Oak Ridge Wildcats Archives

Football: Wildcats start season 0-2

Posted at 11:52 am September 3, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Wildcats have started the 2019 football season with two losses.

The first was a 13-6 loss to Hardin Valley at home on Friday, August 23, and the second was a 41-6 loss at Dobyns-Bennett in Kingsport on Friday, August 30.

The Wildcats will play their first Region 3-5A game at Campbell County (2-0) on Friday.

Oak Ridge scored their one touchdown in the season-opening game against Hardin Valley (1-1) with a 21-yard pass from junior quarterback Mitchell Gibbons to senior running back Tyrell Romano with 8:26 left in the third quarter.

[Read more…]

Soccer: Oak Ridge to play in district championship at Karns

Posted at 11:29 am May 9, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Wildcats soccer team beat Halls 5-0 in a District 3-AAA tournament game at Halls on Tuesday, and the boys will play Karns in the district championship game this evening (Thursday, May 9).

The boys’ game is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. at Karns.

The two teams also met in last year’s district championship. Karns won that game 3-2.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Boys soccer, Senior Night at home against Powell on Thursday

Posted at 11:06 am April 24, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Wildcats soccer team will play Powell at home at 7 p.m. Thursday.

It is Senior Night, and the team will celebrate the Class of 2019: Will Dallas, Nathan Kidder, Kenny Moon, Landen Ortiz, Steven Qu, and Eagle Yuan.

Boys basketball game rescheduled to Sunday

Posted at 3:36 pm February 23, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Wildcats had been scheduled to play West in a Region 2-AAA quarterfinal game today (Saturday, February 23), but the game has been rescheduled to Sunday as heavy rain causes flooding and road closures across the area.

The elimination basketball game is now scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday at Wildcat Arena at Oak Ridge High School.

Oak Ridge to retire Tee Higgins’ number 5 football jersey

Posted at 4:09 pm January 25, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak-Ridge-Higgins-Clinton-Aug-18-2016-Web

Oak Ridge’s Tee Higgins (5), who was then a senior, talks to a television reporter after a 56-21 rout at Clinton on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016. Higgins had two touchdown receptions and two interceptions that set up Wildcat scores in that game. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was updated at 9:45 p.m. Jan. 26.

Oak Ridge will retire the number 5 football jersey of Tee Higgins, a star football and basketball player who now plays as a wide receiver for the Clemson Tigers and caught a touchdown pass in the national championship win over Alabama on January 7.

Higgins’ football jersey will be retired during halftime of the Oak Ridge Wildcats boys’ basketball game against Campbell County at Wildcat Arena on Friday, February 1, Oak Ridge High School Principal Martin McDonald said. That game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.

“Congratulate our hometown hero on his national championship and watch as his #5 becomes only the third number to be retired in our 76-year school history,” McDonald said in a post published on Twitter. [Read more…]

Basketball: Wildcats, Lady Wildcats beat Halls in first district games

Posted at 10:57 am November 29, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Wildcats and Lady Wildcats won at Halls in their first district games of the season on Tuesday night.

The girls (2-0, 1-0 District 3-AAA) won the first game 77-49. In the second game, the boys (4-1, 1-0) defeated the Red Devils 81-34.

Oak Ridge senior guard Jada Guinn, who signed this month to play basketball at Tennessee Tech, led the Lady Wildcats with 29 points against the Lady Red Devils (1-4, 0-1).

It was the second game of the season for the girls. They won at Meigs County 56-38 in a non-district game on Tuesday, November 13. Guinn had 31 points, five assists, and four steals in that game.

The girls will play their second district game of the season at Campbell County (4-0, 1-0) on Friday. That game will start at 6 p.m. For the past three years, the Lady Wildcats and Lady Cougars have battled for the top two spots in their district, with Powell usually number three. [Read more…]

Football: Oak Ridge hosts Rhea County in first-round playoff game

Posted at 12:22 pm November 2, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Wildcats walk down the stairs at Jack Armstrong Stadium before a 41-12 win over Dobyns-Bennett on Blankenship Field on Friday, Aug. 24, 2018. (Photo by Barry Houchin)

The Oak Ridge Wildcats will host Rhea County in a first-round Class 5A football playoff game today. The game will start at 7 p.m. Friday, November 2, on Blankenship Field in Oak Ridge.

The two teams last met in the playoffs four years ago, in November 2014, when Oak Ridge had a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback, narrowing a three-touchdown deficit to one. But the Wildcats were unable to make up for missed opportunities and turnovers and fell to the Golden Eagles 35-21 in a state quarterfinal playoff game. At 12-0, both teams were undefeated before the game, which made it a historic showdown on Blankenship Field.

