Oak Ridge Today

Wildcats lose to undefeated Greeneville

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Note: This story was updated at 12:30 a.m.

Oak Ridge lost 35-9 to the undefeated Greeneville football team on Friday.

The Wildcats (2-5, 2-1 Region 3-5A) made some improvements. But it wasn’t enough against the Greene Devils, who remained undefeated overall (8-0) and in Region 1-4A (4-0).

Greeneville, about 90 minutes east of Oak Ridge, scored four of their five touchdowns in the first half. Junior quarterback Brady Quillen run for three touchdowns and threw for two, according to The Greeneville Sun.

The Wildcats scored their only touchdown about halfway through the third quarter.

Oak Ridge was visiting Greeneville for the first time since 1947, according to Wildcats broadcaster David Clary, who operates Prepradio.com.

Both teams have played in recent state championship football games. Oak Ridge finished as state runner-up in Class 5A in 2020, while Greeneville won the state championship in Class 4A in 2018.

[Read more…]

Lady Wildcats play for championship in basketball tournament today

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

oak-ridge-golden-dribble-guinn-greeneville-dec-29-2016-web

Oak Ridge junior Jaymi Golden (32) dribbles the ball during a 69-50 win over Greeneville in a quarterfinal game at the Andrew Johnson Bank Ladies Classic in Greeneville on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016. At left is sophomore Jada Guinn (24). (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

GREENEVILLE—The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats will play for the championship in a basketball tournament in Greeneville today (Saturday, December 31).

Oak Ridge (13-1, 5-0 District 3-AAA) will play Bradley Central, a team the Lady Wildcats beat 38-31 in the Class AAA state semifinal last season. Today’s championship game in the Andrew Johnson Bank Ladies Classic starts at 4:30 p.m. in the Hal Henard Gymnasium in Greeneville.

The Lady Wildcats advanced to the championship by winning three straight games in the tournament this week. That included a Friday night 51-41 semifinal victory over South Greene (14-2, 2-0 District 1-A). The Lady Rebels, a Greeneville team, were the Class A state champions last season, and they made it to the final game of the Ladies Classic last year.

Before South Greene on Friday, Oak Ridge defeated Jefferson County 57-50 in the opening round on Wednesday and Greeneville 69-50 in a quarterfinal game on Thursday. [Read more…]

Radio, broadcast schedule for Oak Ridge basketball

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

David Clary of Prepradio.com has sent us the radio schedule for the remaining Oak Ridge Wildcats and Lady Wildcats basketball games.

The remaining away games will be broadcast on FM 92.7 and FM 107.3. They will also be broadcast on Prepradio.com and Oak Ridge Schools Channel 15.

The broadcast crew will try to do every Christmas Tournament game that doesn’t conflict with each other, Clary said: [Read more…]

For first time, Wildcats, Lady Wildcats both finish regular season undefeated in district

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Wildcats-Johnson-Powell-Dec-8-2016-Cropped

Oak Ridge senior forward Javien Johnson (11) is pictured above during a 78-61 win at Powell on Dec. 8, 2015. Johnson led the Wildcats with 18 points during a 71-43 win at Campbell County on Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, in the last regular-season district game. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

For the first time, the Oak Ridge Wildcats and Lady Wildcats basketball teams have both finished the regular season undefeated in the district.

The closest the two teams have ever come to that feat was in 1999-2000, when the girls went undefeated but the boys lost to Campbell County in the Cougars’ last win over Oak Ridge, said broadcaster David Clary of Prepradio.com.

Clary said the Oak Ridge girls went five straight seasons without losing a regular-season district game between 1985-1990.

This year’s two Oak Ridge teams ended their regular-season district games on Friday at Campbell County.

The girls (22-3, 16-0 District 3-AAA) won the regular-season district championship with a come-from-behind 47-32 win over the Lady Cougars. The only two district losses for the Lady Cougars (23-5, 14-2) this year have been to Oak Ridge.

The boys (28-2, 16-0) finished with a 71-43 blowout at Campbell County (14-14, 5-11). [Read more…]

Higgins one of three Mr. Basketball finalists in Class AAA

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

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…]

Wildcats, Lady Wildcats remain undefeated in district

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

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

Oak Ridge Wildcats Coach Aaron Green is pictured above in the 2015 Arby’s Classic basketball tournament in Bristol on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015. (File photo by Allen Greene/TriCitiesSports.com)

 

The Oak Ridge Wildcats and Lady Wildcats both remain undefeated in the district after wins over Halls on Thursday, but both basketball teams have tough games coming up.

