Posted 6:00 p.m. November 4, 2007 OR forced to travel to Kingsport after loss to Farragut By Mike Blackerby editor@oakridgesports.com
For the eighth time in the last 11 years, Oak Ridge and Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett will square off Friday night in a TSSAA football playoff elimination game. The Wildcats (8-2), thanks to a disappointing 42-7 thrashing at the hands of Farragut, must make the long trip to upper East Tennessee to take on the streaking Indians (7-3) in a first-round 5-A matchup. “We’ve got to go right back to J. Fred Johnson Stadium,” said Wildcats coach Stanton Stevens, whose team downed the Tribe 14-7 in Kingsport early in the season. “We’re not going up there and play dead. We’ve got to go up there and win.” That figures to be a much tougher task the second time around. Dobyns-Bennett has won six games in a row since a 1-3 start and the Indians have been bolstered by the emergence of freshman sensation Chris Sensabaugh at tailback. The 5-11, 185-pound Sensabaugh, who didn’t even play until the fifth game of the season, has given the Tribe a much-needed lift in the rushing department. Sensabaugh has already picked up 644 yards on just 73 carries in his limited season. As if D-B needs any more reason to be stoked coming into the game, the Indians -- the winningest program in Tennessee prep football history -- will be gunning for their 700th victory all-time Friday night. Oak Ridge and Dobyns-Bennett have split eight playoff games dating back to 1989. The winner of the Farragut-Jefferson County game is on tap next for either OR or D-B in Round 2 of the playoffs. Farragut 42, Oak Ridge 7 The Wildcats simply had no answer for Admirals running back Andre Sterling Friday night on Blankenship Field. Sterling rambled for 282 yards on 28 carries and scored on runs of 19, 2 and 26 yards (all in the first half) as the Admirals steam-rolled the Wildcats to capture the Region 2 5-A regular season championship. Oak Ridge ends up No. 3 in Region 2. Sterling ended the regular season with a whopping 2,116 yards on 263 carries and 24 touchdowns. “I’m shocked,” said a stunned Stevens after the game. “Never in my wildest thoughts did I think this would happen. I knew Sterling was good, but I don’t know if a man has ever broken as many tackles in one game as he did. We hadn’t tackled that bad all year. He made us look bad, but give Andre Sterling all the credit.” With Sterling leading the way, the Admirals pounded out 408 yards on the ground and another 89 through the air. Sophomore Lee Van Dyne added 104 yards on 12 carries while on-target quarterback Andrew Martland hit on 9-of-15 tosses for 89 yards. Oak Ridge’s lone score of the night came on a 36-yard pass from quarterback Tyler Clark to Ralpheal Coffey in the second quarter. Coffey’s receiving (4 for 78) was one of the few bright spots for the Wildcats. In addition to their defensive problems, the Wildcats could never get untracked offensively. Farragut held OR to 54 yards on the ground and 116 passing. Senior tailback Jared Stephens was limited to 11 carries for 30 yards. Stephens ended regular season play with 1,380 yards on 168 attempts and 18 touchdowns. The win was Farragut’s first on Blankenship Field since a 21-20 overtime win in 1993. The Admirals have won two in a row against the Wildcats, but still trail in the all-time series 27-6. |
| NOVEMBER 2007 ARCHIVES |
Posted 6:00 p.m. November 4, 2007 Lady Wildcats point to 2008 soccer season By Mike Blackerby editor@oakridgesports.com Eventually, Oak Ridge is going to kick down the door at the state soccer tournament. Coach O.J. Sheppard’s Lady Wildcats -- making their fifth appearance in the Class AAA tournament in the last six years -- came up just short once again in their bid for the school’s first girls’ soccer championship. After clubbing Ravenwood 3-0 in Wednesday’s quarterfinals, the Ridgers dropped a tough 1-0 decision to Collierville on Thursday. The Lady Dragons eventually lost Saturday night to defending champion Bearden, 2-1, in the championship game. Even in defeat, Sheppard said he couldn’t have asked more of his Lady Wildcats, who ended up 16-6-3. “It was the first time in my 12 years that we didn’t achieve our goal of a state championship, but I still feel like we fulfilled our destiny,” said Sheppard. “I can’t criticize anything we did or didn’t do.” While Oak Ridge loses four quality seniors in Trenna Howell, Maggie Alexander, Jessica Hayes and Megan Underwood, Sheppard said the Lady Wildcats should be right back in the hunt for that elusive first state crown in 2008. “Obviously, it will be difficult to replace Trenna Howell, but we’ve got a number of players coming back who accounted for 70 goals. We’ve got some strong underclassmen coming back. We’ve got 17 kids coming back with state-level experience.” Oak Ridge’s depth in its underclassmen certainly showed up on the All-District 3-A team as 14 Lady Wildcats earned honors. Taking Position Player of the Year honors for OR were: Howell (top forward), Rachel Johnson (top midfielder), Gwen Lawson (top defender) and Sheppard (top coach). Making the All-District team from Oak Ridge were Howell, Alexander, Hayes, Underwood, Johnson, Lawson, Chelsea Angelo, Meghan Hughes, Lauren Fritts, Kathryn Grabenstein, Jennifer Lee, Alexis Franco, Kaelyn Angelo and Hailey Nichols. Named to the All-Freshmen team from OR were Tanya Ayala and Maddie Bishop. Sheppard said he is already counting on some returnees to supply much-needed leadership next season. “Lawson will be a leader