Oak Ridge Today

Soccer photos I: Oak Ridge-Bearden in Region 2-AAA championship

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Oak Ridge junior midfielder Brent Robinson (6) and Bearden senior Jameson Elmore (21), who had an assist on the Bulldogs’ first goal, go for a header during the Region 2-AAA championship game at Bearden on Thursday, May 19, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

KNOXVILLE—Oak Ridge finished as Region 2-AAA runner-up at Bearden on Thursday, and the Wildcats play Dobyns-Bennett in a sectional soccer game in Kingsport this afternoon (Saturday, May 21). Here are photos from Thursday’s game.

The winner of today’s game will advance to the Class AAA state tournament in Murfreesboro next week.

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Oak Ridge junior midfielder Brent Robinson (6) and Bearden senior Gabe Alvarez (33), who scored two goals, battle for the soccer ball during a 4-1 win for the Bulldogs at Bearden on Thursday, May 19, 2016. Behind Alvarez is Bearden senior Spencer Smiley (7), who also scored two goals. Oak Ridge senior Blake Clowers (3), right, had the one goal for Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

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Bearden kept Oak Ridge senior goalkeeper Joel Turner busy, peppering him with 31 shots, with 18 of those on goal during a 4-1 win for the Bulldogs in the Region 2-AAA championship at Bearden on Thursday afternoon, May 19, 2016. Turner makes the save here against Bearden senior Spencer Smiley, who scored two goals for the Bulldogs. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

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Soccer: Wildcats finish as Region 2 runner-up, play Dobyns-Bennett this afternoon

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Oak Ridge junior midfielder Brent Robinson (6) and Bearden senior Gabe Alvarez (33), who scored two goals, battle for the soccer ball during a 4-1 win for the Bulldogs at Bearden on Thursday, May 19, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

KNOXVILLE—Oak Ridge finished as Region 2-AAA runner-up at Bearden on Thursday, and the Wildcats play Dobyns-Bennett in a sectional soccer game in Kingsport this afternoon (Saturday, May 21). The winner of that game will advance to the Class AAA state tournament in Murfreesboro next week.

The Wildcats (14-8) lost to the Bulldogs 4-1 at Bearden on Thursday. Oak Ridge senior goalkeeper Joel Turner was busy the entire game, trying to keep a steady stream of Bearden shots out of the net. The Bulldogs finished with 31 shots, or about one shot every 2.5 minutes. Eighteen of those shots were on goal.

Bearden (19-3) scored in quick back-to-back goals less than three minutes apart late in the first half and about 30 seconds apart late in the second.

Oak Ridge scored its only goal with 1:14 remaining on a penalty kick by senior defender Blake Clowers.

Bearden seniors Spencer Smiley and Gabe Alvarez had two goals each for the Bulldogs. [Read more…]

Soccer photos: Oak Ridge, Maryville in Region 2 semifinal

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Oak Ridge junior forward Austin Vinyard (9) had the corner kick that led to a Blake Clowers header for the game-winning goal during a 2-1 win over Maryville in a Region 2-AAA semifinal at home on Tuesday, May 17, 2016. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Oak Ridge eliminated Maryville 2-1 in a Region 2-AAA semifinal game at home on Tuesday. Here are photos by Julio Culiat.

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Oak Ridge senior forward Jose Rodriguez (11) scored the first goal for the Wildcats during a 2-1 win over Maryville in a Region 2-AAA semifinal at home on Tuesday, May 17, 2016. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

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Oak Ridge scored its winning goal off a header by senior defender Blake Clowers that followed a corner kick by junior forward Austin Vinyard (9) during a 2-1 Region 2-AAA semifinal victory over Maryville at home on Tuesday, May 17, 2016. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

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Wildcats eliminate Maryville, move on to Region 2 championship

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Oak Ridge senior defender Blake Clowers (3), pictured here in front of Maryville senior Luke Orren (11), scores the winning goal on a header off a corner kick by senior forward Austin Vinyard in a 2-1 Region 2-AAA semifinal win for the Wildcats at home on Tuesday, May 17, 2016. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:35 a.m.

