Wildcats use big third quarter to overcome Knox Central in 42-24 victory

October 9, 2024 by Ken Lay

After starting the season 0-2, Oak Ridge High School’s football team has now won four consecutive games. The Wildcats, however, had to stage a comeback to secure a non-region victory last week.

Things started strong for Oak Ridge, but it took a big third quarter to secure a 42-24 win over Knox Central on Friday night at Blankenship Field.

Oak Ridge (4-2) struck first when running back Damillyan Porter found the end zone on a 14-yard run. Eli Pearson’s extra point gave the Wildcats a 7-0 lead in the opening quarter.

Knox Central (3-4) responded with 17 unanswered points in the second quarter to take control. Central quarterback J.J. Sackie connected with Daniel Sackie on a long touchdown pass, and Devon Cole tied the game with the extra point. Torian McAfee then returned an interception for a touchdown, and Cole added a 39-yard field goal just before halftime, giving the Bobcats a 17-7 lead at the break.

The Wildcats looked sluggish heading into the locker room, but the game turned dramatically after halftime.

Will Pressley opened the third quarter with a long kickoff return, sparking Oak Ridge’s resurgence. The Wildcats followed with a methodical drive that lasted nearly five and a half minutes, culminating in an 8-yard touchdown pass from Blaine Stansberry to Malik Howard with 6:34 remaining in the third.

“We got that long return, and then we were able to score,” Oak Ridge coach Derek Rang said. “I think that return was big, and we were able to build momentum from there. They had some big plays in the second quarter, especially that interception, which was just a good play by McAfee.”

Oak Ridge’s momentum carried them through the rest of the game. The Wildcats regained the lead early in the fourth quarter when Porter scored on a 1-yard run with 10:55 left, making it 21-17.

From there, Oak Ridge took control. Stansberry threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to Pressley, and Porter and Rush Douglas added late touchdown runs before Central’s Javaston Badgett closed out the scoring with a touchdown run with 2:10 to play.

Next up, Oak Ridge will conclude its five-game homestand and play its final regular-season home game against Farragut on Friday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The Admirals enter the contest with a 1-5 record after a 28-20 win at Bradley Central last week.