Oak Ridge Today

Wildcats hold off late rally by Science Hill to leave with 10-point win

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Oak Ridge senior Tajion Jones (3) had a game-high 20 points during an 82-72 win over Science Hill in the Champion Chevrolet Shootout at Science Hill High School in Johnson City on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2016. (Photo by Robert Kell)

 

JOHNSON CITY—Oak Ridge held off a late rally by Science Hill on Saturday to leave Johnson City with their second win in two days.

The undefeated Wildcats (11-0, 5-0 District 3-AAA) beat Science Hill 82-72 in the Champion Chevrolet Shootout at Science Hill High School in Johnson City on Saturday.

That victory came one day after they beat Cleveland, which had also been undefeated, 76-56.

The Wildcats led the Hilltoppers 70-42 after three quarters on Saturday. [Read more…]

In battle of two undefeated teams, Oak Ridge emerges with win

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Oak Ridge senior E.J. Bush (2) led the Wildcats with 20 points during a 76-56 win over Cleveland in the Champion Chevrolet Shootout at Science Hill High School in Johnson City on Friday. Dec, 16, 2016. (Photo by Robert Kell)

 

JOHNSON CITY—Oak Ridge and Cleveland were both undefeated top-ranked teams before they played in Johnson City on Friday, and only the Wildcats remained undefeated afterward. Oak Ridge beat Cleveland 76-56 in the Champion Chevrolet Shootout at Science Hill High School in Johnson City.

The Wildcats are now 10-0 overall and 5-0 in District 3-AAA.

The Blue Raiders are now 11-1 overall and 4-0 in District 5-AAA.

Like the earlier girls’ game, the boys’ game was closer in the first half: 16-15 after the first quarter, and 32-30 at halftime. But Oak Ridge had a 20-6 run through most of the third quarter and an 8-0 run in the last part of the fourth quarter. [Read more…]

Tee Higgins will play basketball this year

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Pictured above from left are Oak Ridge senior basketball players Tee Higgins, Tajion Jones, Anthony Gibson, Tyshawn Young, and E.J. Bush. (Photo by Oak Ridge High School boys basketball)

 

Oak Ridge senior Tee Higgins will play basketball this year, his senior year.

Higgins, a Class AAA Mr. Basketball finalist last season, confirmed his decision on Friday.

“The band is officially back together for one last tour,” the Oak Ridge Wildcats basketball team posted on Twitter, sharing a picture of Higgins with seniors Tajion Jones, Anthony Gibson, Tyshawn Young, and E.J. Bush.

Higgins had earlier planned to not play basketball in order focus on football. He’s a wide receiver who has committed to Clemson. He’s a Mr. Football finalist again this year.

The 6-foot-5, 190-pound senior has been one of the most dynamic players for the Wildcats on the basketball court and, for fans, one of the funnest players to watch. Higgins played as a freshman on the 2014 runner-up team in the state championship game, and since then, he’s been a key part of the team and a regular starter and a top scorer. He had picked up basketball scholarship offers from Tennessee, Louisville, Auburn, and others. Earlier this year, he said he was no longer considering playing basketball in college, although he had considered playing both sports. [Read more…]

Photo: ORHS 2016 Homecoming King, Queen

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Pictured above are Oak Ridge High School 2016 Homecoming King Tyshawn Young, right, and Queen Courtney Ellison. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

The Oak Ridge High School 2016 Homecoming King and Queen were announced at halftime of the Oak Ridge-Sevier County football game on Friday, which was Homecoming.

The 2016 Homecoming King is Tyshawn Young, and the Homecoming Queen is Courtney Ellison. Wildcats fans may recognize them as members of the boys and girls basketball teams.

The 2016 Homecoming Court is pictured below. [Read more…]

Photos: Oak Ridge High School 2016 Homecoming Court

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The 2016 Oak Ridge High School Homecoming Court is pictured above on Monday, Sept. 12, 2016. Row by row, starting at bottom left, are Leah Scudder and Ben Kelley, Kieran Blevins and Curtis Robertson, Courtney Ellison and Erik Bradford, Lindsey Riikola and Mark LeNoir, Stevie Logan and Dean Stetzel, and Harley Southmayd and Tyshawn Young. (Photo courtesy Holly Cross/Oak Ridge Schools)

 

The 2016 Homecoming Court at Oak Ridge High School has been announced. Here are photos of the Homecoming Court on Monday, courtesy of Holly Cross and Oak Ridge Schools.

The Homecoming game is on Friday, September 23, at Blankenship Field against Sevier County. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. [Read more…]

Wildcats finish top in district, enter playoffs as No. 1 seed

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Oak Ridge senior point guard Geevantay Gee (12) scored 10 points for the Wildcats during an 86-60 win over Karns on Friday, Feb. 5, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge Wildcats, who are undefeated in their district, won the regular-season district championship on Friday and will enter the basketball playoffs as the top seed.