Oak Ridge eliminated Maryville 2-1 in a Region 2-AAA semifinal game at home on Tuesday, and the Wildcats advance to play at Bearden in the region championship on Thursday.

Oak Ridge scored the winning goal on a header by senior defender Blake Clowers off a corner kick by junior forward Austin Vinyard with 8:21 remaining in the playoff elimination game.

The Wildcats are guaranteed two more games: the Region 2-AAA championship and a state sectional. In the sectionals, the Region 1 champion plays the Region 2 runner-up, and the Region 2 champion plays the Region 1 runner-up.

The Region 2 championship game will start at 4 p.m. Thursday at Bearden High School in Knoxville. The sectionals are Saturday.

The Region 1 championship between Sevier County and Dobyns-Bennett starts at 6 p.m. Thursday in Sevierville.

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Wildcats win district championship

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Oak Ridge freshman John Belbeck (22) tries to evade Halls players during a 10-2 district championship win at home on Friday, May 13, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 12:30 p.m. May 14.

Oak Ridge won the District 3-AAA championship with a 10-2 victory over Halls at home on Friday.

The Wildcats (13-7) advance to play the loser of Saturday’s District 4-AAA championship game between Bearden and Maryville. The District 4 runner-up will come to Oak Ridge to play in a Region 2-AAA semifinal game on Tuesday.

The Red Devils (10-7), the District 3 runner-up, advance to play the winner of the Bearden-Maryville District 4 championship game.

It was the second time Oak Ridge played Halls this year, and the win was more lopsided this time. The Wildcats, who finished the season undefeated in the district with a 7-0 record, won the first game against the Red Devils, a regular season game, 4-1 on April 7.

“I think we’re a different team now,” Oak Ridge Coach Jeff Trombly said.

Halls finished the regular season second in the district with a 6-2 record. [Read more…]

Soccer: Wildcats play for district championship against Halls today

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Oak Ridge beat Campbell County 9-0 in a District 3-AAA semifinal game at home on Wednesday, May 11, 2016. The Wildcats attempt to score on a header here after a corner kick by Austin Vinyard. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge Wildcats will play Halls for the district championship this evening.

The District 3-AAA championship game starts at 7 p.m. today (Friday, May 13) at Oak Ridge High School.

The Wildcats (12-7, 7-0 D3-AAA) beat the Red Devils 3-1 in a regular-season game on April 7.

Oak Ridge eliminated Campbell County (11-4-1, 4-2) in a 9-0 blowout during a semifinal district tournament game on Wednesday, May 11. Halls (10-6, 6-2) advanced to the district championship on a 1-0 victory over Gibbs on Wednesday.

Oak Ridge’s 9-0 win over Campbell County this week was the most lopsided victory for the Wildcats this season. Oak Ridge beat Campbell County 4-0 in the season opener on March 15. [Read more…]

Soccer photos: Oak Ridge-Clinton

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Oak Ridge junior Austin Vinyard (9) looks for a pass during a 3-0 win over Clinton at home on Friday, April 29, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

For the second year in a row, the Oak Ridge Wildcats were undefeated in the district in regular season soccer games. They won their last district game of the regular season on Friday, April 29, beating Clinton 3-0 at home.

Here are pictures from the game.

Oak Ridge (11-5, 7-0) has two non-district games remaining, one against Maryville at home tonight (Tuesday, May 3) and the second at Farragut on Thursday, May 5.

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Oak Ridge senior Matt Warmbrod (5), who scored two goals, passes through the legs of a Clinton defender during a 3-0 win over the Dragons at home on Friday, April 29, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

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Wildcats again undefeated in district, play Maryville tonight

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Oak Ridge junior defender Stefan Mortl (2) dribbles against Clinton during a 3-0 win for the Wildcats at home on Friday, April 29, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

For the second year in a row, the Oak Ridge Wildcats were undefeated in the district in regular season soccer games. It’s the third time in the past four years that the Wildcats were undefeated in District 3-AAA during the regular season.

But the regular season isn’t over yet. Oak Ridge (11-5, 7-0) has two non-district games remaining, one against Maryville at home tonight (Tuesday, May 3) and the second at Farragut on Thursday, May 5.

