Oak Ridge Today

Young Lady Wildcats, first-year coach advance to state championship

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The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats celebrate a 38-31 Class AAA semifinal win over Bradley Central in the state basketball tournament in Murfreesboro on Friday, March 11, 2016. (Photo by Paul Ward)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 3:40 p.m.

First-year Oak Ridge Coach Paige Green and her young Lady Wildcats advanced to the state basketball championship game on Saturday after beating Bradley Central 38-31 in a Class AAA semifinal game in Murfreesboro on Friday.

It was a success story that few, if any, had predicted. Wildcats broadcasters called it a “miraculous journey” and a “Cinderella run.”

The Lady Wildcats were led by sophomore Mykia Dowdell with 15 points, nine rebounds, and two steals. Freshman Jada Guinn had nine points, two rebounds, and two assists, and sophomore Jaymi Golden added eight points, including late free throws that helped seal the win.

Oak Ridge (30-4) trailed by as many as eight points in the third quarter, but they rallied starting late in that quarter and continuing through the fourth to knock off Bradley Central (32-4). The Lady Wildcats took a 26-25 lead with about 3.5 minutes left in the game on a feed across the lane from Golden to Guinn, who scored a layup.
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Photos: Oak Ridge 40, Dyer County 35 in Class AAA quarterfinal

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Oak Ridge sophomore Mykia Dowdell (34) battles Dyer County for a loose ball during a 40-35 win in a state Class AAA quarterfinal game at Middle Tennessee State University on Wednesday, March 9, 2016. (Photo by Paul Ward)

 

Oak Ridge beat Dyer County in a 40-35 quarterfinal win in the 2016 BlueCross Basketball Championships in Murfreesboro on Wednesday. Here are photos by Paul Ward.

The Lady Wildcats (28-4) advance to a Division I Class AAA semifinal game against Bradley Central (32-3), a Cleveland team, at 10 a.m. Central (11 a.m. Eastern) on Friday, March 11. The games are being played at Murphy Center at Middle Tennessee State University.

See the story on Oak Ridge’s Wednesday morning quarterfinal game here. [Read more…]

Coming off the bench, Bates leads Oak Ridge in state quarterfinal win

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Oak Ridge sophomore Desiree Bates (20) came off the bench to lead the Lady Wildcats with 12 points during a 40-35 state Class AAA quarterfinal win over Dyer County in Murfreesboro on Wednesday, March 9, 2016. Bates also had seven rebounds and three steals. (Photo by Paul Ward)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 5:52 p.m.

Sophomore Desiree Bates came off the bench to lead Oak Ridge with 12 points in a 40-35 quarterfinal win in the state Class AAA basketball tournament in Murfreesboro on Wednesday.

The Lady Wildcats (28-4) were up 10 points at halftime, and they bounced back from a 15-4 Dyer County run in the third quarter to advance to the semifinal game in Murfreesboro on Friday.

Dyer County had three consecutive steals midway through the third quarter that they converted into eight points, helping to turn a 26-14 deficit late in the second quarter into a 29-26 lead midway through the third.

Oak Ridge prevailed despite their 19 turnovers and the game-high 18 points of Amber Thompson. Thompson knocked down three three-pointers and ignited the third-quarter surge for the Lady Choctaws (27-5), but she picked up her fourth foul with three minutes remaining in that quarter and had to go sit on the bench. [Read more…]

Lady Wildcats to play Dyer County in state basketball tournament Wednesday

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The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats and cheerleaders celebrate a 39-32 sectional win over Dobyns-Bennett at Wildcat Arena on Saturday, March 5, 2016. The win sends the Lady Wildcats to the state tournament for the first time since 2010. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats will play Dyer County in the quarterfinals of the state girls basketball tournament on Wednesday.

The 2016 BlueCross Basketball Championship is scheduled on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday for the Division I Class AAA girls teams. It’s at the Murphy Center at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.

The game between Oak Ridge and Dyer County on Wednesday is the first Class AAA quarterfinal game of the day. It starts at 10 a.m. Central time.

Oak Ridge, the number one seed in District 3, has a 27-4 record. The Lady Wildcats beat Dobyns-Bennett, the number one seed in District 1, 39-32 in a Class AAA sectional game on Saturday to advance to the state tournament for the first time since 2010. [Read more…]

Higgins one of three Mr. Basketball finalists in Class AAA

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

Oak Ridge junior Tee Higgins (5) is one of three finalists for Mr. Basketball in Class AAA in Tennessee. (Photo by Allen Greene/TriCitiesSports.com)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1:45 p.m.

Already named Mr. Football this year, Oak Ridge junior Tee Higgins is now one of three finalists for Mr. Basketball in Class AAA in Tennessee.

