’Cats sitting at 2-0 after second half blitz of Powell

September 6, 2023 by Ken Leinart

In a game filled with big-time plays, last Thursday’s high school football game at Blankenship Field between the homestanding Oak Ridge Wildcats and Powell Panthers didn’t really need an exclamation-point ending.

It got one anyway with Wildcat sophomore Will Presley supplying the punctuation with a 50-yard kickoff return with less than a minute to play to cap Oak Ridge’s 35-21 non-region win.

The Wildcats improved to 2-0 on the season, and start Region 5A-3 play Friday at Karns. Powell dropped to 1-2 and begins Region 5A-2 play at home against Heritage.

Powell dominated the first half, though the teams left the field at the half tied 7-7.

The Panthers used almost 10 minutes of the clock in the first quarter. A 12-play opening drive covering 78 yards used up more than six minutes of the clock.

Powell’s Deuce Rogers danced into the end zone from 18 yards, and Dylan Stooksbury’s point after made it 7-0 with 5:35 to play in the first.

Powell got some help on the drive when the Panthers were forced to punt from their own 39. A brushing by the kicker was deemed as “roughing” and the Panthers had a fresh set of downs to continue the scoring drive.

Oak Ridge mounted an answering drive, but Panther senior Markus Jackson hauled in an interception and set the Panthers up in business 98 yards away from a score.

Vashawn Nalls returned the favor, intercepting a Panther airmail with 3.9 seconds left in the first.

The ’Cats were forced to punt, and Powell moved the ball like it was ready to expand its lead with another long drive.

The visitors were working with a second and two, six yards shy of a score, when senior Elijah Bradley crashed the party and smothered a dropped snap and put Oak Ridge back in business with less than three minutes to play in the half.

After a couple of big runs from De’Jauvis Dozier, ’Cat signal caller threw a strike to Brandon Heyward, who broke a tackle and turned a 24-yard gain into a 50 yard touchdown. After Eli Pearson’s point after kick, the game was tied with 1:10 left in the half.

Oak Ridge’s go-ahead drive in the third quarter was fueled by Dozier and the Wildcat offensive line. Dozier did most of the damage — a nice throw and catch between Stansberry and Heyward and nifty screen pass to Dozier worked nicely.

Dozier topped the 80-yard, eight-play drive with a six-yard romp to the end zone. Pearson’s kick made it 14-7 with 7:46 left in the third.

The teams traded turnovers — Kailas Clearman taking in an interception for Powell and a host of Wildcats coming up big on a fourth-and-four conversion attempt by the Panthers.

Oak Ridge entered the final quarter with a second-and-seven at the 48. Six plays later Dozier scored his second TD of the night from four yards out, and Pearson’s kick made it 21-7 with 9:33 left in the game.

That drive was helped by a Stansberry-to-Presley connection for 20 yards.

Powell answered with an eight-play drive, with Rogers scoring from two yards out. The point-after sailed wide, but the Panthers had cut into the Wildcat lead to 21-13.

It took Oak Ridge two plays to answer. A three-yard gain from Dozier put the ball at the 27.

Stansberry then laced a perfect ball to Almani Rembert, who took it in stride and scored from 73 yards out. Pearson’s kick made it 28-13 with 4:16 to play.

The Panthers weren’t finished.

Powell pulled off an improbable drive that saw a freshman quarterback dig out of a fourth-and-23 hole.

Jaylon Benjamin spelled Rogers under center to start the drive, which seemed to stall after two offsides penalties and a delay of game put the visitors in a fourth-and-long. Benjamin threw a strike to Adam Weaver, getting a fresh set of downs.

Rogers returned to cap off the drive with a scoring toss to Dylan Stooksbury. Connor Wheeler carried the two-point conversion and the Panthers were still within reach at 28-21 with 54.1 seconds to play.

The onside kick attempt and Will Presley, however, sealed the game for Oak Ridge.