Oak Ridge Today

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…]

Steal helps save OT win for Wildcats, who play for Region 2 championship Sunday

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Oak Ridge Wildcats Student Section at Region 2-AAA Semifinal 2015

The Region 2-AAA semifinal basketball game between Oak Ridge and Heritage came down to the wire at home on Saturday. Above the Oak Ridge student section watches the match, which wasn’t decided until the final seconds. (Photo by Terri Blair)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:54 a.m. March 1.

A steal by senior Ted Mitchell late in the game helped save an overtime win for the Oak Ridge Wildcats in a regional tournament semifinal game against Heritage on Saturday.

The Wildcats (28-2) were also helped by a big basket by sophomore Tee Higgins late in overtime, when Oak Ridge was down by one. Higgins’ shot off the glass gave the Wildcats a one-point 44-43 lead with about 1:10 to play. A free throw by junior Geevantay Gee after Mitchell’s steal widened the margin to two.

Heritage (23-12) missed their final two back-to-back shots with about seven seconds left, and the final score at Wildcat Arena was 45-43.

Oak Ridge moves on to play Maryville (24-6) in the Region 2-AAA championship at home at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. [Read more…]

Wildcats wipe out Fulton lead on three-pointer by Higgins

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Oak Ridge Wildcats Tee Higgins at Fulton

Tee Higgins (5) of Oak Ridge had 20 points, 13 rebounds, and the game-winning three-pointer against Fulton on Saturday. (Photo by Luther Simmons) 

 

KNOXVILLE—The Wildcats needed a big basket late in the game, and Tee Higgins hit one. With his team down by two, the sophomore stayed cool under pressure and hit a three-point shot with 3.1 seconds left to give Oak Ridge a one-point victory over Fulton in front of a raucous sold-out crowd at Jody Wright Arena in Knoxville on Saturday.

The dramatic all-out battle was the last regular-season game for the two top-five teams.

The Falcons dominated early, applying pressure that hurt Oak Ridge, and they led by as much as nine points through much of the fast and furious first half. The Wildcats were “out of whack” offensively, Coach Aaron Green said.

But Oak Ridge got back into the game behind sophomore Anthony Gibson, who came off the bench to score 10 points in the first half and 13 on the night. [Read more…]

Undefeated in district, Wildcats end regular season at Fulton on Saturday

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Geevantay Gee of Oak Ridge Wildcats at Karns

Geevantay Gee of Oak Ridge (12) had eight points and 10 assists against the Karns Beavers in the last regular-season district game on Friday. (Photo by Terri Blair)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1:55 a.m. Feb. 7.

Oak Ridge ends regular season at Fulton on Saturday

KARNS—The first game was a blowout. The second wasn’t.

In early January, the Oak Ridge Wildcats rolled over Karns 83-49.

But on Friday night, the Beavers kept it closer, pulling within one point (32-31) late in the second quarter.

But the Wildcats gave themselves a five-point cushion going into halftime and stretched their lead to 16 late in the third. Karns struggled to cut into the Wildcats’ double-digit lead throughout the fourth. [Read more…]

National Signing Day local recruiting round-up, including Oak Ridge

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Isaac Chapman Signing Day

Senior Isaac Chapman, an offensive lineman pictured at center front, signed with the University of Tennessee-Martin on Wednesday. (Source: Isaac Chapman/Twitter)

 

Information from WYSH Radio/Oak Ridge Wildcat Football

Wednesday was national Signing Day for high school athletes, and the University of Tennessee brought in a recruiting class ranked among the top 5 by most football scouting services.

Among the student-athletes who signed with UT was Coalfield lineman Zach Stewart, a two-time Mr. Football Award winner. He was actually the first member of the class of 2015 to fax the school his signed letter of intent.

Anderson County standout running back Matt Fox signed to play at East Tennessee State University, while fellow Maverick Bronson Black is headed to the University of the Cumberlands. [Read more…]

Fans ask for dunks, Mitchell gives them two

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Ted Mitchell of the Oak Ridge Wildcats Dunks Against Gibbs

All year, fans had been asking senior guard Ted Mitchell (4) of the Oak Ridge Wildcats to dunk the ball, and Tuesday night, he obliged. Mitchell dunked twice in his last regular-season home game at Wildcat Arena. (Photo by Melissa Livesey)

 

All year, fans have been asking Ted Mitchell to dunk it. On Tuesday, the senior gave the fans what they wanted—and more. He dunked the ball twice in his last regular-season home game at Wildcat Arena.

