Dragons hosting OR in cross-county rivalry
The Clinton High School Dragons (2-5, 1-2) look to bounce back from last week’s 51-8 loss against the number one ranked team in 5A, Fulton High School.
However, the Dragons will face another very formidable opponent — Oak Ridge.
The Oak Ridge High School Wildcats (6-1, 3-0) are ranked number two in 5A behind Fulton, and are tied for first in the Region 3 standings with the Falcons.
The Wildcats will come to town rested and ready, as they had a bye last week. Oak Ridge’s only defeat was a close 20-14 result against a really talented and undefeated Farragut Admirals squad, the number three ranked team in 6A.
Although the Wildcats lost that game, it proves not only that Oak Ridge can compete with one of the best football teams in the state, but that a deep post-season run in very likely.
Oak Ridge is not as dynamic as the Fulton team that Clinton saw last week, but the Wildcats are still elite.
Oak Ridge is averaging 31.2 points per game, and has put 40-plus points on the board in their last two games. Offensively, the Wildcats are led by senior gunslinger Herbert Booker.
Booker leads Oak Ridge in multiple categories. Booker is averaging ten points per game, and is the team-leader in total yards per game, with a 123.3 average. T
hrough the air, Booker averages 63.5 yards per game, but has the capability to throw for 100 plus yards, if the Clinton secondary fails to tighten up.
His favorite target is senior wideout Kai’reese Pendergrass, who has 190 yards on 16 receptions and one touchdown.
Accompanying Booker in the Oak Ridge backfield is senior running back Jordan Graham, who leads the run-heavy Wildcats with 91.5 yards per game. Graham also is the team leader in all-purpose yards, averaging 106.2 yards per game. Both Booker and Graham will look to have a big game against their cross-county opponent.
On the defensive side of the football, Oak Ridge is extremely hard to break down.
The Wildcats’ defense is well coached, and are a disciplined group. Oak Ridge has given up 21 points only one time this season.
Junior linebacker Jacob Adams leads the Wildcats’ defensive unit, and is one of the top linebackers in the Region. Adams has the athletic ability to play sideline to sideline and his great vision.
The junior is often around the football, and leads Oak Ridge with an 11.2 tackles per game average. His 67 total tackles—31 solo and 35 assisted, are all team-leading statistics. Booker lines up behind Adams, in the Oak Ridge secondary, and has a team-high five interceptions. The Oak Ridge defense will look to continue to be a strong force against Clinton, this Friday.
Ultimately, Clinton is riding the struggle bus. The Dragons gained a much needed region win after Powell was forced by TSSAA to forfeit their six wins due to an ineligible player. Taking that into consideration, Clinton has still lost three straight games. Defensively, the Dragons’ ability to stop the run isn’t bad, but their pass defense has been their Achilles’ heel all season. If they can stop the pass, expect Clinton to hang around. The Dragons gave up 255 yards through the air and three touchdowns against Fulton last week. However, Oak Ridge goes to the air far fewer times than Fulton does.
Offensively, the Dragons have not scored more than 14 points since week 3, when they scored 21 points against Anderson County. The Clinton offense will need to improve drastically if the Dragons want any chance of upsetting Oak Ridge. Clinton’s offensive line struggled last week, but will match up better against Oak Ridge. The Dragons’ offensive line is the key to their success this week. If the big boys up front lose the battle of the trenches, Clinton will fail to have success on offense. The Dragons threw the ball only two times against Fulton, and both were incompletions. If Clinton throws the ball five times or less against Oak Ridge, Seniors Isiah Washington and Josh Breeden must have a big game. However, they need room to work and holes to hit, which once again, starts up front. If Oak Ridge can put eight or nine guys in the box on every play, running room will be hard to find.
For a second week in a row, Clinton has another chance to shock the state, and shake up the Region 3 standings. With home field advantage, a strong defensive performance, and contributions from their playmakers, Clinton could piece together the right formula for a win.
