Oak Ridge Today

Coaches agree: Oak Ridge peaking at right time, headed into playoffs

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Oak Ridge Wildcats and Campbell County Cougars Oct. 30, 2015

The Oak Ridge Wildcats defense stifled the Campbell County Cougars’ running game on Friday, Oct. 30, 2015, allowing only 33 yards rushing on Blankenship Field. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1:15 a.m.

The two football coaches agreed: Oak Ridge is peaking at the right time, late in the season and headed into the playoffs.

After a decisive 62-6 win over Webb last week, the Wildcats celebrated a 45-6 rout of Campbell County on Friday on Blankenship Field. That win ensured Oak Ridge (9-1, 4-1 Region 3-5A) will play at home next week against Soddy Daisy, a Region 4 team, in the first round of the playoffs. The game starts at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 6, on Blankenship Field.

The Wildcats, the No. 2 seed, shut out the Cougars (5-5, 3-2) at home in the first half on Friday, October 30. The score at halftime was 45-0. Campbell County, the No. 3 seed, scored after Oak Ridge put in reserves in the second half.

“There is no doubt this is the best team we’ve played,” Campbell County Coach Justin Price said. “They’ve improved tremendously as the season went on.”

Since losing to Farragut 31-14 on September 4, Oak Ridge has outscored its opponents 327-75 in seven games. That’s an average of about 47 points per game for the Wildcats. [Read more…]

Football stats: Oak Ridge and Webb

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Wildcats Joe Gaddis Team Huddle and Webb Oct. 23, 2015

Oak Ridge Coach Joe Gaddis talks to the Wildcats after a 62-6 win over Webb on Blankenship Field on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Oak Ridge scored on five turnovers by Webb in a 62-6 blowout win at Blankenship Field on Friday night. Junior wide receiver Tee Higgins scored three of the nine touchdowns for the Wildcats, all in the second quarter.

Here are preliminary stats by Mark Haste.

Read a story on the game here.

See photos by Julio Culiat here. [Read more…]

Photos: Oak Ridge and Webb

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Webb Brody Leonard Fumble and Wildcats Oct. 23, 2015

Webb fumbled four times in the second quarter, and Oak Ridge converted all four turnovers into touchdowns during a 62-6 win for the Wildcats on Blankenship Field on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015. Junior linebacker Kyndall Clark (54) had at least two of the fumble recoveries. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Oak Ridge scored on five turnovers by Webb in a 62-6 blowout win at Blankenship Field on Friday night. Junior wide receiver Tee Higgins scored three of the nine touchdowns for the Wildcats, all in the second quarter.

Here are photos by Julio Culiat. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge scores on five turnovers by Webb in 62-6 blowout

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Oak Ridge Jordan Dunbar and Webb Oct. 23, 2015

Oak Ridge senior quarterback Jordan Dunbar (14) scored the first touchdown for the Wildcats during a 62-6 blowout win over Webb on Blankenship Field on Friday, Oct. 24, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

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

Oak Ridge scored on five turnovers by Webb in a 62-6 blowout win at Blankenship Field on Friday night. Junior wide receiver Tee Higgins scored three of the nine touchdowns for the Wildcats, all in the second quarter.

Webb fumbled four times in the second quarter on four consecutive possessions. Oak Ridge converted all four Webb turnovers, which were in Spartans territory, into scores. The Wildcats had a fifth touchdown after a turnover, an interception, in the third quarter.

Six different Wildcats scored touchdowns on Friday. Besides Higgins, they were senior quarterback Jordan Dunbar, senior running back Gavin Warrington, freshman running back Jordan Graham, sophomore running back Adarius Simpson, and sophomore quarterback Johnny Stewart.

Oak Ridge (8-1, 3-1 Region 3-5A) dominated in total yardage, picking up 480 yards to Webb’s 197. The Wildcats had 403 yards rushing, compared to 167 for Webb (4-4, 2-1 Class A, East and Middle).

“It was just a good all-around effort,” Oak Ridge Coach Joe Gaddis said. [Read more…]

Football stats: Oak Ridge and McMinn County

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Wildcats Tee Higgins and McMinn County Zane Byas on Oct. 8, 2015

Oak Ridge junior wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) stretches to catch a deep ball from quarterback Jordan Dunbar, but the pass fell incomplete just off his fingertips. Higgins is covered here by junior Zane Byas of McMinn County (7). (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Senior running back T.J. Allison scored two more touchdowns for Oak Ridge, and the Wildcats had their second shutout of the season in a 24-0 win over McMinn County at home on Thursday. Here are preliminary stats by Mark Haste.

Oak Ridge junior receiver Tee Higgins, who did not score a touchdown last week for the first time this season, added another to his total on Thursday. With Texas A&M defensive coordinator John Chavis watching from the sidelines, Higgins also had a long punt return that set up a touchdown and an interception on a long throw by McMinn County sophomore quarterback Bradley Hayes.

