Oak Ridge senior linebacker Kyndall Clark (54) tackles Dobyns-Bennett senior quarterback Cole Maupin (6) with help from Oak Ridge sophomore Caelan Thompson (32) during a 41-28 win for the Wildcats at home on Friday, Aug. 26, 2016. (Photo by Julio Culiat)
The Oak Ridge Wildcats beat the Dobyns-Bennett Indians 41-28 on Blankenship Field on Friday. Here is the first of two sets of photos by Julio Culiat. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge senior wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) catches a 17-yard pass from junior quarterback Johnny Stewart before falling backward into the end zone for a touchdown near the left pylon, putting the Wildcats ahead of the Clinton Dragons 42-7 with 2:57 left in the first half at Clinton on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016. Higgins is defended here on his second TD catch by Clinton senior J’Quan Thomas (5).
CLINTON—Senior Tee Higgins and sophomore Jordan Graham scored five of Oak Ridge’s eight touchdowns in a 56-21 rout at Clinton on Thursday.
A wide receiver, Higgins scored on Oak Ridge’s opening play less than one minute into the season-opening game.
He scored again late in the first half with a leaping goal-line catch of a high, arcing pass from junior quarterback Johnny Stewart, who was 5-for-5 passing for three touchdowns, no interceptions, and one rushing touchdown in his first varsity start.
Higgins—a Clemson commitment who also plays cornerback—also had two interceptions that led to Oak Ridge touchdowns. And he became the all-time leader in career receiving yards for Oak Ridge.
Graham, a speedy running back who is also on the high school track team, scored three times for the Wildcats.
The Dragons turned over the ball five times, and the Wildcats converted four of those turnovers into touchdowns. Two of the turnovers were Higgins’ interceptions of Clinton’s sophomore quarterback, Luke Harrison.
Another was an interception by Oak Ridge senior linebacker and defensive playmaker Kyndall Clark, who set up the Wildcats’ sixth touchdown from inside the Clinton 20 with about three minutes left in the first half. [Read more…]
The Oak Ridge Wildcats had a scrimmage against the Heritage Mountaineers at Blankenship Field on Friday, July 29, 2016. Pictured above is rising sophomore running back Jordan Graham (22). (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
The Oak Ridge Wildcats had a scrimmage against the Heritage Mountaineers of Blount County at Blankenship Field on Friday.
Oak Ridge could have blocked better and tackled better, Wildcats Coach Joe Gaddis said.
“They don’t score if we tackle,” he said.
The Oak Ridge first team tied the Heritage team 13-13. The Moutaineers outscored the Wildcats once the second teams came in, and the final score was 33-13.
But the focus wasn’t on the final score. Instead, Gaddis wanted to try different possibilities. Among other things, the Wildcats wanted to run the option quite a bit, he said.
“Scrimmages are all about learning about your team,” Gaddis said. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge senior Tyler Boullie finished first in the boys 800-meter run at the Ben Martin Invitational at Oak Ridge High School on Saturday, April 2, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
The Oak Ridge Wildcats had five first-place finishes in the Ben Martin Invitational track and field meet at Oak Ridge High School on Saturday, and the team will compete against Hardin Valley at home in the Battle of the Bridge today (Tuesday, April 5).
Those who picked up first-place finishes on Saturday at Ben Martin Track were:
Oak Ridge Coach Allen Etheridge said he was as pleased with the girls’ performance as he has been in several years. They competed hard and scored a ton of points, he said. [Read more…]
Boys 400-meter dash (Photo by Luther Simmons)
HARDIN VALLEY—The Oak Ridge Wildcats opened their track and field season at Hardin Valley on Saturday, March 26.
The boys and girls teams finished about in the middle of the pack, Wildcats Coach Allen Etheridge said. The girls team was 11th out of 29 teams, and the boys were 18th in a field of 27.
But the teams didn’t set up to “score a ton of points,” Etheridge said.
The Wildcats were missing a few athletes, and with many new students on the team, they were trying new athletes in a few events and experimenting with different combinations.
“I saw a lot to be happy about,” Etheridge said. The teams have potential to be really good, Etheridge said.
The season opener was the Hardin Valley Academy Invitational. It featured 39 teams and 896 athletes.
Here are top 10 finishes for Oak Ridge girls: [Read more…]
The Robertsville Rams capped off a great season Thursday night with a 34-14 win over conference rival Rhea Central Middle School. The Rams finished the season with an 8-1 overall record. (Submitted photo)
Submitted
The Robertsville Rams capped off a great season Thursday night with a 34-14 win over conference rival Rhea Central Middle School. The Rams finish the season with an 8-1 overall record, with their only loss coming in a double overtime thriller against Christian Academy of Knoxville.
This team is the first to win a conference championship at Robertsville since 2006. The win over Rhea Central marks an impressive seven-game win streak for the Rams football program led by some strong future Oak Ridge Wildcats.
“This team has been fun to coach. They battle every game. Even in our one loss, they realize and see how close we were,” said Chris Layton, head football coach of Robertsville Middle School. [Read more…]