The Mr. Basketball finalists were announced Friday.

The other two Class AAA finalists are Nathan Hoover of Arlington and Alex Lomax of Memphis East.

Higgins had earlier committed to play football at the University of Tennessee, but he recently re-opened his recruitment in football and basketball. [Read more…]

Hardy finishes second, fourth in boys state track meet

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ORHS Wildcats Malik Hardy at State Track Meet 2015

Oak Ridge High School senior Malik Hardy finished second in the boys 200-meter dash, fourth in the long jump, and ninth in the 100-meter dash during the Class AAA state track meet, the Spring Fling, at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro on Friday, May 22, 2015. (Photo by Kindell Moore)

 

Note: This story was updated at 9:39 a.m.

MURFREESBORO—Senior Malik Hardy finished second in the 200-meter dash and fourth in the long jump during the Class AAA state track meet in Murfreesboro on Friday, May 22. And the Oak Ridge Wildcat finished ninth in the field of 16 competitors in the 100-meter dash.

Also during the meet, the boys 4×800-meter relay team finished fifth, and senior Wesley Robinson finished seventh in the 1,600-meter run. Junior Tyler Boullie finished 13th in the 800-meter run.

Hardy (2nd) had a time of 22.12 in the 200-meter dash. The top runner was Jordan Thomas, a senior at Centennial, with a time of 22.11. The third-place finish went to Martarious Brooks, a junior at Antioch (22.16).

Hardy (4th) had a jump of 22-05.75 in the long jump. The top three jumpers were Weldon Wright, a senior at Hardin Valley (23-07.00); Rashad Haynes, a junior at Memphis Central (22-10.00); and Bailey Overbay, a senior at Morristown-East (22-06.00). [Read more…]

Greenhalgh, girls relay team finish 11th at state track meet

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ORHS Wildcats Abbey Greenhalgh at State Track Meet 2015

Oak Ridge High School sophomore Abbey Greenhalgh, left, finished 11th in the girls 800-meter run during the Class AAA state track meet, the Spring Fling, at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro on Thursday, May 21, 2015. (Photo by Kindell Moore)

 

Note: This story was updated with a correction at 7:06 p.m.

MURFREESBORO—Sophomore Abbey Greenhalgh finished 11th in the 800-meter run, and the Oak Ridge High School girls relay team finished 11th in the 4×100-meter relay and 4×200-meter relay during the Class AAA state track meet in Murfreesboro on Thursday, May 21.

And ORHS senior Lauren Smallwood finished 13th in the 200-meter dash.

There were 16 competitors in each race.

Greenhalgh (11th) had a time of 2:26.13 in the 800-meter run. The top three runners were Celine Rone, a senior at Arlington (2:16.35); Hailey Hendry, a junior at Brentwood (2:17.85), and Shian Mallory, a junior at Houston (2:18.33). [Read more…]

Ten ORHS students to compete in 10 track, field events at state

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Malik Hardy 200-meter Dash

Senior Malik Hardy of Oak Ridge, right, finished first in the 200-meter dash during a Class AAA sectional track meet at Hardin Valley on Saturday. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

Ten Oak Ridge High School students will compete in 10 track and field events at the state meet in Murfreesboro in May after finishing in the top four in a sectional meet at Hardin Valley on Saturday.

Senior Malik Hardy will compete in three events: the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, and the long jump. Senior Lauren Smallwood will also compete in three events: the 200-meter dash, the 4×100-meter relay, and the 4×200-meter relay.

Senior Wesley Robinson will compete in two events—the 1,600-meter run and the 4×800-meter relay—and junior Tyler Boullie will also compete in two: the 800-meter run and the 4×800-meter relay.

Boullie finished first in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:56.27 during the sectional on Saturday, and Hardy finished first in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.11. [Read more…]

Fourth-quarter comeback not enough as Wildcats fall to Mustangs in state quarterfinal

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Note: This story was last updated at 4 p.m.

After falling behind by 12 points, Oak Ridge narrowed the Memphis East lead to two in a fourth-quarter comeback sparked by junior Darel Middleton, but it wasn’t enough as the Wildcats lost to the Mustangs in a state quarterfinal game in Murfreesboro on Wednesday.

It’s the end of the season for the Wildcats (29-4), who played their last game with senior Ted Mitchell.

