Wildcats’ wild season run ends in Semifinals
Oak Ridge’s sophomore running back Damillyan Porter gained 136 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries in the Wildcats’ state semifinal matchup against Sevier County on Friday night.
The Wildcats, who finished the season 9-5, faced a rollercoaster year marked by injuries and adversity.
Despite the challenges, Oak Ridge claimed its second-consecutive Region 3-5A title and postseason victories over Rhea County, McMinn County, and East Hamilton to secure its semifinal berth.
Sevier County (14-0) moves on to the state championship in Chattanooga, where it will face unbeaten Page High School (14-0) on Friday.
For Oak Ridge, the loss was a bitter conclusion to an unexpected playoff run.
“This is just a sad moment,” Wildcats Coach Derek Rang said.
“Unfortunately, there’s only going to be one team happy from (Class) 5A, and we were one win away from that,” he said. “ I just told (the players) that I was proud of them after all we’ve been through. Nobody expected us to be here, and we made it. We probably should’ve won the game.”
The Wildcats led 20-17 at halftime, and they extended their advantage to 27-17 midway through the third quarter.
Junior wide receiver Will Pressley, who returned from injury, delivered two pivotal touchdown receptions of 70 and 80 yards in the first half.
Pressley finished with four catches for 171 yards.
Junior quarterback Blaine Stansberry completed 12 of 18 passes for 242 yards, throwing four touchdown passes and one interception.
Sophomore running back Damillyan Porter carried the ball 20 times for 136 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore tight end Malik Howard added a touchdown reception.
Sevier County mounted a dramatic comeback, scoring 28 of the game’s final 35 points in a wild second half.
The Smoky Bears’ quarterback, Cooper Newman, threw six touchdown passes, five of which came after halftime, bringing his season total to 43.
The comeback included a successful onside kick by Sevier County and capped off a postseason run that featured a fourth-quarter rally against Powell and a double-overtime victory over two-time defending state champion Knoxville West.
While Oak Ridge fell short of its ultimate goal, the Wildcats’ unexpected run provided a thrilling postseason journey for fans and players alike.