The Wildcats (26-2, 14-0 District 3-AAA) will also automatically get a spot in the Region 2 tournament, Coach Aaron Green said.

Oak Ridge played Karns again on Friday. That game was not as close as the last meeting between the two teams, when the Wildcats escaped with a 72-68 win. In that January 5 game, the Beavers whittled the lead down to two points, 70-68, with 1:04 remaining, and they had a chance to tie the game or even take the lead with about 35 seconds left.

The second game, at Wildcat Arena on Friday, February 5, was competitive, but Oak Ridge maintained a healthy lead through most of it, often leading by 10 points or more. They were up by 13 points, 43-30, at halftime, and widened the lead in the fourth quarter to finish with an 86-60 win.

Oak Ridge has two district games remaining. The first had been scheduled for Tuesday, January 9, at Halls (6-19, 2-12), but it has been postponed to Wednesday. The second is at Campbell County (14-12, 5-9) on Friday. [Read more…]

Playing for team, Middleton scores 18, rebounds 15 in blowout over Central

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Playing for his team, senior post Darel Middleton (33) had one of his best games as an Oak Ridge Wildcat, scoring 18 points and picking up 15 rebounds during a 94-66 win over Central on Friday, Dec. 4, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 11:30 p.m.

Playing for his team, senior Darel Middleton had one of his best games as an Oak Ridge Wildcat, scoring 18 points and picking up 15 rebounds during a 94-66 win over Central on Friday.

It was the most memorable performance by Middleton, a 6-foot-6 post, since he scored 14 points and pulled down 10 rebounds against Memphis East in the state quarterfinal game in March.

“I just felt like I owed my team,” said Middleton, who said he’s gotten into a little trouble this year. “I gave them my all tonight and from now on.”

Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said Middleton is playing a lot harder this year than he did last year.

“He played well,” Green said. “He’s been playing well.” [Read more…]

Wildcats open basketball season with wins over Grace

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Oak Ridge Wildcats Boys Basketball Team Nov. 17, 2015

Members of the Oak Ridge Wildcats boys basketball team are pictured above during an 87-67 season-opening win over Grace Christian at home on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015. From left are juniors Tyshawn Young (15), Tajion Jones (3), and E.J. Bush (2); seniors Geevantay Gee (12) and Javien Johnson (11); junior Deandre Gibson (10); and senior Darel Middleton (33), who did not play Tuesday. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:15 p.m.

The Oak Ridge Wildcats boys and girls basketball teams opened the regular season with wins over Grace Christian on Tuesday.

The boys won 87-67, and the girls won 39-27. It was the first game for new coach Paige Green, who replaced former girls coach David Scott in June. Paige Green is married to Aaron Green, the boys basketball coach.

The Oak Ridge teams play at home again tonight (Thursday, November 19) against the Christian Academy of Knoxville (CAK). The girls game starts at 6 p.m., and the boys game begins at 7:30. [Read more…]

Football players add depth as Wildcats basketball improves to 8-0

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Darel Middleton

Darel Middleton

On Monday, Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said the football players who have started playing basketball showed a “little bit of rust” in a 75-36 drubbing of Clinton. By Tuesday, it appeared that those players had shaken off some of that rust in a more competitive 77-65 win over Powell.

The biggest improvement, at least in terms of scoring, came from 6-foot-6 junior center Darel Middleton, who was playing against his former team on Tuesday. On Monday at Clinton, Middleton had six points total, or less than one basket per quarter. On Tuesday at home against the Panthers, he had 18 points, a team high.

Middleton, who missed the opening games this season because of the football playoffs, also picked up six rebounds on Tuesday. Green said Middleton, who plays defensive end and wide receiver in football, is very athletic, can score inside, and is a great passer.

“His presence in there is a factor,” Green said. [Read more…]

After rough first quarter, Wildcats warm up in 70-54 season-opener

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Oak Ridge Wildcats Geevantay Gee and Grace Christian

Junior guard Geevantay Gee (12), the only returning starter to play in the season-opener, scored the only points for the Wildcats during the first quarter against Grace Christian on Tuesday, but the rest of the team played better in the next three quarters and Oak Ridge won 70-54.

 

KARNS—They had a rough start in the season-opener on Tuesday, but the relatively young Oak Ridge Wildcats improved after the first quarter and turned a 12-point deficit into a 70-54 win.

Junior point guard Geevantay Gee, the only returning starter to play in the season-opener at Grace Christian in Karns, scored the only points for the Wildcats during the first quarter—seven total. Meanwhile, the Rams started hot and quickly racked up 19 points.

But after their nerves calmed, the Wildcats started defending better—stepping up their pressure and forcing turnovers—and their performance improved. For example, Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said, the Wildcats had two assists at the half, and Gee alone had five in the second.

After giving up 19 points in the first quarter, the Wildcats held the Rams to 35 total in the next three. Green said he thought Grace Christian became fatigued. [Read more…]