Oak Ridge senior Tee Higgins (5) goes for a block against Paul Arrowood (44) of David Crockett during a 90-60 win for the Wildcats in a sectional at Wildcat Arena on Monday, March 6, 2017. Also pictured is Oak Ridge senior Tyshawn Young (4). (Photo by Luther Simmons)
Oak Ridge beat David Crockett 90-60 in a Class AAA sectional at Wildcat Arena on Monday, advancing to the state basketball tournament in Murfreesboro next week. Here are photos by Luther Simmons. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge senior Tajion Jones (3), who scored a game-high 27 points, shoots from three-point range during a 90-60 win over David Crockett in a Class AAA sectional at Wildcat Arena on Monday, March 6, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)
Note: This story was last updated at 12 p.m. March 7.
Cool under pressure, Oak Ridge seniors Tajion Jones and Anthony Gibson helped lead the Wildcats to the state Class AAA boys’ basketball tournament in Murfreesboro next week.
Jones, a Mr. Basketball finalist, scored a game-high 27 points during a 90-60 win over David Crockett in a sectional at Wildcat Arena on Monday.
“Tonight, he showed why he’s a Mr. Basketball finalist,” Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said.
Though the team lineups aren’t exactly the same, it was somewhat of a rematch of last year’s sectional, also played at Wildcat Arena, when David Crockett eliminated Oak Ridge 73-70 in overtime. The sectionals determine which eight teams play in the state tournament.
This year’s game wasn’t close.
“We played really well,” Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said. “This is not easy. It’s hard to get to the state tournament.” [Read more…]
Oak Ridge sophomore Herbert Booker (14) shoots the basketball around Bearden sophomore Drew Pember (3) during an 86-73 win for the Wildcats in the Region 2-AAA basketball championship at Wildcat Arena on Thursday, March 2, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)
Oak Ridge beat a young, talented Bearden team 86-73 in the Region 2-AAA championship at Wildcat Arena on Thursday. Here are photos by Luther Simmons. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge beat a young, talented Bearden team 86-73 in the Region 2-AAA basketball championship at Wildcat Arena on Thursday, March 2, 2017. The team is pictured above with coaches, cheerleaders, and the student section. (Photo by Luther Simmons)
Oak Ridge senior Tajion Jones bounced back with 24 points and the Wildcats beat a young, talented Bearden team 86-73 in the Region 2-AAA championship at home on Thursday.
It’s the second consecutive regional championship for the Wildcats and their third in the past five years.
Oak Ridge (29-2) will now play David Crockett, the Region 1-AAA runner-up, in a sectional at Wildcat Arena at 7 p.m. Monday.
Bearden (21-9) will play at Science Hill, the Region 1 champion, in another sectional at 7 p.m. Monday.
The eight sectionals will determine which teams get to play in the Class AAA state basketball tournament from March 15-18 at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.
Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said the Thursday night win over Bearden, which started four sophomores, was a collective effort. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge senior Tajion Jones (3) shoots from three-point range during a 46-43 win over Maryville in a Region 2-AAA semifinal elimination game at Wildcat Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)
Maryville senior guard Easton Upchurch scored 25 points and made seven three-point shots on Tuesday, but it wasn’t enough to keep Oak Ridge from advancing to its fifth straight regional championship. Here are photos from the Region 2-AAA semifinal game by Luther Simmons. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge senior Anthony Gibson (23) led the Wildcats with 13 points during a 46-43 win over Maryville in a Region 2-AAA semifinal elimination game at Wildcat Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)
Maryville senior guard Easton Upchurch scored 25 points and made seven three-point shots on Tuesday, but it wasn’t enough to keep Oak Ridge from advancing to its fifth straight regional championship.
The Wildcats were held to their lowest offensive output of the season in the 46-43 Region 2-AAA semifinal win over the Rebels at Wildcat Arena. No Oak Ridge player scored more than 13, which is unusual.
Maryville Coach Mark Eldridge said Oak Ridge has better players than the Rebels, so his team tried to limit the number of possessions. More possessions mean the better team wins, Eldridge said.
The Wildcats probably had about half as many possessions as they normally do, Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said. Maryville has guards who are good enough that the Rebels could run time off the clock—and they did.
“Sometimes you have to find ways to grind them out,” Green said. “Our guys haven’t had a lot of close games, and our guys kept their composure.”
