Wildcats roar past Karns; district clash with Powell postponed
Inclement weather is the only thing that has slowed the Oak Ridge High School boys basketball team’s dominance in District 3-4A play.
The Wildcats (10-3 overall, 3-0 district) had their Friday night league game at Powell postponed due to snow that blanketed East Tennessee on Friday morning.
The matchup between Oak Ridge and the Panthers (7-9, 2-1) has been rescheduled for Thursday at Powell’s Jeff Hunter Gymnasium, with tipoff set for 7:30 p.m.
Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said the postponement was frustrating.
“It just seems like the last few years, this has all just been part of it,” Green said. “It’s always frustrating when you lose a game due to weather because everything can get backed up.”
In their only game last week, the Wildcats routed Karns 96-43 on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at Wildcat Arena.
Oak Ridge put the game away early, jumping out to a 32-5 lead in the first quarter and extending the margin to 55-21 by halftime.
Four Wildcats scored in double figures. Garrett Giles led with 16 points, followed by Malik Howard with 15. Shamar Greene added 14 points, and Ray Ray Watson finished with 10.
“I thought we played pretty well,” Green said. “We had four or five guys in double figures, and three others were one bucket away from double figures. I think 96 points is the most we’ve scored all year.
“(Karns) Coach (Lee) Henson will probably tell you this is the least experienced team he’s had. We’re friends and have coached against each other for years.”
The Wildcats were scheduled to return to action Tuesday at Campbell County (weather permitting). Results were not available at press time.
Oak Ridge has won all three district games by at least 25 points, and will travel to Knoxville Halls Jan. 21. The Wildcats beat Halls 75-50 earlier this season in Oak Ridge.
