Tyrell Romano Archives - Oak Ridge Today

Football: Wildcats start season 0-2

Posted at 11:52 am September 3, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Wildcats have started the 2019 football season with two losses.

The first was a 13-6 loss to Hardin Valley at home on Friday, August 23, and the second was a 41-6 loss at Dobyns-Bennett in Kingsport on Friday, August 30.

The Wildcats will play their first Region 3-5A game at Campbell County (2-0) on Friday.

Oak Ridge scored their one touchdown in the season-opening game against Hardin Valley (1-1) with a 21-yard pass from junior quarterback Mitchell Gibbons to senior running back Tyrell Romano with 8:26 left in the third quarter.

[Read more…]

Football photos: Oak Ridge at Clinton

Posted at 12:19 pm October 20, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Pictured above during a 54-28 win at Clinton on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, are Oak Ridge junior linemen Tyler Galloway (72) and Issair Franquez (70). (Photo by Barry Houchin)

After a week off earlier this month, the Oak Ridge Wildcats (8-1, 5-0 Region 3-5A) have had two more regional wins in the past two weeks: a 54-28 win at Clinton on Friday, October 12, and a 28-21 win at home against Powell on Friday, October 19.

Here are photos from the Clinton game by Barry Houchin. [Read more…]

Updated: After trailing Powell in first half, Wildcats take lead in second

Posted at 11:33 pm October 19, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge trailed Powell in the first half on Blankenship Field on Friday, Oct. 19, 2018, but took the lead and a 28-21 win in the second half.

Note: This story was last updated at 11:45 a.m. Oct. 20.

Oak Ridge trailed Powell in the first half on Blankenship Field on Friday but took the lead and a 28-21 win in the second half.

It was the second week in a row that Oak Ridge (8-1, 5-0 Region 3-5A) struggled in the first half but played better in the second. Last week, Oak Ridge led Clinton 24-21 at halftime but then scored 30 points in the second half to beat the Dragons 54-28.

The Wildcats will meet the only other undefeated team in the region, Fulton (also 8-1, 5-0), at 7 p.m. Thursday in Oak Ridge for the region championship. It’s the last regular-season game.

Powell (1-8, 1-5 after forfeiting six wins due to an ineligible player) had a 21-7 lead over Oak Ridge halfway through the second quarter on Friday. But the Wildcats narrowed the lead to 21-14 on a two-yard run by senior Jordan Graham with 1:20 remaining before halftime. The Wildcats then scored two more touchdowns in the second half while holding the Panthers scoreless. [Read more…]

Football photos at Karns by Houchin

Posted at 12:49 am October 2, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge senior Herbert Booker (13) throws against Karns during a 48-7 win over the Beavers on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018. (Photo by Barry Houchin)

The Oak Ridge football team is 6-1 so far this season. Here are photos from the September 28 game at Karns, courtesy of Barry Houchin.

Oak Ridge is off this week. They play next at Clinton on Friday, October 12. [Read more…]

Football photos by Houchin

Posted at 11:22 pm October 1, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge senior quarterback Herbert Booker (13) scrambles during a 20-14 loss to Farragut on Blankenship Field on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (Photo by Barry Houchin)

The Oak Ridge football team is 6-1 so far this season. Here are photos from some of their first seven games, courtesy of Barry Houchin.

Oak Ridge is off this week. They play next at Clinton on Friday, October 12. [Read more…]

Football: Oak Ridge Wildcats 6-1 so far this season

Posted at 9:48 pm October 1, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Wildcats walk down the stairs at Jack Armstrong Stadium before a 41-12 win over Dobyns-Bennett on Blankenship Field on Friday, Aug. 24, 2018. (Photo by Barry Houchin)

The Oak Ridge football team is 6-1 so far this season.

The Wildcats have had three wins and no losses in Region 3-5A. They have defeated Campbell County at home and West and Karns on the road.

Their other three wins were in non-regional games, with victories at Hardin Valley, at home against Dobyns-Bennett, and at Sevier County.

Their one loss, a non-regional game, was to Farragut on Blankenship Field.

All three games remaining in the regular season are regional games: Clinton (1-5, 0-2); Powell (6-1, 3-1); and Fulton (5-1, 2-0).

Oak Ridge is off this week. They play at Clinton on Friday, October 12. Their final two games, against Powell and Fulton, will be at home on October 19 and 25.

Here is a summary of the first seven games. [Read more…]

Gaddis gets 300th coaching win

Posted at 11:51 pm October 13, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Coach Joe Gaddis talks to the Wildcats football team after a 42-6 win over Clinton on Blankenship Field on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017. It was Gaddis’ 300th coaching win. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

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

Oak Ridge Coach Joe Gaddis got his 300th win as a football coach during a 42-6 win over Clinton on Friday.

Gaddis is only the seventh football coach in Tennessee to get 300 career wins, and he is one of only two active coaches with 300 wins, Oak Ridge school officials said. Gary Rankin of Alcoa is the other. Rankin was the first in Tennessee to win 400 games, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported in September.

