Oak Ridge Today

COVID-19 emergency delays start of football, girls soccer seasons

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Blankenship Field—the city’s football field—is pictured above in August 2019. (File photo by James Mitchell via City of Oak Ridge)

The extension of the COVID-19 emergency in Tennessee has delayed the start of the high school football and girls soccer seasons.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has extended the COVID-19 state of emergency until August 29. A prior order by the governor includes limitations and restrictions on contact sporting events and activities.

In an update sent to member schools on Tuesday, Bernard Childress, executive director of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, said member schools cannot have any competition or scrimmage with other schools while the governor’s order is in place. The schools cannot have close contact activities during practice for football, 7-on-7 football, girls soccer, wrestling, and basketball. Football and girls soccer cannot begin their seasons as originally scheduled, Childress said.

The Oak Ridge football season opener had been scheduled for August 21.

The TSSAA Board of Control had a special meeting Wednesday and voted unanimously to require that member schools follow the governor’s executive order for sports activities.

The board discussed the effect that the extended COVID-19 state of emergency will have on contact sports in the fall. Football, girls soccer, and competitive cheer are considered contact sports.

[Read more…]

State basketball tournaments suspended

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The BlueCross Basketball Championships, the state tournament games that were scheduled to include the Oak Ridge boys team, have been suspended because of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus.

It’s not clear yet if the games will be rescheduled.

The state basketball tournaments were suspended after quarterfinal games in the girls tournament on Thursday.

The Oak Ridge Wildcats had been scheduled to play in a quarterfinal game of the Class AAA boys tournament on Wednesday of next week.

“Whether we will be able to reschedule these events will depend on the length of the suspension and the availability of facilities,” the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association said.

[Read more…]

Attendance being limited at state basketball tournaments

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Attendance will be limited at the boys and girls state basketball tournaments starting Friday, and that will affect an Oak Ridge team and its fans and cheerleaders.

The Oak Ridge Wildcats are one of the eight teams playing in the Class AAA boys basketball tournament, which starts Wednesday, March 18.

The attendance limits are because of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus. The limits were announced Thursday by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association.

“Like many other athletic associations and leagues throughout the country, TSSAA has decided that the health and safety of our student-athletes and spectators alike require that we limit fan attendance at our girls’ and boys’ state basketball championships,” the organization said.

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Guinn a finalist for Miss Basketball

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Oak Ridge senior Jada Guinn (24) has passed 2,000 points total scored for the Lady Wildcats, and she set a single-game scoring record of 45 points at Karns on Monday, Jan. 28, 2019. Guinn is pictured above shooting a free throw during a 81-24 win at Clinton on Friday, Jan. 24, 2019. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Oak Ridge senior Jada Guinn (24) has passed 2,000 points total scored for the Lady Wildcats, and she set a single-game scoring record of 45 points at Karns on Monday, Jan. 28, 2019. Guinn is pictured above shooting a free throw during a 81-24 win at Clinton on Friday, Jan. 24, 2019. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Oak Ridge senior Jada Guinn is a finalist for Miss Basketball in Class AAA in Tennessee.

The three finalists were announced Thursday. Besides Guinn, the finalists for Miss Basketball in Class AAA are Madison Hayes of East Hamilton High School and Jayla Hemingway of Houston High School.

Guinn was, as of several games ago, averaging 23 points per game this year, seven rebounds per game, four assists per game, and three steals per game, according to Miss Basketball nomination information posted by broadcaster David Clary. She scored 24 points or more in the first half of two recent games: 27 at the half at Karns on Monday, January 28, and 24 at the half at Clinton on Friday, January 25. She’s had several recent games where she has scored more than 30 points, with 32 at Clinton that Friday and 34 against Halls at Wildcat Arena on January 8.

Guinn scored 32 points against Campbell County on Friday, February 1, when Oak Ridge defeated the Lady Cougars 74-44 after losing to them 49-48 in November. Guinn scored 32 in that earlier game also. [Read more…]

Booker of Oak Ridge a Mr. Football semifinalist

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Oak Ridge senior quarterback Herbert Booker (13) runs during a 41-13 win at Sevier County on Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

Oak Ridge senior quarterback Herbert Booker (13) runs during a 41-13 win at Sevier County on Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

Herbert Booker, the senior quarterback and cornerback for the Oak Ridge Wildcats, has been named a Mr. Football semifinalist.

The semifinalists for the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards were announced Thursday by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, or TSSAA.

Booker, who also plays basketball for the Wildcats, was named a Mr. Football semifinalist in Division I, Class 5A.