again -- and Rachel Johnson will be a strong leader. I also think Fritts can be a leader for us. She played some good, strong games in goal for us.” Sheppard said it wouldn’t surprise him a bit if Bearden and Oak Ridge are the top-two ranked teams in AAA coming into 2008. Semifinals: Collierville 1, Oak Ridge 0 CHATTANOOGA—Collierville booted the Lady Wildcats out of the state Class AAA tournament by a 1-0 margin for the second time in three years Thursday at Girls Preparatory School. Collierville entered the contest ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 6 in the nation. Jamie Neal scored the lone goal of the contest as she tallied off an assist by Morgan McBride with 33 minutes and 29 seconds to play in the second half. Neal slapped a short shot in front by Lady Wildcats goalie Fritts after an OR foul. “It was a quick re-start and we didn’t get up quick enough,” said Sheppard. “We caught them on their heels,” said Collierville coach Bill Gillespie. “We got a great look – and it was probably the only time all day we caught them on their heels.” Sheppard said his disappointment was tempered by his team’s effort. “I’m just real proud of the girls. Sometimes you give it your best and it’s still not enough. Everybody who stepped out on that field for us played their heart out.” Quarterfinals: Oak Ridge 3, Ravenwood 0 Oak Ridge showed tournament newcomer Ravenwood the ropes in Wednesday’s opener. “Having been here before makes a difference,” said Sheppard. “They were a pesky team. We didn’t take them lightly – they had some quality wins.” Raptors coach Clay Watson said Oak Ridge’s experience gave the Lady Wildcats a big advantage. “They (Oak Ridge) know what it takes to win at this level,” said Watson, whose girls finish up at 9-7-6. Howell pumped in two of the Lady Wildcats’ goals to run her final season total to 43 -- a school record. Howell opened the scoring with 26 minutes and 39 seconds to play in the first half following an assist from Jennifer Lee. “No goalkeeper makes a save on that ball,” applauded Sheppard. “She kind of bent it in there.” Oak Ridge next got a score by Rachel Johnson off a direct-kick with 1:37 to play in the first half to take a 2-0 lead to the break. Howell supplied the backbreaker just 37 seconds into the second half as she tapped in another assist from Lee past hard-charging goalie Lauren Putty. Fritts recorded eight saves to earn the shutout for the Lady Wildcats in goal. |
Posted 7:00 p.m. November 8, 2007 Another playoff date for Wildcats and Indians in Kingsport By Mike Blackerby editor@oakridgesports.com
14-7 regular season win over Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett.Indians head coach Graham Clark can one-up the Wildcats in the missing-in-action department on that Week 3 encounter. Not only was Dobyns-Bennett missing some personnel up front and otherwise banged up along the offensive line, the Tribes’ leading rusher was still playing on the freshman team. In other words, all of the key pieces on each side are expected to be on hand at 7 Friday night in Kingsport as Dobyns-Bennett (7-3) hosts Oak Ridge (8-2) in Round 1 of the Class 5-A playoffs. The winner advances to play the Farragut-Jefferson County victor while the loser is done for the season. No excuses -- on either side -- this time out. “We had one (offensive linemen) out and were just getting a couple of them back -- we were kind of banged up,” said Clark. “One of the biggest things (since the first Oak Ridge game) is our offensive line has gotten better. That’s pretty huge. We were kind of changing identities at that time.” The Tribe really changed identities a couple of weeks after the Oak Ridge game when Clark moved up freshman sensation Chris Sensabaugh (5-11, 190) from the ninth-grade team. Sensabaugh provided an immediate spark to the Indians’ offense and has rushed for a team-high 644 yards on 73 carries with 12 touchdowns. “Chris was playing with the freshmen then. I don’t believe in just moving a (freshman) up, you’ve got to earn it. He runs the ball very hard. He’s just a good, strong runner.” While D-B is no doubt much improved on the offensive side, the Indians -- as usual -- have displayed a stingy demeanor defensively. The Tribe has allowed only 117 points in 10 games and only one team (William Blount, 24 points) has scored more than 14 points on them this season. “Our defense has played pretty well all dang long,“ said Clark. “This group of kids has played very hard. We knew we were going to take some lumps early.” Oak Ridge vs. Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett Kickoff: 7 Friday night at Kingsport’s J. Fred Johnson Stadium. Records and rankings: Oak Ridge (8-2, Region 2 5-A), ranked No. 9 in the state; Dobyns-Bennett (7-3, Region 1 5-A). Head coaches: Stanton Stevens (third year at ORHS 26-9, ninth season overall 88-23); Graham Clark (15th season at D-B 151-32). Series record: Oak Ridge leads 19-15-1. Last meeting: (2007) Oak Ridge 14, Dobyns-Bennett 7. Of note: The Indians, who have more football wins than any school in the state of Tennessee, will be going for victory No. 700 Friday night against Oak Ridge. Dobyns-Bennett has an all-time football record of 699-207-28. … The winner advances to Round 2 of the playoffs to take on the Farragut-Jefferson County victor. Stat leaders: Rushing … Oak Ridge--Jared Stephens 167-1,379 17 touchdowns. Dobyns-Bennett--Chris Sensabaugh 73-644 12 touchdowns. Receiving … Oak Ridge--Ralpheal Coffey 31-628 7 touchdowns. Dobyns-Bennett--Jamie Crawford 21-310 2 touchdowns. Passing … Oak Ridge--Tyler Clark 37-77 841 7 touchdowns. Dobyns-Bennett--Bart Ring 50-115 788 4 touchdowns. |
