Donnie Green has high expectations in last year at ORHS

August 2, 2023 by Ken Lay

As Donnie Green enters his fourth and final season as the Oak Ridge High School head girls soccer coach, he makes it no secret that he has lofty expectations for the Lady Wildcats.

Anything short of a District 3-AAA championship could be considered a disappointment.

“My expectation is to win the district championship,” Green said.

A big aspiration, no doubt, but the Lady Wildcats’ road to a tournament title may have gotten a bit easier as defending district champion Knoxville West, has departed for District 4-AAA. Knoxville Halls replaces the Lady Rebels, but the Lady Devils were regional finalists in Class AA in 2022.

“It was always us and Powell before West came over,” Green said. “I’d like to win the district championship and then we can host the region semifinals. It was 2019 when we last won the district.”

A District 3-AAA tournament title would net the Lady Wildcats a home match in the Region 2-AAA elimination semifinals, but the game would likely be against Hardin Valley Academy, West, Maryville or Farragut.

Bearden will again be the class of District 4-AAA and Region 2-AAA. The Lady Bulldogs have won back-to-back state championships and haven’t lost a game in two years.

“Our region is the toughest in the state,” Green said.

Oak Ridge had a young side last season and finished with an 11-7 overall record. ORHS finished third in the district’s regular-season standings before being eliminated in the district tournament semifinals.

Top returners for the Lady Wildcats include: Mia Weist, a senior forward who saw significant playing time last season. She’ll be a first-year starter this year). Others are Brooklyn Henderson (senior, forward); Rose Pelletier (sophomore, midfielder); Edie Weston (junior, midfielder); Abbey Pressley (sophomore, defender); Victoria Moua (senior, defender); Ella Bunch (junior, forward/defender); Aniya Fisher (a senior forward who was Oak Ridge’s leading goal scorer in 2022); Olivia Paul (senior, defender); Samantha Mayton (junior, defender); Lilah Kim (sophomore, midfielder); Ayda Branson (sophomore, goalkeeper/midfielder/forward); Noel Norstedt (sophomore, defender); Lera Lee (junior, forward); Elena Vogt (sophomore, defender); Hayven Laurendine (sophomore, forward); and Grace Phillips (senior, goalkeeper).

Freshman goalkeeper Marleigh Frazier enters the fray for the Lady Wildcats in 2023.

Green said his team’s strengths will be between the goal posts, the back line and the midfield.

“We have a strong midfield, good goalkeeping and a strong back line,” Green said. “We have two good goalkeepers.”

Oak Ridge struggled to finish on offense last season, but Green is looking for the Wildcats’ attack to be a bit more potent in 2023.

“I don’t want to ignore our forwards,” said Green, who will leave ORHS at the end of the season to start the program at Roane State Community College. “They’re a year older and I think our attack will be better this year.

“Our biggest area of concern is (lack of) depth at every position.”

Oak Ridge opens at home against Maryville on Tuesday, Aug. 15.

The Lady Wildcats are seeking their first win against the Lady Rebels in more than a decade.