He was one of five semifinalists. The other four are Michael Burdick of Page, Cade Larkins of David Crockett, Deshawn Page of Fulton, and Grayson Tramel of Shelbyville.

Stanton Martin, Anderson County’s quarterback, was named a semifinalist in Division I, Class 4A. [Read more…]

Track: Wildcats, Mavericks competing at state championship meet on Thursday

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Oak Ridge junior Genevieve Schwartz competed in the 4x800 meter relay at MTSU in Murfreesboro on Thursday, May 25, 2017, when the girls finished ninth out of 16 teams. Schwartz also competed in the 3,200 meter run, where she finished 15th. (Photo by Kindell Moore)

Genevieve Schwartz of Oak Ridge, who was then a junior, is pictured above competing in the girls 4×800-meter relay in the state championship at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro on Thursday, May 25, 2017. This year, Schwartz, a senior, is the number two seed in the girls 1,600-meter run in the state championship at MTSU on Thursday, May 24, 2018. (File photo by Kindell Moore)

 

The Oak Ridge Wildcats and Anderson County Mavericks track and field teams are competing in the state championship meet in Murfreesboro on Thursday.

Oak Ridge will compete in the girls 1,600-meter run, the boys 4×800-meter relay, the boys 4×100-meter relay, the girls 4×100-meter relay, and girls discus. The Wildcats are the number two seed in the girls 1,600-meter run, the fifth seed in the boys 4×100-meter relay, seventh seed in the boys 4×800-meter relay, eighth seed in the girls 4×100-meter relay, and ninth seed in girls discus.

Anderson County will compete in the girls 100-meter hurdles, girls pole vault, boys long jump, girls 1,600-meter run, and girls 3,200-meter run. The Mavericks are the top seed in the girls pole vault, fifth seed in the girls 1,600-meter run and 3,200-meter run, seventh seed in the girls 100-meter hurdles, and 13th seed in the boys long jump.

The top Oak Ridge qualifier headed into the state meet, senior Genevieve Schwartz, is the number two seed in the girls 1,600-meter run, with a time of 5:07.07. The top qualifier is Sasha Neglia of Dobyns-Bennett in Kingsport in upper East Tennessee, with a time of 5:01.14. [Read more…]

Stanton Martin of Anderson County a Mr. Football semifinalist

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Image posted by Anderson County High School Athletic Director Gary Terry on Twitter

Image summarizing Stanton Martin’s statistics for the 10 regular season games posted by Anderson County High School Athletic Director Gary Terry on Twitter.

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10 a.m. Nov. 6.

Anderson County junior quarterback Stanton Martin is a semifinalist for the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards.

The awards will be presented to the top football players in nine classifications of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association on Monday, November 27, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

Martin led the Anderson County Mavericks to their first undefeated regular season (10-0). In the first 10 games, he had 158 completions on 242 attempts (65.9 percent), with nine interceptions, 2,770 yards, and 41 touchdowns, according to information posted on Twitter by Anderson County High School Athletic Director Gary Terry (see the image above). That’s an average of 277 yards per game passing.

Martin had 50 rushing attempts for 588 yards and five touchdowns during the regular season. [Read more…]

See 2017 Oak Ridge football schedule here

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Note: This story was updated at 11:20 a.m.

Here is the 2017 game schedule for Oak Ridge Wildcats football:

  • August 18—Hardin Valley at home (Blankenship Field)—7:30 p.m.
  • August 25—Dobyns-Bennett in Kingsport (away)—7:30 p.m.
  • September 1—Campbell County in Jacksboro (away)—7:30 p.m. (Region 3-5A game)
  • September 8—Farragut at Farragut (away)—7:30 p.m.
  • September 15—West at home—7:30 p.m. (Region 3-5A game)
  • September 22—Sevier County at home—7:30 p.m.
  • September 29—Karns at home—7:30 p.m. (Region 3-5A game)
  • October 13—Clinton at home—7:30 p.m. (Region 3-5A game)
  • October 20—Powell at Powell (away)—7:30 p.m. (Region 3-5A game)
  • October 27—Fulton in Knoxville (away)—7:30 p.m. (Region 3-5A game)

Fulton and West, both of Knoxville, are new regional opponents of Oak Ridge in 2017 under the 2017-2018 classification.