Posted 6:00 p.m. November 4, 2007 THEY DID IT! Oak Ridge cross country teams score rare double
editor@oakridgesports.com NASHVILLE--Pressure … what pressure? Oak Ridge runners fulfilled a season of great expectations in spectacular fashion Saturday at the Percy Warner Steeplechase Course as the Wildcats and Lady Wildcats romped to state championships. “There’s a lot of power in believing you can do things and that’s the way we went about it,” said OR coach Allen Etheridge. Oak Ridge certainly made believers of the rest of the field. On the boys’ side, the Wildcats had four runners earn All-State honors for finishing in the top 15. Oak Ridge, winning its third state title in a row, posted a team total of 48 points to swamp the field. Houston (120), Maryville (137), Morristown West (171) and Science Hill (177) were well back in the top five. For the girls, four Lady Wildcats made the top 12 as Oak Ridge scored 43 points to easily out-pace Science Hill (102), Dobyns-Bennett (135), Farragut (172) and Arlington (196). Oak Ridge became just the second Class AAA team to sweep (boys and girls) -- Houston also pulled the trick in 2000. “What are the odds of this?” asked Etheridge. “This is something I really want to appreciate.” Oak Ridge now has 12 state championships (eight boys and four girls) in cross country. Etheridge can appreciate the fact that he has been a part of seven of those championships -- four as a coach and three as a runner for the Wildcats back in the early 1980s. Senior Maclean O’Donnell led OR’s charge as he took third in 15:58 behind Brentwood’s Sean Keveren (15:46) and West’s Matt Sonnenfeldt (15:52). Also earning All-State honors for Oak Ridge were Emerson Peacock (seventh/16:29), Phil Riemer (10th/16:32) and Chris Cole (15th/6:39). Chris Ostrouchov and John Sharpe finished 19th and 20th for OR, in respective times of 16:51 and 16:55. Ethan McGroom was 27th in 17:12. “Chris and Ethan have been with me since they were in seventh grade. I’ve had Emerson and Maclean since they were freshmen. Will I miss them? Yes,” said Etheridge, who loses the bulk of his varsity to graduation. “I guess we’ll see if I can coach next year.” The Lady Wildcats got another strong effort from junior Melanie Kulesz and sophomore Autumn Gipson on the top end to cruise to the girls’ championship. Kulesz was fourth in 19:13 with Gipson close behind in seventh in 19:29. Independence junior Kathy Kroeger dominated as expected, winning in 17:57. Adrian Etheridge, the freshman daughter of the head coach, earned 11th place in 19:44. That was one spot ahead of Corine Lariviere (19:45). Also for OR, Leslie Jenkins (20:17) was 18th, Whitney Irby (20:28) was 24th and Lauren Irby (22:00) was 70th. “Mel ran the race she should have. She passed three runners in the last half-mile -- that was an excellent race for her. Autumn was good. She moved up from ninth a year ago. It’s hard to coach your daughter, but Adrian ran a gutty race.” Etheridge said the sweep was better than 20 years in the making. “I’m impacted a lot by Jim McNamee (former Oak Ridge coach). Jim always wanted to do this and I’ve wanted to do it. We tried to do it and we’re fortunate it happened. Any number of things could have gone wrong and it just lined up for us.” |
Posted 7:00 p.m. November 8, 2007 Lady Wildcats well represented on All-Region soccer squad By Mike Blackerby editor@oakridgesports.com
Eight Lady Wildcats have been named to the All-Region 2 team as selected by league coaches. Topping the list is senior striker Trenna Howell, who was named the Offensive Player of the Year for the second season in a row. Howell set a single-season scoring record at ORHS this fall as she powered in 43 goals. Howell, who is being looked at by about 10 colleges -- including Kentucky, Carson-Newman and Chattanooga -- also finished No. 2 on the ORHS career scoring mark with 92 goals. “When you look at the schedule we play, that’s quite a bundle,” said OR coach O.J. Sheppard, referring to Howell’s season goal total. “She only averaged playing about 38 minutes a game in the district. Obviously, we’re very happy for Howell’s selection as the region offensive player of the year.” With her honor, Howell, a four-time All-Region pick, has automatic inclusion on the TACA All-State team. She will also be considered for All-South and All-American teams. Oak Ridge also had seven other players named All-Region. They include junior defender Gwen Lawson, junior midfielder Rachel Johnson, senior midfielder Maggie Alexander, junior goalkeeper Lauren Fritts, sophomore midfielder Jennifer Lee, senior defender Megan Underwood and junior defender Meghan Hughes. Two other Ridgers -- senior defender Jessica Hayes and freshman midfielder Kaelyn Angelo -- garnered second- team All-Region honors. Johnson scored 11 goals and had a single-season record 19 assists for the Lady Wildcats. “We moved her around,” said Sheppard. “She’s a tough little player who is very aggressive and physical.” Lawson, despite suffering another late-season knee injury, was a force on defense for OR. “Gwen has been a story in herself. Three years of soccer and three years of knee injuries. She’s the leader of my defense in the back and she was the cog that made it go.” Alexander is one of four departing seniors for the Lady Wildcats. “Maggie came in second in assists with 16 and she had 11 goals. Her senior year has been very productive.” Fritts got nothing but