Fans and players, parents and coaches, and students and school officials celebrated Gaddis’ milestone 300th win with a brief ceremony on Blankenship Field on Friday that included fireworks and photos, and signs and a football painted with the number 300 that was presented to Gaddis.

More than half of Gaddis’ wins have been at Oak Ridge, where he is 162-36. Gaddis first coached at Oak Ridge for 11 seasons, from 1988 to 1998, and he is in his fifth season back, after returning in 2013.

“I’m coaching at the best place there is to coach,” Gaddis said. “This is just a special place.” [Read more…]

Football photos: Oak Ridge-Karns

Posted at 2:25 pm October 2, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge junior linebacker K-Juan Stacey-Wright (16) tackles Karns junior wide receiver Thomas Harper (10) during a 49-3 homecoming win for the Wildcats on Blankenship Field on Friday, Sept. 29, 2017. Also pictured are sophomore linebacker Jacob Adams (44) and senior linebacker Matt Thompson (23). (Photo by Luther Simmons)

Nine Oak Ridge Wildcats scored in a 49-3 rout of Karns in the homecoming football game on Blankenship Field on Friday. Seven different Wildcats scored touchdowns, and two kickers added extra points. Here are photos by Luther Simmons. [Read more…]

Nine Wildcats score in 49-3 homecoming win over Karns

Posted at 6:55 pm September 30, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge junior wide receiver Kai’Reese Pendergrass (12) is tackled by Karns sophomore Trey Hawkins (7) during a 49-3 homecoming win for the Wildcats on Blankenship Field on Friday, Sept. 29, 2017. Also pictured are Oak Ridge seniors Jaycen McGhee (6) and Johnny Stewart (2). (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Nine Oak Ridge Wildcats scored in a 49-3 rout of Karns in the homecoming football game on Blankenship Field on Friday.

Seven different Wildcats scored touchdowns, and two kickers added extra points.

It was the third region win for Oak Ridge (5-2, 3-0 Region 3-5A) and the third straight win for the Wildcats.

The three remaining regular-season games are all region games:

Clinton (2-4, 0-2) at home on Friday, October 13;
at Powell (5-2, 2-2) on Friday, October 20; and
at Fulton (5-1, 2-0) on Friday, October 27.

The Wildcats do not play this coming week.

Oak Ridge finished with a season-high 324 yards rushing on 33 carries and five touchdowns on Friday. The previous high was 112 yards rushing against Farragut on September 8. That was the only other time this season that the Wildcats have had more than 100 yards rushing in a game. [Read more…]

Football photos: Oak Ridge-West

Posted at 7:05 pm September 22, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge junior defensive back Herbert Booker (13) tackles West junior wide receiver Jackson Snodgrass (11) on Blankenship Field on Friday, Sept. 15, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

Here are photos by Luther Simmons from the Oak Ridge football game at home on Blankenship Field against West on Friday, September 15. Oak Ridge won 23-13. It was the third win of the season, out of five games total, and the second region win of two played. [Read more…]

Football photos: Oak Ridge-Hardin Valley

Posted at 10:43 pm August 19, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Hardin Valley defenders tackle Oak Ridge senior running back Adarius Simpson (24) during a 21-20 win for the Wildcats on Blankenship Field on Friday, Aug. 18, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Oak Ridge Wildcats won a close one-point game against Hardin Valley Academy on Friday night when the Hawks missed an extra point with 21.5 seconds left in the season opener. Here are photos from the 21-20 win by John Huotari. [Read more…]

Football: Wildcats win when Hardin Valley misses extra point in final minute

Posted at 10:13 pm August 19, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge quarterback Johnny Stewart (2) runs against Hardin Valley during a 21-20 win on Blankenship Field on Friday, Aug. 18, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Oak Ridge Wildcats won a close one-point game against Hardin Valley Academy on Friday night when the Hawks missed an extra point with 21.5 seconds left in the season opener.

The Hawks scored in the final minute after Oak Ridge junior linebacker Jeremy Mitchell dropped a Hardin Valley player in the backfield, and the football came loose. There was a scramble for the ball near the goal line, and it squirted into the end zone, where Hardin Valley recovered it for a touchdown. The Hawks then trailed by just one point, 21-20.

They had a chance to tie the game at 21 with an extra point, and they had a chance to take the lead with a two-point conversion.

A few extra point attempts by Hardin Valley were waived off due to penalties, including one on a try that was no good and bounced down to Blankenship Field off the crossbar on an Oak Ridge offsides.

The final attempt went wide left, and Oak Ridge kept its 21-20 lead with 21.5 seconds remaining.

Hardin Valley, a Class 6A team, used an onsides kick to try for one final score in the final seconds of the non-region game. But Oak Ridge, a Class 5A team, recovered and only had to take a knee to run out the clock. [Read more…]