Sophomore Tajion Jones hit four three-pointers for Oak Ridge in the BlueCross Basketball Championship game at Murphy Center at Middle Tennessee State University. Three of those were in the first two quarters, and they helped give the Wildcats a 30-28 lead at halftime. [Read more…]

Lady Bobcats lose in state semifinal 63-45

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Oliver Springs Lady Bobcats Rachel Griffith and Clarkrange

Senior guard Rachel Griffith (22) of Oliver Springs, who scored 15 points, looks for a shot during a 63-45 loss to Clarkrange in a Class A state tournament semifinal game in Murfreesboro on Saturday. (Photo by Kindell Moore) 

 

Note: This story was last updated at 11:19 p.m.

MURFREESBORO—The Lady Bobcats made it to the final four, but they fell short of advancing to the state championship game, losing to Clarkrange 63-45 in a state semifinal game in Murfreesboro on Saturday.

The Lady Bobcats (29-7) were unable to repeat their shooting performance of a day earlier. On Friday, Oliver Springs shot 60 percent from the field in a 67-41 blowout over Decatur County Riverside in a Class A quarterfinal game. But on Saturday, the Lady Bobcats were 32 percent from the field (16 of 50).

The Lady Buffaloes (31-5) got off to a 17-1 start and were up 34-17 at halftime, thanks in part to six three-point shots, or 18 points total. The Lady Bobcats were able to narrow the lead to seven (20-13) on a jumper by senior guard Emily Griffith late in the first quarter, but that was as close as they got.

Oliver Springs, which hadn’t been to the state tournament since 2009, narrowed the lead to 44-33 on a 15-10 run in the third quarter. [Read more…]

Oliver Springs, other state tournament games postponed

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Murfreesboro Snow Ice on March 5, 2015

Ice covered about two inches of snow in Murfreesboro on Thursday morning, and the Oliver Springs Lady Bobcats state quarterfinal game has been postponed to Friday morning. (Photo courtesy RoaneSports.com)

 

The Oliver Springs Lady Bobcats had been scheduled to play in a state quarterfinal game in Mufreesboro this morning (Thursday morning), but that game has been postponed to Friday morning.

All other TSSAA state basketball tournament games scheduled for today have also been postponed due to extremely hazardous road conditions. The Thursday schedule will resume at 11 a.m. Central time Friday (12 p.m. Eastern) in order to allow extra time for road conditions to improve in the morning.

Friday’s scheduled semifinal games will be played on Saturday beginning at 1:30 p.m. Central due to the Middle Tennessee State University’s women’s basketball game that is scheduled at 10 a.m. Saturday’s scheduled championship games will be played on Sunday. [Read more…]

Wildcats advance to state tournament on late free throws by Higgins, block by Johnson

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Oak Ridge Wildcats Javien Johnson Geevantay Gee and Science Hill

Juniors Javien Johnson (11) and Geevantay Gee (12) of the Oak Ridge Wildcats defend against the Science Hill Hilltoppers during a 55-53 win in a Class AAA sectional game in Johnson City on Tuesday. Johnson blocked a shot by Malik McGue, who scored five of his eight points in the fourth quarter of his final game for Science Hill, with 0.8 seconds to play to help win the game. (Photo courtesy Trey Williams/Johnson City Press)

 

JOHNSON CITY—The Oak Ridge Wildcats are heading back to the state tournament in Murfreesboro next week after their comeback 55-53 win against a hungry Science Hill group at Tuesday night’s Class AAA Sectional game. Two free throws by sophomore Tee Higgins with 5.1 seconds left and a defensive block by junior Javien Johnson with 0.8 seconds left helped the Wildcats pull away with the victory.

It seemed that Science Hill (23-15) couldn’t miss from the floor in the first half. The Hilltoppers hit six three-pointers in the first half—four in the first quarter alone. One of those four included a buzzer-beating three at the end of the first quarter. With the buzzer-beater, the Hilltoppers had a 16-12 lead on the Wildcats.

In the second quarter, Oak Ridge (29-3) fell behind quickly. At one point, the Wildcats were down 24-14. However, thanks to two three-pointers by sophomore DeAndre Gibson, the Wildcats were able to gather themselves and go on a 13-6 run to end the quarter. With one half in the books, Oak Ridge was trailing 30-27.

The second quarter was the only quarter of the game that didn’t have a tie or a lead change. Oak Ridge had three three-pointers in the first half, all of them courtesy of Gibson (2) and sophomore Tajion Jones (1).

The Hilltoppers battled back in the second half. After Oak Ridge jumped out to a 34-30 lead, the Hilltoppers rattled off seven straight points to take the 37-34 lead. Oak Ridge pulled within a point of taking the lead back, and Science Hill drained a three. There actually was a span of 30 seconds in the third that had four consecutive combined threes hit by both teams. However, the Wildcats scored late in the third to give themselves a 44-43 lead with one quarter left to decide who went to the state tournament and who stayed home. [Read more…]