It was a dramatic finish in a high school career that included trips last year to the state championship game in basketball and the state quarterfinal game in football. The Wildcats’ basketball team finished first in District 3-AAA this year and will advance to the playoffs.

Mitchell, who has plans to play football in college, was the only senior to play for the Wildcats on either the boys’ or girls’ team at home on Senior Night against the Gibbs Eagles on Tuesday.

Here’s more on those games from freelance contributor Trenton Duffer:

Oak Ridge celebrates Senior Night with two victories over Gibbs

Tuesday night, the Oak Ridge Wildcats and Lady Wildcats celebrated Senior Night in the home finale at Wildcat Arena. However, only one senior would be playing his last game in the arena: Ted Mitchell. In some ways, it seemed like “Ted Mitchell Night,” as both sets of Wildcats rolled to easy victories over the Gibbs Eagles and Lady Eagles. Neither set of Eagles had the lead the entire night.

Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats Mykia Dowdell against Gibbs Eagles

Freshman Mykia Dowdell (34) had 15 points against the Gibbs Eagles on Tuesday at Wildcat Arena. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

Lady Wildcats Stomp Lady Eagles

The Lady Wildcats (17-9, 12-3 District 3-AAA) were the first up to play, and they did not disappoint. The Lady Wildcats would go on to crush the Gibbs Lady Eagles (6-18, 5-10) by a score of 65-29. A one-two punch of offense and defense helped the Lady Wildcats walk away with this victory unscathed.

The first quarter was actually very close. Within the first 1:30, Oak Ridge jumped out to an 11-2 lead before the Lady Eagles came storming back, making it 18-14 after one quarter. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge knocks out Knox Central on Autism Awareness Night

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Hoops for Autism at Wildcat Arena

The student section holds up a poster for autism awareness during Hoops for Autism on Friday night during the Oak Ridge and Central basketball game at Wildcat Arena. (Photo by Trenton Duffer)

 

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats and Wildcats battled the Knox Central Lady Bobcats and Bobcats on Friday night in Wildcat Arena. Both sets of Wildcats left their home stage victorious against their district rivals on Autism Awareness Night.

Lady Wildcat head coach David Scott discussed Autism Awareness Night and its significance after the game.

“It’s part of our responsibility to get the word out,” Scott said. “We’ve been blessed in Oak Ridge. We have some great teachers and therapists…It’s (autism) a number that’s going up and not going down. The more word we can get out there that the autism spectrum is so large…There’s a lot to it, and no two are the same. Anytime we can get the word out, we appreciate that opportunity. To have people respond really means a lot to us.”

At the halftime of each game, fans were encouraged to come down to the court and pay $1 for a half-court shot contest. These proceeds are going to autism awareness foundations.

Lady Wildcats keep Lady Bobcats winless with physical play

The Lady Wildcats of Oak Ridge improved to 88-1 all-time against the Knox Central Lady Bobcats (0-22, 0-14 District 3-AAA) on Friday night by defeating Central 64-26. Oak Ridge could do no wrong in this game. [Read more…]

Wildcats get game-saving block to stop Halls’ Moore, who had 34 points

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Oak Ridge Ted Mitchell and Halls Braxton Moore

Oak Ridge senior guard Ted Mitchell (4) had a game-saving block against Halls senior guard Braxton Moore (0) as time expired in a 58-56 win for the Wildcats on Friday. (Photos by Melissa Livesey)

 

Senior guard Braxton Moore of Halls scored 34 points and hit six three-point shots against Oak Ridge on Friday, but a game-saving block by Ted Mitchell in the final seconds preserved a 58-56 win for the undefeated Wildcats.

The Red Devils scored almost half of their points on three-point shots, knocking down nine of them for 27 points.