Oak Ridge (28-2) advances to play Bearden (21-8) in the Region 2-AAA championship at Wildcat Arena at 7 p.m. Thursday. The season is over for Maryville (24-6). [Read more…]
Oak Ridge junior point guard Levert Smith (10) became the single-season assist leader for Oak Ridge, with 187 assists this year, during a 68-38 Region 2-AAA quarterfinal win against West at home on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. Also pictured are Oak Ridge seniors Tee Higgins (5) and Tajion Jones (3), who became only the second Wildcat to hit his 200th career three-point shot. (Photo by Luther Simmons)
Oak Ridge senior Anthony Gibson again led the Wildcats in a playoff win, this time in a Region 2-AAA quarterfinal win against West at home on Saturday. Here are photos from the game by Luther Simmons. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge senior Anthony Gibson (23) again led the Wildcats in a playoff win, this time in a 68-38 Region 2-AAA quarterfinal win against West at home on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)
Note: This story was updated at 9 a.m. Feb. 28.
Oak Ridge senior Anthony Gibson again led the Wildcats in a playoff win, this time in a Region 2-AAA quarterfinal win against West at home on Saturday.
Gibson, a 6-foot-1 guard, scored a game-high 18 points in the elimination game at Wildcat Arena on Saturday. He had four three-points shots for 12 of those points.
Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, Gibson led Oak Ridge with 24 points as the Wildcats won their fifth straight District 3-AAA championship with an 86-58 defeat of Powell.
With the Region 2 quarterfinal win on Saturday, Oak Ridge advanced to play Maryville at Wildcat Arena at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in a semifinal elimination game. The winner of the Tuesday night Oak Ridge-Maryville game will move on to play in the Region 2-AAA championship. The season will be over for the loser.
“This is the toughest game of the year,” Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said. “There’s a lot on the line across the state.” [Read more…]
AJ Cucksey is pictured above with the Oak Ridge Wildcats basketball team during a 68-38 win over West in a Region 2-AAA quarterfinal game at Wildcat Arena on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Wildcats Basketball)
AJ Cucksey, a six-year-old cancer survivor, met two of Oak Ridge’s best athletes—junior Destiny Kassner and senior Tee Higgins, both basketball players—during Region 2-AAA quarterfinal games at Wildcat Arena this past weekend.
AJ was at the Friday night game, when Destiny helped the Lady Wildcats beat Bearden in a regional tournament quarterfinal. He was back again on Saturday, when Tee helped the Wildcats in a win over West, also in a quarterfinal game.
Here are photos from AJ at the basketball games, and before. [Read more…]
AJ Cucksey, a six-year-old cancer survivor and kindergarten student at Farragut Primary, sits on the Oak Ridge Wildcats bench next to senior Tee Higgins (5), who dunked for AJ during a 68-38 win over West during a Region 2-AAA quarterfinal game at Wildcat Arena on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.
He’s already performed “Rocky Top†for Peyton Manning and become friends with Joshua Dobbs and his family.
Now six-year-old cancer survivor AJ Cucksey, who has seven inoperable brain tumors, has met two of Oak Ridge’s best athletes: junior Destiny Kassner and senior Tee Higgins, both basketball players.
AJ was at the Friday night game, when Destiny helped the Lady Wildcats beat Bearden in a regional tournament quarterfinal. He was back again on Saturday, when Tee helped the Wildcats in a win over West, also in a quarterfinal game.
AJ, a kindergarten student at Farragut Primary School in Farragut, met Destiny and Tee on Friday, and he sat on the bench next to Tee on Saturday. Tee, who spent time talking to AJ, dunked for him.
AJ, a football fan, was asked what he thought about meeting Tee, a top football recruit who has been named a Mr. Football finalist in Tennessee for the second year in a row.
“Cool,†AJ said. [Read more…]
The Oak Ridge Wildcats won their fifth straight District 3-AAA championship with an 86-58 victory over Powell at Clinton on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)
CLINTON—Oak Ridge senior Tajion Jones was named most valuable player as the Wildcats won their fifth straight District 3-AAA championship with an 86-58 victory over Powell at Clinton on Tuesday.
Oak Ridge (26-2) will play West, which finished fourth in District 4-AAA, in a first-round Region 2-AAA game at Wildcat Arena at 7 p.m. Saturday. West (15-17) lost to Hardin Valley 64-58 in the third-place District 4 game on Tuesday.
The Wildcats, the top seed in the District 3-AAA basketball tournament, advanced to the district championship at Clinton High School on Tuesday by beating Clinton, which had been the number five seed, 111-77 in a semifinal game on Saturday.
Oak Ridge was led against Powell on Tuesday by senior Anthony Gibson. He scored a game-high 24 points, with 22 of those in the first half. Gibson knocked down three three-point shots.
Jones scored 21, with 12 of those on four three-point shots. Jones, a Mr. Basketball finalist in Class AAA, also had a baseline drive for a dunk. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge senior Tyshawn Young (4) is pictured above during an 86-58 win over Powell in the District 3-AAA championship at Clinton High School on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)
CLINTON—Oak Ridge senior Tajion Jones was named most valuable player as the Wildcats won their fifth straight District 3-AAA championship with an 86-58 victory over Powell at Clinton on Tuesday. Here are photos from the basketball game by Luther Simmons. [Read more…]