stronger as the year wore on for Oak Ridge. “Fritts started off the season slow, but had some stellar performances in the last month.” Fritts registered nine shutouts, tied the consecutive-game shutout record at six and had a stingy goal-per-game mark of .39. Lee made her mark in the midfield, organizing the Lady Wildcats’ offensive attack. “Lee totally dominated the midfield. She really created ball movement up top for Howell and Johnson.” Underwood and Hughes made their marks despite not playing soccer the last couple of years. “Underwood, as a first-year senior, became a starter and was a strong player for us in the back. Hughes was another who hadn’t played in a couple of years. She won a starting role and played every game -- she was very tenacious.” Second-team selections Hayes and Angelo also played vital roles. Hayes brought invaluable experience to her defender role while Angelo scored 12 goals as a ninth-grader and was a key in Oak Ridge’s regional semifinal win over Farragut. |
Posted 6:00 p.m. November 11, 2007 Wildcats end season on low note with loss at Kingsport By Mike Blackerby editor@oakridgesports.com
Wildcats Friday night in Round 1 of the Class 5-A high school football playoffs. Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett capitalized on Oak Ridge mistakes, made a couple of big plays and featured a bend- but-don’t-break defense, all that the Indians manufactured into a 21-14 victory. Coach Graham Clark’s Indians (8-3) advance to Round 2 Friday night at Farragut (10-1), which pounded Jefferson County in its playoff opener. Meanwhile, Oak Ridge limps home with an 8-3 record after starting 6-0. For the Wildcats, this marks the first time since the 1985 and ’86 seasons that Oak Ridge has failed to win at least one playoff game in consecutive years. “We just didn’t make the plays when we needed to and they did,” said Oak Ridge coach Stanton Stevens. “We made too many mistakes and they’re a good team.” Oak Ridge coughed up three interceptions and lost a fumble to help the D-B cause. Meanwhile, the Indians had just one turnover. The Wildcats started strong out of the gate as OR came out in a Power-I set, pounding the ball right at the smaller Dobyns-Bennett line. Oak Ridge scored on its second series of the game as the ’Cats drove 77 yards in just nine plays. Quarterback Tyler Clark hit Ralpheal Coffey over the middle from 18 yards out for the game’s first touchdown of the game at the 3:49 mark of the first quarter. Will Hudson’s kick made it 7-0 Ridgers. However, the Wildcats’ next two series ended with interceptions. The second -- a pick by D-B’s Justin Sylvester -- gave the Indians a short field to work with at the Oak Ridge 24. Freshman tailback Chris Sensabaugh scored four plays later from 14 yards out as he carried a pile of Oak Ridge defenders into the end zone with 8:13 remaining in the first half. Sensabaugh, who didn’t play in the Wildcats’ 14-7 win over Oak Ridge earlier in the season, rushed for 115 yards on 22 carries. The Tribe got one of their pivotal big plays to start the second half when Lane Dukart hauled back the kickoff 87 yards to the OR 10. Sensabaugh had three consecutive carries, the last going from 7 yards out to edge the Tribe in front 14-7. But the Wildcats answered with an impressive 78-yard scoring drive on the ensuing series behind the running of senior tailback Jared Stephens and the pass-catching of junior wideout Demarcus Rogers. Stephens carried five times for 29 yards on the drive while Rogers had three receptions for 49 yards. Rogers turned a quick toss in the flat from Clark into a 28-yard touchdown as he beat a pair of Dobyns-Bennett defenders on the flank. Hudson’s conversion knotted the count at 14-14 with 6:06 to play in the third quarter. The Indians scored the back-breaking play of the night on the next series. On a third-and-20 play from the D-B 15, quarterback Bart Ring found Dukart, who flashed open at the Indians’ 43. Dukart suddenly had open territory in front of him and out-raced the stunned Oak Ridge secondary for a shocking 85-yard score. “Ring scrambled and then made a super TD pass,” said Clark. “It was a crossing-type route that we just put in this week. I don’t have many third-and-20 plays,” laughed the D-B coach. Dukart said he was stunned at how open he was on the play. “Bart rolled out and I was just wide open,” said Dukart, who also had an interception on defense. Oak Ridge had one more scoring opportunity after the Wildcats embarked on a gritty 95-yard drive that came up just short. Taking over on its 1 with 8:53 to play, Oak Ridge quickly moved to the Dobyns-Bennett 13 thanks to Stephens, who had runs of 10, 19 and 29 yards. Stephens, who had just 39 yards on seven carries in the first half, ended up with 146 on 20 tries. But, the Indians stiffened after Oak Ridge picked up the first down at the D-B 13. Kevin Summers went for 6 yards on first down, but Stephens was stuffed on the next play and a third-down pass by Clark fell incomplete. Stephens lined up at quarterback in the shotgun on fourth-and-four, but was stopped by Indians linebacker Lane Taylor less than a yard short at the 4 on a keeper around left end. The Indians took over with 3:35 to play and were able to run out the clock as Ring picked up a key third-down conversion on a keeper to the 18. “We made just enough plays,” said Clark. “It was win No. 700 (all-time for the Indians) -- that’s big -- and it was against Oak Ridge.” The Wildcats (223 rushing, 96 passing) out-gained the Indians (147 rushing, 97 passing) and had 17 first downs to D-B’s seven. Wildcat notes: Stephens ended the season with 1,525 yards rushing on 187 carries. His 1,525 yards ranks No. 12 on the all-time Oak Ridge single-season rushing list. … Coffey, who totaled 34 receptions for 666 yards on the year, ends up No. 5 on the single-season yardage list for receivers and tied for sixth for most catches in a season. |