Farragut and Lenoir City—two high schools that were in Division I, Class 5A, Region 3, with Oak Ridge last year—have both moved to another class or region. Farragut, a longtime Oak Ridge rival, is now in Class 6A, although the Wildcats will still play the Admirals this season. Farragut won the Class 5A state championship in 2016 after losing to Oak Ridge during the regular season. [Read more…]

Tajion Jones a Mr. Basketball finalist

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Oak Ridge Jones Halls Jan 23 2017 Web

Oak Ridge senior Tajion Jones (3) scored 32 points as the Wildcats topped 100 points during an 108-56 win over Halls at Wildcat Arena on Monday, Jan. 23, 2017. (File photo by Luther Simmons)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1:50 p.m.

Oak Ridge senior Tajion Jones has been named as one of three finalists for Mr. Basketball in Class AAA in Tennessee.

Among other accomplishments, Jones is second on the all-time Oak Ridge list for career three-point shots with 189, according to broadcaster David Clary.

The other two Mr. Basketball finalists in Class AAA are Tyler Harris of Cordova High School and Alex Lomax of Memphis East High School.

It’s the second year in a row that Oak Ridge has had a Mr. Basketball finalist. Last year, Tee Higgins, who was then a junior, was named a finalist.

This year’s finalists were announced Friday by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, or TSSAA. The Mr. and Miss Basketball awards will be presented to the top boys and girls in five TSSAA classifications in the Murphy Center at Middle Tennessee State University on Tuesday, March 7. [Read more…]

Higgins named Mr. Football for second year in a row

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Oak Ridge High School senior Tee Higgins, right, was named Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Class 5A Back of the Year during a ceremony at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. Also pictured are Amari Rodgers of Catholic, center, Class 4A Back of the Year, and Cordarrian Richardson of Trezevant, Class 2A Back of the Year. (Photo by ORHS Principal Martin McDonald)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 5:05 p.m.

Tee Higgins, a senior at Oak Ridge High School, won a Tennessee Titans Mr. Football award for the second year in a row.

Higgins, a Clemson commitment, won the award on Monday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. He’s the first Oak Ridge football player to win the award in back-to-back years.

Other area players that won Mr. Football awards in Division I were Josh Silvey of Greenback (Class 1A Lineman), Tykee Kellogg of Alcoa (Class 3A Back), Cade Mays of Catholic (Class 4A Lineman), and Amari Rodgers of Catholic (Class 4A Back).

The Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards were presented to the top 16 backs and linemen in eight classifications of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, or TSSAA, on Monday, November 28, at Nissan Stadium. The top kicker in the state, regardless of classification, was also recognized with a Mr. Football Award. [Read more…]

Cross country: Moody of Anderson County finished 16th in state, Farragut sixth

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Maddy Moody, a sophomore at Anderson County High School, finished 16th in the state during the girls’ Class AAA cross country championship in Nashville on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016, at Percy Warner Park in Nashville. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

NASHVILLE—Maddy Moody, a sophomore at Anderson County High School, finished 16th in the state during the girls’ Class AAA state cross country championship in Nashville this month.

During the same race, the Farragut girls’ cross country team finished sixth in the state.

The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, or TSSAA, State Cross Country Championships were November 5 at Percy Warner Park in Nashville.

As previously reported by Oak Ridge Today, the Oak Ridge boys’ team finished third in the state in Class AAA during the boys’ championships, and Wildcats senior Jake Etheridge finished 11th.

Sasha Neglia, a freshman at Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport, finished first in the Class AAA girls’ race with a time of 17:32.17. [Read more…]

Higgins again a Mr. Football semifinalist

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Oak-Ridge-Higgins-TD-Catch-Clinton-Thomas-Aug-18-2016-Web-Cropped

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). (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:30 p.m.

He won the Mr. Football award last year, and Oak Ridge High School senior Tee Higgins is a semifinalist again this year.

The semifinalists were announced by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, or TSSAA, on Friday.

Higgins is one of four semifinalists for Division I Class 5A Back of the Year. The other three semifinalists are Caden Harbin of Halls High School in Knoxville, Jordan Mason of Gallatin High School, and Jacob Murprhee of Dickson County High School.

Higgins, a 6-foot-5 wide receiver who has committed to Clemson, had 59 catches for 901 yards and 17 touchdowns during the regular season. A wide receiver who also plays cornerback and punt returner, he’s also returned at least one interception—he had a 90-yard return against Webb—and at least two punts for touchdowns this season.

Higgins had two interceptions that led to Oak Ridge touchdowns in the season-opener against Clinton, and he became the all-time leader in career receiving yards for the Wildcats during that game.

[Read more…]