But Oak Ridge’s depth and the number of players it used—along with the critical stop with less than six seconds remaining—allowed the Wildcats to prevail and improve to 9-0 overall and 3-0 in District 3-AAA. [Read more…]

Football players add depth as Wildcats basketball improves to 8-0

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Darel Middleton

Darel Middleton

On Monday, Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said the football players who have started playing basketball showed a “little bit of rust” in a 75-36 drubbing of Clinton. By Tuesday, it appeared that those players had shaken off some of that rust in a more competitive 77-65 win over Powell.

The biggest improvement, at least in terms of scoring, came from 6-foot-6 junior center Darel Middleton, who was playing against his former team on Tuesday. On Monday at Clinton, Middleton had six points total, or less than one basket per quarter. On Tuesday at home against the Panthers, he had 18 points, a team high.

Middleton, who missed the opening games this season because of the football playoffs, also picked up six rebounds on Tuesday. Green said Middleton, who plays defensive end and wide receiver in football, is very athletic, can score inside, and is a great passer.

“His presence in there is a factor,” Green said. [Read more…]

All-District football accolades announced: Gaddis is Coach of the Year

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Oak Ridge Wildcats Coach Joe Gaddis and Team

Oak Ridge Wildcats Coach Joe Gaddis and his football team celebrate an October win in a post-game huddle. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Information from WYSH Radio

The All-District 3AAA football team for 2014 was announced last week as were individual postseason honors.

The Coach of the Year is Oak Ridge’s Joe Gaddis.

Anderson County’s Matt Fox was named Player of the Year, while Campbell County’s Ethan Jeffers was named Offensive Player of the Year and Gibbs’ Hunter Lane was named Defensive Player of the Year.

Lineman of the Year honors went to Oak Ridge’s Alex Alcorn, the D3AAA Newcomer of the Year was Oak Ridge’s Tee Higgins, and the Specialist of the Year was Oak Ridge’s Brandon Nickle. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge falls to Rhea County in thrilling fourth-quarter comeback

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Oak Ridge Wildcats Logan Fadnek and Rhea County Golden Eagles

Rhea County dampened a fourth-quarter comeback by Oak Ridge, sacking Wildcats quarterback Logan Fadnek (17) three times in one eight-play drive before intercepting him. Also pictured above is Tyler Pendleton (40) of the Golden Eagles. (Photos by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1:50 a.m. Nov. 24.

Oak Ridge mounted a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback against Rhea County on Friday—narrowing a three-touchdown deficit to one—but the Wildcats were unable to make up for missed opportunities and turnovers and they fell to the Golden Eagles 35-21 in a state quarterfinal playoff game.

Down 28-7 in the final quarter, Oak Ridge scored back-to-back touchdowns in 24 seconds to close the 28-7 deficit to 28-21 with about eight minutes left to play.

After a defensive stop less than two minutes later, the Wildcats had the ball back at midfield, with a chance to tie the game. Oak Ridge fans were fired up, and Coach Joe Gaddis said he’s never heard Blankenship Field so loud. [Read more…]

Goal-line stop saves Wildcats’ win, sends Oak Ridge to Class 5A quarterfinals

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Oak Ridge Wildcats Tommy Kaczocha and Cleveland Blue Raiders

Oak Ridge safety Tommy Kaczocha (4) tackles Cleveland wide receiver Isaiah Beaty (10) in a 10-6 second round Class 5A playoff win at Blankenship Field on Friday night. Kaczocha, a senior, had five tackles, two assists, an interception, and a blocked pass. Also pictured is junior linebacker Adam Manookian (35), who led the Wildcats with eight tackles and 10 assists. (Photos by Julio Culiat) 

 

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

The whole season boiled down to these last four plays. Down by only four points, Cleveland had the football on a first-and-10 at the Oak Ridge 11-yard line with 1:17 left to play.

The Wildcats were ahead 10-6, but the Blue Raiders only needed a touchdown to take the lead—and end Oak Ridge’s season in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs.

But a crucial goal-line stop at Blankenship Field on Friday night preserved the win for the undefeated Wildcats. They now move on to the quarterfinals, playing against Rhea County at home next Friday and setting up a showdown between two 12-0 teams. [Read more…]