The Lady Wildcats (13-3, 7-0 District 3-AAA) beat Halls 37-28 at home on Tuesday in a low-scoring game that had been narrowed to a two-point lead early in the fourth quarter.

After the girls played, the boys went on to beat the Red Devils by 30 points in a blowout, 84-54.

The Lady Wildcats held the Lady Red Devils scoreless in the first quarter and had an 18-10 halftime lead. Oak Ridge led by four, 25-21, at the end of the third quarter, when Halls outscored the Lady Wildcats 11-7, and Oak Ridge played great defense in the fourth quarter. Junior Courtney Ellison made two free throws to clinch the win for the Lady Wildcats with 20 seconds left in the game, and freshman Jada Guinn and sophomore Mykia Dowdell also added from the free throw line. [Read more…]

Wildcats get first 14-0 start in OT win over Indians

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Geevantay Gee of Oak Ridge Willdcats and Dobyns-Bennett Indians

Oak Ridge Wildcats junior point guard Geevantay Gee (12) is surrounded by four defenders as he drives to the basket during a 68-67 overtime win over the Dobyns-Bennett Indians in Kingsport on Saturday. Gee scored 20 points before fouling out early in overtime. (Photo by Allen Greene Photography)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 21.

The Oak Ridge Wildcats boys’ basketball team started the season 14-0 for the first time after a one-point overtime win over the Dobyns-Bennett Indians in Kingsport on Saturday afternoon.

Sophomore guard E.J. Bush had a game-winning layup with about three seconds left in the four-minute overtime period, giving the Wildcats a 68-67 win. Bush, who ended the night with 13 points, scored all seven of the Wildcats’ points in overtime, after starters Geevantay Gee and Tee Higgins and junior center Darel Middleton had fouled out.

Oak Ridge was led by Gee, a junior point guard who scored 20 points, and Higgins, a sophomore shooting guard and small forward who had 14. [Read more…]

Wildcats defense sets tone early in 62-7 win over Karns

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Wildcats Football Helmet

Note: This story was last updated at 3 a.m. Oct. 11.

KARNS—The Wildcats defense set the tone early in the 62-7 win at Karns on Friday night.

Less than one minute into the game, senior linebacker Ricky Chitwood picked off a Beavers pass and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown. The Oak Ridge defense went on to score twice more in the first half, once on an interception by senior Ted Mitchell early in the second quarter and the other on a fumble recovery by senior Tommy Kaczocha as time expired at halftime. Both plays covered about 25 yards.

The offense added five touchdowns of its own in a flurry of scores—including two touchdown catches by sophomore Tee Higgins in the second quarter—and the score at halftime was 56-0. That’s the most ever for an Oak Ridge football team in the first half, according to David Clary of PrepRadio.com.

The six-yard and 38-yard touchdown passes to Higgins came from junior quarterbacks Logan Fadnek (8-for-11, 85 yards) and Gavin Warrington (2-for-3, 48 yards). Warrington also scored on a 23-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, while junior running back T.J. Allison scored on a two-yard run near the end of the first. Later, Fadnek connected with sophomore Caleb Jackson on a five-yard pass play to make it 42-0 at 2:16 in the first half. [Read more…]

Wildcats QB ties school record with five touchdown passes in 57-28 victory

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Wildcats Ted Mitchell Reception

Junior wide receiver Ted Mitchell catches a touchdown pass from senior quarterback Jaylin Henderson near the end of the first quarter during the 57-28 homecoming victory against the Gibbs Eagles on Friday. (Photo courtesy Julio Culiat)

Oak Ridge quarterback Jaylin Henderson threw a record-tying five touchdown passes as the Wildcats rolled over the Gibbs Eagles 57-28 during a homecoming game at Blankenship Field on Friday night.

Oak Ridge (4-1, 3-0 in the district) had eight touchdowns total as they scored on drive after drive and kept the Wildcats band busy playing touchdown tunes.

Junior wide receivers Ted Mitchell and Brandon Bonds each had two touchdown catches in the first half, and senior Michael Baker caught one in the second. [Read more…]