Players and Oak Ridge Coach Jeff Trombly have said those final two games are a good prelude to the competition that the Wildcats could face in the post-season, particularly the Region 2-AAA tournament.

Oak Ridge got its seventh district win this year at home against Clinton (6-4, 1-1) on Friday, April 29. The Wildcats outshot the Dragons 36-3 in that 3-0 win. [Read more…]

Undefeated in district, Wildcats beat HVA, Karns; Senior Night is Friday

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Oak Ridge senior forward Jose Rodriguez (11) challenges two Karns defenders during a 6-0 win for the Wildcats at home on Thursday, April 21, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge Wildcats, who remain undefeated in the district, had two good wins last week against Hardin Valley and Karns. They have one district game remaining; that’s against Clinton at home on Friday, which is Senior Night.

As the regular season comes to an end, the Wildcats (10-5, 7-0 District 3-AAA) also still face Maryville and Farragut. Both games are expected to be challenging.

The Oak Ridge-Hardin Valley game on Tuesday, April 19, was very tough, Coach Jeff Trombly said. Senior goalkeeper Joel Turner went out with a concussion in the first half after being kicked in the head, and he can’t play for at least two weeks, Trombly said.

Sophomore Austyn Lincoln, the backup goalkeeper, finished that 2-0 win for the Wildcats. [Read more…]

Rodriguez scores four as Wildcats dominate Anderson County

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Wildcats Jose Rodriguez against Anderson County April 14, 2016

Oak Ridge senior forward Jose Rodriguez (11) scored four goals for the Wildcats during a 5-0 win over Anderson County at home on Thursday, April 14, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Oak Ridge senior forward Jose Rodriguez scored four goals during a 5-0 win over Anderson County on Thursday, and the Wildcats dominated the Mavericks in total shots, 40-1.

Some of those shots went wide right or left, though, or high, and not all were on the goal frame. Rodriguez was credited with 14 shots, including four in the first 11 minutes, and he scored two goals in the first four minutes of the second half.

Oak Ridge Coach Jeff Trombly said he was pleased overall, but the Wildcats (8-5, 6-0 District 3-AAA) failed to finish too many of their scoring chances. Too many shots were at the Anderson County goalkeepers, Trombly said. That’s a sign that players are getting anxious in front of the net and need to look at their shots, he said.

“We’ve got to clean up our finishing,” Trombly said. “We created enough chances, but you’ve got to finish your chances.” [Read more…]

Wildcats’ goal: Finish undefeated in district

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Oak Ridge freshman Will Dallas (23) and Halls freshman Hayden Sobas (23) go for the soccer ball during a 3-1 win for the Wildcats on Thursday, April 7, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

At 4-0, the Oak Ridge Wildcats are undefeated in District 3-AAA, and the team’s goal is to go undefeated in the district this year, Coach Jeff Trombly said.

In their last district game on Thursday, the Wildcats beat Halls 3-1.

Their other district wins were against Campbell County on March 15, Central on March 22, and at Powell on April 5.

Oak Ridge is 6-5 overall. [Read more…]

Wildcats start soccer season with 4-0 win over Campbell County

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Oak Ridge senior forward Matt Warmbrod (5) scored Oak Ridge’s second goal during a 4-0 win over Campbell County at home on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge Wildcats started the regular soccer season with a 4-0 win over Campbell County at home on Tuesday.

The Wildcats outshot the Cougars 20-2.

The Wildcats played four pre-season games, and senior Jose Rodriguez, the second-leading scorer last year, injured his ankle. But he should be back in a week or two, Oak Ridge Coach Jeff Trombly said.

Senior defender Blake Clowers also did not play Tuesday because of medical issues, Trombly said.

New to the team this year is senior Wildcats football player Matt Warmbrod, who primarily played linebacker. Warmbrod played up front for the Oak Ridge soccer team on Tuesday and scored one of the Wildcats’ four goals. Trombly said Warmbrod had played soccer until the eighth grade but then focused on football.

He had a busy night on Tuesday, picking up two shots and a goal in just the first half against Campbell County. Warmbrod had been a defender in soccer but converted to forward, Trombly said. [Read more…]