Posted 7:00 a.m. November 16, 2007 Lady Wildcats run by Webb in basketball opener By Mike Blackerby editor@oakridgesports.com
opened the 2007-08 high school basketball season with an impressive 53-49 win over the defending Division II state champions in the Hall of Champions game. Coach Jill Prudden’s girls overcame an early 17-7 deficit as the Lady Wildcats were able to get the tempo to their liking: up-and-down-the-floor on offense and relentless full-court defense. Oak Ridge, with no player taller than 5-9, was also able to contain University of Tennessee signee Glory Johnson. The 6-2 Johnson scored just 13 points and claimed eight rebounds. Webb, which also featured 6-3 Faith Dupree (12 points, four rebounds), was blistered on the boards by the quicker Lady Wildcats. Raegan Thompson pulled down 10 caroms and Kierra Johnson nine as Oak Ridge out-rebounded the Lady Spartans 35-21. Johnson also led the Lady Wildcats in points with 18 on 7-for-12 shooting. Thompson scored 15, Jazzmine Hazzard eight and Kortni Jones six. Jones added near double-digit assists and helped OR force 22 Webb turnovers on the night. Webb went up 17-7 with 6:43 to play in the second quarter when Prudden called timeout. Oak Ridge proceeded to go on a 14-0 run and never trailed again. Johnson scored off a drive and hit a 15-footer to start the rally. Thompson finished off a fast break with a bank shot inside and a free throw after drawing the foul. Thompson and Autumn Gipson each converted fast-break buckets. Thompson converted yet another three- point play after scoring off the break on a give-and-go courtesy of Jones. The Lady Wildcats led 30-24 at the half and 42-34 after three quarters. Webb got as close as three (48-45) with 2:49 to play, but Oak Ridge held on for the win. Boys Oak Ridge 67, Webb 36 Three of four Wildcats expected to play key roles this season sat out the game coming off football season. The one football who did play -- junior Ralpheal Coffey -- showed what kind of difference those guys will make once they make the conversion to the hardwood. Coffey sparked a 13-0 run to end the first half as Oak Ridge turned a 20-18 game into a blowout victory for coach Ricky Norris’ Wildcats. Coffey initiated a turnover-fest on defense and then went to work with the basketball in his hands in the open court. His dunk put Oak Ridge up 27-18 -- Coffey then added consecutive buckets off steals by the Wildcats. Coffey closed the half with another theft and a feed to Quinche Dowdell for the half-ending bucket. Dowdell paced OR with 28 points on 12-for-17 shooting. Coffey was 8-of-10 from the floor. The three other Oak Ridge football players -- Jared Stephens, Tyler Clark and Demarcus Rogers -- return to action next week. Oak Ridge plays another Hall of Champions game Saturday night at McMinn County High School in Athens. The Wildcats play Cleveland at 6, followed by the Oak Ridge girls vs. McMinn County at 7:30. |
Posted 7:30 p.m. November 19, 2007 OR boys preview: Wildcats will go as far as their shooting carries them By Mike Blackerby editor@oakridgesports.com
Ridge High School as head basketball coach. “We’ve got five seniors and five juniors. That’s pretty much unheard of,” said Norris, who has compiled a sterling 119-55 overall record. The Wildcats, who return the bulk of their team that finished 24-9 a year ago and lost to eventual state champion Maryville in the Region 2 quarterfinals, should be near the top of the pack in East Tennessee this winter. Oak Ridge, highly touted Bearden and the defending champion Rebels make Region 2 one of the most competitive in the state. “A lot of teams -- probably more than most in the state -- have high expectations in our region,” said Norris. “Any time you have the experience we do, you’re gonna have those expectations.” Speaking of experience, the Wildcats have a wealth of it in regards to their outstanding 1-2 punch of seniors Quinche Dowdell and Jared Stephens. The 6-5 Dowdell, an Appalachian State signee, is averaging 28.5 points per game in OR’s 2-0 start. “Quinche has really developed his perimeter game,” said Norris. “Quinche will be the one that benefits most from our other guys’ growth with their outside shooting. Teams won’t be able to collapse on him inside like they have in the past.” The 5-9 Stephens is a three-year starter for Oak Ridge at point guard. “He makes us go. Jared is a point guard who can score, but his No. 1 priority is to distribute the basketball. Jared has all of the clichés that go with being a great point guard.” Junior wing Tyler Clark has improved by leaps and bounds, according to Norris. “Tyler was the most improved kid we had this summer -- and it’s not even close. It just clicked for him. He has got the skills, it was just a maturity and confidence thing with him. Tyler gives us a strong guard … I think he’ll be a double-figure scorer for us.” Oak Ridge has several other strong junior backcourt/wing players in 6-0 Demarcus Rogers, 6-5 Tucker Trent and 6-2 Ralpheal Coffey. “Demarcus will be at point when he and Jared are in the game at the same time. He’s so much better in the open floor. Coffey is a wild-card. He has the ability to