Senior running back D.J. Kimpson generated almost all of the offense for the Cherokees. He ran for 159 yards on 38 carries. That was more than three-quarters of the Cherokees’ total offense of 203 yards. Kimpson gained 109 yards in the first half alone. Hayes only threw the ball six times, and he had two completions and two interceptions.

See a story on the game here.

See Julio Culiat photos of the game here.

TEAM STATISTICS

Oak Ridge

McMinn County

FIRST DOWNS

18

 Total 11

13

 By rushing 8

5

 By passing 2

0

 By penalty 0
RUSHING

38

 Attempts 46

208

 Yards gained 189

3

 Yards lost 28

205

 Net yards 161
PASSING

9

 Completions 2

15

 Attempts 6

60.00%

 Percentage 33.33%

1

 Intercepted 2

122

 Net yards 42
TOTAL OFFENSE

327

 Net yards 203
PUNTS

1

 Attempts 5

39

 Average 27.4
RETURN YARDS

50

 Punt returns 0

15

 Kickoff returns 0

0

 Interception returns 7
FUMBLES

1

 Total 0

1

 Fumbles lost 0
PENALTIES

1

 Total 5

10

 Yards lost 40

[Read more…]

Football photos: Oak Ridge and McMinn County

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Wildcats T.J. Allison and McMinn County on Oct. 8, 2015

Oak Ridge senior running back T.J. Allison (6) had 96 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns in a 24-0 shutout win over McMinn County on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Senior running back T.J. Allison scored two more touchdowns for Oak Ridge, and the Wildcats had their second shutout of the season in a 24-0 win over McMinn County at home on Thursday. Here are photos by Julio Culiat.

Wildcats Tee Higgins and McMinn County Zane Byas on Oct. 8, 2015

Oak Ridge junior wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) had a punt return that set up a rushing touchdown, a touchdown catch, and an interception during a 24-0 shutout win for the Wildcats on Blankenship Field on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015. Here, Higgins catches a 16-yard TD pass over McMinn County defensive back Zane Byas (7) early in the third quarter. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

[Read more…]

Wildcats pick up second shutout in 24-0 win over McMinn Co.

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McMinn County D.J. Kimpson and Wildcats Alex Alcorn, Adarius Simpson, and Adam Manookian on Oct. 8, 2015

Wildcat defenders Adarius Simpson (24), Alex Alcorn (66), and Adam Manookian (35) stop McMinn County running back D.J. Kimpson (23) during a 24-0 shutout for Oak Ridge on Blankenship Field on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015. Manookian had five tackles and six assists, and Alcorn had one tackle, three assists, and two sacks. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1:40 p.m.

Senior running back T.J. Allison scored two more touchdowns for Oak Ridge, and the Wildcats had their second shutout of the season in a 24-0 win over McMinn County at home on Thursday.

Oak Ridge junior receiver Tee Higgins, who did not score a touchdown last week for the first time this season, added another to his total on Thursday. With Texas A&M defensive coordinator John Chavis watching from the sidelines, Higgins also had a long punt return that set up a touchdown and an interception on a long throw by McMinn County sophomore quarterback Bradley Hayes.

Senior running back D.J. Kimpson generated almost all of the offense for the Cherokees. He ran for 159 yards on 38 carries. That was more than three-quarters of the Cherokees’ total offense of 203 yards. Kimpson gained 109 yards in the first half alone. Hayes only threw the ball six times, and he had two completions and two interceptions.

Higgins (6 catches, 98 yards) and Allison (20 carries, 96 yards) are now tied as the leading scorers for the Wildcats, with 11 touchdowns each.

Allison picked up four of his touchdowns in a 56-14 win at Karns last week, when Oak Ridge (7-1, 3-1 Region 3-5A) rushed for 514 yards. He added one on the ground and one through the air this week. [Read more…]

Wildcats rush for 500+ yards, Allison scores four TDs in 56-14 win at Karns

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Wildcats Darel Middleton and T.J. Allison at Karns Oct. 2, 2015

Senior running back T.J. Allison (6) scored four touchdowns, including two in the first quarter, during a 56-14 win over Karns on Friday, Oct. 2, 2015. Here, Allison runs for a 53-yard TD, his first of the night, behind the blocking of senior receiver Darel Middleton (9). (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 7 p.m.

KARNS—The Oak Ridge Wildcats rushed for more than 500 yards, and senior running back T.J. Allison scored four touchdowns in a 56-14 win at Karns on Friday.

With 514 yards rushing, it was the most productive running game for the Wildcats (6-1, 3-1 Region 3-5A) this season. Their previous high was 270 yards rushing against Sevier County on Thursday, September 24.

For the first time this year, the Wildcats had two runners with more than 100 yards rushing. Allison had 171 yards on 12 carries and four touchdowns, and freshman Jordan Graham, who went out with an ankle injury in the third quarter, had 163 yards on three carries.