This year’s Rhea County team has a losing record at 4-5 in Region 4, while the Wildcats are 8-2 and finished second in Region 3. [Read more…]

Booker of Oak Ridge a Mr. Football semifinalist

Posted at 12:27 pm November 1, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge senior quarterback Herbert Booker (13) runs during a 41-13 win at Sevier County on Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

Herbert Booker, the senior quarterback and cornerback for the Oak Ridge Wildcats, has been named a Mr. Football semifinalist.

The semifinalists for the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards were announced Thursday by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, or TSSAA.

Booker, who also plays basketball for the Wildcats, was named a Mr. Football semifinalist in Division I, Class 5A.

He was one of five semifinalists. The other four are Michael Burdick of Page, Cade Larkins of David Crockett, Deshawn Page of Fulton, and Grayson Tramel of Shelbyville.

Stanton Martin, Anderson County’s quarterback, was named a semifinalist in Division I, Class 4A. [Read more…]

Football photos: Oak Ridge at Clinton

Posted at 12:19 pm October 20, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Pictured above during a 54-28 win at Clinton on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, are Oak Ridge junior linemen Tyler Galloway (72) and Issair Franquez (70). (Photo by Barry Houchin)

After a week off earlier this month, the Oak Ridge Wildcats (8-1, 5-0 Region 3-5A) have had two more regional wins in the past two weeks: a 54-28 win at Clinton on Friday, October 12, and a 28-21 win at home against Powell on Friday, October 19.

Here are photos from the Clinton game by Barry Houchin. [Read more…]

2018 ORHS Homecoming Court

Posted at 3:23 pm October 19, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge High School Homecoming Court for 2018 is pictured above. Top left, Kaitlin Valenzuela, Abigail Gerlock, Hailee Ladd, Makiya Garrett, and Kaylynn Eastridge; and top right, Thomas Peplow, Dillon Nowatchik, Javonte’ Thomas, Quentin Viau, and Alex Baker. (Photo courtesy Diana Homan)

The 2018 Homecoming Court has been selected for Oak Ridge High School, and Homecoming is today (Friday, October 19).

The Homecoming football game starts at 7:30 p.m. at Jack Armstrong Stadium. The Oak Ridge Wildcats (7-1, 4-0 Region 3-5A) will play the Powell Panthers. Powell is 1-7 overall and 1-4 in the region but had to forfeit six wins due to an ineligible player.

Here is information on the members of the Homecoming Court, provided by Diana Homan, ORHS math teacher.

[Read more…]

Oak Ridge names new Wildcats baseball coach

Posted at 4:10 am August 1, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

A new baseball coach, Travis Free, has been named for the Oak Ridge Wildcats.

Oak Ridge High School announced the new coach this week.

Besides coaching, Free will be an eighth-grade math teacher at Robertsville Middle School. [Read more…]

Track: Wildcats, Mavericks competing at state championship meet on Thursday

Posted at 9:09 am May 24, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge junior Genevieve Schwartz competed in the 4x800 meter relay at MTSU in Murfreesboro on Thursday, May 25, 2017, when the girls finished ninth out of 16 teams. Schwartz also competed in the 3,200 meter run, where she finished 15th. (Photo by Kindell Moore)

Genevieve Schwartz of Oak Ridge, who was then a junior, is pictured above competing in the girls 4×800-meter relay in the state championship at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro on Thursday, May 25, 2017. This year, Schwartz, a senior, is the number two seed in the girls 1,600-meter run in the state championship at MTSU on Thursday, May 24, 2018. (File photo by Kindell Moore)

The Oak Ridge Wildcats and Anderson County Mavericks track and field teams are competing in the state championship meet in Murfreesboro on Thursday.

Oak Ridge will compete in the girls 1,600-meter run, the boys 4×800-meter relay, the boys 4×100-meter relay, the girls 4×100-meter relay, and girls discus. The Wildcats are the number two seed in the girls 1,600-meter run, the fifth seed in the boys 4×100-meter relay, seventh seed in the boys 4×800-meter relay, eighth seed in the girls 4×100-meter relay, and ninth seed in girls discus.

Anderson County will compete in the girls 100-meter hurdles, girls pole vault, boys long jump, girls 1,600-meter run, and girls 3,200-meter run. The Mavericks are the top seed in the girls pole vault, fifth seed in the girls 1,600-meter run and 3,200-meter run, seventh seed in the girls 100-meter hurdles, and 13th seed in the boys long jump.

The top Oak Ridge qualifier headed into the state meet, senior Genevieve Schwartz, is the number two seed in the girls 1,600-meter run, with a time of 5:07.07. The top qualifier is Sasha Neglia of Dobyns-Bennett in Kingsport in upper East Tennessee, with a time of 5:01.14. [Read more…]