be an unbelievably versatile player. He has all the potential, but that’s on Ralpheal. “Tucker will play a little perimeter and a little post. He’s a very versatile, very bright kid. He was 7-for-10 from 3- point range in a recent scrimmage against Farragut.” Inside, Norris said the Wildcats will be counting on 6-2 junior James Michel and 6-7 senior Josh Gregory. “Besides Tyler, James is our most-improved player. He’s a 6-2 guy who can play inside because he’s so doggone strong. He’s a glue guy -- he doesn’t have to have shots to play hard. James is a guy who is gonna be hard to keep off the floor. He’s a great teammate. “Josh, at 6-7, can really help us if we can get him to reach his potential.” One player Norris was counting on may not be able to help the Wildcats early in the season. Alex Fagan, a versatile 6-4 swingman, is sidelined with a “quad issue” and is out indefinitely. “Alex has missed virtually all of the preseason. He’s long and he gives us another shooter.” Speaking of shooting, there’s no doubt that’s what derailed the Wildcats a year ago. With another year of experience under their belts, Norris is counting on Clark and Trent to supply Oak Ridge with the perimeter firepower they were lacking in 2006-07. “I don’t think that’ll be our Achilles heel this year. We’ve got a lot of guys who are juniors who we expect to take the pressure off us there. My big concern is our ability and willingness to accept our roles. All of our players are good enough to contribute at the AAA level.” |
Posted 7:30 p.m. November 19, 2007 Meet the run-and-gun 2007-08 Lady Wildcats *See the 2007- Basketball
editor@oakridgesports.com
That’s what opponents of the Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats are in store for this high school basketball season. Coach Jill Prudden, in her 29th season at ORHS, features an undersized, but quick and athletic team that will literally press the life out of you with its up-tempo, full-court style of basketball. It’s old-school Lady Wildcats basketball at its best. “I really like this group I have,” said Prudden. “It lends itself to old-style Oak Ridge basketball minus the size. We’ve got good depth and great quickness; we just don’t have a lot of size. We’ve got to make it a baseline-to-baseline game.” So far, Oak Ridge has done just that with impressive wins over defending Division II-AA state champion Webb and McMinn County. Here’s a look at some of the key components for the Lady Wildcats this season. The Passer -- Kortni Jones: The sky is the limit for Jones, a 5-7 junior who is known for her uncanny ability to thread the needle on long assists. Prudden said she expects Jones to be one of the state’s top point guards this season. “Kortni is a good leader on the court. What has impressed me most about Kortni is she has come in during the preseason and really gotten after it. Kortni has got a lot of experience -- she can drive and dish, she’s improved defensively and she has a very complete game. Her limits will be put on her only by herself.” The Gunner -- Raegan Thompson: “Raegan can stretch out the defense shooting the 3-pointer and she has been working on putting it on the floor. She is coming off a great state tournament for us.” Thompson a 5-10 wing, has also already shown improved rebounding ability in early season play. The Rebounder -- Kierra Johnson: Oak Ridge’s top inside player is the 5-8 Johnson, who plays much bigger than her size would suggest. “She’s a tremendous rebounded, especially on the offensive side. Kierra can really get up and down the floor. She has really worked to try and improve her offensive game to be a better scorer.” The junior displayed a much-better shooting touch from the perimeter in OR’s season-opening win at Webb. The Versatile one -- Sophomore Quesha McClanahan saw extensive playing time as a freshman for Oak Ridge. She’ll be expected to take on multiple roles this season, according to Prudden. “She has great quickness, is a really good defender and she can handle the basketball.” Expect to see McClanahan play a little bit of everything for the Lady Wildcats, from guard to post this season. The Wildcard -- Sophomore Jazzmine Hazzard (5-9) has perhaps as much athletic ability as any player on the team. “She’s just a raw athlete,” said Prudden. “Jazzmine is athletic and has good quickness.” By the end of the season, don’t be surprised if Hazzard has improved more than any other Lady Wildcat. The Transfer -- Senior Tiffany Johnson, a 5-3 senior guard/wing, is a transfer student from Bearden. “She’s strong -- the kind of kid who never takes a rep off. She can handle the ball and likes to get out and guard people. She can also score from the perimeter.” The Runner -- Prudden is counting on sophomore Autumn Gipson to pick up where she left off as a member of the state championship Oak Ridge cross country team. “It’s no secret she can run. We’re counting on her as a big player in the post competition. She is only about 5-6, but probably the best thing Autumn does is offensive rebounding.” The Lady Wildcats will have several other capable players in reserve, including junior wing Tuesday Keener, sophomores Leslie Jenkins and Chermantha Foster, and freshman post Armeka Booker. |
Posted 6:15 p.m. November 25, 2007 OR sweeps four games in Johnson City tournament By Mike Blackerby editor@oakridgesports.com