Graham, who had a breakout performance against Lenoir City two weeks ago, has now picked up more than 100 yards in each of his last three games.

Friday was the least productive game through the air for the Wildcats. The Beavers held Oak Ridge to 75 yards passing, and for the first time this season, standout junior receiver Tee Higgins (two catches, 29 yards) did not score a touchdown. Higgins, a University of Tennessee commitment, was covered much of the night by senior Devin Harper, an Oklahoma State commitment who led Karns (1-5, 0-3) in rushing. [Read more…]

Photos: Oak Ridge and Sevier County football

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Wildcats T.J. Allison at Sevier County Sept. 24, 2015

T.J. Allison (6) had his second two-touchdown game this year in a 44-34 win over Sevier County on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015. Allison scored on one-yard and 10-yard runs. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was updated with more photos at 4:23 p.m.

SEVIERVILLE—Oak Ridge scored three touchdowns and a field goal on four turnovers by Sevier County in a 44-34 win in Sevierville on Thursday.

The Wildcats added three more touchdowns without the help of turnovers to maintain their game-long lead over the Smoky Bears in a televised game on Hardin-Robertson Field.

Here are photos from the Thursday night game by Julio Culiat.

Wildcats Caleb Jackson at Sevier County on Sept. 24, 2015

Oak Ridge junior Caleb Jackson (25) had a touchdown for the Wildcats on a 57-yard catch from quarterback Logan Fadnek in a 44-34 win over Sevier County on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

[Read more…]

Wildcats score on four turnovers in 44-34 win at Sevier County

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Wildcats Jordan Graham and Sevier County on Sept. 24, 2015

Oak Ridge freshman Jordan Graham (30), who led the Wildcats in rushing, scores on a 74-yard touchdown run, widening the Wildcats’ lead to 37-20 at 9:19 in the fourth quarter in Sevierville on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat) 

 

Note: This story was last updated at 4:09 p.m.

SEVIERVILLE—Oak Ridge scored three touchdowns and a field goal on four turnovers by Sevier County in a 44-34 win in Sevierville on Thursday.

The Wildcats added three more touchdowns without the help of turnovers to maintain their game-long lead over the Smoky Bears in a televised game on Hardin-Robertson Field.

Sevier County, which fought to stay in the game until the end, had more total yards than Oak Ridge, 441 compared to 379. The Smoky Bears had almost twice as many first downs, 19 to 10. But the Wildcats (5-1, 2-1 Region 3-Class 5A) converted two interceptions and a fumble recovery into touchdowns, and a third interception led to a field goal.

“We won the turnover battle big time,” Oak Ridge Coach Joe Gaddis said. “Our defense played well all night.” [Read more…]

Photos: Oak Ridge and Lenoir City football

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Wildcats Jordan Graham Touchdown and Panther

With UT Coach Butch Jones watching from the sidelines, Oak Ridge freshman running back Jordan Graham (30) runs for his third touchdown, a 60-yard sprint, in a 55-15 win over Lenoir City on Homecoming Night at Blankenship Field. Blocking at right are senior Darel Middleton (9) and junior Tee Higgins (5). Middleton and Higgins both had TD catches on Friday, Sept. 18, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Led by the three touchdowns of freshman Jordan Graham, the Oak Ridge Wildcats beat the Lenoir City Panthers 55-15 on Homecoming Night at Blankenship Field on Friday. Here are photos from the Friday night game, with all but one by Julio Culiat. [Read more…]

Wildcats freshman scores three TDs in 55-15 win over Lenoir City

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Wildcats Jordan Graham Touchdown and Panther

With UT Coach Butch Jones watching from the sidelines, Oak Ridge freshman running back Jordan Graham (30) runs for his third touchdown, a 60-yard sprint, in a 55-15 win over Lenoir City on Homecoming Night at Blankenship Field. Blocking at right are senior Darel Middleton (9) and junior Tee Higgins (5). Middleton and Higgins both had TD catches on Friday, Sept. 18, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1:15 p.m. Sept. 19.

Wildcats freshman running back Jordan Graham scored three touchdowns, including one on the opening kickoff return and another in front of University of Tennessee Coach Butch Jones, during a 55-15 win over Lenoir City on Homecoming Night at Blankenship Field on Friday.

“It was a great experience,” Graham said. He gave credit to his teammates and their blocking for setting up his first three Wildcats touchdowns.

Graham, who ended with more than 100 yards rushing, started the scoring on a 91-yard kickoff return on the first play of the game. He initially fumbled the ball, but he recovered his own fumble and raced to the Panther end zone, first making defenders miss and then outrunning them.

Graham, a small, fast 14-year-old, scored again at 5:51 in the second quarter, sweeping around the right side of the offensive line after a toss from senior quarterback Jordan Dunbar, weaving through defenders in the center of the field, and running 59 yards to score inside the left pylon, making it 21-8. [Read more…]