive end Alex Alcorn (66) was credited with two blocked passes during a 26-17 loss at Ooltewah in a second-round Class 5A playoff game on Friday, Nov. 13, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

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Down early, Oak Ridge rallies, but falls short at Ooltewah

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Wildcats Tee Higgins Catch at Ooltewah Nov. 13, 2015

Before he was injured, Oak Ridge junior Tee Higgins (5) makes an impressive catch during a 26-17 loss at Ooltewah in a second-round Class 5A playoff game on Friday, Nov. 13, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was updated at 4:45 p.m. Nov. 15.

OOLTEWAH—Oak Ridge gave up 17 points in the first quarter and lost its star playmaker in the second, but the Wildcats rallied to close the gap before falling short in a second-round Class 5A playoff game in Ooltewah on Friday.

The final score was 26-17 in favor of the Owls, who move on to play Rhea County in a Class 5A quarterfinal game next week.

A lot went wrong for Oak Ridge (10-2) in the first quarter at Ooltewah on Friday: an early fumble, a dropped end-zone pass, a missed field goal, and a turnover on a punt return. Ooltewah (10-2) breezed to a 17-0 lead in the first 11 minutes.

Then, Oak Ridge lost star playmaker Tee Higgins late in the second quarter to a knee injury on his right leg. Higgins, a junior standout receiver, defensive back, and punt returner who is a University of Tennessee commitment, did not return. [Read more…]

Football photos: Oak Ridge and Soddy Daisy

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Oak Ridge Tee Higgins and Soddy Daisy Brandon Davis Nov. 5, 2015

Oak Ridge junior wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) makes a catch behind a fallen Brandon Davis (3) of Soddy Daisy during a 45-33 win for the Wildcats in a Class 5A football playoff game on Blankenship Field on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015.
(Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Oak Ridge Tee Higgins and Soddy Daisy Brandon Davis Nov. 5, 2015

Oak Ridge junior wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) jumps to catch the football over Brandon Davis (3) of Soddy Daisy during a 45-33 win for the Wildcats in a Class 5A football playoff game on Blankenship Field on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This post was updated at 5:45 p.m.

Oak Ridge beat Soddy Daisy 45-33 on big plays and turnovers in the first round of the 2015 Class 5A football playoffs on Blankenship Field on Thursday. Here are photos by Julio Culiat.

We will continue to add photo captions as we can.
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Football stats: Oak Ridge and Soddy Daisy

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Oak Ridge Jordan Graham and Soddy Daisy on Nov. 5, 2015

Oak Ridge freshman running back Jordan Graham (30) had two touchdowns, including one on a kickoff return, during a 45-33 win over Soddy Daisy in the first round of the Class 5A football playoffs on Blankenship Field on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Oak Ridge beat Soddy Daisy 45-33 on big plays and turnovers in the first round of the 2015 Class 5A football playoffs on Blankenship Field on Thursday. Here are preliminary individual and team statistics by Mark Haste. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge beats Soddy Daisy 45-33 on big plays, turnovers

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Oak Ridge Jordan Graham and Soddy Daisy on Nov. 5, 2015

Oak Ridge freshman running back Jordan Graham (30) had two touchdowns, including one on a kickoff return and another on a 50-yard run, during a 45-33 win over Soddy Daisy in the first round of the Class 5A football playoffs on Blankenship Field on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10:25 a.m.

Oak Ridge beat Soddy Daisy 45-33 on big plays and turnovers in the first round of the 2015 Class 5A football playoffs on Blankenship Field on Thursday.

The Wildcats (10-1) will travel to Ooltewah (9-2) on Friday, November 13, for a second round game. The Owls, who are ranked eighth, beat the Clinton Dragons (4-7) in another first-round game on Thursday to advance to play Oak Ridge.

The Wildcats, who are ranked third, had another big night on defense and special teams. Oak Ridge senior Davon Middleton intercepted one Trojans pass in the end zone to stop one Soddy Daisy drive deep in Wildcat territory, and he later deflected a third-down pass near the goal line to help end another.

Junior wide receiver Tee Higgins and freshman running back Jordan Graham also had big nights. They each had two touchdowns for Oak Ridge.

One of Graham’s touchdowns came on the opening kickoff of the second half. The small, speedy freshman broke tackles and curled from the left side of the field—after it looked like he had been stopped—to the right before racing 88 yards to score on a run that took 25 seconds to complete. Graham ended the night with the two touchdowns, including one on a 50-yard run, and 154 yards on eight carries. [Read more…]