basketball tournament in Johnson City. Coach Ricky Norris’ boys and coach Jill Prudden’s Lady Wildcats each posted two wins in impressive fashion in action at Freedom Hall to run their season worksheets to 4-0. Boys Norris’ Wildcats capped tourney play Saturday with an impressive 66-48 dismantling of host Science Hill (3-1). Point guard Jared Stephens led the way with 21 points while wing Quinche Dowdell netted 19 to spark OR. The Wildcats raced out to an 18-0 lead before the Hilltoppers responded with a 12-0 spurt of their own. “It was a great atmosphere Saturday night,” said Norris. “There was a big crowd and a lot of excitement. To come out and start the way we did was very encouraging.” Norris said the Wildcats’ quickness, with Stephens leading the way, was the difference. “He (Stephens) was awesome. They didn’t have anybody who could stay between him and the basket.” The Wildcats opened Friday night with an easy 77-35 blowout of Johnson County as Dowdell gunned in 24 points and James Michel 14. “The first night was a deal where our overall athleticism was too much for them to handle. They had 31 turnovers and we had 10 threes … and nobody had an inside answer for Quinche.” Girls The Lady Wildcats blitzed Science Hill 67-38 Saturday after opening with a 68-50 triumph against Unicoi County Friday. Raegan Thompson had a stellar all-around showing for OR against Unicoi County as she pumped in 23 points on 5-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc and claimed 10 caroms. “She had a great game,” applauded Prudden. Kierra Johnson contributed 15 points, Kortni Jones 13 and Quesha McClanahan 12 for the Lady ’Cats. Johnson led the way in Saturday’s decision against the Lady Toppers as she totaled 16 points. McClanahan had 14 and Autumn Gipson 10. Oak Ridge used a 20-5 run in the third quarter to put Science Hill away. On tap Oak Ridge ushers in the new Wildcat Arena era Tuesday night as Bradley Central comes to town. The varsity girls play at 6, followed by the boys at 7:30. “It’s the first game in the new arena so there should be a lot of excitement in the air,” said Norris. Oak Ridge also plays at home Friday as mid-state foe Ensworth pays a visit to the Wildcat Arena. |
Posted 6:15 p.m. November 25, 2007 Oak Ridge boys storm to SE regional win, advance to national cross-country meet By Mike Blackerby editor@oakridgesports.com The dream season just won’t die for Oak Ridge’s boys cross-country team. Coach Allen Etheridge’s Wildcats tacked on another honor; no, make that the biggest honor in school cross- country history Saturday as they captured the Nike Southeast Regional Cross-Country Championship at Hoover, Ala. The win advances Oak Ridge to Saturday’s national championship race in Portland, Ore. “This is definitely the biggest thing we’ve ever done,” said Etheridge, who has skippered the OR boys to three state Class AAA titles in a row. “The main thing is the boys believed they could do it. I could talk all I want about doing it, but if nobody buys into it this wouldn’t happen.” Senior standout Maclean O’Donnell definitely bought into it. O’Donnell was the first runner to cross the finish line in the 5k race at Veterans Park as he out-kicked Hoover’s Patrick McGregor in the closing stretch to nail the victory. “Maclean was ridiculous,” said Etheridge. “When it was time to go he went about as hard as he could. With about 1,000 meters to go, Maclean made his move -- in about 100 meters, it was over. He just killed him (McGregor).” O’Donnell’s winning time was 15 minutes and 54 seconds. McGregor was well back in 16:33 as he faded after O’ Donnell snatched the lead. Phil Riemer and Emerson Peacock each finished in 16:33 and were 12th and 13th, respectively. Chris Cole took 26th in 16:59. Chris Ostrouchov (17:07) earned 38th place, John Sharpe (17:10) 41st and Cory O’Leary (17:32) 60th. Oak Ridge totaled 90 points while Team 703 out of Jefferson Va., scored 98. Chattanooga Baylor was third with 125. “We ran exactly like we have all year,” said Etheridge. “I can’t complain about anything. Now that this has happened, I’m not really sure it happened. I keep pinching myself.” The pinching may not be over for Etheridge as Oak Ridge, which is ranked No. 18 in the nation, enters more uncharted waters with its appearance in the national meet in Oregon. The top two teams out of the nine regionals, along with four at-large teams comprise the 22-team field at nationals. “We’re going to try and out-run our national ranking,” said Etheridge, who suggested a top-five finish wasn’t out of the question if Oak Ridge ran the race of its life. Given what has happened this season, don’t count the Wildcats out. “That’s one thing about our guys, they’re competitors.” |
Posted 7:00 a.m. November 28, 2007 Jones, Lady Wildcats leave their mark against Bradley Central By Mike Blackerby editor@oakridgesports.com Kortni Jones became the instant answer to a future trivia question for the ages -- and more importantly, Oak Ridge’s Lady Wildcats won another basketball game in convincing fashion Tuesday night as the new Wildcat Arena was christened. Coach Jill Prudden’s girls moved to 5-0 on the young season with a 69-54 dispatching of a Bradley Central (5-2) team that had lost only to Wilson Central by one point, 62-61, in double overtime. Jones, Oak Ridge’s smooth junior point guard, led the way for the Lady Wildcats with 18 points. Jones also scored the first points in the Wildcat Arena in a regulation game as she dropped in a soft jumper from short range along the baseline just five seconds into the contest. Jones led a contingent of four Lady Wildcats in double figures. Jazzmine Hazzard tossed in 15 points while Raegan Thompson and Quesha McClanahan netted 10 apiece. Yiesha Bradford, a 5-8 senior post player, paced the Bearettes with 26 points and eight rebounds. The Lady Wildcats led 16-12 after one stop before blowing the game open with a 26-8 run in the second stanza. Oak Ridge closed the quarter with a 20-2 spurt after Bradley Central cut the deficit to 22-18. McClanahan tallied off a drive, Jones nailed a pull-up jumper and Kierra Johnson converted a fast break bucket into two of her nine points as BC needed a timeout with 3:45 to go in the half, down 28-18. Bradford hit one of two free throws, but McClanahan and Johnson answered with scores to push the margin to 13 points. Things continued to unravel from there for the visitors as Hazzard picked off two steals that she turned into easy layups and Jones fired in six more points as Oak Ridge went into the half up 42-20. The Bearettes chipped away at that margin in the second half, but BC could get no closer than 14 points late in the fourth quarter. Hazzard led the Lady Wildcats in the rebounding department with nine caroms. Thompson added seven boards. Oak Ridge forced 21 turnovers by the Bearettes. BRADLEY CENTRAL (54): Bradford 11-19 4-7 26, Davis 3-6 1-2 7, Ervin 1-8 5-7 8, Eldridge 1-8 0-1 2, McCracken 0-2 0-0 0, Person 3-3 1-4 7, Bolles 0-2 1-2 1, Maples 0-0 0-0 0, Willis 1-1 0-0 3. Totals: 20-49 12- 23. OAK RIDGE (69): Jones 8-19 2-2 18, Ki. Johnson 4-7 1-2 9, Thompson 4-7 0-0 10, Ti. Johnson 1-3 0-0 3, Hazzard 6-10 3-4 15, McClanahan 4-10 0-0 10, Gipson 1-3 2-2 4. Totals: 28-59 8-10. Three-point field goals: Oak Ridge (Thompson 2, McClanahan 2, Ti. Johnson), BC (Ervin, Willis). Rebounds: Oak Ridge 27 (Hazzard 9, Thompson 7), BC (Bradford 8, Davis 6). Turnovers: BC 21, Oak Ridge 14. Score by quarters BC 12 8 19 15 -- 54 OR 16 26 17 10 -- 69 |
Posted 7:00 a.m. November 21, 2007 OR’s Howell named to All-South soccer squad By Mike Blackerby editor@oakridgesports.com
To get this one, you’ve really got to earn it. Oak Ridge senior Trenna Howell has been honored as just the third Lady Wildcats in history to be selected to the 13-state All-South soccer team. Howell is just one of five players in Tennessee named to the prestigious squad for 2007, according to ORHS coach O.J. Sheppard. “I’m extremely pleased to see her rewarded for her efforts,” said Sheppard, whose girls made it all the way to the Class AAA semifinals this season. “This is really a team award -- and I think Trenna would be the first to say that. It’s an awesome honor for our school and our program.” Jennifer Goff (twice) and Lori Boren are the other two Lady Wildcats who previously were named to the squad. Bearden goalkeeper Sarah Canter is the only other East Tennessee player on the All-South team, which includes about 30 players from the 13-state southern region. Howell set a single-season school record for goals this season and leaves Oak Ridge as the No. 2 all-time scorer in Lady Wildcats history with 92 goals. According to Sheppard, Howell is mulling scholarship offers from several colleges. Carson-Newman and UTC appear to be the frontrunners, according to Sheppard. Howell is also still in the running for Academic All-American honors, which will be released in the near future. |
Posted 7:00 a.m. November 28, 2007 Bears no match for OR boys, 60-32 By Mike Blackerby editor@oakridgesports.com
Tuesday night. Still, it was more than enough to blow past a graduation-depleted Bradley Central team, 60-32. “They’re a young team that lost six of its top seven players,” said OR coach Ricky Norris. “We’re gonna have to play a lot better Friday night against Ensworth.” Indeed. Although Oak Ridge moved to 5-0 with the win, the Wildcats struggled for much of the contest. “We were out of sync early,” said Norris, who watched BC slow down the tempo in an 8-6 first quarter that ended with the Wildcats narrowly on top. “We knew they were gonna come out in a 3-2 zone and we didn’t do a good job against it. We didn’t get good shots and we couldn’t get into our press.” Oak Ridge finally got things going in the second quarter as the Wildcats outscored the Bears 14-5 to take a 22- 11 lead. Bradley Central fell apart during an 8 minutes and 21 seconds span to end the second quarter and start the third that saw the visitors go scoreless and miss 10 field goal attempts in a row. “We knew we had an advantage with our depth and athletic ability. Against teams like that we’ll try and wear them down and play for a run.” With the Bears going cold to start the third stanza, the Wildcats stretched the margin to 47-15 heading into the final eight minutes of play. Oak Ridge was led by senior wing Quinche Dowdell’s 18 points and six rebounds. Guard Jared Stephens hit 5-of-6 shots and totaled 11. Tucker Trent netted eight points and became the first Oak Ridge boys player to score in the new Wildcat Arena when he drilled an early trey to put the Wildcats up 3- 2. Josh Gregory contributed seven points and Tyler Clark 6 for OR, which shot 53 percent from the field to Bradley’ s 32 percent. The Bears made just 11 field goal attempts in 34 tries. OAK RIDGE (60): Stephens 5-6 1-2 11, Clark 2-5 1-3 6, Trent 3-8 0-0 8, Michel 1-3 0-0 2, Dowdell 8-13 2-4 18, Rogers 0-2 3-4 3, McClanahan 1-3 1-1 3, Gregory 3-4 1-5 7, Coffey 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 24-45 9-19. Three-point field goals: Oak Ridge (Trent 2, Clark). Rebounds: Oak Ridge 25 (Michel 6, Dowdell 6), Bradley Central 19. Turnovers: Bradley Central 20, Oak Ridge 8. See The Girls & Boys Highlights Here Score by quarters BC 6 5 4 17 -- 32 OR 8 14 23 15 -- 60 |